Ayn & Marlen Und Marlen – From The Floor Below (Album – Toten Schwan)
Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient, Chanson.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: This is a collaborative work between two Italian projects; the artistic meeting between Christian Nicolao (Ayn) and Simona Boglietti (Marlen Und Marlen).
Content: The work covers a wide range of influences which is maybe also due to the use of multiple instruments plus electronics. From pure Dark-Ambient passages to Dark-Chanson.
+ + + : Simona Boglietti has a true hypnotic timbre of voice which totally fits to the ‘chanson’ style of the work. Some passages have been sung a whispering way injecting a sensual but also mysterious touch to the work. I also have to say a word about the great digipak of this album.
– – – : There’s a true mishmash of styles and influences which makes it sometimes a bit confusing; you feel like listening to a compilation.
Conclusion: I can’t say to have been totally conquered but the dark side of the album sounds as a basis to move on with.
Best songs: “My Body Made Of Nothing”, “Immutable Black”.
Rate: 6.
Label: www.facebook.com/totenschwanrecords
About Ayn & Marlen Und Marlen
Ayn & Marlen Und Marlen pairs Italian artists Christian Nicolao, known as Ayn, and Simona Boglietti, known as Marlen Und Marlen, who also work together as the Endegehen Collective. Their music combines ambient, dark, new-wave, and experimental influences. “From The Floor Below” was released on the Toten Schwan label; the duo’s next full-length, “Voices Phenomena”, followed in November 2024.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
