User:TCOMASMusic/sandbox/The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara

The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara (band)
The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara (TCOMAS) are a UK rock duo formed in London in 2020 by Daphne Ang (Singapore) and Andrea Papi (Italy). Coming together in early 2020 to record their debut album, Full Spectrum, the duo are fast establishing their niche in music, as "pioneers of a new form of expression" through the performance of poetry in their genre-defying music, and their innovative use of music with poetry in sound and vision.

Drawing inspiration from TOOL and Kraftwerk, as well as the poetry of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, and Jim Morrison, The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara continues to fill a gap in music by bringing literature, art, and history together into a space where rock and metal meets electronic. Their musical and lyrical themes are very much rooted in the duo’s interests in classical literature and theatre, as well as in the fields of philosophy, history, and psychology.

Formation and Full Spectrum (2020–2021)
The Chronicles of Manimal and Samara was founded in early 2020 when Daphne Ang and Andrea Papi came together to record their debut album Full Spectrum. Based out of the heart of London’s vibrant rock scene in Camden Town, London, the pair are already making waves with their experimental poetry-infused music. Their seventh single, "Love in the Time of Pestilence", was featured in two Spotify Editorial playlists, "Progressive Metal" [personalised], and "The oTHERS", consecrating the new band’s music with “the most innovative and forward thinking metal of today”.

In less than a year, "they introduced themselves to the world with six remarkable self-produced singles amidst the bizarre events of 2020". Their monthly single release campaign began with the the release of their debut single "Atoms" on July 31, 2020, followed by “Psychopath's Monologue” on August 28, 2020, “Deus Ex Machina” on September 18, 2020, "Mata Hari" on October 16, 2020, "The Descent" on November 6, 2020, and "Love in the Time of Pestilence" on November 27. 2020. The promising buzz from their monthly single release campaigns propelled them to release their full-length debut album, Full Spectrum, on February 26, 2021.

Comprising 11 tracks lasting over 67 minutes long, the duo recorded their debut album, Full Spectrum, between February and June of 2020 at their home studio during the first London Lockdown. The album sweeps across the wide spectrum of music genres – from progressive rock to techno, metal to ambient and electronic, and back to rock. The songs are arranged in a way that it takes listeners through the Full Spectrum of human experience and emotion. Each song is a complete experience on its own, each blending different influences and styles, while also continuing and building upon the meaning and message presented in the previous.

Andrea Papi discussed the band's recording process of their debut album in an interview:"I was determined to create a sound that integrated the wide spectrum of musical genres. In particular, I wanted to combine electronic music with rock, two genres of music that usually don’t share the same audience. I also wanted to create something the could bring people together, kind of like what Bob Marley did through his music and the message that came with it. Over the lockdown, I recorded quite a number of instrumental tracks. I wanted Samara to provide the vocals for all of the new music, so we started recording."Their musical innovations are a result of a collaborative process beginning with the composition and arrangement of the music, which Samara then casts into verbal form. By setting a poetic/narrative text within the musical composition in lyric mode which is spoken, recited and narrated instead of sung, this inter-artistic mode of transfer goes beyond placing brief interludes of spoken word over an instrumental composition. In an interview with Femme Metal on October 19, 2020, the band talked about the themes in their debut album, Full Spectrum:"In your released songs so far you are telling a story. One about the creation of the universe and another about King Oedipus. When you think of releasing an album in the future, do you imagine the album being a whole story, like an opera, or a concept album with all songs revolving around one topic?"To which, Daphne Ang replied:"Our wide coverage of musical genres is not coincidental, but with the intent and aim of taking listeners through the full spectrum of human experience – some tracks offer dark and grim reminders of mortality and the human condition, while others offer messages of hope and declarations of love – covering the full range of human emotion. Also, some recall stories of creation, while others imagine the world at its end…"The duo have also produced 6 full-length music videos together to accompany the release of each of their singles, which they discussed in an interview with Dopecausewesaid:"Creating the video is for us a very important stage in the making of meaning in our music. The moving image really provides a suitable medium to consolidate and crystallise the message imbued in the music and lyrics. That’s why we always create a video to accompany each song as we feel that it really completes the full picture."

Members
Current
 * Daphne Ang – lead vocals, lyrics, piano
 * Andrea Papi – guitars, synthesiser, vocals

Discography

 * Atoms (2020)