Soap&Skin

Soap&Skin

Anja Plaschg aka Soap&Skin at the Waves Vienna Music Festival & Conference 2011.
Background information
Also known as Anja Franziska Plaschg
Born 5 April 1990
Origin Austria
Genres Experimental, neoclassical dark wave, dark ambient, sadcore
Years active 2006-present
Labels Couch Records
PIAS Recordings
Shitkatapult
SOLFO Music
Website soapandskin.com Facebook

Soap&Skin is the experimental musical project of Austrian artist Anja Plaschg (born 5 April 1990).

Life

Anja Plaschg grew up in a small village called Poppendorf (near Gnas) in south east Styria), where her parents have a farm. She has played piano since she was six. At the age of 14 she began violin studies and developed an interest in electronic music. She attended the Graz Polytechnic for Graphic Design, but dropped out at 16 and moved to Vienna shortly afterwards. There she studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in the master class of Daniel Richter, but at 18 dropped out again.[1]

Musicians like Xiu Xiu, Cat Power, Björk, Nico, Aphex Twin and composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff or Arvo Pärt have had a great impact on her music.[2]

After only playing a handful of concerts she was already being dubbed a "Wunderkind".[3] In 2008 she played German singer Nico in the play "Nico - Sphinx aus Eis" by Werner Fritsch in Berlin and Vienna, performing several songs in it, including "Janitor of Lunacy", from her first EP.[4]

Her first album, called Lovetune for Vacuum, was released in March 2009.[5] It received excellent reviews and placed in the Austrian Top 10. The album also achieved chart positions in Germany, Belgium and France. Music journalists have already claimed to see in her a new star of Austrian pop.[6] In 2010 she won an European Border Breakers Award for her international success.[7]

In 2010 her song "Mr. Gaunt Pt 1000" was used in the television commercial for Ford's Mondeo. In the 2010 French film "Mes chères études" (also known as "Student Services"), the song titled "The Sun" plays during the credits. Her tracks "Brother of Sleep" and "Marche Funèbre" were used in the soundtrack for Universal Pictures thriller War Games: At the End of the Day in 2010.

The death of her father in 2009 was a key element on her mini-album Narrow, which was released in February 2012.[8]

In 2012, she debuted as an actress, playing the role of the supporting character Carmen in the Austrian movie Stilleben (English title: Still Life).

Discography

Albums
EPs
Singles

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Biografie auf mtv and Elektro-Musikerin Soap&Skin: Österreichs Next Wunderkind auf taz.de
  2. ↑ Stefan Koroschetz: Soap&Skin auf Skug.at
  3. ↑ Stromstöße aus purem Jetzt. Der Spiegel Nr.47, 17. November 2008, p. 172.
  4. ↑ Biografie auf mtv and Allein mit der Musik auf Zeit-Online
  5. ↑ Christian Schachinger: Der Tod steht ihr gut Der Standard 5. March 2009
  6. ↑ Sebastian Hofer: Hautnah. profil Nr. 10 (40. Jg.) 2. March 2009, p. 115.
  7. ↑ "European Border Breakers Awards 2010", Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved February 21, 2012
  8. ↑ "For Father, Forever Ago". The Gap (Magazin). 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  9. ↑ http://www.freibeuterfilm.com/WEBSITE-Stillleben/cast.html

External links

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