Sopor Aeternus and The Ensemble of Shadows explained

Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows
Alias:	Sopor Aeternus, Sopor
Background:	group_or_band
Origin:	Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Genre:	Neoclassical dark wave, dark folk, neo-medieval, gothic rock
Years Active:	1989 - present
Label:	Apocalyptic Vision^[1] ^[2]
Associated Acts:	White Onyx Elephants^[3] Nenia C'alladhan
Website:	soporaeternus.de
Current Members:	Anna-Varney Cantodea^[4]
Past Members:	Holger

Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows (Latin: sopor aeternus "eternal slumber";^{[5] [6]} also referred to or stylized as Sopor Aeternus or Sopor)^[7] is a neoclassical dark wave musical project based in Frankfurt,^[8]

Founding

The group was founded in 1989 by a non-binary^[9] multidiciplinary artist who uses the pseudonym Anna-Varney Cantodea.^{[7] [10]}

Discography

Demo tapes

The three demo tapes are often referred to as "Blut der schwarzen Rose" or "The Undead-Trilogy".^[11] Only the first has been released.

• Es reiten die Toten so schnell… (1989)
• Rufus (1992)
• Till Time and Times Are Done (1992)

Studio albums

• Ich töte mich... (1994)
• Todeswunsch (1995)
• The Inexperienced Spiral Traveller (1997)
• Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One) (1999)
• Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face Two) (1999)
• Songs from the Inverted Womb (2000)
• Es reiten die Toten so schnell (2003)
• La Chambre d'Echo (2004)
• Les Fleurs du Mal - Die Blumen des Bösen (2007)
• A Triptychon of Ghosts (Part Two) - Have You Seen This Ghost? (2011)
• Poetica - All Beauty Sleeps (2013)
• Mitternacht (2014)
• The Spiral Sacrifice (2018)
• Death & Flamingos (2019)
• Island of the Dead (2020)
• Alone At Sam's - An Evening With... (2023)

EPs and remix albums ("sister albums")

• Ehjeh Ascher Ehjeh (1995)
• Voyager - The Jugglers of Jusa (1997)
• Flowers in Formaldehyde (2004)
• Sanatorium Altrosa (Musical Therapy for Spiritual Dysfunction) (2008)
• A Triptychon of Ghosts (Part One) - A Strange Thing to Say (2010)
• A Triptychon of Ghosts (Part Three) - Children of the Corn (2011)
• Angel of the Golden Fountain (2015)
• The Story Of 'Es reiten die Toten so Schnell (2021)
• The Colours (2023)
• The Rules (2023)
• Fab Dead Cult Veil (2024)

Singles

• "The Goat" / "The Bells Have Stopped Ringing" (2005)
• "In der Palästra" (2007)
• "Imhotep" (2011)
• Reprise (2018)
• Vor Dem Tode Träumen Wir (2019)
• The Boy Must Die (2019)
• Architecture ll (Instrumental Version)(Remastered) (2021)
• Birth - Fiendish Figuration (The Inner Hell, Side.A) (Memories Are Haunted Places, Side.B) (2021)
• Averno - Inferno (Averno, Side.A) (Inferno, Side.B) (2021)
• The Dead (2021)
• Todesschlaf (2022)

Other releases

• Jekura - Deep the Eternal Forest (1995) – a compilation featuring four songs by Sopor Aeternus^[12]
• Nenia C'alladhan (2002) – a self-titled side project with Constance Fröhling
• Like a Corpse Standing in Desperation (2005) – a boxed set of rarities and hard-to-find albums
• The Goat and Other Re-Animated Bodies (2009) - DVD of previously released videos
• Alone At Sam's (2023) - a single to four player board game

External links

• Sopor Aeternus' official website
• Blog of Anna-Varney Cantodea
• Sopor Aeternus at VampireFreaks.com
  • Sopor Aeternus on Reverbnation.com
• Official Sopor Aeternus retailer

Notes and References

1. Web site: SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows . Soporaeternus.de . 2016-08-01.
2. Web site: Apocalyptic Vision - CDs and Vinyl . Discogs.com . 2014-09-19 . 2016-08-01.
3. Web site: Sopor Aeternus . 2007-11-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071114001451/http://www.soporaeternus.de/code/disco.html . 2007-11-14 .
4. Web site: SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows . 2010-06-12 . 2016-08-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100612130227/http://www.soporaeternus.de/SOPOR_AETERNUS___The_Ensemble_Of_Shadows.html . 2010-06-12 .
5. Web site: Archived copy . 2007-12-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080510183303/http://www.premonition.org/premor.php3?lien=actu%2Factu.php3X1Xactuid%3D213007&ta=3 . 2008-05-10 .
6. Web site: tiscalinet.de . Home.tiscalinet.de . 2016-08-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071211175633/http://home.tiscalinet.de/daffodils/Neu/ubersopor.htm . 2007-12-11 .
7. Web site: SOPOR AETERNUS (official) | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos . Myspace.com . 2016-08-01.
8. Web site: Sopor Aeternus Official Italian Fan Club . 2007-08-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070911010211/http://www.soporaeternus.it/eng/home.htm . 2007-09-11 .
9. Book: Elferen. Isabella van. Weinstock. Jeffrey Andrew. Goth Music: From Sound to Subculture. 2015. Routledge. New York. 9781317962977. 44. Born male and never operated, Cantodea rejects fixed gender and regards herself as both/neither male and/nor female..
10. Web site: SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows . Soporaeternus.de . 2016-08-01.
11. Web site: Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows Russian Webpage - Music . 2007-09-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070819112440/http://www.soporaeternus.ru/music.htm . 2007-08-19 .
12. Web site: Various - Jekura - Deep The Eternal Forest (CD) . Discogs.com . 2016-08-01.