Vibes, Rituals, Incantations, Aural experiences, Transmutational frequencies
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With Somber beauty and otherworldly seduction, The Palace of Tears fuses hypnotic electronics, heavily layered processed guitars and sultry vocals that captivate, creating an ethereal sonic amalgam that transcends temporal boundaries.
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The duo’s unique alchemy draws upon musical influences as varied as post-punk, gothic rock, shoegaze, ambient drone, jazz, electronica, soundtracks and more. The Palace of Tears create their own sonic landscape full of haunting beauty - ghostly - evocative - sensual.
Both artists collaboratively bring to the table a plethora of diverse experiences in the creative performance world, with influences from theater, dance, circus, opera, and butoh. Vocalist Leah Darkling, a New Orleans native, brings a varied and textured approach to her singing and song writing, pulling from her many disciplines in the performing arts. On a trek out to Europe, seeking broader horizons, it was in Berlin, Germany that she first met multi-instrumentalist Erick r Scheid. Interesting to note, the origin of this emotive title “The Palace of Tears” emerged from the historic city of Berlin, a building which served as the border crossing for those who said their farewells to loved ones as they passed from East to West Berlin, through the wall, not knowing when or if they may see their loves ever again…
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Erick’s project of 10 years, Mercury's Antennae, in which he produced three albums as guitarist-engineer-electronics, performed at Schauspielhaus in Leipzig for Wave-Gotik-Treffen. Later that same year a mingling of minds would begin, while also enduring a long distance relationship, and the duo ultimately created demos together. As time passed and the chemistry and alchemy of a creative partnership was budding, Erick made the bold and daring decision to relocate from the green shimmery forests of Portland, OR to the eerie and mysterious southern depths of New Orleans, Louisiana to begin anew, shedding the previous skin of his former project.
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It is here in New Orleans that The Palace of Tears came to fruition, with the subsequent release of their debut album, "Of Ruination". In eerie fashion, the album spans a period of utter decadence in New Orleans, following the entire Mardi Gras season, with it's masks, costumes, revelry, debauchery, and fantastic indulgence, only to have this swiftly shift into deep isolation, despair, and loneliness brought about through the pandemic.
Leah's vocals create a swoon of dream-felt caresses into the heart of the human psyche, weaving and layering lullabies of sensual longing into each moment, while Erick's dense swirl of ghost - layered guitars and atmospheric electronics conjure a sonic spell of aural mist to soothe the listener into its lush ambience. "Of Ruination" caters to themes of love, death, and the search for truth in a world filled with grief and the longing for connection. Eight tracks of sonic escapism for the romantics and seekers daring to conjure their own ghosts from within.
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This body of work may serve as a vehicle for the listener to explore themes of illusion; Masque L 'Intrigue, the dark earthly feminine; Thy Womb Full of Black Nectar, the pain and confusion of loss; Shadows of Whispering Phantoms, ethereal bodies and strange entities; Tears of the Moon, leaving dreams and entering harsh realities; Of Ruination, and the impermanence of the body and the mind; Cold Dead Skin, and the journey towards a deepening consciousness.
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