The Vyllies
| The Vyllies | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Dark wave |
| founding | 1983 |
| resolution | 1988 |
| Founding members | |
| Manue Moan | |
| Ilona Prism | |
| Ursula Well | |
The Vyllies were a dark wave group from Switzerland from the 1980s .
The name of the band is derived from "Víly", female nature spirits from Slavic mythology. The eleven figures also appear in a text by Heinrich Heine, which serves as a model for the ballet " Giselle ou Les Willis" by Adolphe Adam .
history
In the early 1980s, three young women at the University of Lausanne , in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, decided to quit their studies and devote themselves to music. That was the beginning of "The Vyllies". In Athens they recorded their first five tracks in December 1983 and released them as an EP. Only a few copies of this first record found their way to Switzerland , but enough to be discovered by various radio stations. Whispers in the Shadow in particular was played frequently. Various concerts followed, including as a support act for Minimal Compact , Anne Clark , Sex Gang Children , Les Rita Mitsouko and The Gun Club .
After the positive response, the three women got a record deal with the Zurich label Disctrade. The record production, which was more complex than the first recordings, resulted in the mini-LP Velvet Tales (Ahia) in early 1985 . The reactions to the record were extremely positive and the piece Ahia was heard frequently on various radio stations. In addition, the English TV broadcaster "Music Box" produced a video clip of Ahia in the Zurich Opera House.
At the end of 1985, the group's most successful album, Lilith, was produced. For her second video, produced by filmmaker Urs Egger , the piece Whispers in the Shadow was re-recorded. Due to the worldwide broadcasting, the British label "Fun After All" became aware of the group and released their records in England, France, the United States and other countries.
In early 1987 the release of another album Sacred Games . The more melodic production of the new LP was aimed at a wider audience. The single Now We Fall was the most commercial track from “The Vyllies”.
The CD, released shortly afterwards under the name Whispers in the Shadow , contains six additional tracks from previous releases such as Ahia and Whispers in the Shadow . After a few concerts in Switzerland in April 1987, the group embarked on a European tour. In the course of 1988 the group disbanded.
Discography
Singles
- 1987: Now We Fall (7 ")
EPs / Mini-LPs
- 1983: The Vyllies (purple gorilla / whispers in the shadow / madness / babylon / rare)
- 1985: Velvet Tales (ahia / the sky is full of stitches / agrainir / exquisite carcass)
Albums
- 1986: Lilith
- 1987: Sacred Games
- 1987: Whispers in the Shadow
- 2013: 1983–1988 remastered (2CD)
Videos
- 1985: Ahia
- 1986: Whispers in the Shadow