\r 1989年美国圣佛朗西斯科的两位女艺术家Susan Wallace(作曲,键盘)和Tina Root(歌手)组建了Switchblade Symphony.她们试图在传统GOTHIC音乐中融入一些新的东西.... 经过不断的尝试,Switchblade Symphon自己地下发行了两盘磁带.它们在圣佛朗西斯科非主流音乐界获得了很好的反映,并且为乐队赢得了北美老牌GOTHIC名厂Cleopatra Records的一纸合同. 95年Susan和Tina在Cleopatra下发表了她们的处女专辑Serpentine Gallery,那些独特的充满女性色彩的低调之声很快就传遍了美国的GOTHIC音乐圈.96年Switchblade Symphony与Christian Death,Big Electric Cat一起成功的进行了全美巡演.在这次巡演中乐队的音乐起了变化,她们试图改变Serpentine Gallery中的自己. 97年的第二张专辑Bread and Jam for Frances中Susan与Tina将她们新的创作理念灌输给了乐迷,更多的trip hop,更多的drumn! bass,更少ROCK色彩.这在很大程度上迎合了当时低调舞曲风潮.果然,Bread and Jam for Frances赢得了广大媒体和乐迷的一致好评,现在的Switchblade Symphon已经是Cleopatra的当家花旦了.声望不可同日而语.99年她们又发表了自己的第三张正式专辑The Three Calamities. Gary Numan这个冷血电子人亲手主理的作品已经完全找不到Serpentine Gallery中那GOTHIC音乐色彩了,相反却更贴近Massive Attack和Portishead的TRIP-HOP音乐. 99年末Switchblade Symphon突然宣布因创作观念分歧而解散. \r by Heather Phares\r San Franciscos Switchblade Symphony formed in 1989, when vocalist Tina Root and composer Susan Wallace were introduced by mutual friends in the local goth music scene. Frustrated with the musical projects they were currently involved in, the duo began collaborating and performing, and soon won a devoted audience. \r \r As Switchblade Symphony, Roots musical theater training and Wallaces film-scoring experience showed in their theatrical vocals and orchestrated, dreamlike sound. Early, self-released cassettes like 1991s Fable and 1992s Elegy were sold at shows and caught the attention of influential forces in the darkwave scene, such as Propaganda magazine and Cleopatra Records. \r \r Cleopatra signed Switchblade Symphony and the group issued their debut album, Serpentine Gallery, for the label in 1995. Serpentine Gallery featured lusher, fuller versions of many of the songs on the groups initial recordings, mixing a poetic, ethereal sound with hints of harsher, industrial beats. The album gained critical acclaim and provided Switchblade Symphony with opening dates on tours with labelmates like Christian Death in 1996, and other prominent darkwave acts like the Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative.\r \r 1997 saw the group return with Bread & Jam for Frances, technically Switchblade Symphonys first new material for Cleopatra. A heavy electronica influence permeated the album, which featured dub loops and trip-hop beats mixed into their dark, ornate signature sound. Bread & Jam for Frances also kept the groups critical momentum going, receiving great word of mouth; two singles, Clown and Drool, followed in its wake, along with a limited-edition tour album, Scrapbook. After spending much of 1998 on headlining and supporting tours, Switchblade Symphony released their third album, Three Calamities, the following year. A fusion of Serpentine Gallerys opulence and Frances futurism, it reflected the groups advances as songwriters and performers.\r