Carol Tatum
Ancient Delirium
Exotic new rock/goth/tribal fusion CD by shock-rock vocalist Charles Edward (Seraphim Shock) and rock guitarist turned harpist Carol Tatum (Angels Of Venice) in collaboration with award-winning engineer/mixer Florian Ammon (Rammstein, U2, Van Halen, etc.)
ABOUT "ANCIENT DELIRIUM": Ancient Delirium is the exotic new rock CD by shock-rock vocalist Charles Edward (Seraphim Shock) and rock guitarist turned harpist Carol Tatum (Angels Of Venice) in collaboration with award-winning engineer/mixer Florian Ammon (Rammstein, Van Halen). Ancient Delirium was created with attention to detail and adherence to the highest production value standards. We hope you enjoy this lush and heartfelt music which our passion for excellence, uniqueness and magic has created.
HISTORY: One rainy night in 2001, Carol and her boyfriend Ted drove through pouring rain to The Vampire Mad Tea Party in Alhambra, California hosted by promoter Blade Rhino. The band playing that night? Seraphim Shock. The band’s vocalist? Charles Edward. The show? Mind blowing. Carol immediately recognized the elegant, superb vocal quality Charles possessed –the smooth, even vibrato with sustain, warm tone with clarity, unique style, wide vocal range, excellent stage presence – and the gears in her mind started turning, although it would be several years before the duo would work together.
Finally, Carol had an opportunity to contact Charles to perform on one song for a compilation CD for her German record label Accession Records, owned by Diary Of Dreams front man Adrian Hates. Carol and Charles recorded one song, “Primitive Kiss,” engineered by Carol’s longtime friend and engineer Florian Ammon (of Rammstein fame). Based on the success of that song and the unique combination of Charles voice and Carol’s music, Carol began writing compositions for what would eventually become “Ancient Delirium.”
NOW: In order to record, Carol and Charles had two challenges: 1) being new to working together, and; 2) working on music while Charles was living in Denver, Colorado and Carol was in L.A. (Charles now lives in Los Angeles). But the challenges were met and the result is an intoxicating blend of acoustic guitar with cello, world percussion (doumbek, udu, frame drum),exotic ornamentations such as sitar, tambura, oud, hammered dulcimer, Tibetan bells, etc., fused with traditional rock instruments such as electric guitar, rich, bottom-y bass and rock kit plus a guest appearance by Carol’s cousin Gary Myrick (Gary Myrick And The Figures) playing slinky, “voodoo fire” slide guitar on the Queensryche-type ballad “I Fall.” Also making a guest appearance is the sensational female vocalist Tal B. (Run DMC, I5), whose strong, feminine vocals propel African-inspired rhythms on the track “Ahava.” Crystal clear female soprano Christina Linhardt plays the “angel” on “Nag (The Serpent King”) and famous world fusion drummer Jeramiah Soto (Solace) plays a variety of world percussion on several tracks. Angels Of Venice musician Cathy Biagini plays world-class cello on four of “Ancient Delirium’s” songs and Susan Craig Winsberg plays passion-filled flute on “Ahava”. Top session player for movie soundtracks, oboist Tom Boyd, perfectly compliments the variety of classical instruments on the Bernard-Herrmann-inspired “Courtesan Suite” and The Section violinist Eric Gorfain (Page/Plant “Unledded” tour) returns to play beautiful, rich violin. Florian Ammon, Carol’s engineer, is also a drummer and performs on “I Fall ” and the charming and sweet angel Sangeetha Rao adds traditional Indian vocals to “Primitive Kiss.”
ABOUT CAROL TATUM: Carol Tatum is a multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger, MIDI engineer and producer who started playing music at age six when she learned the song “Exodus” by ear on the piano and fell in love with the song “Green Onions” by Booker T And The MGs. Carol has loved classical music her whole life and is influenced by film composer Bernard Herrmann (Alfred Hitchcock movies). From her Dallas, Texas roots to living in Los Angeles, Carol met engineer Florian Ammon in 1995, and Flo became her engineer until the end of time. With her classical-to-John-Lee-Hooker-to-Led-Zeppelin roots, Carol wrote blue-based hard rock compositions for her band and played electric guitar performing at The Whiskey, Troubadour and FM Station, where vocalist Lenny Wolf (Kingdom Come) invited Carol to write lyrics for two of his CDs (“Hands Of Time” and “Bad Image,” Polygram Records, New York). Carol was then able to join ASCAP and become a published writer and, in 1999, signed as a harpist to Windham Hill Records/BMG releasing “Angels Of Venice,” which was submitted for a Grammy nomination by the label. Having had much success with her harp/flute/cello neochamber group Angels Of Venice - releasing five CDs, 20+ compilations and touring the U.S. - Carol met vocalist Charles Edward eight years ago. Carol had spent many years looking for an excellent vocalist and Mr. Edward’s luxurious vocal style fit the bill perfectly for what was to become their first release, the exotic rock CD “Ancient Delirium.”
ABOUT CHARLES EDWARD: Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Charles Edward, vocalist for his shock rock band Seraphim Shock, contributes his edgy personal style and powerful, silky smooth, darkly romantic vocals to complete the textural and exotic rock sound of “Ancient Delirium.” After meeting in February, 2001 on a torrential night filled with thunder and lightening, Carol and Charles began working together in 2006 to create a compilation track (“Primitive Kiss”) for Carol’s German record label Accession Records. With the success of that collaboration, the recording of “Ancient Delirium” commenced with Carol’s long time engineer Florian Ammon. Charles’ vocal signature and superb tonal quality make an indelible stamp on every track of “Ancient Delirium” with Charles stretching the limits of his personal style to render soaring melodic hooks, sensual Bowie-esque croonings and powerful, chilling and sometimes dangerous vocals reminiscent of his own band Seraphim Shock.
Charles was recently featured on two VH1 shows “Bret Michael’s Rock Of Love” and “Rock Of Love: Charm School.”
Charles is a personal trainer and body builder, for which he has an enduring passion, competing in and winning “First Place” in his very first competition (“Mile High Natural Championships”) in June, 2009. As of August, 2009, Charles chose to move from his home base of Denver, Colorado and make Los Angeles his new home.
REVIEWS:
"Together, (Charles Edward and Carol Tatum) reach a spectacular level of artistic and technical brilliance...a masterpiece of emotion, of an incredible musical depth…Charles Edwards, whose intimate, comforting vocals embrace you and will send pleasant shivers down the spine…represents (Charles Edward's and Carol Tatum's) finest hour"
- Daniela Vorndran, Reflections of Darkness (September 9, 2009)
"The more spins I gave it the more I fell in love with this very special liaison of electronics and hand-made, rich acoustic orchestration from all parts of the world, combined with an amazing voice. I can only recommend this album to anyone." – Sebastian Huhn, Reflections Of Darkness (September 15, 2009)
“.. Carol has returned to her rocker roots and combined Classical Goth Rock with an exciting instrumental sound, beautifully rich atmosphere and deep emotions…” - Silvia Wolf, Orkus Magazine
Rock: Goth