Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Who or what is Autonervous? A new project put together by Jessie Evans, formerly of The Vanishing, it appears. There's no band - all of a sudden we're in the cabaret zone, with a costumes-and-poses performance acted out to a backing track groove. Jessie's partner in crime for this project is Bettina Köster, ex-of Malaria, and the two of them strut and swagger around the stage, toting saxophones like AK47s and almost literally throwing their personalities out into the crowd. Surprisingly, the assembled audience of punks, goths, and deathrockers takes to the show with great good humour. I'd assumed that the distinct absence of anything remotely related to rock 'n' roll would've counted against Autonervous at this event, but not so. The combination of sax-squawks and bump 'n' grind rhythms, the assertive, confident demeanour of the performers on stage, and the feeling of Berlin-underground dissolution which the Autonervous experience instantly conjures up, all combine to create a show that works. I'll bet Andi Sex Gang, connessieur of cabaret decadence that he is, would've loved it. At the end, Bettina Köster signs off with a cheery 'Thanks - that was fun!' 'No it wasn't!' contradicts Jessie Evans, immediately contrary and mock-peevish. But I think they both had a good time - and, somewhat unexpectedly, so did the audience.
ttp://www.nemesis.to/dd1.htm
- Nemesis
So right down on the floor is where I found myself after being knocked over by the drop deadly sounds of Jessie Evans Music and after picking myself up and dusting off my audio hijack pro, I secured some local copies of “Autonervous� songs and secluded them into a smart playlist and played them over and over again. Turning the (right) corner from Easy Street to Hard Knock Ave (where most independent label musicians live) I purchased the pre release mp3s right off the autonervous website and now still, I anxiously await the arrival of the LP/Vinyl from Cochon Records to complete my collection obsession trifecta.
What possibly could affect me this way?
The music of course! {wink}
Seriously now, the answer to this simple question is a complex one. Musically, the album is a portrait of diversity in sounds and styles, instruments and grooves, blurring the lines between punk rock, new wave, jazz and dance. And yet this genre-bending duo does not for one second lose their way on some politically correct crusade to avoid program pigeonholing. Perhaps that clarity of musical vision is the result of the fact that Köster and Evans take on the albums entire responsibilities for the instruments heard. Credits for drums are by Evans, with guitar by Köster, and then bass, synthesizer, vocals, and saxophone by Köster and Evans both.
Yes that’s right, both play sax and as they do when sharing vocal responsibilities this dynamic duo is constantly weaving sultry and sexy verses and poetically correct lyrics. At times Jessie is decisively playful and firmly feminine while Bettina whispers breathy enunciations of deceptive incantations. Together they seem to revel in their ability to effortlessly take turns leading a lyrical dance with the listener, cutting in on each other through the distortion, depths and decay of this richly produced strong and sure affair.
What stands to mention last is the overall solid musical credibility evident here and a fish netted feeling of sincere punk sensibilities amplified by a blood red lipstick punctuation mark. This aint no flavor of the month electroclashing chicks on speed, these are some authentic street smarts sounds so, listen up kids, you just might learn something.
- By Teep, Moodmat June 25 2006
"With Bettina Koster and Jessie Evans two outstanding personalities have been looking for and finding each other... Both singers and saxophone players, they compliment each other like Ying and Yang. During the whole set every sound, every move was perfect. Where Jessie seems vulnerable Bettina is forceful, while Bettina pulls her hair, Jessie pulls the seam of her dress, natural and unchoreographed. Musically on the highest level of no-no-no dance, they spawn their own cult, and I assume that also in the future they will move on the other side of packaged taste."
- Oliver S, Dorfdisco, Berlin
- Oliver S, Dorfdisco, Berlin
Discography
AUTONERVOUS DISCOGRAPHY:
Autonervous : Bettina Koster and Jessie Evans
Officially Out Oct 17 on Cochon Records , USA
Distributed by Red Eye Usa
BETTINA KOSTER DISCOGRAPHY
Malaria 'Zensor' 12" EP
Malaria 'New York Passage' 12" Cachalot, Eric Dufaure
Malaria 'How do you like my new dog? 1â?„2' Single Les Disques du Crepuscule
Malaria 'White Water' 12" Les Disques du Crepuscule
Malaria 'Emotion' LP/CD Les Disques du Crepuscule, Moabit, Jochen Huelder
Malaria 'Beat the Distance', Rebel Records, Dimitri Hegemann
Malaria 'Revisited', Roir, also out on Danceteria Rights lie with Malaria Life
John Peel Session BBC radio
Kid Jensen Session BBC radio
Malaria 'Cheerio'LP/CD Moabit
'Peppermills', directed by Isabel Hegner,
'Burma: Anatomy of Terror’ directed by Isabel Hegner
Berlin Insane 2, compilation 'Crime Don't Pay', Pale Music
JESSIE EVANS DISCOGRAPHY
Subtonix 'Trophy 7" 2001 No Love
Subtonix-'Rich boys' 7" 2002 Vida Loca
Subtonix/Glass Candy-split 7"-2002 TMU
Subtonix-Tarantism lp/cd-2002 TMU
Troubleman Mix tape 2001 TMU
Troubleman Sampler 2003
Knives-Cassette Ep2002
The Vanishing 'In the Bat Haus'-Ep/cd 2002 Cochon Records
The Vanishing/Lost Sounds split 7" 2003 Cochon Records
Skyscraper Magazine Compilation 2003 GSL
The Vanishing 'Songs for Psychotic Children'Lp/Cd 2003 GSL 2003
Naked Kiss of Death Split 7" Release the Bats 2004
The Vanishing/The Phantom Limbs split 7"-2003 Hungry Eye
The Vanishing/Sixteens split 12"/cd 2003 GSL
The Vanishing/Von Iva split 12" Princehouse Records 2004
Nostalgia del Buio-Cochon Records 2004
Witches Of The West- 2004, This Starcraft
Vanishing-Still Lifes are Failing LP/CD 2005 GSL and Fatal
Autonervous/Zonetech split cassette EP
Autonervous-Fetalities12" EP, 2004 Duchess Archive
Berlin Insane 11 Compilation 2005 Pale Music
Glass Candy- 5 song EP, spring 2004
Glass Candy-Life After Sundown, 12 Single/EP 2005 TMU
Hanin Elias -Future Noir (Remix of ‘Idle Eyes’) 2005 Invisible Recordings
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In 2005 the Vanishing's singer/sax player Jessie Evans moved to Berlin. Then like a personal add from God in an alternate universe she met Bettina Koster, singer/sax player from the pioneering, John Peel beloved post-punk band Malaria! Although from diferent generations and cities it seemd like there was no gap between the 80s Berlin that Bettina had reigned over and San Francisco that Jessie had recently left..A year later the two are (what else?) vox/sax duo Autonervous, with a self-titled debut album out.
The album 'Autonervous' was recorded at Fraulelein Studio in Berlin, mixed and mastered by Ingo Krauss at Lost in Space Berlin. Musically it is very unique and cannot be easily categorized, with influences ranging from pop, new wave, rocksteady, krautrock, latin, disco, deathrock, film and free jazz. Both women sing and play saxophone and have created the sound organically, so even though it is electronic it’s much more natural; the atmosphere is loose yet gripping, inviting visitors to come closer - like they want to catch you in their web but once they do they will shower you with kisses and if you’re lucky throw you on the floor. Bettina has a very low and sultry voice, Jessie's voice is a snake who cries out and laughs in between wrapping around the solid yet off tempo timing of Bettina's.
If it is too easy to say that the lyrics are mostly about love, getting together, and lust in general, to touch, to reach out of our cages, that what we have been induced into or reduced to isn't necessary. Then listen: "We can break these chains, we can skin this cat" "You don't have to wait to come outside, we know you'll feel better in the light."
Live, from stoic to 'a wild shimmying extravaganza, a deranged cabaret experience' they will always dare the audience to break out of their perceptions, to see something they may be afraid to see.
In 'Still Kaltes' Bettina rewrites Jessie's song 'Still Lifes' from Vanishing, in the dark dance track 'Anchors Aweigh' Bettina sings "I was the object of so many desires, but now I’m stranded on this beach" to which Jessie replies "You're not a mute and you know how to move it!"
As the two are so different the interaction on stage is sometimes like the old comedy duos, as playful as it can be serious. The music is also very theatrical, taking the listener deep into surreal and unexpected places with each track. 'Sax New Age' is an industrial jungle that exudes sensuality, 'Hello Lovers' playground pop which might as well have been sung by the children in Fritz Lang’s M, 'Gold', a remake of the Amanda Lear hit from the 70s. 'Prescription', a dark and dizzying film piece, 'Easter Bunny' a Brazilian techno acid trip. 'Why Shiver', a slow ride into the wild, saxophones like birds screeching mysterious invitations for thrills to come…
A track of the upcoming album will also be on the upcoming Chicks on Speed compilation 'Girl Monster' with 60+ women’s bands.
A BRIEF INDIVIDUAL HISTORY OF THE GIRLS...
BETTINA KOSTER
Bettina Koster, born in West Germany moved as a child to Berlin where huge mounts of coal were strategically placed all over to be prepared for another soviet blockade of the walled-in city. In 1979 Koster and fellow visual communications student and punk musician Gudrun Gut opened the hip new wave store Eisengrau. There they joined all girl band Mania d. The band performed at the tier 3 in New York. John Peel named the group his Queens of Noise and track 4 was single of the year on his radio show. In 1981 Koster and Gut founded all girl band Malaria, which went on to a very cult following, They played with Nina Hagen at Studio 54, John Cale at the Mudd Club, with Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, and with The Birthday Party. They played at Danceteria in NYC, Les Bains Douches, and the Bat Cave in London. Malaria has become a definite influence for younger girl bands as seen with the Chicks on Speed version of Malaria's 1981 hit Kaltes Klares Wasser. In 1983, Koster, sick of the music industry and not wanting to taint her love of music moved to NYC where she remained for the next 18 years. In 1998 she composed the music and co-wrote the script for the film Peppermills, which won the Teddy award at the Berlinale Film Festival.. She also co-produced a documentary about the military regime in Burma, "Burma: Anatomy of Terror" directed by Isabel Hegner, narrarated by Susan Sarandon. After September 2001 she returned to Berllin..
JESSIE EVANS
Jessie Evans was born in a small town in northern California, the oldest of 9 children. By the age of 4 she had outgrown her training violin and began her education through the rest of the instruments in school band. At 15 she dropped out of high school, played bass and saxophone in San Francisco underground bands Subtonix , Knives, Deep Throats, etc...However, she quickly grew bored with standing with the bass as well as taking instructions from divas and thus started her group Vani
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