Die Form
Die Form have been making their own distinctively unsettling brand of dark electronic music for nearly two decades. Comprised of synthesist/vocalist Philippe Fichot and vocalist Eliane P, Die Form's approach to electronic music is stark, sensual, and strikingly beautiful - filled with operatic overtones, classical textures, tribalism, and the type of sensual imagery that is normally kept hidden deep within our most intimate closets.
It is the band's imagery that has garnered them the most notoriety - elements of bondage and sadomasochism continually pepper their albums, but these images are used with a strong sense of good taste. Die Form raises erotica to an art form that is not to be surpassed in the field. Sensuality, not just sexuality, is their guiding light. This approach to sensuality is evident in their music. Soothing, pulsing, filled with Gregorian-styled female vocals, yet also underpinned with a darkness that leaves the listener slightly off-balance - the music of Die Form is as beautiful as your first encounter with love, yet just as disquieting as discovering this same lover in the arms of an incubus.
Duality was the duo's Metropolis debut: a musical study of the opposites of light and dark, male and female, beauty and tragedy, acoustic and electronic, and, as always, love and passion. Die Form's exploration continued in 1999 with Histories, a 20-year synopsis of their journey up until then. Die Form returned in 2000 with Extremum which was to be a reflection on the absurd, the madness, and the excessivness of culture and society.
In addition to Die Form, Philippe Fichot has had many side projects over the last 20 years, which were included on AKT, a double CD featuring many of these side-projects. Also released in 2002 was a series of re-mastered and re-vamped re-releases of early Die Form albums. The re-issued material consisted of: Die Puppe, Some Experiences With Shock, Poupee Mechanique, Archives & Documents, Corpus Delecti, Photogrammes, Confessions, Ad Infinitum, Suspiria De Profundus and L'Ame Electrique.
Die Form's 2004 album, InHuman, was the first part of a diptych that was completed by 2006's ExHuman. Marking an evolution, but also a renewal as far as tools, technique and composition are concerned, InHuman exonerated the French S&M band to new levels of musical genius. liane's vocals hold a prominent place as a revealer of emotions, contrasting with the dark universe of images, the cruelty of some of the lyrics and the para-mechanical option of Phillippe's electronic music. Among other things, the diptych was about the pact between the human and the animal, the agony of the soul, forbidden loves, murderous madness, the spirit of the forest, and the sacrifice of nature. The framework of the first part, InHuman, was nature, real or rebuilt, where the elements have been reorganized in order to get a new reality, invisible to the naked eye, bordering on the very essence of the being, born of the consensual confrontation of love and death, while ExHuman dealt with man's surroundings and the effects that they have on him. Together, these two avant-garde pieces gave an extraordinary observation and critical analysis of mankind and the forces around and within him.
For more than 25 years, Die Forms artistic appeal has been their seamless fusion of music, photography, performance, and experimental film. This can be seen through their diverse fan group ranging from lawyers to laborers and from students to artists. Their haunting compositions have always exhibited classical nuances while remaining rooted in advanced electronics. In 2007, Die Form was invited to perform a selection of Johann Sebastian Bachs works re-arranged as an audio-video show at the Bach Fest in Leipzig, Germany. The response to their interpretation of Bach was so overwhelming, that it warranted a CD release. Bach Project was 13 selected pieces of Bachs work created using organic, electronic, and neo classical elements with experimental structures, classical harmonies, and vocals. The marriage of Die Forms music and Bachs compositions is something that cannot be imagined, only experienced.
Die Form will take hold of your soul, and lead you into dark rooms you never knew existed. It will lead you to a stranger's bed; it will caress your mind with such soft intensity as to leave you helplessly awaiting your lover's return. It will join the darkest corners of your mind with the most blinding light that your love has to offer.
Die Form offers more than just music. It offers a doorway into corridors you never knew were there. Be daring, and open the door.
Discography
| BACH PROJECT · MET 532· 1. BWV 42-7 Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats (Church Cantata) 2. BWV 243-3-4 Magnificat : Quia Respexit & Omnes Generationes 3. BWV 1031 Sonata Nr 2 in Es-Dur 4. BWV 1002 Partita Nr 1 in B Moll 5. BWV 147-5 Bereite Dir Jesu noch itzo die Bahn (Herz und Mund) 6. BWV 1030 Sonata Nr 1 in H Moll 7. BWV 1004 Partita Nr 2 in D Moll 8. BWV 565 Toccata Nr 2 in D Moll 9. BWV 54-1 Aria : Widerstehe doch der Sünde 10. BWV 29 Wir danken Dir, Gott, wir danken Dir 11. BWV 209 2+3 Recitativ : Non sa che sia dolore & Aria : Parti pur 12. BWV 4 Christ lag in Todesbanden 13. BWV 244-39 Matthäus Passion - Aria : Erbarme Dich, mein Gott! | |
| BACH PROJECT · MET 532D· 1. BWV 42-7 Am Abend Aber Desselbigen Sabbats (Church Cantata) 2. BWV 243-3-4 Magnificat: Quia Respexit & Omnes Generationes 3. BWV 1031 Sonata Nr 2 In Es-Dur 4. BWV 1002 Partita Nr 1 In B Moll 5. BWV 147-5 Bereite Dir Jesu Noch Itzo Die Bahn (Herz Und Mund) 6. BWV 1030 Sonata Nr 1 In H Moll 7. BWV 1004 Partita Nr 2 In D Moll 8. BWV 565 Toccata Nr 2 In D Moll 9. BWV 54-1 Aria: Widerstehe Doch Der Sunde 10. BWV 29 Wir Danken Dir, Gott, Wir Danken Dir 11. BWV 209 2+3 Recitativ: Non Sa Che Sia Dolore & Aria: Parti Pur 12. BWV 4 Christ Lag In Todesbanden 13. BWV 244-39 Matthaus Passion - Aria: Erbarme Dich, Mein Gott! | |
| EXHUMAN · MET 423· 1. Morphosis 2. Nature Destruction 3. Neo Futura 4. Agnostic Vision 5. Electroid 6. Fatal Insomnia 2 7. Pendulum 8. Hypnogramme 9. New Erotica 10. Dismember 11. Chaos Theory 12. Vox ExHumana | |
| EXHUMAN · MET 423D· 1. Morphosis 2. Nature Destruction 3. Neo Futura 4. Agnostic Vision 5. Electroid 6. Fatal Insomnia 7. Pendulum 8. Hypnogramme 9. New Erotica 10. Dismember 11. Chaos Theory 12. Vox ExHumana | |
| INHUMAN · MET 313· 1. The Supreme Vice 2. Ad Libitum 3. In the Depths of Mania 4. Feerie 5. Zoopsia 6. Amnestic Disorder 7. Natura Obscura 8. Psychic Colours 9. Diktat (Savage Peace) 10. Fossilized Light 11. Disjointed World 12. InHuman | |
| INHUMAN · MET 313D· 1. The Supreme Vice 2. Ad Libitum 3. In the Depths of Mania 4. Feerie 5. Zoopsia 6. Amnestic Disorder 7. Natura Obscura 8. Psychic Colours 9. Diktat (Savage Peace) 10. Fossilized Light 11. Disjointed World 12. InHuman | |
| L'AME ELECTRIQUE · MET 247· 1. Martyrium (Memorial To Hiroshima) 2. Phenomena Of Visitation 3. Rosa Aeterna (to Robert Desnos) 4. La Somnambule 5. The Hate 6. Le Reve 7. Martyrium 1 (The Lovers) 8. La Machine Moderne 9. Le Reve 1 10. Luminary (L'Ame Electrique) 11. Hallucigena 12. Unreal Cinema 13. The Hate 2 14. Phenomena Of Visitation 15. Phenomena Of Visitation 3 (Video Version) | |
| SUSPIRIA DE PROFUNDIS · MET 246· 1. Santa Dolore 2. Chain Reaction 3. Animalized 4. Man Sonic 5. Mental Epidemic 6. Cantique I 7. No Future 8. Automat 9. Child of Sorrows 10. Hurt Me 11. Via Dolorosa 12. Sonic Temple 13. Suspiria De Profundis 14. Poison II 15. Cantique II | |
| AD INFINITUM · MET 242· 1. Ad Infinitum 2. Unlimited 3. Bite of God 4. Chronovision 5. Vertex 6. Necrophilia 7. In the Evening of Life 8. Room 342 9. Submachine 10. Simulator 11. Delta Neurosis Activation 12. Imagine 13. Erotic Non Stop 14. Doctor X 15. Transcode 16. Doctor X2 | |
| CONFESSIONS · MET 241· 1. Elliptic 2. Silent Order 3. Intense Blue 4. Lolita Love 5. Mechanized 6. Telemat 7. Art of Illusion 8. Blind Obedience 9. Hypnotron 10. Feel the Night 11. Secret Light 12. Deep Skin 13. Lolita Love 3(Infectious Mix) 14. Imagine (ReVoiced Mix2) 15. Silent Order [2] 16. Silent Order [4] | |
| CORPUS DELECTI 2 · MET 237· 1. Slavesex 2. Chains of Love 3. Erector Muscle Stimulus II (remix) 4. Ordinator II (remix) 5. Beyond the Bridge 6. Analogic (remix) 7. Steelknife II (revoiced mix) 8. Teufel im Leibe (revoiced mix) 9. Power of Persuasion 10. Corpus Delicti 11. Savage Logic (revoiced remix) | |
| PHOTOGRAMMES · MET 236· 1. experiment with tears 2. remission 3. i have lost your eyes 4. will you live again? 5. long-term survivor 6. shadows of death 7. catholic funeral 8. praise of stake 9. immaculée 10. la fille aux yeux morts 11. sadia remix | |
| ARCHIVES & DOCUMENTS III (2CD) · MET 227· DISC 1 // 1. Face against Ground 2. Bondage 3. New York 4. Sérénade (F. Schubert) 5. Serial Clones 6. Deadline II 7. North Valley 8. Necron X 9. Third Generation 10. Shaved Girls 11. Was 12. Nostalgia 13. Tomorrow 14. Crash in the Sky 15. Eternal Language Leçon 2: ES LEBE DER TOD 16. Reflex III 17. Criminal Passion 18. Sing Song 19. Dance Music 20. Schizophrenia | |
| POUPEE MECANIQUE · MET 226· 1. Grey Scale 2. Dawn is Near 3. Slave 4. Poupée Mécanique 5. Strike Me 6. Film 7. Strangulation 8. The Beast 9. Metaphase 10. Knee Down 11. Bypass 12. Little Boy 13. Slow Love 14. Poupée Mécanique (instr.) 15. Metaphase (pre) 16. A Case Report | |
| SOME EXPERIENCES WITH SHOCK · MET 219· 1. Heart of the Monster 2. Autolyse 3. CloseUp 4. Damaged Corpse 5. Masochist 6. Caresse 7. Red Action 8. Intractable Pain A.A. 9. Survival of a Severely Burned Child 10. Catheterization 11. Anethesia & Disfigurement 12. Medial Canthus Operation 13. Periods 14. Life Inside the Machines 15. Distress 16. La Fille aux Yeux d'Or | |
| DIE PUPPE II · MET 218· 1. Re-search 2. Automatic death 3. Invalid 4. Hand in hand 5. Darkness 6. Prefazione di Pompei 7. In a tea-room 8. After the crime 9. Leders Klub 10. After the last gaze 11. Eastern ghost 12. Message through Her[t]z 13. Strange[r] 14. Sex by force 15. Ton retrait des eaux | |
| AKT: SIDEPROJECTS & EXPERIMENTS · MET 205· DISC 1 // 1. Cinema 2. La Femme Sans Tête 3. X.Zone 4. Autolyse 8990 5. Sombre Printemps 6. Magnet 7. Bacterium 8. Incubus 9. Z.E.N. 10. Pathetic Anatomic | |
| EXTREMUM · MET 195· 1. Resonant Magnetic Source 2. Deep Inside 3. Glassphyxie 4. Radiomorphism 1+ 5. Animal Magnetism 6. Operating Theater 7. Electronic Brainpan 8. Itopsia Atropos 9. Neurolepsia 10. Transgressions 11. O.T.E.D. [Oral Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction] 12. Transvocal Mutations 13. Suffocations 14. Radiomorphism 2 | |
| HISTORIES · MET 127· DISC 1 // 1. Re-search 2. Sex by force 3. Heart of the monster 4. Autolyse 5. Grey Scale 6. Little boy 7. Serial clones 8. Tote Kinders 9. Long-term survivors 10. Experiment with tears 11. Slavesex 12. Savage logic remix 13. Silent order 14. Deep skin 15. Imagine 16. Doctor X 17. Bite of God 18. Chronovision | |
| DUALITY · MET 082· 1. Invisible world 2. The hidden cage 3. Lonely heart 4. Love is cold I 5. Rain of blood 6. Anode current 7. Leda s secret 8. Transvisions 9. The shape 10. Duality 11. The missing beauty 12. La jeune fille et la mort 13. Love is cold II |