Liv Kristine - DEUS EX MACHINA Vinyl LP

1995 was the year in which a new star appeared in the sky of Gothic Metal. Liv Kristine Espenæs, the angelic first-soprano voice in antiphony with the growls of Raymond I. Rohonyi of THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, has since inspired many bands in their genre. Robert Müller (Hammer), December 1997, wrote the following lines in a short biography: “With her high, clear, emotionally expressive voice, Liv Kristine was always in focal point of attention. So it suggests itself to catch the beauty of this voice in a pure form, on a solo production”. In 1997 Liv Kristine signed a solo contract with Massacre Records/Torsten Hartmann. Liv Kristine, who was a master's student in English and German at the time, commuted between the University of Stuttgart and recording at the illinois Studio. Moreover, touring the world with highly successful THEATRE OF TRAGEDY. A very special, personal highlight for Liv Kristine was October 24th, 1997, when they picked up Nick Holmes (PARADISE LOST & HOST) one cold autumn morning from a tour in Ludwigsburg, Germany. After a cup of black tea and a slice of bread with jam, the simple, fine Gothic ballad “3 a.m.” was completed. Both have a background in metal, but the melding of the two voices is unique. There is also a lot of subtlety, magic and personal expression in the other compositions on Liv Kristine’s very first solo-release, which were sometimes even sung in her native language, Norwegian. “Portrait: Ei tulle med øyne blå”, based on an old Norwegian children's song from 1905, was reinterpreted and re-recorded from scratch in June, 2023 by Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland (DIMMU BORGIR), solely for the re-release of „Deus ex Machina“. Liv Kristine has known this melody since her first weeks of life, because her mother and grandmother sang this song to little “Stine” as a good night lullaby. Already at the age of six, Liv Kristine showed a special receptivity towards understanding music and the various manners of singing. Not a day went by without the little, blonde girl singing and dreamily standing in front of the mirror. The song “In the Heart of Juliet” describes how she consciously and subconsciously experienced childhood, the feelings of happiness, her love for magic melodies, the wonders of nature and its seasons, moreover, the freedom of being. To this day she describes the special experience of singing as “my magic bubble”. Since she was 15 years old, she has graced large and small stages in over 60 countries with THEATER OF TRAGEDY, LEAVES'S EYES and LIV KRISTINE, enchanting audiences with her clear and multifaceted angelic voice. For Liv Kristine, both as a person and artist, authenticity and heart have always come first. With the release of Deus Ex Machina on March 2, 1998, she already proved that she is an independent artist of great stature who has inspired and enchanted people across the globe for over three decades.