Since 1984 the complex art project from Rouen has created its own cosmos in which ecclesiastical and rock music are combined with performing arts and apocalyptic artworks. Sub-cultural and artistic elements have been skilfully linked and thus enabled the project to stand its ground both in the Gothic underground and on big artistic installations and music festivals. This success can undoubtedly be traced back to the self image of the band: you have to see the self-made chime pendular in order to believe it. Furthermore body techniques of archaic societies play an integral part for ROSA CRVX: soil, dust, organic substances and nudity are inherent parts of the stage shows. The sophisticated metal games of band leader Olivier Tarabo tie in with a kind of post-industrial primitivism as represented by the German artist Flatz.
ROSA CRVX create a martial and apocalyptic atmosphere with their music and aim directly at the heart of elements. Obsessively, yet never brutally, they explore elementary questions about life and death, confront us with primal fears of humanity. Facing darkness and abyss they are looking for new ways to explore foreign territories which will only open to the light when we start to acknowledge that the only solution means accepting mysteries. That’s how ROSA CRVX manage to reach the depths of human soul with their alien yet familiar sounds. They use harmonies of ancient music, ecclesiastic rites plus Gothic Rock elements, drum samples of military music and passages of Ambient- and Industrial-music and combine them to an organic whole which has become a sole monument of French art in the last 20 years. The resulting sound conjures lunacy and power -unleashing in the synthesis of arts. Acoustic instruments and electronic sounds melt with self-made instruments, march rhythms, cold piano strikes, huge chimes, atmospheric guitars, alien plainchants and a passionate vocalist carry us along into a frightening yet inspiring roller coaster of emotions and thoughts.
Above all it is the medium DVD which truly unfolds the art of ROSA CRVX in a symbiosis of sound and performance where body and music support each other in a perfect way. The now released and keenly anticipated DVD contains live gigs and music videos, documentations of the innovative and experimental performances of self-portrayal. Here it becomes clear that ROSA CRVX has gained an extraordinary position in the world of music and art despite- or maybe just because of- its sub-cultural roots. Just like the Australian legend DEAD CAN DANCE fragments of Gothic culture are used to create a synopsis of the arts, an independent world no observer can close his eyes from. Beauty and decay, eroticism and death, fire and water, darkness and light – polarities which are recurrent themes in these cinematic treasures, a feast for the senses – intoxicating and fascinating!
