Die Compilation zu Paul Rolands 30. Geburtstag! Wie Ihr Euch denken könnt, ist es nicht sein 30. Geburtstag im herkömmlichen Sinne, sondern sein Musik- bzw. „Schaffens“-Jubiläum. Oder wie Paul es auf den Punkt bringt: „This is my official 30th anniversary year. Last year it was 30 years since I entered the studio for the first time and released my first single but this year is the REAL 30th anniversary as it marks the release of my first album 'The Werewolf of London' in 1980.” Paul Roland ‘The Lost Genius of British Pop` “If pop music had existed in the 19th century Roland would have been a star.” - Music Week “Godfather of Goth and the 80s dark romantic movement, Paul Roland has been producing deliciously ghoulish psychpop with a Victoriana backdrop..a gloriously rich HP Lovecraft inspired collection…” - Record Collector England’s psychpop guru Paul Roland, dubbed ‘the male Kate Bush’ by one time label mate Robyn Hitchcock, releases a double CD of tracks culled from a 30 year recording career, the crème de la crème from 15 remarkable albums some of which have featured the presence of other cult artists such as Robyn Hitchcock, Bevis Frond, Nick Nicely, Andy Ellison of John’s Children and various members of Caravan. Members of the Velvet Underground and film composer Michael Nyman also offered to work with Roland whose highly original character-rich narratives have earned him the title of the ‘Edgar Allen Poe of pop’. CD One boasts the very best of his psych/Goth tinged tracks including ‘Blades of Battenburg’ (a John Peel favourite back in 1980), ‘The Puppet Master’ (featuring Robyn Hitchcock), ‘In The Opium Den’ which Melody Maker called “a genuine psychaedelic masterpiece in miniature” and the imposing grandeur of ‘Nosferatu’ which continues to be played in Goth clubs and on the radio across Europe. CD Two presents the more fanciful acoustic baroque chamber pop including the wistful ‘Wyndham Hill’, the story of an Edwardian inventor and his flying machine, ‘The Ballad of Mary Kelly’a poignant portrait of one of Jack The Ripper’s victims and the wry macabre humour of ‘Demon In A Glass Case’ to name but three. Paul has been lauded in Europe where he toured extensively in the 80s and 90s regularly selling out venues of 5,000 or more, but he remains criminally under appreciated in his native Britain. As ‘Record Collector’ recently remarked, “Why can’t we acknowledge our own genni?” Well, now is a chance to discover a unique talent with a double CD of his finest and most engaging work. “Genius at play! If Shakespeare, Poe and Conan Doyle were alive today, they would surely have some Roland in their record collections. Unfortunately they’re dead...what’s your excuse?” Bucketful of Brains “Psych-pop genius…full of gruesome atmosphere and influenced by everything from the Edwardian England of HG Wells to the juicily grotesque EC horror comics of the 50s. These recordings delineate a mastery of character all perfectly described in sound.” Ian Abrahams ‘Record Collector’ March 2010 “Paul Roland has remained a cherished figure on the gothic rock and psychpop periphery for 30 years now…a treasury of detail and eloquence...Roland’s impeccable narratives (and) formal, baroque instrumentation…creates the antiquated yet timeless ambience his songs deserve”. * * * * Marco Rossi ‘Record Collector’ May 2010 “Gothic-psych-baroque-rocker waxing demented in a way only an Englishman can...impeccable.” Goldmine, USA “Roland’s gaslight world is one of quaint but dark English folklore, sinister Victoriana and bittersweet stories...File under whimsy?“ Uncut “Roland is a maestro of melancholy and madness… ornate gothic/baroque songwriting and quintessentially English pop-psych dementia…princely stuff.” Ptolemaic Terrascope Hier noch einige Web-Links für weitere Informationen und Hörproben: www.paulroland.de : the music of Paul Roland www.paulroland.net : writer's website http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Roland : Paul in the Wikipedia (deutsch) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Roland Paul in the Wikipedia (englisch) http://discography.dunkelromantik.de/ : Online discography (with samples) http://www.myspace.com/paulrolandmusic : Paul's music on MySpace