Qntal:

In 1991, Michael Popp and Ernst Horn had the idea to combine medieval melodies and singing with electronic music. As singer they chose Syrah (aka Sigrid Hausen), not only because she was one of the leading female interpreters of the medieval music scene but also because she possessed the courage and will to cross musical boundaries, something her many colleagues lacked. The idea "crossover" had just arisen in the independent scene and was used to break through well worn listening habits through new musically stylized combinations.

The trio was thus founded but they lacked a name. The solution to this, however, was not long in the waiting... shortly after joining the band, Syrah had a dream of writing on a wall and, in her sleep, she deciphered it as "QNTAL", a word that exists in no language and was therefore perfect for a music that, up to that point, also had no clear term.

Soon after the founding, their first song was ready: "Por mau tons", a song of the Troubadours Thibaut from Navarra in a new arrangement, stronly influenced by the now almost completely forgotten noise band, "My Bloody Valentine". The band then left some things unfinished because other commercial projects had taken priority but also because the first reaction from "experts" had not been very encouraging.

In 1992 Syrah was seeking lyrics and melodies to borrow from the Estampie repertoire. Michael Popp and Ernst Horn composed and arranged and in the fall the album "QNTAL I" appeared. It was released without great publicity or promotion costs and was considered by the musicians as a sort of side project. It was all the better then when the album hit the Wave scene but it was also in other listener circles that the band found fans and praise, the song "Ad mortem festinamus" becoming a club hit.

It was actually the calm, melancholy songs that enthused many listeners the most and that had QNTAL lined up overnight with Dead Can Dance. The band however agreed unanimously to not play live because they did not feel that the voice of the music could be properly conveyed in a live concert. Nevertheless, as the second CD, "QNTAL II" was finished in 1995 and just as a Deine Lakaien tour was being put together (Ernst Horn and Michael Popp were both members of this band) the idea of a double concert developed. QNTAL would be the first band and there'd be a flowing transition to Deine Lakaien. Two tours took place in this configuration and was met with overwhelming success. "Palästinalied"became a hit from this second album and the expression of the music and, above all, Syrah's voice convinced and touched fans as much as the first album, if not more.

This success, however, couldn't be immediately established because Ernst Horn was primarily concerned with the progress of Deine Lakaien. For this and private reasons, the decision was made to search for a successor to Ernst. This was found in musician/producer Philipp Groth who had made a name for himself by way of Berlin's Vielklang-Verlag and his label. Also, growing up in a classical music influenced household made it easier for him to understand the special music of QNTAL. It was soon clear, with the first arrangements and production experiments that Philipp was the right man for the job. Since then the band has worked at full stretch on the new CD, "QNTAL III".

Naturally, in the last decade, the music scene has developed and QNTAL, as an experimental formation, wants to record these new trends and use them in their music. Nevertheless, the fundamental concept and the voice of the music remains the same: only medieval lyrics will be sung and the arrangements are electronically stamped with occasional "spots of color" delivered with medieval instruments.

On Whitsun, 2002, came the band's first appearance since 1996 at the Wave Gothic Treffens. Although their show was well off to the side of the concert center and Syrah was plagued by an illness that affected her vocal chords, the size of the audience and the overwhelming response was heartening. The experience of the live appearance at Leipzig encouraged the band further to release "QNTAL III" which came out in February, 2003. The single "Nihil" was recently released & was followed by the release of their live DVD entitled simply enough "QNTAL-Live". They are packaged together at their fanshop so check it out! Mikki 12/03

More at:

• Official
• Qntal on MySpace