Voltaire
To the Bottom of the Sea
Gypsy punk, dark cabaret, sea shanties and Steampunk collide on the new CD by the original Gothic renaissance man and his skeletal orchestra of gyspy pirates
After 10 years of releasing CDs through Projekt Records, Voltaire embarks
on his first self-released studio album. And what a journey it is!
Somewhere between concept record and full-blown musical, \"To The Bottom of the Sea\" tells the tale of a gypsy tinker and his tumultuous journey from
his homeland in the mountains of Vorutania, to a watery grave at the ocean
depths.
Back are Voltaire\'s signature gypsy violins and celtic rhythms (provided by long-time mates Kitzis, Goeke and Sorino). But new to
the line-up is an accordion player, Franz Nicolay (World Inferno
Friendship Society, The Hold Steady, Guignol) that catapults each track
clean into the realm of gypsy punk (and piratey sea shanties on the second
half of the disc). Also guesting on this CD is a cadre of all-stars from the gypsy punk scene including Johnny Kalsi (Firewater, The Dhol Foundation) on percussion, Ruet Regev (Firewater) on trombone, and Luminescent Orchestrii string players Sarah Alden and Rima Fand. The result is a turn-of-the-century romp sure to delight pirates, Steampunks and gypsies.
The Story:
The CD opens up with a Billy Bragg-styled anthem in which our narrator
explains how the Industrial Revolution is responsible for the
homogenization of our culture. This kicks off a flash back to a
turn-of-the-century, Eastern block country called Vorutania where our
gypsy tinker and his mates revolt against the evil Robber Baron who
tyrannically lords over them. Hints and nods to Gogol Bordello are evident
as the peasants rise up and later celebrate drunkenly through the next few
tracks of unbridled debauchery. In a mid-CD highlight, Voltaire winks at his colleagues The Dresden Dolls with a hilarious parody of Coin Operated Boy titled Coin Operated Goi (sung in a Yiddish accent, no less!) But alas, like in any good debauched anarchy, the power
void leads to the inevitable war. This ushers in a coupling of somber
tracks where Voltaire\'s voice, in a more intimate setting, takes on a low,
smokey growl reminiscent of Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. Our protagonist
tells his wife (sung by polish chanteuse, Julia Marcell) that he must seek his fortune at sea. This lush and lyrical duet gives way to the second half of the CD in which our anti-hero sets out to sea and bring us all along for the voyage. Along the way are sea shanties, a rousing belly-dancing track and some Tom Waits-inspired dirges and romps. The closing track is a classic Voltaire skewering of society in which our narrator, back in the present day, explains why all of his tales must end so morbidly.
Voltaire\'s myspace page has long described him as a \"Renaissance man with Gypsy pirate band\". That characterization has never been as true as it is on \"To The Bottom of the Sea\". His 6th release really delivers the goods.
World: Gypsy