Steampunk Spotlight: Emilie Autumn

Although she’s officially “Victorianindustrial,” it’s close enough to Steampunk for me. Today’s Steampunk Spotlight shines on the amazing Emilie Autumn.

-_Q

Over the past few weeks, more than just a few people have asked me if I’d heard of Emilie Autumn. Well, I have now. Wow.

(from EA’s website) Chosen by Interview Magazine as one of their “14 Artists to Watch,” the Los Angeles-born starlet’s theatrical stage show is a sexy circus of glam-rock burlesque, backed by a scantily-clad girl band known to EA’s devoted fans as the Bloody Crumpets. But as the sole composer, performer, and producer of her latest full-length album, the double disc “Opheliac,” EA gets personal. Written in the style she calls “Victoriandustrial,” this magnificent musical adventure draws upon EA’s background as a child-prodigy classical violinist growing up on the stages of concert halls around the world, and combines it with her passion for harsh industrialism, aggressive metal, and all things Vaudeville. The subject matter of this elaborate concept album is much darker however, bravely and often humorously addressing highly controversial issues ranging from manic depression (the harpsichord-driven title track as well as the contagiously danceable “Swallow” and the epic “Misery Loves Company“), self-mutilation (“Liar,” a terrifying decent into hell), and sexual abuse (“Gothic Lolita“) to suicide (the beautifully ironic “The Art of Suicide“), and touching on EA’s real-life experience as a psych ward inmate (the tragically funny “Thank God I’m Pretty,” from the “Opheliac — Deluxe Edition” Bonus Disc).

http://www.youtube.com/v/jpZ-Sj2DknA?fs=1&hl=en_US

Accentuated by EA’s signature electric violin pyrotechnics, heartbreakingly lush orchestrations, hard-core beats, and menacing lyrics growled with enough intensity to make your hair stand on end, the resulting noise is a harpsichord-heavy romp through Victorian asylums where screaming is allowed and girls always get revenge.

-_Q

Do you make Steampunk-something?
Would you like to be a part of this Steampunk Spotlight?
Contact Olivia to submit your handmade product.

~ by omgrey on October 5, 2010.