Music
Press
(disclaimer: This isn't exactly what you'd call a "press review." This is just an honest and in-depth review from a co-musician. And mind you, there are no biases here.)
Listening to Eudoxia’s self-entitled album was like taking a peek into someone’s memoir. There were moments while listening to the CD when I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Am I really allowed to listen to these songs?” This is how personal, raw, powerful, and disarming this collection of songs is.
The album kicks things off with a song called “Happy Doll.” As Eudoxia explains it herself in her introduction, “Happy Doll” is about a porcelain goth doll who is not like any other goth doll because it is happy. The keyboards start off slow like that of a music box and slowly build up into a playful childlike romp. One can also hear elements of classical music which add to the song’s gothic feel, especially at the end of each chorus when the artist screams, “Happy Doll!” Although the story of the song is basically about a happy doll, if you listen closely to the words you will find out that it is much richer than that. It is a story filled with different elements of light and darkness, a theme that can be seen all throughout the album. This theme can be felt especially when Eudoxia sings, “Nobody better touch this toy/ You might just disturb its joy.” Apparently, it is a doll that would remain happy only if it is untouched, but the irony of it all (which Eudoxia skillfully weaves) is that its beauty attracts the children to play with it.
The second song, “Tiger,” is one of my favorites in the whole album. In her introduction for the song, Eudoxia relates how the song “came out of nowhere.” I think it is partly this feeling of spontaneity that makes this song very appealing. “Tiger” is short, sweet, and simple. The singer/narrator simply describes a tiger who has to hunt for food to survive. What makes this song so beautiful, however, is when the singer/narrator starts comparing herself to the tiger. This is best depicted in the lines, “Like the tiger we look for ways to survive/ Like the tiger we protect those who we love.” Very simple, but very true. Again, like “Happy Doll” the song has a playful charm to it. One can actually imagine this song being sung to kids. Also, just like the first song, “Tiger” plays with elements of light and darkness. This can clearly be seen in the lines, “We have many colors too/ Orange signifies too much/ But the black is very clear/ Black for darkness beautiful.”
After the playfulness of the first two songs, the album delves into darker and heavier themes. At first listen, “Hollow Night” conjures up images of darkness, moonlight, and vampires. One can almost imagine being part of some ancient ritual where spells and sacrifices are offered under the light of the full moon. Upon listening closely, however, we can see that the theme of “Hollow Night” is a lot more personal than that. For me, “Hollow Night” depicts a struggle. It is a struggle of someone enshrouded by darkness, pain, and despair. In the midst of being enshrouded by the dark, this person appeals to the moon and the stars to shine their light and give her the strength to conquer this seemingly endless vicious cycle. The feeling that you get after listening to this song is a lot heavier than the previous songs, but again the theme of struggle between light and darkness is present, if not crystallized here. The keyboards are simply haunting and hypnotizing.
The next song is “Fallen Star.” Again, Eudoxia skillfully creates a world of irony. As she describes in her introduction to the song, “(Stars) for me signify light in the dark and hope amidst the storm, but in this song it is not like that at all. It is about a fallen star…and (the feeling of) being in a black hole that’s covered up so you can’t get out at all.” “Fallen Star” starts off with catchy chant-like singing which suddenly turns into rap, then falls back into the chant-like singing again before it explodes into screams of anguish and despair. Although it is at times difficult to understand what the singer is saying, especially when she raps, this song captures the feeling of a soul enduring seemingly endless torture. It is definitely cathartic, poignant, and moving. No wonder why it has become a favorite among Eudoxia’s listeners.
The next song, “In an Empty Space,” starts off with hypnotic keyboards similar to many of the songs of Eudoxia but this time it conveys a feeling of restlessness. (I don’t know if this is because of the way that it is played or because of the lyrics.) In her introduction, Eudoxia invites you to imagine the feeling of being in an empty room, “with only a chair, a table, and one window.” This is exactly the feeling that the song conveys. When I was listening to the song for the first time I remember feeling very restless. It’s as if I felt like I wanted to go somewhere or I wanted to say something but I couldn’t move or talk. It is ironic tha - Chris Carandang
I am now wondering while listening to her music how to describe it. This is the very first time I heard some kind of music like this, maybe because I am always into metal, hardcore, and punk stuff and forgot to explore my mind in some experimental and weird music. Actually, for those who don't know, this is a one-woman band! Her music is some kind of experimental goth, using keyboard and some effects. It's sometimes scary, but sometimes sounding like Tori Amos and Liz Phair. Or I can also simply say alternative goth? Haha, sounds strange, right? But it is worth checking out for those who love experimental music. Search this one. --Corix
No Bullshit! Zine may be found at http://nbzine.cjb.net - No Bullshit! Zine- Philippine Underground Publication
Discography
- Diaries of A Girl (independent 6-track EP as Virgin Suicide, mid-2004)
- Eudoxia (independent 12-track self-titled debut CD, late 2004)
Streaming Tracks:
Eudoxia Vervain (location: www.soundclick.com/eudoxia_music.htm)
- Neverland
- Unpretty
- Song No. 0
- Fallen Star (Names Are for Tombstones mix)
- Doll's Head (cover of The Late Isabel's single)
- Happy Doll
- Tiger
- Hollow Night
- Fallen Star
- In an Empty Space
- Tragedy
- She Bleeds
- Cut
- Path to Glory
- Don't Take Your Life
- Life Unfair
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In a nutshell, I am a dark solo female artist. My music is very different so it might shock you at first or you might think you've never heard anything like it. My songs are very personal and my music is special to me. It's either you like it or you don't. +Eudoxia Vervain+
As a solo female artist, EV has gone through a whole lot of musical experiences. she started writing songs and performing them to herself when she was 13. The first ever genre she wrote was rap so it's really unbelievable if you've listened to her current music that she was once a rapper. Eminem was her idol back then and she wanted to be like him. Back then, his songs were way better than the ones he's coming up with now. Her favorite will always be "Stan."
After doing away with rap, she decided to explore another style of making contemporary music. She was a classical musician, so the whole field was new to her. So after making that decision, she picked up her brother's classical guitar and used it as an acoustic guitar then taught herself how to strum chords and pluck some notes. Out of that, she created a rich collection of originals, occasionally using flute, recorder, piano, and percussion along with the guitar. And sometimes, she'd do away with the guitar and create songs with piano. "She Bleeds" was probably her first piano-vocals song. "Sad Story," however, was her real first song with complete instrumentation. When she finalized it, it was a piano-vocals-flute piece. She was really getting into the whole songwriting thing. She wrote mostly about her personal experiences and she once spontaneously made a song about a homeless man, which remains her favorite up to this day.
When she was around 15, she'd record demo tapes and give them to her friends. They liked her music and were really encouraging so she kept on making songs. Then a point came where she decided she needed to concentrate on only one principal instrument. It was between the guitar and the piano. She didn't want to decide on her own so she asked her friends. You can say she "surveyed" them. And the result was piano. Her friends told her that piano was a less common instrument for artists. She thought they made sense so she was convinced to concentrate on the piano.
That gave birth to Eudoxia. Before Eudoxia, her artist name was Virgin Suicide. But when she found out that a band in the States carried the same name, she switched to Eudoxia. And then she discovered that other bands around the world carried the same name so she decided to add "Vervain" to Eudoxia resulting in "Eudoxia Vervain."
You can say she was an experimental artist before becoming Eudoxia. She was trying different things and going through different phases. But when she settled down with the piano, she found herself creating spooky and haunting riffs. As a result, it crossed her mind that she might just be best off as a dark artist. And it helped that she somehow had a haunting voice.
Now as a dark solo female artist, she is influenced by many different styles including goth, dark music, and piano-vocals music. Her music is very different. People have called it strange, weird, and/or screaming and wailing, but even so, there are people who have found themselves liking it. She doesn't make songs that sound like the ones you hear on the radio. Her songs are very personal and she likes to write about her experiences and all the things she sees around her. She is now comfortable with what she does and she considers it the best job ever.
She desires to be a professional musician her whole life. She wants to live off and breathe on music. It is the biggest passion she has ever had and she simply cannot live without it. Her music is raw, honest, and sincere and with each song, there is a message that she wants to come across to the listener. That is why she wants to be heard by so many people. So she is hoping, even against odds, that one day she gets that very chance.
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