The RaZor Skyline
Running the gamut from dark, evil industrial tracks to haunting darkwave melody, The RaZor Skyline en
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A study in contradictions, or the expansion of
musical boundaries? Never clear-cut and always
managing to slip through the cracks, The RaZor Skyline
ignore the pigeonholing of the genre specific industry of
the 1990's to make music that is both a personal and
stylistic interpretation of the world around them.
Formed in late 1994, TRS is the brainchild of
The_Gun (keyboards, guitars, programming) and Karen
Kardell (lyrics, vocals). Corey's influences brought a love
of 80's wave and metal while Karen had followed early
80's punk and underground music. Both had found
themselves part of the Seattle electro-goth-industrial
scene, (The_Gun previously played guitar for the band
Shallowhead) but neither wished to form a project that
was merely another copy of: (insert name here).
Originally called Journal of Trauma, the two put
together a three-song demo tape in mid 1995. On
advice from another local musician, the demo was sent
to label COP International. COP called back, meetings
and e-mail sessions ensued, and on New Year's Eve
1995, the deal was finalized. The relationship between
TRS and COP has remained strong, and their support
has been critical.
Just prior to the release of their first album in
October 1996, the group was faced with a legal
challenge when the medical periodical Journal of
Trauma demanded a name change. Thus, The Razor
Skyline was born, a compromise was reached, and
Journal of Trauma became the name of one of the
most successful debut albums in COP International's
history. Hailed by critics and fans alike as a bold,
provocative effort, Journal of Trauma laid the foundation
for the band's sound and remains a standard for
goth-electro-industrial crossover. The song "Queen of
Heaven" is still a favorite across the country, almost
three years after its release.
Not content to only be a studio project, the band
performed live shows almost immediately after its
inception with a various line-up of supporting musicians
over the past four years including former percussionist
IoEjekta and guitarist Robin Jacobs (ex-Switchblade
Symphony).
"Fade & Sustain", the second full-length
TRS album, was released in late May 1999. During this
time, drummer Onyx was added and will be an integral
part of the band, supplying the beat backdrop during live
performances as well as exploring her lyrical and
songwriting skill for future releases. Robin Jacobs
stepped in during the recording of "Fade & Sustain" to
contribute his guitar work on the song "See the Light",
and the circle felt complete. "Fade & Sustain" marks a
new evolution for TRS, stretching even further to
encompass elements of pop and wave while retaining
the band's own unique style. Most of all, it's an album
about hope andthe courage to go on during the worst of
times and to celebrate, together, during the best of them.Band/artist history
See aboveHave you performed in front of an audience?Yes we definitely play live. In 1999 we played 14 cities in the U.S., mostly on the west coast and in the midwest. Our most memorable show was the Halloween show we played at Club Laga in Pittsburgh where a sea of costumed freaks rocked out to one of our best shows ever.
Your musical influences
The Cure, Duran Duran, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Crystal Method, Skinny PuppyWhat equipment do you use?
Nord Lead, Roland JP 8080, Roland SP-808 Groove Sampler, Korg 01/w, Prophet VS, Korg Prophecy
Alameda, CA
USA
ID
1143
Contact
Sorry, this artist currently doesn't accept email messages.
Comments (2)
Very good... Takes me back to the 80's when I used to shave my head in weird places...
-HIDEOUS INPUT
