Abstracted Visions 2007/2008 Album Reviews:
“Imagine if Cranes and The Cure met in a dark alley… Abstracted Visions will appeal to fans of both bands as well as Cocteau Twins and Curve. – Auralgasms.com”
“On their debut album, Bella Lune draws influences from many of darkwave and coldwave’s luminaries delivering a record that will appeal to fans of Collide, and Switchblade Symphony. The final product ‘Abstracted Visions’ is a fusion of modern trip-hop electro and post-shoegaze sensibility, interlacing slinky vocals and catchy synth lines, resulting in an engrossing listen that simulates the feeling of flowing through water. – Musicfolio.com”
“Soul-stirring sound in a glamorous fantasy world… “Abstracted Visions” is a combination of Dream-Pop/Trip-Hop/Shoegaze/Darkwave/Electro-Goth. Miss Fuchsia has the voice of an angel over the top of beautiful, crystalline, delicate, enchanting, musical brilliance… A fantastic way to build sound. “Abstracted Visions” is my favorite new album of 2008. Fans of Switchblade Symphony, Collide, The Birthday Massacre, and Hungry Lucy will enjoy this masterpiece.” – Bloodline 242 Dark Music Blog” (Translated from Japanese/Approved by author)
“‘Abstracted Visions’ is an album with atmospherically dense compositions sure to please the ears of fans from THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE and their likes, but also people who like minimalist Cold Wave arrangements with a good pinch of ambience and want to drift into the past for a while might want to risk an ear on this well crafted debut. – Reflections Of Darkness”
“When I listen to “Abstracted Visions” I hear flashes of my some of my favourite bands of all-time on gorgeous pop songs like ‘Out Of Control’, ‘Transmissions’, Neverwhere’, ‘Underwater’, and ‘Blissful Escape’. Fuchsia and Kal3id manage to replicate, in their own unique way the beauty and lushness of bands like Cocteau Twins, Clan Of Xymox, Depeche Mode, and O.M.D., just to name a few. Beautiful layers of guitars, hooky keyboard lines, propelled by bass synth and drum machine really lay the right backdrop for Fuchsia’s angelic vocal delivery. Finding music of this caliber and a stage show to match in Phoenix, Arizona is really a thing of beauty, but that’s just what Bella Lune delivers. There is hope yet for another breakout band from Phoenix. – Eddie Lebario/DJ Manchester”
Immediately after beginning to listen to “Abstracted Visions”, one may end up comparing Bella Lune with Switchblade Symphony. Not only is there a striking similarity between Fuchsia’s vocals and Switchblade Symphony’s Tina Root but, in both bands, the vocal element is the main driving force for the songs, with the instrumental part playing a decidedly secondary role. However, Bella Lune’s instrumental arrangements are more complex and layered in a suitably subtle manner, reinforcing the dreamlike quality of the songs and of the quasi-surreal lyrical content. Agreeable listening for a lazy (but quirky) afternoon or late evening if cute and non-pretentious goth-tinted pop is the listener’s cup of tea. ConnexionBizarre.net
“Morbidly cute. – Shinto Records”
Synesthesia 2010 Album Reviews:
“Synesthesia” features 14 songs with sounds ranging from Depeche Mode, Switchblade Symphony, Clan of Xymox, Ladytron, The Cure and Collide. The songs are melancholic, autumn, with dense atmospheres, wrapped by the sweet voice of Fuchsia (reminds me of something a Chibi of The Birthday Massacre). The songs become danceable at times with strong rhythms, and others are more slow and atmospheric. “Synesthesia” is an album to listen to carefully, you will discover interesting things and even some gems, like the emotive “Denial,” the atmospheric “This and the other”, or “Ophelia,” which is sung in duet with Kal3id. In the Depeche Mode style we have “Illogical logic”. The rhythmic side includes “Last Words”, “Spiral Effect” and an electro remix, “Silent and Still” by Black Jacket. A captivating album, recommended to those who roam the more emotional side of music light and dark” – My Beloved Darkness (Translated from Spanish by Google)
“Miss Fuchsia and Kal3id have released their long-awaited new album “Synesthesia”, and played a memorable concert in Japan this year. The latest album “Synesthesia” has a Dark Wave/Electro-Goth/Gothic-Rock feel and is a very melancholy piece of work. Fuchsia is a bewitching diva with an angelic voice that gives me the feeling of floating through air. Her beautiful melodies dance in the night sky. Kal3id’s guitar playing is dark and is filled with melancholic melodies, the Mono-Shiku, and is beautiful. Step beyond a beautiful nightmare into this dark fantasy. Listeners will get hooked on feeling dizzy. Bella Lune has once again created sound magic.” – Bloodline 242 (Translated from Japanese by Google)
“‘Established in 2005 by Fuchsia and Kal3id, American band BELLA LUNE released their debut album ‘Abstracted Visions’ in 2008, received a lot of positive feedback and devoted the following two years to the active touring and live performances, during which they shared the stage with such bands as AYRIA, THE CRUXSHADOWS, PETER MURPHY, BELLA MORTE, NITZER EBB and many others. This summer, BELLA LUNE gave away their second full length album ‘Synesthesia’ with a charity benefit show as a release party. The opener ‘Denial’ commences with the melancholic strings and rather minimalistic arrangements accompanying Fuchsia’s chatoyant angelic vocals to blossom into carrying away dramatic fusion of guitar, piano, multi-layered vocals and wide string section. In romantic ‘Ophelia’ Kal3id joins Fuchsia making a harmonious gentle duet and also embellishes the song with ascending guitar solo. Light and imponderable, sung in the subtlest voice ‘Illogical Logic’ with the Synth passages resembling a bit of Depeche Mode contrasts sharply with ‘No Escape’, cold and vast soundscapes of which create the disturbing atmosphere of a prolonged haunting nightmare strengthened by the unearthly vocals of Fuchsia and the ominous beat of the drum in the ending. The following ‘The Dolly Pop Song’ stands out of the rest of the album both lyrically and musically being the most danceable and the most electronic track that expresses quite plain lyrics perfectly fitting its title: ”Deviate, violate, fornicate, penetrate / The dolly pop song / Fuck me eyes”. But in the end the sound yields to the dark descending atmospherics conveying the general mood of ‘Synesthesia’. The song may diversify the sound of the album but the appropriateness of such diversifying is open to question, in my opinion. Dreamy aerial sounds in the beginning of ‘Unanswered Questions’ veil the listener, arousing the engaging feeling of absolute serenity and calmness. The heartfelt singing in the chorus adds a slight tinge of sadness to the song, but in no way depressing. The last tracks of the album, ‘So Long Ago’ and ‘The Finite One’, share the similar sensation of the blue calm. The release also includes a Black Jacket Remix on ‘Silent and Still’. The song was converted into a pure club-oriented track with all essential components such as straight beat, changing rhythm and simple arrangements. So, only vocals seem to last from the original version. Despite ‘Synesthesia’ is far from being an innovation on the gothic scene; it still represents a thorough work that may become an outright gift to everyone who enjoys autumn melancholy. Tender heavenly voice rises above the music to drown in it again and melt in the soaring Synth lines and post-punk guitars – what else can a romantic of the dark side desire?.” – Reflections Of Darkness”
“The cover of this album might give the impression that this is a British electro/goth pop duo but no, Fuschia & Kal3id hail from the US. The impression given of the music is pretty accurate, though, as this indeed is a darkly romantic blend of electro goth/pop, sometimes a little lightweight with an occasional playful edge that is offset by a more mysterious & fey mood in places thanks partly to the reverb that virtually every track is bathed in with actually stops the album becoming too accessable which is a definite plus. Thus it’s an intriguing prospect that is just different enough to make its mark, the sometimes offbeat moods giving this a potential appeal far beyond pop lovers as proven by such fine tracks as the surging ‘A Different Effect’ or ‘Illogical Logic’ where some Cure-like guitars mingle with memorable synthleads with the ever-present reverb again adding to the mix. I was reminded of a lighter, girlier version of Clan Of Xymox on tracks such as the opening ‘Denial’ & ‘Last Words’, the latter of which, while having its charms which come to the fore as the track progresses, does sound a tad wishy-washy due to its faster tempo giving it a rather lightweight feel. It’s not helped by the fact it follows the slowly unfolding musical magic that is ‘Unanswered Questions’, the Oriental flavours of which add to the otherworldly feel, like a soundtrack to the most wonderful, magical dream you’ve ever had. So potent is this feeling that it even works its magic on a rainy thursday afternoon (and I speak from experience here!). However, as good as this track is, even this is eclipsed by the wonderous ‘So Long Ago’ which transfixes the listener with a full-on psychedelic experience, like seeing the world on another plane of consciousness; one things for sure, if I ever take a flight (astral or otherwise) above the clouds on a moonlit night, this is the track I want playing! That the music lends itself to such flights of fancy speaks volumes for its impressionistic qualities so the closing Black Jacket Remix of ‘Silent & Still’, which is aimed fairly & squarely at the dancefloor sounds a little jarring & somewhat out of place but, taken on its own merits, it’s a pleasant enough little ditty & if it leads to club exposure for the duo & more people discovering what they are about then that’s fair enough!” – Hard-Wired”
“This is the project of duo Fuchsia and Kal3id. They got their start in 2005, released their first album in 2007 and here we have their sophomore work. It’s nice to have a CD full of music with fourteen tracks it’s great to have more than just a handful of pieces to listen to. The overall style of the band and this album is a mix of various new wave and ethereal influences. As we dig into various pieces, this becomes more apparent. The CD comes packed in a imple cardboard digipack case with credits and a collage of pictures for a nice, simple package. The first three tracks on this album are excellent and spellbinding and are in my mind, the perfect tracks from this group. Just in these three pieces there is diversity and beauty showing what they are capable of. “Denial” is the first of these with it’s mid-tempo, yet dance-friendly, catchy rhythm that moves along nicely. We have some simple electronic loops, a nice bass groove with somber synths and guitars layered over the top, yet it’s all crowned with intelligent lyrics and captivating siren-like vocals. This gives way to “This And The Other” which is more of an ethereal gem with haunting elements starting wit the vocals. Fuchsia’s voice glides along like silk on silk over the flowing electronics and the subtle grinding guitars providing the backdrop. “Ophelia” is the final of the introductory trio of pieces that held me captive from the first listen. This is another somber dance piece with classic new wave elements mixed with modern ethereal touches. More variety comes into play with the vocal duet on the chorus with Kal3id lending his vocals for a nice offsetting touch to the heavenly female vocals. The structure of the track is beautiful as well, beyond just the instruments and vocals, the interlude just over halfway through the track with it’s somber piano and ethereal elements is a perfect example of a part that enthralls the listener. With these pieces I knew I had a new favorite album to enjoy. While most of the rest of the album is excellent, I didn’t quite find other pieces at the level of these first three. The following piece “A Different Effect” comes really close with it’s simple new wave elements and as always, Fuchsia’s captivating vocals. “Illogical Logic”, “Spiral Effect”, “Unanswered Questions” and “Last Words” all stand out in their own light from the new wave style to the modern electronics or ethereal dreamscapes. In general the variety in the song structures and overall moods and styles keep me interested throughout the entire album up to the basic electro-pop remix of “Silent and Still (Black Jacket Remix)”. – Gothic Paradise”
“The debut of 2007 “Abstracted Visions” had already drawn the line in which would later be fully developed by the creativity of American Bella Lune, a Phoenix band dedicated to a honey-like electro-gothic acclaimed by angels. Fuchsia (synth/drums/vox) and Kal3id (guitars/bass) and the rest of Bella Lune have shared the stage with Ayria, The Cruxshadows, I: Scintilla, Lycia, Regenerator, Icon Of Coil. The latter release ‘Synesthesia’, produced by the Aetheria Music label is track-list graced by the voice of Fuchsia, and is a recording of innocent shades of pink color with a dreamy quality. The sound of the Bella Lune is a gothic fairy tale with an attitude. Fuchsia actually knows perfectly how to pinch the wires that lead directly to the heart of the listener, sensitive and melancholy, gaining fully those who have the inclination to sentimentality faded and the sounds sung with languid eyes. One example is the opening track “Denial”, electro-goth delicate and melodious song which makes use of the violin played by Beeka, dipped in the graceful vocals of the singer. “This And Other” is an episode that explores the tenuous atmosphere scratched muted guitar played by Kal3id, and “Ophelia” retrieves classic goth-wave sound with dry drumming and guitar reminiscent of the Cure. Rhythmic song “A Different Effect”, is a danceable track that is harmonized by the sensual voice of Fuchsia. The fragile frescoes depicting gothic electronics, can be heard on the more rigid and beautiful, “Who Knows”. The influences gave clear waver in the score for “Illogical Logic”, a song from malicious put sweetened voice of singer, and later with “No Escape”. “The Dolly Pop Song” accepts the essential and graceful structures of electropopper, without straying from the ordinary by following “Spiral Effect”, convincing the fascinating light electro-goth voice mixed with bass lines and evocative touch of synth. “Unanswered Questions” plays with slow guitar-percussion and lyrical dream, while “Last Words” takes hold with atmospheric guitar riffs and lyrics expressed by romantic goth. Ethereal voice, reverb, slowly caressing the strings plucked by the Electric guitar and down tempo drumming to the nostalgic “So Long Ago”, passed by the exquisite interplay between voice and guitar arrangements dream of “The Finite One.” Closing the album is an unexpected and graceful dance-floor “Silent And Still (Black Jacket Remix) with the synth drum planned by Zachary O’Haire; This album is certainly advisable to thick slabs of goth-girls who will be the subject of worship. Those who can enjoy the soft pallor of dawn or the rising of the kiss received from the wind walking thoughtfully among solitary paths, will receive this album well. A whiff of decadent emotionalism. ” – TheDSide.it Translated from Italian by Google
“[Bella Lune] mix gothic-styled guitars with nicely chunky synthleads while Fuchsia’s vocals should appeal if you like the style of The Birthday Massacre’s Chibi (I actually thought it was her on one of the inner sleeve pics!). All in all, this is a nicely intriguing release that’s different enough to stand out from the crowd & is well worth checking out.” – Side-Line
“The sophomore album is never an easy task, especially for a band that has experienced a great deal of good fortune in a short amount of time since the debut. Founded in 2005, goth/electro act Bella Lune has been a rising star in the scene since the release of the Abstracted Visions album in 2007, performing alongside such heavy-hitters as Voltaire, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Julien-K, I:Scintilla, and even crossing the seas to perform in Japan and be featured in numerous compilations. With Synesthesia, Fuchsia and Kal3id take their appealingly dark flights of fancy further with twilit melodies and starry ambience.
“Denial” sets the stage for the album as twinkling synths and restrained dance beats underscore a somber violin melody while Fuchsia’s vocals hover ghostlike in the mix, making for a lovely and ethereal opener. Throughout the album, Bella Lune displays a penchant for combining various influences into a lovely mélange that is at once reminiscent of the new wave of the ‘80s and the goth rock of the ‘90s. Songs like “Ophelia,” “Illogical Logic,” and “Spiral Effect” recall the dark electro-pop of early Depeche Mode, while the rickety bass and shimmering guitars that resonate throughout, especially on songs like “A Different Effect,” “Unanswered Questions,” and “Last Words” will surely remind many listeners of The Cure. The cloudy atmospheres of reverberating guitars and synthesizers on “The Finite One” will doubtlessly appeal to fans of the more mystical modes of Faith and the Muse, while “The Dolly Pop Song” possesses an almost whimsically erotic quality offset by Fuchsia’s vocals, which sound at times remarkably similar to Cranes’ Allison Shaw.
There is very little negative to say about Bella Lune’s Synesthesia – the production is effective, the songs catchy and melodic. At the same time, there is also not much that distinguishes Bella Lune from most other goth/electro groups, and while this certainly helps the band gain favor alongside the likes of The Birthday Massacre or The Crüxshadows, it will be nice to hear how Fuchsia and Kal3id develop their sound in the future to become a standout act in the genre. Regardless, Synesthesia is an album that hits more than it misses and is worth more than a few listens. – Regen Magazine”
Ophelia Maxi-Single 2011 Album Reviews:
“Capitalizing on this excellent track from their sophomore album, we have this excellent maxi single. Featuring nine total tracks, it gives us plenty of great music to listen to, including just three remixes of the original title track and the rest are all additional remixes from other selections from both albums including a brave cover of Joy Division’s “Dead Souls”.
We kick it off with the “Video Mix” of “Ophelia”. The original piece is a definite favorite from their album Synesthesia and so it’s great to have this excellent single with these remixes. The “Video Mix” is the most like the original, adding just a bit more texture, some heavier guitars and so forth, for a really captivating track and re-emphasizing why this is a definite favorite from this band. Check out the video as well, it’s not a big budget picture, but it’s fun nevertheless. The second remix is the “Riddles & Rhymes Mix” which takes a bit more of minimalistic electronic, sort of a new wave synthpop style, still fun, but not the greatest. The final remix appears towards the end of the disc and is also quite minimalistic and subdued, the beat and shimmering guitars actually taking the forefront.
The other tracks appearing on this disc are a nice selection, with some good remixes. Daniel Myer of Haujobb, Destroid and about a dozen other projects appears with his remix of “Blissful Escape”. This is a somewhat somber, haunting electronic piece helps to create a nice balance, allowing the monotone vocals to dominate while the electronic loops and smooth guitar move it along nicely. A couple of other tracks really stand out on this disc. First of all, it takes guts to cover some of the all-time greats like “Dead Souls”. This piece is a legendary classic on it’s own, one of those sacred gems that many will remember Nine Inch Nails covered well, and I have to admit with the heavy percussion, driving electronics and guitars with Fuchsia’s slightly distorted vocals, they managed to pull it off. It sounds a bit more like a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ cover, but I give the band props for pulling it off so well, remaining true to form of the original, and showing a darker, harsher, more dynamic side to this group that I would love to see more of. The final remix on the album is also a piece that jumped right out at me as another masterpiece. If I were to compile selections of what I think are the best sides of Bella Lune, along with “Denial”, “Ophelia”, the aforementioned “Dead Souls” cover, this piece would be at the top of the list. The excellent inclusion of the driving guitars, along the lines of shoegazer meets classic gothic rock style, really makes this piece stand out, as if it were written exactly for this mix.
The other pieces are decent with the exception of “The Dolly Pop Song” (sorry, I know the fetish crowd loves this piece, but oh well…), I still skip this track on this disc. We have a modern electro dub-step type remix appearing for “This and the Other” with the “Dystonix Mix”. This style can be fun with the stuttering synths and moving beats, definitely a nice catch for the young crowd that seems to enjoy the dub step style that’s evolved out of a mix of techno, noiz, drum n bass, etc. “Silent and Still” is one of those favorites from the album and they took they dreamy, somber piece and added some “oomph” to it with some solid beats and heavy electronics and guitars.
There you have it, another stellar work, nearly the length of an album with some great dynamics and variety. Something along the lines of your typical remix album, but we definitely have some good selections here that are worth checking out. – Gothic Paradise”
First impression from listening to the opening track, Ophelia, is that this is amazingly delicious, dreamy, and, at the same time, dark. So, what makes this 9 track CDEP so good?? The music has that perfect feel of the sound on the The Cure’s Faith CD (1981) without being too low-key and gray. The band’s sound, with the soothing voice of Fuchsia, adds in elements of Love Spirals Downward, Mephisto Walz, and My Bloody Valentine without being so overpowering in a full wall of noise.
Bella Lune is so good they really deserve their own genre name: Comforting Darkwave.
The Ophelia EP contains several mixes of the title track, each with its own mood. The Ask For Joy mix of Ophelia makes this whole Ep worth getting, but really, if you haven’t heard this band, all of the tracks, remixes from previous releases, get impressively better after each listen. Track 3, Blissful Escape, and track 9, Underwater, and track 6, Silent and Still, are all remixes from the 2008 CD titled Abstracted Visions. This and The Other, Ophelia, and The Dolly Pop Song, which brings to mind the erotic styling of the Lords of Acid, are from Synesthesia, Bella Lune’s 2010 CD. Also included on this EP is Dead Souls – a Joy Division cover.
To say we love Ophelia is an understatement. – DarkGrave.com”
Live Performance Reviews:
Finding music of this caliber and a stage show to match in Phoenix, Arizona is really a thing of beauty, but that’s just what Bella Lune delivers. There is hope yet for another breakout band from Phoenix. – Eddie Lebario/DJ Manchester”
“Even though I was really late I managed to catch some of Bella Lune’s set or at least the whole performance of the last song and WOW did I miss a show! Bella Lune is a local gothic act that I have only seen once before at a Horns & Halos event. The last song was a dubstep version of The Dolly Pop Song which I thought blew the original out of the water. Please do not get mislead by the word “dubstep” the song wasn’t as wub wub wub as you would expect. Watching the show from the back I loved how there were many different people performing but my eye wasn’t drawn to one person yet many even the musicians. Two dancers, one on each side, Fuchsia on vocals, Kal3id on guitar, Hurley on synth, R. Duke on drums, Dy on guitar, and Beeka on violin and backup vocals. I really feel like I missed a good show, the energy was good, people were dancing and the music was somewhat unexpected. If Bella Lune ever comes through your town check them out and try not to be late, like me. – Coma Music Magazine”
General Reviews:
“Bella Lune is the brain child of singer Fuchsia and guitarist Kal3id. (not quite a fair description since the two share multiple roles on studio productions.) Since its inception, however, the band’s live lineup has gone on to expand to a sextuplet which includes musicians Hurley, R. Duke, Beeka and Dy. While Arizona may seem like an unlikely place to find a good gothic-garbed group, Bella Lune aptly paint cinematic dreamscapes, combining celestial vocals with driving drums, aerial synths, and fanciful violin. The band’s list of influences includes Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Depeche Mode. If those bands tickle your fancy, you should definitely lend an ear to Bella Lune. “Transmissions” is a shining example of dance-friendly synth-pop, where “Neverwhere” sets a moodier atmosphere.” – Phoenix New Times
“Discover it with us, that from our angle virtual inspires you to be seduced by the first item in Fuchsia sensual pop-gothic proposed by Bella Lune (yet another confirmation of what Hungry Lucy is stable reference strand in ‘dark’ coy and dreamy). Americans in Arizona, the beautiful Lune is one of the emerging realities in their home and “Transmissions” is a strong footprint in order to deepen knowledge of sound, ‘catchy’ and complacent.” – Darkroom Magazine (Translated from Italian by Google)