Den Haag Ruist #27 26 June 2005

Nora Keyes (VS)
Famed for eccentric on stage theatrics Ms Keyes is known to transform herself from innocent child to ancient hag all the while accompanying herself on organ. Her singing style is so relentlessly sad it becomes euphoric as it shifts from beautiful soprano to chilling cackles, even wild yodeling during her cover of Jimmy Rogers 'Old Pal'.
Her previous band 'The Centimeters' have produced a string of albums since 1996, most notably 'Facts of destiny' produced by Don Bolles (The Germs) and 'Help Is on the Way' produced by David J (Bauhaus / love and rockets), who liked them so much he had them open at the last Love and Rockets show in Los Angeles and has more recently exploited her singing talents for his theme to the upcoming film Black Dahlia. She is currently writing music for a new album with Don Bolles.

Review by Matt Reekie for Blunt magazine:
"This CD is absolutely off its chops, or at least this woman seems to be. If a cackling old witch playing a spooky organ and caterwauling extremely depressing tunes while accompanied by violins and auto harp is your Sunday cup of tea, then I'm sure you'll adore the quite disturbing sounds of Nora Keyes. You think Joanna Newsom or the Dresden Dolls make some freaked out shit, Los Angeles born Nora kills them for sheer peculiarity. She's the bastard child of Anton LaVey and Kate Bush and apparently she's riding her broomstick down for the Big Day Out. Oh…you should be scared all right."

Lady Cleaners Electronic Ensemble (Eq/Pl/Ge)
Lady Cleaners was founded in 2004 by Bjoern Erlach (Germany), Lucho Enriquez (Equador) and Michal Osowski (Poland), who met in The Hague while doing their studies in sonology.
While the group are only shortly together, their performance is definitely powerful and convincing, with lots of surprising changes, mutations and explorations. To watch them is almost like an ice experience: cool and intense.
With Bjoern Erlach and Michal Osowski controlling the musical basis and processing the sounds through their computers, Lucho Pelucho Enriquez uses his vocals and guitar in unheard ways, with icy screams giving the audience the chills and a guitar style that makes metal become experimental, but also using flute, tetarra and a computer as sound sources. The result is what they call 'an experimental poisoned improvisation of noise, unsquared drum&bass, tribal rhythms, rock, metal, jazz, acid house, and the 'Whatever''.

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