A triumph for Soap&Skin – Anja Franziska Plaschg aka Soap&Skin has just conquered the Austrian charts, shooting from zero to No. 1 with her new album “Narrow”. This exceeds the success of her debut album “Lovetune For Vacuum”, which reached fifth place in 2009. Since her first appearance on the big stage three years ago, there is hardly any other Austrian musician who has provoked as much attention as Anja Plaschg. Once celebrated as the great hope of the local pop scene, the singer-songwriter has long made a name for herself on an international level. The much acclaimed debut album “Lovetune For Vacuum”, which was released in 2009, struck like a bomb and opened the doors to international recognition. Concerts in prestigious houses of great cities, invitations to major international festivals underline her exclusivity. In recent years it has become a little quieter around the extraordinary musician. With the currently released mini album “Narrow” (Play It Again Sam), Soap & Skin is back in an utmost impressive manner.
Soap&Skin’s presence on stage is a challenging and oppressive event, a spectacle of the most intense kind, a force of nature, which breaks in unexpectedly and takes your breath away. She acts as an all-encompassing power that, like a black hole that sucks up all matter and light in itself, accumulates the energy and attention of the audience to an extremely emotionally dense atmosphere. Nobody leaves untouched from a concert by the 21-year-old. The Styrian-born is surrounded by never revelatory secrets. Her music creeps in from a distance and despite sharing her innermost depths of her soul with the audience, it seems as if she actually gives away very little. Nevertheless, “Narrow” is probably the most personal statement of the Styrian-native.
As on her debut album “Lovetune For Vacuum”, Anja Plaschg once again carries the interplay between restraint and great dramatic outbursts to extremes. Rather sparsely instrumented with a piano and some electronic dalliances (new are subtly used strings and choirs), the introverted artist opens a new space for herself to fully develop her art. Cheerful music has never been the name of the game for the Styrian artist and “Narrow” is no exception. Her pieces reveal themselves as a vehicle for the expression of her inner turmoil, desperation turned into sound. Like no other, Soap&Skin is known for never letting her music slip into clichés or pitifulness. Thus, the chilling and oppressive opening track of the mini-album, “Vater” characterizes the entire album. The musician sings about her father’s death with the most authentic and honest feeling of sadness and without any insincere masquerade.
With “Narrow” (release date: 02/10/2012), Soap&Skin once again succeeded in producing a more than impressive album, music that once again impressively underlines the exceptional position of the artist, deeply touching and fascinating the listener at the same time.
Michael Ternai
Tracklisting:
1. Vater
2. Voyage Voyage
3. Deathmental
4. Cradlesong
5. Wonder
6. Lost
7. Boat Turns Toward The Port
8. Big Hand Nails Down
soapandskin.com
www.narrowsoapandskin.com
2012 tour dates:
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- 02/10 – Arena, Vienna, AT
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- 02/12 – Volksbühne, Berlin, DE
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- 02/15 – Posthof, Linz, AT
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- 02/16 – Orpheum, Graz, AT
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- 02/19 – Chapelle St. Sauveur, St. Malo, FR
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- 02/27 – Freiheizhalle, München, DE
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- 02/28 – Kulturfabrik, Luxembourg, LU
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- 03/06 – Archa Theatre, Prague, CZ
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- 03/15 – Rote Fabrik, Zürich, CH
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- 04/11 – Scala, London, UK
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- 04/17 – Le Trabendo, Paris, FR
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- 04/18 – AB, Brussels, BE
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- 04/20 – Motel Mozaique, Rotterdam, NL
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- 04/21 – Kampnagel, Hamburg, DE
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- 04/27 – LEV Festival, Gijón, ES
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- 05/02 – Centraltheater, Leipzig, DE
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- 05/03 – Tafelhalle, Nürnberg, DE
- 05/04 – Spielboden, Dornbirn, AT