Soap&Skin
Encyclopedia
Soap&Skin is the experimental
musical project of Austrian artist Anja Plaschg (born 5 April 1990).
Polytechnic for Graphic Design, but dropped out at 16 and moved to Vienna
shortly afterwards. There she studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in the master class of Daniel Richter, but at 18 dropped out again.
Musicians like Xiu Xiu
, Cat Power
, Björk
, Nico
, Aphex Twin
and composers like Sergej Rachmaninow or Arvo Pärt
have had a great impact on her music.
After only playing a handful of concerts she was already being dubbed a "Wunderkind" In 2008 she played German singer Nico in the play "Nico - Sphinx aus Eis" by Werner Fritsch in Berlin and Vienna, performing several songs in it, including "Janitor of Lunacy", from her first EP.
Her first album, called Lovetune for Vacuum
, was released in March 2009. It received excellent reviews and placed in the Austrian Top 10. The album also achieved chart positions in Germany, Belgium and France. Music journalists have already claimed to see in her a new star of Austrian pop. MTV Iggy describes it as music inspired by singer/songwriters like Regina Spektor as well as Electronica mavens like Aphex Twin.
In 2010 her song "Mr Gaunt Pt 1000" was used in the television commercial for Ford's Mondeo. In the 2010 French film "Mes chères études
" (also known as "Student Services"), the song titled "The Sun" plays during the credits. Her tracks Brother of Sleep and Marche Funèbre were used in the soundtrack for Universal Pictures
thriller War Games: At the End of the Day
in 2010.
EPs
Singles
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
musical project of Austrian artist Anja Plaschg (born 5 April 1990).
Life
Anja Plaschg grew up in a small village called Gnas in south east Styria, where her parents have a farm. She has played piano since she was six. At the age of 14 she began violin studies and developed an interest in electronic music. She attended the GrazGraz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
Polytechnic for Graphic Design, but dropped out at 16 and moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
shortly afterwards. There she studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in the master class of Daniel Richter, but at 18 dropped out again.
Musicians like Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu is an American avant-garde group originally from San Jose, California. The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception in 2002. His current bandmate is Angela Seo...
, Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
, Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
and composers like Sergej Rachmaninow or Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
have had a great impact on her music.
After only playing a handful of concerts she was already being dubbed a "Wunderkind" In 2008 she played German singer Nico in the play "Nico - Sphinx aus Eis" by Werner Fritsch in Berlin and Vienna, performing several songs in it, including "Janitor of Lunacy", from her first EP.
Her first album, called Lovetune for Vacuum
Lovetune for Vacuum
Lovetune for Vacuum is the debut album by Austrian musical project Soap&Skin, released in 2009 on Play It Again Sam Records.-Track listing:#"Sleep" - 2:44#"Cry Wolf" - 3:48#"Thanatos" - 2:34#"Extinguish Me" - 2:38#"Turbine Womb" - 3:46...
, was released in March 2009. It received excellent reviews and placed in the Austrian Top 10. The album also achieved chart positions in Germany, Belgium and France. Music journalists have already claimed to see in her a new star of Austrian pop. MTV Iggy describes it as music inspired by singer/songwriters like Regina Spektor as well as Electronica mavens like Aphex Twin.
In 2010 her song "Mr Gaunt Pt 1000" was used in the television commercial for Ford's Mondeo. In the 2010 French film "Mes chères études
Mes chères études
Mes chères études is a 2008 autobiographical book by an anonymous author known as "Laura D.", who is a modern language student at a Paris university...
" (also known as "Student Services"), the song titled "The Sun" plays during the credits. Her tracks Brother of Sleep and Marche Funèbre were used in the soundtrack for Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
thriller War Games: At the End of the Day
War Games: At the End of the Day
War Games: At the End of the Day is a 2010 Independent thriller film directed by acclaimed Italian director Cosimo Alema, who co-wrote it with Daniele Persica and Romana Meggiolaro. Luca Legnani is credited as executive producer. The film is distributed by Universal Pictures...
in 2010.
Discography
Albums- Lovetune for VacuumLovetune for VacuumLovetune for Vacuum is the debut album by Austrian musical project Soap&Skin, released in 2009 on Play It Again Sam Records.-Track listing:#"Sleep" - 2:44#"Cry Wolf" - 3:48#"Thanatos" - 2:34#"Extinguish Me" - 2:38#"Turbine Womb" - 3:46...
(2009; Couch Records/PIAS Records) - Austria #5, Germany #47 - Narrow (8 track Mini-Album, incl. a Cover song of Voyage VoyageVoyage Voyage"Voyage Voyage" is a 1986 song written by Jean-Michel Rivat and recorded by the French singer Desireless. It was the first single from her album François and became a hit in many countries in Europe...
originally by DesirelessDesirelessDesireless is a French singer. Between 1986 and 1988, her hit single "Voyage Voyage" made it to number one in many European and Asian single charts and sold over five million copies.-Albums:* François #29 France* I love you...
) (February 2012)
EPs
- UntitledUntitled (Soap&Skin EP)-Track listing:#"The Sun" - 3:14#"Janitor of Lunacy" - 2:43#"X-Ray Heartland" - 2:13#"X-Ray Heartland " - 5:08-External links:* * at discogs.com...
(4-Track-EP) (2008; Couch Records/PIAS Records) - Marche FunèbreMarche Funèbre (EP)-Track listing:#"Thanatos" - 2:35#"Marche Funèbre " - 9:18#"Marche Funèbre " - 5:12-External links:* * at discogs.com...
(3-Track-EP) (2009; Couch Records/PIAS Records)
Singles
- Spiracle (7" Vinyl) (2009; Couch Records/PIAS Records) - Austria #45
- Mr. Gaunt PT 1000 (2009; Couch Records/PIAS Records) - Austria #60
- Cynthia (2009; Couch Records)