If you are contemplating buying this because you are a fan of both artist’s previous work  then you are in for a surprise. It does not sound like The Gitane Demone Quartet, Christian  Death or 45 Grave although it shares a dark vision with those bands. It has more in  common with a film score you might find in an especially well-made horror or suspense  film. Roessler makes use of electronics to recreate the sound of acoustic instruments you  would find in the home of a classical music composer. “The music is really different,”  Roessler explains. “But the essence is in Gitane’s passion for the subject matter.” And  Gitane, a singer with a true gift, is in spectacular form here. 

The collection of songs moves from like a cat from part to part dealing with death and loss.  The record is dedicated to two singer/songwriters who left us too early, Darby Crash and  Rozz Williams. The artists consider the album one whole piece. Strong low-end passages sounding like a sinister cello soon give way to beautiful piano sections. In a way it is quite a  departure for the duo but they sound right at home in this musical environment. “Gitane  approached me about doing some orchestral music. It was her idea and I really didn’t think  I was up to the challenge,” says Roessler. “Luckily, we went to a classical show at the  Hollywood Bowl and I saw the debut of a modern violin concerto which was really inspiring.  A lot of the influence for this was the violin concerto we saw debut at the Hollywood Bowl  by Daniel Bjarnassen. It gave me an idea of something that was written in the last year or  so. It gave me a starting point.” 

Combining classical sounds with Gitane’s soaring vocals is a natural fit. In a way this is not  too far removed from the Kurt Wiell type cabaret pieces she did when touring together with  Rozz Williams and on the Christian Death Ashes record. But if you think this will sound like  Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops you are wrong. Roessler wanted to try and  conjure classical sounds while striving for a modern sound. “I definitely wanted to start  from a 21st century orchestral frame. I learned so much about how an orchestra works  over the course of creating it.”