“one of the best voices on planet Earth”: Billie Ray Martin
Auf die Frage, welche Genres sie beeinflusst hätten, hat Billie Ray Martin geantwortet, “all except heavy metal and George Benson”. Die Antwort erzählt eine Menge über sie und ihre Art, sich unabhängig zu machen von Trends, also von Vorgaben der Industrie plus schlechtem Geschmack. Sie hat, will man denn Etiketten bemühen, den Soul der 60er (Ann Peebles!) und den Groove der 70er, sie hat die Kühle der 80er und kann besser dekonstruieren als alle Derrida-Abgänger der 90er. Aber sie zweifle doch, sagt sie über sich, nie an ihren Songs, “eher an meinem Platz in der Musikindustrie”. Zu der sie gehört, ohne dazuzugehören: Ihre ersten Erfolge hat sie sich in den 80ern mit Live-Auftritten in Berliner Clubs erarbeitet, auch in London fing sie bei Null an, also auf den Bühnen der Clubs. “Your Loving Arms”, ihr Mega-Hit von 1994, ist beides, ist Musikbusiness pur und Popmusik erster Güte — aber dass sie vor zwei Jahren Roman Polanskis “Ekel / Repulsion” (mit Catherine Deneuve in der Hauptrolle) vertont und im Londoner Institut Of Contemporary Arts vorgestellt hat, ist weit weniger Pop und bekannt. Es ist das Faszinierende an ihr, die inzwischen 52-jährige zählt zu den Wenigen im Musikbusiness, den wenigen Frauen zumal, die mit den Jahren immer besser, weil unabhängiger werden: Wenn man eh nichts geschenkt bekommt, sagt sie, kann man gleich machen, was man will.
Live mit Roy Robertson an den Tasten für wie immer nur 10 EUR — ein urban urtyp coup.
Reservierungen unter ticket@urbanurtyp.de
Einlass ab 19 Uhr mit DJ-Set & Bar, Konzertbeginn etwa 20:30 Uhr
Hier noch ein paar Zeugenaussagen:
“She’s one of the living legends in modern music history and one of the best voices on planet Earth.”
DJ Hell, I‑DJ Magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“We’ve been waiting for the return of ‘the voice’. Well, return she has. This is state-of-the-art electronic music.”
Earbud DJ (online magazine)
“Billie’s been a milestone and innovator in the world of dance music for nearly 20 years now and remains one of the few artists who can pull off a return that challenges the genre’s current royalty.”
Jamie Nicholes, Noize Magazine (U.S. / worldwide)
“Billie Ray Martin is an absolute revelation.”
Ken Hollings, The Wire (U.K. / worldwide)
“The Nico of the rave generation has returned with a stealth-bomb of a record, with a tranced-out charm of its own.”
Ben Wood, Bearded Magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“Her voice is epic. It recalls Aretha and soul singers of another era. She’s always been a bit before her time. And those are the reasons why she’s not a bigger star. She may be too talented.”
Bradford Shellhammer, Sundance Channel (U.S. / worldwide)
“Who would have ever thought that old Cabaret Voltaire material would end up as the foundation of fine throbbing electronic disco in 2010? Billie Ray Martin plays the ice queen to perfection over various flavours of bleeps and bumps.”
Mark E, I Really Love Music (online magazine)
“Billie Ray Martin has covered Cabaret Voltaire classics ‘Crackdown’ and ‘Just Fascination’ in her own inimitable style. Never has Electronic Body Music felt so soulful! We love this girl.”
Mark Moore, QX Magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“One of the most mesmerizing vocals in the music world… simply one of dance music’s most haunting pieces of music ever.”
Dan Prince, DMC Update magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“The ice queen of electronic soul, who has been infusing sleek beats with hefty doses of Weimar decadence since the tail end of the 1980s… a vamp-ish robo diva in full flight. Her 2007 live soundtrack to Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, which alternated low key torch songs with chilly electronic anthems, offered further evidence of her restless creative spirit.”
Keith Moline, The Wire (U.K. / worldwide)
“The high priestess of electronic soul… her voice is unmistakable – ridden with drama and soul – sounding like Marlene Dietrich by way of Diamanda Galas.”
Gregor Laird, The Skinny (Glasgow magazine)
“A female, modern-day Marc Almond… this E.P. of throbbing electro-disco, torch soul and narcotic pop is awesome.”
Jason Riley, I‑DJ Magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“Avantgarde Deutsche diva Billie Ray Martin’s sublime vocals and catchy, industrial post-punk disco…”
Keith Barker-Main, Metro newspaper (U.K.)
“Something like Amanda Lear ganging up with Laurie Anderson to kidnap a low-key echo of “The Day Before You Came”, an Abba track. Is it any good? Yes, very.”
Unpeeled Magazine (U.K. / worldwide)
“Full of soul and emotion… the songs creep into your consciousness and before you know it have taken over your motor functions. Oozing sex with great electro bleeps and an orgasmic vocal delivery… a real success.”
Sean Slingsby, Gigwise (online)
“A glacial quartet of mournful electro-ballads bathed in sumptuous spaciousness. The low slung Marlene Dietrich-pitched vocals are the icing on the cake… this new venture sounds so fresh, unforced and 2008-friendly.”
Beatmag.net (online magazine)
Billie Ray Martin is the thinking man’s diva and she can walk up & down my back anytime.”
Dean Thatcher, DMC Update Mag (U.K. / worldwide)
“She’s one of the most intelligent, unique and principled artists to have graced the charts.”
Stewart Who, QX Magazine
“Welcome back Billie! We put our loving arms around you.”
DJ Tom Novy (review of “Undisco Me”)