aaamusic | On 18, Mar 2012

The first person that came to mind was Nico. Austrian experimental artist, Anja Plaschg starts her album with Vater, an emotional and raw start to the album. Now, it might be the sudden hit of German accent which took my thoughts to Nico, the song is sung completely in German, although despite this the emotion of the song overcomes the language barrier wonderfully. But it’s not just this; you can see Nico’s influence speckled throughout the album.

This is however, not surprising since Plaschg is a big fan of Nico. She even played Nico in the play, ‘Nico – Sphinx aus Eis’ in Berlin and Vienna. Being twice over a drop out and having done so much at such a young age, Plaschg really is quite something.

Despite being only 21, the feet of Soap&Skin are already on the musical ladder, and climbing. 2009 album, Lovetune for Vacuum, received brilliant reviews and charted across Europe. Speaking of charting throughout Europe, the second song on the album is a cover of Desireless’ Voyage Voyage.

The song is transformed from 80’s disco-pop to something more intimate and emotional. Melancholy and melodic, Plaschg’s Voyage Voyage hole-punches the heart with a tip-toe of piano and a beautifully powerful voice, despite its echo of trembling fragility. And if you can understand French pretty well, the lyrics are rather lovely as well, although even if you don’t understand a word she’s singing, the sheer sentiment of the song is clear.

Deathmental interrupts the gloomy piano, emitting sudden synth and electronica. The sound of Soap&Skin is turned completely on its head, showing Anja’s love of experimentation. However, the bleak, bitter-beauty remains constant throughout the album. The lyrics of Deathmental are rich in dark imagery:

‘Life lays in your heart like in a coffin
Stop faking suffering like a child
Bonds of silk and vows of lead weight
in rotten milk – this was your feast plate’

The overall theme of the album is gloomy, but that does not mean that there is a lack of variety. The diversity of the album is certainly a strongpoint; from electronica to piano ballads with a dark ambient twist and neoclassical glints, Soap&Skin combines these elements to produce something both clever and artistic but also very listenable.

We return to the depths of elegant piano for the single, Wonder, a hymn of layered harmonies. Fragile and beautifully sad yet with a hint of hope. The song echoes out with the sounds of a music box and whispered harmony, giving the song a sense of unearthly dreaming and purity. While Lost continues in the same mood, wistful and wonderful. Her father’s death in 2009 is a key element of Narrow and it can very much be felt here.

Boat Turns Towards the Port opens with the tap of a typewriter and Big Hand Nails Down with the tick of a clock, both of which continue in the background throughout the song. These object sounds add an extra layer to both songs; they become instruments of everyday life. They bring what sounds almost otherworldly down to earth. Both songs are wonderfully emotional and powerful, yet hold onto a subtlety that can be hard to come by.

Soap&Skin’s Narrow is artistic and experimental, unearthly in areas, whilst still remaining very human and relatable. It is Plaschg’s ability to capture human emotion that makes this album so listenable. Despite this, it is still probably something that will not be to everyone’s tastes, but for those with a love for the dark, the experimental, or just something a little out of the ordinary, it will be adored.

Rose Benge