Rotait

“Rotait – duo Jareth Tait and Rosanna Schwarzacher – have an intriguing sound which pulls on the strings of artists such as Radiohead, The Mountain Goats and Iron and Wine. Their cello befriends a guitar performance arrested the attention of newly arriving punters, creating a captivating atmosphere. They are a modest, gifted musical pairing and proved to be strong support for the night’s man in the spot light.” - Brighton Unsigned, Shaz Simone, Live Review

Formed in Ireland in 2009 and now based in Brighton, Rotait comprises UK native Jareth Tait and Austrian Rosanna Schwarzacher. With influences as diverse as Nick Drake, John Martyn, Bill Withers and PJ Harvey, the pair have forged a strong live reputation. They should probably add Radiohead to that list. Tait’s voice is, at times, eerily reminiscent of Thom Yorke (‘Tired of Waiting’ – the most Radiohead-sounding track here – could easily be an outtake from The Bends!).
That said, Rotait have their own distinctive sound, with its roots in the quintessentially English approach of ‘70s stalwarts such as Al Stewart and Clifford T. Ward. Highlights include ‘Swallow Your Pride’, the mid-paced opener, where under a soft shuffle, with acoustic guitar and cello, the pair weave no little melodic magic. The more atmospheric ‘Sleep Tonight’ showcases their ambient side. ‘Life Is Long’ is a lovely folk tune while the dreamy ‘I Tried’ and the up-tempo ‘Why D’ya Do That For’, are well worth hearing. - HOT PRESS, Colm O Hare, 26 Jun 2012

“Rotait is a name that’s been thrown around in conversations and appeared on posters in the Brighton acoustic scene for many months now. And to us, with probably many others, it’s just been another band struggling for recognition in an over saturated music scene. But having heard no end of raving live reviews from well established local musicians and promoters, we decided to give their first full album titled Sleep Tonight a listen just because, well, we were curious what all the fuss was about.
The duo, Jareth Tait and Rosanna Schwarzacher, formed in Ireland in 2009 and have since relocated to Brighton. It is a nice surprise to find out they are a duo, as their sound has the breadth and voluptuousness of a full band and the extent of their musical talent is displayed throughout the entire 11 track album. Guitars, bass, drums and cello combine in ways which make the genre of Sleep Tonight difficult to define.
Ranging from foot tapping, head bopping folk to sombre acoustic, Tait’s vocals, occasionally accompanied by Schwarzacher, are impeccable. The musicians that have influenced their style shine through on particular songs, such as the wistful, gentle acoustics of Nick Drake on closing track Life Is Long and the raw, distorted solidity of riffs reminiscent of PJ Harvey on Come On Home. It must be mentioned that the quality of the recording is something that is hard to ignore. Whoever mixed and produced this album, give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back.
Rotait could, rather unfairly, be held up as an inverted version of more successful male/female duos such as The White Stripes, The Dresden Dolls and The Ting Tings, but unlike the latter and the former examples, they have the clear musical capability to produce something well worthy of listening to all the way through, and thoroughly enjoy. We challenge music lovers everywhere to listen to this album and not appreciate it. - Sound and Motion Magazine, 27th November 2012