Tiffany Apan

Tiffany Apan has a very unique sound and look. Her latest CD, “Poet”, blends several genres—classical, theatre, gothic, folk, pop, and new age very effectively, while the unexpected chord changes, beautiful vocals and poetic lyrics will certainly appeal to a wide audience. It is easy to see why this lovely artist continues to satisfy and attract fans around the world! An exciting new sound!
- Chandi Devi, Karmacaffe.com

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Tiffany Apan has been involved in the arts for a while now, dabbling in horror films and has now released her debut album entitled Poet. The music certainly coincides well with her other artistic endeavors, that being somewhat dark, melancholy, gothic and certainly, at times, quite beautiful. This is a mellow album, somewhat understated with a folky feel, but there is a lot to be found here, as long as you make the effort. I must say listening to this album was a refreshing break from the harder edged music that I normally listen to. You will not find any crunchy guitars and loud driving beats, but what you will find is absolutely haunting. Tiffany has a pretty unique sound. Her voice is very nice, sometimes reminding me of Nightwish singer Anette Olzon. The music is often built around keyboard and synth melodies as they are used extensively. Guitar can also be found, sometimes subtle in nature, other times in sharp bursts of sound or in muted chords, contrasting nicely with the quiet surroundings.

The music does not sound typically American. In fact, I would venture to say there is a European flavor, maybe Scandinavian or Celtic. I make this comparison, not so much in the sounds I hear, but in the feeling the music conveys. The album starts with "Ghost", filled with lovely piano and Tiffany's soothing voice. A soft but very effective beginning. "Porcelain Doll" is a little more up-tempo, with guitars more to the forefront, and some nice background vocals. I especially like her voice when it takes on a more aggressive tone half way through the song. "Free" continues with some nice guitar chords and a pretty catchy melody. Her singing here is quite powerful at times. "Run Away and Hide", the album's second single, has another strong melody, sweeping synths and some stabbing electric guitar that really adds to the sound. "Ghosts (Persephone's NetherRealm Remix)" boasts distorted muted guitar chords and a pretty good solo over a simple keyboard melody.

There are twelve songs on offer and I will not attempt to describe each one. Suffice it to say, if you like music on the softer side with a gothic/folk or Celtic influence you just might find have found yourself a winner.

- Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility Webzine

MEDIA:

"Tiffany Apan has a voice that would make Tori Amos Grin From Below.
Dark Slow Melodic vocals to guide who hear from Ashes to Dust! Haunted you will be no more!
So Speaks Herlaka!"~Herlaka Rose, Grins From Below ReviewZine

"Tiffany has a voice that is strong, yet angelic"~Kat, Ocean eMotion Radio

"Tiffany was kind enough to allow us to play her groundbreaking version of 'Scarborough Fair...'~Gary, Celtic Myth Podshow

"Tiffany Apan has just released her debut album Poet, which is a bit of a patchy gem. She states her inspirations as Sarah Brightman & Tori Amos among others, which would usually make me reach for the sleeping pills, but luckily the grand walls of sound come with an interesting twist - a hardrocking vibe and excellently screaming guitar performances to provide the dynamics and energy so often lacking in this type of music. At her best Tiffany blows you away with atmospherical hardrock - a clear example being the wonderfully powerful Warrior (Soldier for Myself)."~DJ Grumpy, Music World Radio

"I love Poet!"~Jeffrey F.M. Smith, MajorLeague Music (has worked with Boyz2Men, Mya, and Harold Lilly Jr.)

"Your music is awesome!"~Matthew Walsh, Armageddon Productions

"“…Tiffany Apan, who ends up taking you to the worlds of stone castles, chains and darkness, as if a Celtic priestess Prayers were elevated to nature"! -Ciro Velasquez, Eufonia Radio and Reviews


"“At her best, Tiffany blows you away with atmospheric rock"! -DJ Grumpy, DJ Grumpy’s Cranky Recommendations Vol 2, Music World Radio


"I love the feel of it and am very intrigued by it. I have to add that feelings like this are why I left commercial radio..." .”-Gene Godferey, Host/Producer of Classic FM Radio (Z889/WBZC) The Album-Friendly Intimacy Of Progressive FM Radio With Exclusive Interviews Since 1979


"(on Poet) Tiffany has crafted a debut album that should make her a presence to be reckoned with...The album's ambitious title is very well founded; Apan's certainly a Poet and a good one at that."-Anna Maria Stjärnell, Luna Kafe


"(on Poet) "The spectrum in which Tiffany Apan's music is percieved by the human ear is perhaps on the smoothest and most elegant frequency of metal imaginable."-MaxDoom, Grins From Below ReviewZine


FAN REVIEWS:

"Recieved the CD in the mail at 4:00 PM today, immediately popped it into the player -- listened to the whole thing six times so far... (Grin!) Every song is beautiful...have been listed in my collection at 5 stars and favourited!"~from Wilkes-Barre, PA

"I like so much your voice, music, texts, a lot !!! It's a real pleasure woaw :))"~from France

"...it's been a while since I've heard a strong female vocal. It gave me goosebumps! :)~Ambridge, PA

“Amazing voice and lyrics! Ms. Apan changes genres from song to song, from New Age to Nu Metal, all the while retaining a keen poetic edge and evoking magical landscapes. Well worth your time!”-Armageddon from CDBaby, gave album 5 star rating

“I love your cd mate. I play it all the time and i get poems out of it… Keep on rocking…Look forward to your next cd .~New Zealand - Various

Luring and enticing, Tiffany Apan’s strains hearken to a bygone era…

Dark and brooding. That is what comes to mind when I think of Tiffany Apan’s music…a world where the barest slivers of light infuse the darkness.

Think of a forest and a well-used trail, shafts of light here and there penetrating the oncoming gloom. Welcome to POET.

Tiffany Apan has a unique voice…a very unique voice that she uses to catapult her music beyond what other contemporaries have done. When you first listen to her words…the lyrics making you sit up and take notice, you almost think that she is singing off key…or at least on a different pitch than her music…but then you realize that is her style…and it works.

My husband happened to be in the car with me while I was listening to Tiffany’s music (as he is a lot of times when I review music) and I was shocked at his reaction to the cd.

“Who is this girl (my husband is 55 so anyone under 30 is a “kid” to him) she is fabulous!”

Thus, momentous words from a man that normally has little reaction to anything. Are you listening, Tiffany? That’s quite a compliment…if you knew my husband and how unimpressed he is with most music.

Oh and on one more personal note…you must, must, must listen to track 8 –Scarborough Fair. Your ears will be in for a real treat as this is one rendition of this song you can’t call yourself a music lover, and not enjoy.

I give this cd a 7.5-8 out of a twisted ten for taking me on a trip into those dark woods…but giving me a ray of light in which to see my way home. Thanks Tiffany…







- Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc, Twisted Dreams Magazine October 2008 Issue

Tiffany Apan is based in Pittsburgh, USA, and has established herself in the local goth/horror scene as a model and actor. As singing has been an interest for her all her life, she decided to start recording music as well, with the help of long time associate Jason English. Poet is her debut album, and was released early in 2008.

Tiffany Apan's background in the goth and horror scene as well as her acting experience comes across pretty strong on this release. The tunes are mostly slow and atmospheric compositions, exploring dark melodic textures and containing many theatrical elements. Besides a few ballads, the tunes here most often have a guitar and synth foundation, where the harsh sound of the electric guitar contrasts the slicker and more melodic synths. Both instruments mainly play out dark moods though; and in that respect the instruments fill each other out as well as contrasting each other - resulting in dark and gothic moods and atmospheres.

Tiffany Apan's contribution to these tunes are in the vocal department, singing in a restrained operatic fashion. She has a strong and melodic voice, adding a high level of contrast to the dark musical foundation and a nice dramatic flair. Her vocal delivery lies somewhere between Lana Lane and Sarah Brightman in style; not as cold as Lane and not as operatic as Brightman but should probably appeal to fans of both artists that are comfortable with slow-paced gothic tinged rock.

On a few tunes the restrained vocal delivery in combination with the mixing doesn't work out though, creating slight discords in the tunes rather than adding dramatic flair and enhancing the melody. Still, for a self-released debut album this is pretty good stuff, and it's a pleasure listening to operatic-tinged vocals in a gothic setting that doesn't sound like a second rate version of Nightwish.

Personal highlights: “Scarborough Fair”, “Warrior (Soldier for Myself)”.
- Windhawk for Progressiveears.com

Classically trained singer Tiffany Apan released her debut album "Poet" earlier this year. Tiffany has previous experience as a model and actress, but singing has also been an interest of hers throughout her entire life.

The compositions on Poet are slow and full of atmosphere, providing a bit of theatrical flair. Jason English backs Tiffany's vocals on melodic synths and electric guitar. The instrumentals throughout the album provide a decent contrast to help paint a darker, gothic mood. Tiffany is a fan of many genres, and it really shows here. She manages to bring in different tones from many genres and mix them together into her own unique sound.

The vocals are a quieter, calmer operatic style. This helps to create a peaceful, but dark sound. There are a few areas where the vocals do not blend in as well with the instrumentals and take away from the atmosphere, but this complaint is very minor and does not pop up often. For a self released debut album, the overall package is very impressive and provides a decent framework for this new artist.

Poet is a slower paced, relaxing album that weaves together a lot of interesting melodies in creative ways. The sound is very laidback and never feels like it takes the theatrical elements over the top. An excellent debut that manages to do something different from everything else out there. I am looking forward to hearing how Tiffany Apan continues to develop her sound in the future.

- Jon of desolatehope.com

The second is from the lovely and talented Tiffany Apan. After being yelled at by countless metalheads, it was refreshing to listen to her rich vocals as she soothed us to a sweet come down. Her album, Poet, is a vocal driven disc that flutters around the “beauty and beast” style of symphonic metal, but never becomes as bombastic as that genre can get. Magical and uplifting, this album will do nothing but enrich your spirit. - The Ripple Effect

There’s been a bit of a dearth of things Celtic, folk and the like showing up in the mailbox here at ol’ Castle ‘Realm lately, so it was nice to see this one come sliding out of the envelope a couple weeks ago. Hearing it once it hit the player was quite a bit better than simply “nice.” You see, it’s been since the last Maireid Sullivan disc, 2003’s “Never Drift Apart” that I’ve been this impressed with a Celtic vocalist. “Poet” is one of those “self-released” discs that I love so much because it has such a pure, vibrant and unfiltered air of passion. It’s one of those things that’s hard to explain but as a listener over the years, I really get a feel for certain vibes & feelings. Some things you listen to are coming at you, but only after they pass through the ever-so-slightly (and sometimes moreso!) skewing lens of the producer, the record company, the management, etc. Ms. APAN’s disc is one that’s coming straight on, from the artist to you, with all feelings undiluted. Just listen to the opening cut, “Ghost.” TIFFANY has a voice that is both devastatingly powerful and contemplatively serene and uses this special instrument of her’s to great effect. She also has such confidence in her voice that she’s able to do some very unique things, like the part in “Porcelain Doll” where she seems to change the key in mid-song, adding a dynamic sense of tension/release. Another thing that’s very cool about this album is the fact that while it’s steeped in the haunting and ethereal, it also has a real bite instrumentally. Sure, there’s tons of acoustic guitar & keys, there’s also an abundance of heavy guitar work by Jason English, including some killer solos that sear to the bone. In this way, “Poet” really compares favourably to a classic Black Widow Records band, Crystal Phoenix and believe you me, that’s no faint praise. All through tracks like “Free,” “A Prayer” and “Black Forest,” APAN and her musicians create songs that become a musical landscape and succeed in blurring the lines between Celtic folk and rock in such a way that they become completely their own sound. In this regard, the album only grows stronger as it goes along, with the ending trio of cuts “Ashes To Dust,” Warrior (Soldier For Myself)” and “Whispers” melding to form something that’s simply startlingly good. The well-placed interpretation of “Scarborough Fair” fits like a glove and that says a lot about the original material in and of itself. Truly something out of the blue that I wasn’t anticipating at all, “Poet” is a breath of fresh air and easily one of the year’s very best albums. 9.5
http://www.tiffany-apan.com/
www.myspace.com/tiffanyapanmusic
- Ray Dorsey of Ray's Realm

Better sit down for a minute and listen to this singer/songwriter and vocalist from Pittsburgh, PA. TIFFANY ALPAN’s music is not your every day’s music, I presume. The classically trained lady provides us twelve songs on her album “Poet”, worthy of about fifty minutes of classical, ambient, gothic, Celtic folk, wave rock music. I have to warn you upfront to be open-minded and unprejudiced, before listening to “Poet”. The average rock fan may find this a bit too experimental, obscure and dark. But there might be some souls out there, who sold their dark heart to the ambient sounds like on “Poet”. When you’ve turned the lights down low and you’ve created a nice, cosy, relaxed atmosphere, then the time is right to put the CD into your CD player. The first three songs will certainly strengthen the atmosphere you have just created. To my surprise, I hear some nice guitar sounds and a careful dosed upbeat tempo in Tiffany’s second single “Run Away And Hide”. I get all excited and decide to check out the website of this young talent. Showing me that this lady doesn’t only have a beautiful voice and good looks, but she is also a very well-talented actor. One who has already played in many movies in the horror genre. Slowly, while the music keeps asking for my attention too, the puzzle falls into place. We’re dealing here with an all-round talent, who may have a very bright and long future ahead of her. And “Poet” may be just the beginning of a very fruitful and successful career. In “A Prayer”, we hear Tiffany’s opera voice and the gothic aspect is a bit more upfront in this song. While “Black Forrest” is more uptempo and short. After this, Tiffany continues with “Scarborough Fair”, that some of you might know by SIMON & GARFUNKEL. I must admit, that I like her version much better. When the CD slowly reaches the end, the songs tend to get a little more heavy. Just listen to “Ashes To Dust” for example. And “Warrior (Soldier For Myself)” is even better. This song could be categorised as epical heavy metal, as far as I am concerned. Partner-in-crime Jason English shreds like a madman here and the double bass takes care of another heavy crust. With the EMMYLOU HARRIS-like ballad “Whispers, this album comes to an end. It is definitely the odd one out here, but it also shows the diversity in songs. Even fans of country music might dig this one. Vampires with an open-mind, metalheads with a broken heart and (omnivore) music fans must really have a listen to this original mix of songs and styles by this very talented lady. I am also very interested in watching one of those horror movies with her. Well, maybe another time. For now, “Poet” was a nice introduction to TIFFANY APAN for me. - Toine van Poorten of Metal Maidens webzine

Tiffany Apan has written a great album with Poet and I'm sure music fans who like to go outside the box will really appreciate this one. Tiffany experiments with the sounds of Ambience, Rock and even Opera with a touch of Goth influence for good measure. There's twelve tracks in all and not one filler. Every track has been given the same love an attention and that's what makes this album somewhat special. For me personally I really loved 'Free', 'A Prayer', 'Destiny's Path' and 'Warrior(Soldier For Myself)' though I'm almost certain that you'll find your own personal favourites on this album. Tiffany Apan has an amazing voice which works so well with the music which is of a very high standard. If you're after something that doesn't confine itself musically then you really should give 'Poet' a listen. 9/10 - Street Voice UK Music Magazine