Dagmar Krause

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I was sure there was at least an art bears thread because I remember asking about this prior, as well but it's not coming up in search.

I enjoy Slapp Happy and Art Bears.
The other day I was visiting Philly and I found this CD that had the members of Slapp Happy listed on the front, but all it says is "Camera". I picked it up and apparently it's a libretto, but I can't find much else info on it. Any other interesting tidbits about? Are there visuals that go with? I've never really listened to opera-ish music, but I like this and I really enjoy Dagmar.
What else of hers is worth the time?

― mox twelve, Monday, 2 April 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

I like Supply & Demand, one of her collections of Brecht/Weil and Eisler. There are some impassioned performances as well as some quietly beautiful ones on that album.

― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 2 April 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

Supply & Demand seconded. there was also a blog (mendedrecords.blogspot.com, i think) that had a bunch of obscure early-folky type stuff she did with a band called City something that was at least interesting.

― sleeve, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:00 (eighteen years ago)

Her octave range seems pretty insane. I wish would have recorded more over the years (and less often in the context of so much now very dated sounding prog. rock--sorry).

― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago)

I used to try and get hold of all records with her singing on them, a futile task (it always is w/someone who's had a long recording career) that I gave up on in the end.

The best ones, I thought, were the brecht/weill one "Supply and demand", and the slapp happy/henry cow album "desperate straits". "Desperate Straights" used to be available on a 2-for-1 CD with Slapp Happy's "Casablanca Moon", which I wish I still had. She is also very good on "Tank Battles", the brecht/eisler follow-up to "supply and demand", though the band aren't as good on that one, and I find it a little harsh and shrill generally. I also like "In Praise of Learning" by Henry Cow a lot. The album she did with the late kevin coyne, "babble" is very good as well.

"Camera" was a sort-of opera for television, which was shown on channel 4 in the uk many years ago. I found the music and story a bit impenetrable, tbh, it seemed to be about a woman (played by krause) who lived in a house that was made up entirely of doors. My main memory of it is that she looked great in it.

She's one of my favourite singers.

― Pashmina, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:23 (eighteen years ago)

Supply & Demand is a big fave. I was recently re-listening to her album A Scientific Dream and a French Kiss with Marie Goyette, which is also very interesting and recommended.

― Joe, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

See also her work w/News from Babel and Domestic Stories -- very much post-Art Bears

― Dominique, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

I can't contribute much to this thread, as I know very little of her music, but I just wanted to share the fact that I rediscovered the Slapp Happy song Scarred For Life the other day having not heard for ages and ages. Scary and beautiful, it brought me to tears again.

― Daniel Giraffe, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:45 (eighteen years ago)

the production on the 1998 Slapp Happy reunion record Ça Va left me a little cold at first -- didn't like those drum loops, felt like it would date badly, listened to it a few times then put it away. I dragged it out a few years ago to listen to "Scarred For Life" again and was shocked to realize I remembered and loved just about every song on it. I think it's basically just as classic as the 70's albums now.

Mutant Sounds has the 1970 I.D. Company record. I like it.

early 2008 will be a good year for dagmar fans.

― Milton Parker, Monday, 2 April 2007 17:45 (eighteen years ago)

& the 'live in japan' Slapp Happy disc & boots from a few years back -- very laid back acoustic performances, mainly for fans probably, but it is amazing just how wonderful her voice sounds, she is in top form

― Milton Parker, Monday, 2 April 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

Love both Art Bears and Slapp Happy - the only other stuff I know is Tank Battles, which is indeed very good.

― emil.y, Monday, 2 April 2007 17:49 (eighteen years ago)

I need to give Slapp Happy another change, and try out more Henry Cow. (Art Bears I've heard enough of to feel confident that, while I don't hate them, I'm not really interested in listening to them.) I know I really didn't like Acnalbasac Noom when I got it, and I probably wouldn't try that one again.

― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:48 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, her octave range does seem pretty insane. That's why even if when read the story it is maybe not so compelling to me, I don't mind just sitting and listening to the lovely voices on the record.
I wasn't initially thrilled with how "Camera" jumped-off because my current headphone obsessive was awful dance music and I'd tucked myself in a trashy myoosick slump--songs with an obvious heartbeat and loud energy--so I wasn't really in the place to receive something beautiful-dire and vocal oriented
but as soon as Dagmar entered on track 3, her voice was ever commanding and so able and my hyperanxious melted.

listened to it a few times then put it away. I dragged it out a few years ago to listen to "Scarred For Life" again and was shocked to realize I remembered and loved just about every song on it.

Something similar to this comment is what I think has kept me coming back to Krause (& Frith, I guess) related material. It's never initally,
*snap* I love this. I have to listen to it a few times and then I develop a relationship & fall in love with the music.

Thanks and continue--I will certainly look for these!

― mox twelve, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:51 (eighteen years ago)

Stunning live performer. I slightly prefer Angebot und Nachfrage, which is the German language version of Supply and Demand.

― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

Art Bears are going to reform.

― frilly, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

That is, regroup. Not "change their ways".

― frilly, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

source?

― Dominique, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

shhh, quiet

― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 17:33 (eighteen years ago)

five years pass...

Listening to Supply and Demand for the first time in too many years. Oh Dagmar, it's such a cliche but I would listen to you sing the goddamn phone book.

'Take that damn pipe out of your mouth, you rat'

― consistency is the owlbear of small minds (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 16:00 (twelve years ago)

Art Bears are going to reform

so, this never happened

― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Monday, 21 January 2013 16:08 (twelve years ago)

;_;

― consistency is the owlbear of small minds (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 16:11 (twelve years ago)

I have mixed feelings, tbh. They weren't ever reliant on a young rock'n'roll image like some bands that are participating in the reformation culture so badly, so I could imagine them holding up quite well, but still... What purpose would it have had? Would it possibly be able to further the Art Bears project, or would it just be pandering to those of us who never got a chance to see them? Is said pandering an amoral choice, or is it just as valid a reason to reform?

Hmmmm. *strokes chin*

― emil.y, Monday, 21 January 2013 16:50 (twelve years ago)

By coincidence, I played Winter Songs for the first time in ages last night. It's amazing the way Frith's timbre choices lead your expectations with Art Bears... I make all kinds of folky and rockist associations with some of these songs but when you listen to the notes it could be Stravinskian chamber music or Zeuhl or God knows what.

― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Monday, 21 January 2013 17:37 (twelve years ago)

The Art Bears albums make most of the rest of the entire 'prog' initiative seem so piddling and ridiculous.

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 17:40 (twelve years ago)

^^^ OTM

― emil.y, Monday, 21 January 2013 17:52 (twelve years ago)

Although my all time favorite Dagmar performance is on an AB song which is as close to rock as they ever got: 'In Two Minds', capable of wringing tears out of me.

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 17:54 (twelve years ago)

The Art Bears albums make most of the rest of the entire 'prog' initiative seem so piddling and ridiculous

never thought of the Art Bears as prog tbh

― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Monday, 21 January 2013 18:20 (twelve years ago)

well, you know, when you hear Art Bears it's kind of like 'oh, THIS is what it could have been if it were true to its brief'.

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 18:24 (twelve years ago)

Art Bears are going to reform
so, this never happened

― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Monday, January 21, 2013 4:08 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dates were scheduled 'round 2008, then Dagmar pulled out. The dates were fulfilled as 'Art Bears Songbook'. Dagmar joined them for the Victoriaville 2010 show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=veXCFAVRqBo#t=224s

― Milton Parker, Monday, 21 January 2013 18:38 (twelve years ago)

ah sorry. Dagmar joined them for the RIO Festival show in 2010. Victoriaville was the 2008 one:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29539&pg=2#.UP2LQx37J8F

― Milton Parker, Monday, 21 January 2013 18:39 (twelve years ago)

you can find concert recordings online. 'Rats and Monkeys' is great, and they do a version of 'Albion Awake' with vocals (which was originally released as an instrumental because Dagmar found the lyrics too disturbing to sing)

― Milton Parker, Monday, 21 January 2013 18:40 (twelve years ago)

wallsarelooseningwallsarelooseningwallsarelooseningwallsareloosening

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Monday, 21 January 2013 18:48 (twelve years ago)

'Rats and Monkeys' is the only song of theirs I hate!

― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Monday, 21 January 2013 19:04 (twelve years ago)

I like that one that sounds like the Who... it's on "Hopes and Fears" I think

― Designated Striver (Tom D.), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 12:03 (twelve years ago)

That is 'In Two Minds', hosanna'd by me yesterday.

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 15:43 (twelve years ago)

'In Two Minds' is definitely up there as one of the best. Mental illness as capitalist fragmentation. Fuck yes.

(Never thought it sounded like the Who though, but it is, as you say, one of the more 'rock' tracks.)

― emil.y, Tuesday, 22 January 2013 17:37 (twelve years ago)

The monster riff that presages 'Given time she can think it through' is the same as 'Baba O'Riley'. Hmmm you know there's could be a witty purpose to that quotation given the subject matter of the two songs...?

― here is no telephone (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 17:41 (twelve years ago)

Ahhh, yeah, I can see that. Probably missed it because I don't actually listen to the Who very often.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 22 January 2013 17:49 (twelve years ago)

seven years pass...

Some brief footage of Dagmar performing in 1968 with the City Preachers - it's right at the beginning so you don't have to wade through various stuffy German folk acts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhcJfCGzlRw

― (includes digression on farting) (Tom D.), Sunday, 2 February 2020 00:23 (five years ago)

... opens with Dagmar and closes with Julie Driscoll!

― (includes digression on farting) (Tom D.), Sunday, 2 February 2020 00:24 (five years ago)

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Dagmar Krause - S/D