ANNE CLARK – “Synaesthesia – Anne Clark Classics Re-Worked”
With “Synaesthesia – Anne Clark Classics Re-Worked”, the exceptional British artist presents a fascinating album, covering the diversity of her catalogue over the past 40 years – through interpretations by some of the most innovative and renowned figures in music at the moment.
Born in south London in 1960, she holds unique place in contemporary music and literature. She left school at the age of sixteen, unable to fit into the constraints of the education system. Yet Anne retained her insatiable appetite for music, books and a need to engage with the world around her. The punk rock scene was just emerging in London and anything and everything seemed possible.
Combining literary, socially engaged lyrics with innovative and genre-busting music, Anne covered every style while always maintaining her own identity. Be it samples and electronically processed acoustics on “The Sitting Room” (1982) or the groundbreaking analogue synth classics, “Sleeper In Metropolis” (1983) and “Our Darkness” (1984) co-written with David Harrow.
Constantly searching for new ways of expression and communication through the emotions of music and language, Anne aims to challenge not only herself but also her audience. Between the minimal Scandinavian jazz influences of Unstill Life (1991), the pastoral, poetic interpretations and translations of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry on “Just After Sunset” (1998), to the full-on electronics and sparse acoustics of “The Smallest Acts Of Kindness” (2008), few artists have covered such a spectrum over such a long and consistent career.
In late 2010, Anne Clark began the first chapter of the ongoing project “Past & Future Tense”. In January 2011, Anne contributed an arrangement of the Charles Baudelaire poem “Enivrez-Vous” (Be Drunk) to the audio book and radio play “The Artificial Paradises” in collaboration with Murat Parlak, which was also developed into a live concept. The Artificial Paradises” received the German Audiobook Award 2012. Following this success, Anne and Murat were asked to set 12 poems by Emily Brontë to music for the audiobook/audio play “Wuthering Heights”, which was also nominated for major audiobook awards.
In 2013 Anne started a project together with the German musician and producer herrB. Based on her electronic roots, “Fairytales From The Underground” was created. In April 2014, the duo released “Life Wires” to even greater acclaim and chart entry.
In 2015, she embarked on an extensive acoustic tour with her long-time musical partners Murat Parlak & Jann Michael Engel entitled “Enough”. Also in 2015, Anne took part in Gothic Meets Klassik at the sold-out Gewandhaus in Leipzig. In 2016, Anne toured Europe again with herrB. In 2018, Anne collaborated with musician and composer Thomas Rückoldt on the album “Homage”.
In 2019, the single “Stop Brexit” was released, a passionate response to the Brexit vote. In October 2019, she once again took part in Gothic Meets Klassik in Leipzig. 2020 was to be a jubilant year for Anne. After more than 40 years as a songwriter and performer and a milestone birthday, she began preparations for a major anniversary tour. Songwriting and rehearsals were in full swing when simultaneously the coronavirus pandemic and a cancer diagnosis brought everything to a halt. After a gruelling year of treatments, Anne began writing again with her band members and will hopefully be able to perform live again soon. The disruption that 2020 brought to everyone’s lives meant looking for new ways to reach audiences. So the idea of an album of “reworkings” of her material developed. The resulting remakes and remixes, were conceived and realised by some of the most interesting and creative musicians, DJs and producers, of the current electronic music scene. “Synaesthesia – Anne Clark Classics Re-Worked” offers an eclectic mix of fascinating interpretations, both from long-time musical partners (herrB and Thomas Rückoldt) and from recognised figures of the current electronic scene such as Solomun, Blank & Jones, Andreas Brecht and Yagya. Exclusive quotes and notes from Anne and the featured artists are also part of the booklet.
The album proves Anne’s lasting and profound influence across generations
TRACKLIST :
- Entire World (Ballad Remix) – Thomas Rückoldt
2. Take Control (Solomun Tribute Remix) – Solomun feat. Anne Clark
3. Wallies (Kickin’ Mix) – herrB
4. Orange Suns – Melting Rust Opera
5. Heaven – Andreas Bruhn
6. Sometimes – Sea Of Sin
7. Waiting – Yagya 0
8. The Hardest Heart (2021 Revisit) – Blank & Jones feat. Anne Clark
9. Hope Road – Deadbeat
10. Virtuality – Johannes Brecht
11. A Community Of The Spirit – Svensyntetics 0
12. Our Darkness (Marc Romboy Respect Mix) – Marc Romboy
13. Entire World Dance Remix – Thomas Rückoldt
14. Sleeper In Metropolis – Robin Hirte
