1996 -1999
From JAM MAGAZINE, Dec.1996. DEEP RED/ The Awakening. (10 song CD) *** &1/2 stars.
This disk may be a little harder to find since it is released by a German indie label- once again reinforcing the point that the European scene is still a hotbed for a lot of the underground's edgier acts. The Euro connection may have even surprised a few stateside goth/ darkwave listeners who heard a glimpse of Deep Red on the Cleopatra label's recent Goth Box retrospective and figured them to be part of Die Krupps' Teutonic industrial crowd. The kicker here is that The Awakening is actually more pop than Goth, with vocalist Martha M. Arce and programmer DC astro treading a style that's closer to Eurythmics' synthetic soul than LeaetherStrip's sado sing-alongs.With astro's massive assemblage of danceable beats and electro mixes and Arce's sturdy voice, the crossover potential is something that a few American labels should consider, especially with raveable tracks like " I Live" and "Faces are Cold". And just when you think they've gone head-over-disco, they close with the appropiately hellacious"Deep Red" that will surely send a shiver through 'dem bones.Amazing.-Richard Proplesh.
From CULTURE SHOCK, Jan.1997.
DEEP RED/ The Awakening (CD, Candyland Entertainment) Hailing from the state of Florida, DEEP RED is Martha M. Arce and DC astro. This duo presents their first CD vith a very professional production and a potpourri of elements consisting of, but not limited to, ambient, gothic, darkwave,ethereal, tribal and electro goth. From the very beginning of thack one, I knew I was in for a treat. Names like Sarah McGlaughlin, Siouxie Sioux and Tina Root come to mind when listening to the female vocals. The song structures and compositions are reminiscent of DAS ICH, ENYA, SWITCHBLADE SYMPHONY, PARALIZED AGE and others that have a gift for blending keyboards and vocals into a rich feast for the ears. From the beauty of " Holy You" to the darker soundscapes of "I Live", this disc has a placard for many areas of the emotional spectrum. I haven't been this enraptured by a release in this genre since DAS ICH's STAUB . Quality and talent seep from this duo. They'll be supporting PROJECT PITCHFORK on their spring tour, and they have tracks on several upcoming compilations, like Cleopatra's GOTH BOX and A TRIBUTE TO SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES.-Wayne Reddich.
From CULTURE SHOCK, Jan.1997
DEEP RED/ I Live (MCD, Candyland Entertainment) DEEP RED already present a new output, with the big names of Project pitchfork's Dirk Scheuber and Cassandra Complex's Jurgen Jansen tweaking the remix controls. The booklet does not say who mixed what, but those were the two responsible for Coin and Capuchin mixes of the title track, and the Flush mix of "Red". Both appear in standard form on Deep Red's debut CD The Awakening, but these two masterminds have their way with them here. All three mixes retain the full bodied character of the Floridian duo, while taking them in new directions. The Coin mix of "I Live" gives the track a groovier hip hop beat, but stays close to the original electro/ acoustic femme goth composition. The Flush mix of " Red" sets the ethereal to a funky techno rhythm."I Live" also appears in its original mix here, but by far the masterwork of this single is the Capuchin mix of that song. It's a brilliant analogical electro work that lays the track's dark melodies and Martha's soaring voice over a deep , steady technotic groove. No doubt, this is the band's best work.-sAge.
From STORMING THE BASE, CKMS Radio, Canada, Jul.1997.
DEEP RED/ The Awakening. I think I wasexpecting a more female Project Pitchfork. It's not. The music is an electronic gothic-pop sound. "Pop" always carries bad connotations with it, though, and that's not what I mean to imply. It's in the fact that it's easy to listen to and could appeal to everyone from clubgoers to your aunt. If your aunt goes to the club then she would defenetly love it. "Holy You"s softness makes it an incredibly good song... nothing ever comes out to change the motion of it. While her voice is nice, she doesn't give anything more from song to song. Always a heartbeat away from putting everything her voice has in the songs. "Deep Red" is a little odd...suddenly going into some sort of gothic Lords Of Acid moment...?-Jeremy Pfohl
From STORMING THE BASE, CKMS Radio, Canada, Jul.1997
. DEEEP RED/ I Live. (CDS, Candyland Entertainment) "I Live " isn't a song I particulary like, though once the first hard part of the (Coin) mix falls down to the softer harmonics, I do really enjoy it. It's the ( Flush ) remix of "Red" that makes this single totally worthwhile. This, for me, is because it gives it a soft techno beat, which does accompany her voice well. It's my favorite track of Deep Red's that I've heard, and I wish they used sort of electronics and techno parts in the rest of their music. Not the entirety, of course, since that just doesn't seem to be their sound, but at least in the remixes. Heh. Jeremy, stop your shameful pleading.- Jeremy Pfohl.
From ALTERNATIVE PRESS, Oct. 1997
VARIOUS ARTISTS/ Strangelove. ( Nuclear Blast Records) This collection of European EBM mega-stars should light a fire under old school Zoth Omog cronies and fans of Depeche Mode ballads. The tracks by Apotygma Berserk, Silence and La Floa Maldita sparkle.DEEP RED's contribution, however, should die for being the 100 th example of an Industrial band's sampling the theme from Dario Argento's "Suspiria". Seriously, this collection of Synth-Pop / techno- crossover artists is a must for flowery electro-goths who like a little EBM mixed in with tortured lyrics of misery and woe. You tougher-than- rusted -nails types should resist.-Aaron Johnston.
From SHIVERING CHAOS, Oct.1997 (http://www.angelfire.com/sc/shiveringchaos)
DEEP RED/ The Awakening.**** Most people that have heard of Deep Red heard of them the same way I did, through Cleopatra's The Goth Box. Everyone should look into getting this album. Yes, it's an import but it's worth the money and time, not really "Goth", but very Darkwave.....and some songs are just down right funky.-Jeremy Killion.
From SERAPHYM'S PAGE ( http:idt.net/~hanakk/frames.html) THE CARNIVAL WITHIN - A TRIBUTE TO DEAD CAN DANCE (Cleopatra Records)
I recently acquired the new Dead Can Dance tribute album and I expected it to be filled with mediocre copies of brilliant songs.Instead, I was met with a masterful collection of exellent songs that were truly worthy of a tribute to one of the world's best bands, Dead Can Dance. The CD has a few pretty interesting selections in the bands that were chosen to record for the CD, Leaetherstrip, Rhea's Obsession, and Miami's Deep Red, an innovative new band to the Gothic scene thathad also been part of other tribute albums, such as The Tribute to Siouxie and The Banshees, The Goth Box, Night of Darkness, and Strange Love, the Orkus Magazine compilation. My favorite tracks were "Spirit" by The Last Dance,"Anywhere Out Of This World", by Deep Red, and "TheCarnival Is Over" by Leaetherstrip. I would recommend this CD to any Dead Can Dance fan. You will be pleaesantly surprised. :)- Seraphym
.From SIDELINE Music Magazine Issue # 22 (Belgium) http:// www.pobox.couk / vnv/ sideline / sl.htm DEEP RED/ The Awakening. (Candyland Entertainment)
When you will be reading this review, I'm sure most of you will already know the American duo DEEP RED, thanks to the oportunity they got to assure the support on the PROJECT PITCHFORK tour. In fact, it's not such a big surprise that they were asked for this honour, because they are signed to Candyland Entertainment, which as you know is nothing else than the label created by PITCHIES. After the German PHILTRON, this band is another poppy one on Candyland even if their synthie pop is very different from PHILTRON. Their work is much more atmospheric oriented and very particular. Their music is deeply artistic in the truest sense ofthe word, creating a heavenly atmosphere, and lead by angelic female vocals. The opening track "Red" din't make me expect such an album full of electronic ballads, because this song sounds much harder and more danceable. And, if you have the habit of start listening to your cd's from the end, you'll get the same impression. "Deep Red" is a real danceable instrumental masterpice with a splendid atmospheric mood! Between these two extremes, DEEP RED takes you on a very relaxing and melancholic trip, where you feel safe and confortable. My favorite cuts are "I Live", already released as an MCD, the more rhythmic "Secret Worship", and "Faces Are Cold". I don't want to compare them with the Swedish NORTHERN TERRITORIES, but there's still a common point in the very particular mood both bands create. An unusual release from an 100 % American electro band, and I could only advise you to discover them on CD format!
From SIDELINE Music Magazine Issue # 22 (Belgium) DEEP RED/ I LIVE (MCD Candyland Entertainment)
After their "The Awakening" album, DEEP RED released this MCD almost at the same time. The title track extract of their album, but it's what we could consider as the B- track that is the real hit of this maxi! "Red" is still present on the album, and the " Flush Mix" of this release is a real dancefloor hit! It sounds much more danceable than in comparison with the album version, due to a more commercial approach of the choosen sounds. The divine female vocals are as heavenly as on the album, and give a very particular dimension to this band. The title track " I live" has been remixed in two different ways. First, there's a harder "Coin Mix" containing guitar sounds, while the "Capuchin Mix" sounds more dreamy and atmospheric minded. For those who don't know the album, there's the album version too, which is more analogue and perfectly representative of the global work of the band. A deep artistic structure with heavenly melancholic parts and once again those alluring vocals! Notice as well that Scheubi from PROJECT PITCHFORK seeems to have been involved in the remixes, and Iwouldn't be surprised if he particulary concentrated on the " Coin" mix. A band I would strongly recommend you to discover on CD format!
From INDUSTRIAL BIBLE Web Zine (November 1997) http://www.industrial-music.com/ VARIOUS ARTISTS / STRANGE LOVE (Nuclear Blast America)
Strange Love was released in the US earlier in the year on Nuclear Blast/ Deathwish. Licensed from the German gothic /industrial magazine Orkus, Strange Love is a compilation that brings together 18 synth-pop acts from all over the world. Miami's DEEP RED start things off with Red, a sample abundant piece with deep sequences and female delivered vocals. Known mostly for their European tour earlier in the year with Project Pitchfork, DEEP RED produce music that is a joining of dark electro with synth-pop and even a dash of ebm in their sequences.
From CHAOTIC REVIEWS #9 ( March 1998) http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/ Palms/6031/ index.html DEEP RED / THE AWAKENING
There's something very appropiate in the name of Deep Red's debut full length CD, The Awakening (Candyland Entertainment). Its sound is deeply enrapturing, quite literally awakening the senses to the hypnotic beauty of Dely Castro's solid programming and Martha Arce's gorgeous vocal delivery. Despite possessing some exellent songs that can be enjoyed on their own accord, The Awakening is an album that is best appreciated in its entirety, building upon lyrical and musical themes over the course of an entire album, and progressing gracefully from the upfront and poppy "Red" to the laid back instrospection of the ninth track, "Children of The Night", and finally culminating in "Deep Red", which posseses a trancey rhythm that C astro grooves on quite successfully, demostrating his ample prowess with electronic instrumentation. Fans of melodic electro along the lines of Delerium, this is your CD. -Tate Bengston
From LEGENDS MAGAZINE # 89 (August 1999) http://www.zenweb.com/pan/legends DEEP RED / "A BRIEF HISTORY"
I've been noticing a pleasant trend with the recent slew of CD's and other music that has been coming in- while most of these bands are new to me, there have been a few that have come in that I have heard of before. I find it strange getting a CD from a group that I've already listened to and enjoyed in the past- an ego thing I guess.This time around the band's name Deep Red, rung some bells, but I could not place it at first. Deep Red sent me a cd consisting of a number of selections from their recent releases and compilations. It's a promo CD, with a good mix of their material, giving the listener an exellent idea of how they sounded in the beginning and how they sound now- they've stuck close to their original sound, which is a very good one to stick to. The revelation about recognizing bands that have submitted recently occurred when track # 6 " Holy You", began playing. Like Seraphim Shock (Which I reviewed in Legends # 86 ), Deep Red appeared on Cleopatra's " Goth Box" compilation with this piece. I had heard them before, from there as well as some Internet radio stations I tune into on occasion. After going through quite a number of bands with female vocalists that take the "Diva A pproach"-higher octave singing, soprano rather than an alto level- I was pleased with the selections sent to me by Deep Red on their promo CD, "A Brief History". At the start, Deep Red had the vocals of Martha Arce, but she has since went on to other things. DC astro then took in Sarah Gleason and finished the outfit with Mario Soto. The female vocals of the songs in this CD are lower and more subdued- alto singers do exist! Sometimes, if done right as Deep Red has done, you would be hard-pressed to find anything sexier than a low female voice....... Deep Red began in 1996 in Miami. They were quickly signed to Candyland Entertainment, a European label began by members of the band Project Pitchfork, and released "The Awakening". They toured with Project Pitchfork as well, and on "A Brief History",there are two remixed versions of "I Live" by this band. The stronger and more punk-styled version of this song, the "Coin Mix" , is by far my favorite of these...They have an upcoming release, "DarkwaterS", scheduled to arrive later on this year. All the music is very concentrated on blending the various instruments together.The keyboards and synthesizers provide a strong backdrop for the low, droning bass sounds that lurk below with the drumbeats, bubbling up to the surface of the songs through the erotic vocals. The perfect blending of all the instruments and the vocals as well are proof that Deep Red have an exellent match with each other, there are no stand outs and no grandstanding soloists, just musicians, one for all and all for one,working together to create a wonderful combination of sounds that fit together like the tightest puzzle ever made. Deep Red mantain an ethereal quality, DC astro using his computers and electronic equipment to mix together a flowing combination of sounds that the band is fond of calling "Virtual Darkness".Their latter work included here; "Blind Rage" and "Anywhere Out of This World" (the latter one from the Ceopatra compilation "The Carnival Within"), still stick to the sound of their earlier works. A male vocalist takes on the lyrics of the final track here ("Anywhere Out Of This World"), a wonderful surprise. Some of my favorite tracks fro " A Brief History.." include " Blind Rage", from the upcoming "DarkwaterS" release, and recorded this year."Blin Rage" provides a more danceable ethereality.Sarah's alto voice is elegant and strong. "Holy You" is also a favorite, but as this track has appeared on Cleopatra's "Goth Box"collection, I won't spend too long covering it in depth, as most of you have probably heard it already. The firs track in this CD is "DarkwaterS". this is a lovely song with the potential to carry you with it "Dark waters run, drowning my faith, drowning my sorrow". I will be requesting this one the next time I reach a dance floor- I image closing one's eyes as the song plays and takes you on the floor is something akin to ascension. Deep Red is a good study of what happens when you combine people that have similar capabilities as fine musicians. Not just a guitarrist and a drummer and a singer, MUSICIANS, each capable in their own right, aspiring to gether to channel cosmic energy into digital media. The fact that they included two versions of "I Live" onto this CD is what I'd like to call a portent. I hope Deep Red lives and continues for a long time.-Marcus Pan
From NOCTURNAL MOVEMENTS - Promotion Consultants- (April 1999) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/4882 You'll want to contact this band. Once you've heard the programming and the vocals combined...you'll want to see and hear this band perform live. I am currently working on building an interview to send to this impressive femme vocals / progressive Goth- tronic band out of Florida. This band reminds me of a very popular icon band from the eighties / nineties... only better! Female vocals and better programming make turn of the century progressive music what I love to hear. Sounds simplistic, doesn't it?..The quality is amazing!- Jett Black