Die Form- Bach Project

ARTIST: Die Form
ALBUM: Bach Project
LABEL: Metropolis Records
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 5-18-08

Die Form leave their signature fetish-inspired darkwave sound behind on this album in favor of a deeper exploration of their classical influences. Originally created for the annual Bach festival in Leipzig, Germany, this collection of pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach is surprisingly faithful and understated; you won't find the sort of showy synthesizer acrobatics of Wendy Carlos, though Die Form founder Phillipe Fichot definitely puts his own subtle mark on things. The most overtly electronic offering is "Christ Lag in Todesbanden," one of Bach's most familiar and most gothic-sounding compositions. Here it's set to strings rather than the more traditional organ arrangement, with crystalline sawtooth waves adding delicate harmonies as a mellow trip-hop beat gives things a hint of groove. Also gorgeous is "Erbarme Dich, Mein Gott," an aria from "Matthaus Passion" featuring strings and an unexpectedly lovely theremin melody that proves once and for all that the instrument is capable of more than '50s-era science fiction soundtracks. Conversely, "Magnificat: Quia Respexit et Omnes Generationes" is almost purely baroque, with barely a hint of modern electronics beneath the staccato violins and bowed cellos, and "Toccata Nr. 2 in D Moll," though somewhat modernist in flavor, nonetheless eschews obvious electronic flourishes, content to leave the spotlight on long-time vocalist Eliane P.'s trilling German operatics. While Die Form's take on Bach will probably leave classical purists cold, this is a far subtler incorporation of modern and Baroque elements than most attempts, and Fichot's loyalty to the great composer's original material will come as something as a shock to goth fans expecting the usual SM club fare.

Visit Die Form's website at www.dieform.net.