UNA DE LUNA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
Music
Press
If Una De Luna sounds chilly and haunting, it's because the band originally formed to cut a track for an independent horror movie called "Carmilla's Kiss."
In fact, the deal was an even exchange of music for immortality.
"Our friend Angelo Bruni, who is a vampire, was the star of this flick," says Peter Guellard. "He promised to drink our blood and give us eternal life if we gave them the song called 'Dinner Du Jour' for the opening sequence. We kept our end of the deal. But ..."
Una De Luna united singer Marla Degenhardt (ex Cat Ballou and Electra Loves Daddy) with guitarist-keyboardist-producer Peter Guellard, who came to Pittsburgh from Poland in 1991 and fronted the local industrial band Mace, later touring nationally as keyboardist for the Electric Hellfire Club. He now works as a sound engineer at The Church Recording Studio in Overbrook.
"Long before the band existed I was producing Marla's solo tracks, which had this down-tempo, trance-ish character to it," he says. "Eventually it became obvious that her writing and my producing just clicked. Marla's musical interests span from ethereal pop through '60s groove and her bizarre love for surf music meshed quite strangely with my world of electronica, goth and industrial."
They intended to just make it a studio project, but for the movie release, filmmaker Michael McGovern asked them to assemble a live band, fleshed out by old Mace cohorts drummer A.T. Vish (also ex Thickhead Grin and Lowsunday) and bassist Mark Urbano, who, Guellard says, "wanted in on the eternal life thing."
Una De Luna's debut, "Controversy," is exotic blend of atmospheric rock, electronica and Indian music with guitars, sitar and tabla. The sound has been compared to "Portishead meets Garbage meets P.J.Harvey" and "Nine Inch Nails on qualudes."
"My adventure with Indian sounding music started when I met Jim DiSpirito of Rusted Root," Guellard says. "I was fascinated with the sound of his tablas. Later, while working on Michael Glabicki's solo album as sound engineer I was further inspired by Jim's takes and I asked him to play on the track 'Traveler.' Then I wanted to take it a little further and started to think how to incorporate other Indian instruments, which all sound very mystical to me."
Not only did Guellard not know how to play a sitar, he had never even touched one before. He stumbled upon a "sitar for sale" ad on Craiglist.
"A day later I was a proud owner of a semi-pro instrument. Then I started to Google. I came upon sitar classes and various articles on how to tune it. Yes, tuning a sitar is an art of its own. Being a guitar player, adjusting to playing a sitar was quite painless, except for proper sitting position ... if you never tried yoga, you will hate it. We used sitar on the song 'Lotus,' which was written last and in 100 percent inspired by this instrument. Right now I am still learning how to play it and will continue to learn for God knows how long."
If the vampire bargain works out, it could be a very, very long time.
Scott Mervis can be reached at smervis@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2576.
First published on August 14, 2008 at 12:00 am - Pittsburgh Post Gazette
If Una De Luna sounds chilly and haunting, it's because the band originally formed to cut a track for an independent horror movie called "Carmilla's Kiss."
In fact, the deal was an even exchange of music for immortality.
"Our friend Angelo Bruni, who is a vampire, was the star of this flick," says Peter Guellard. "He promised to drink our blood and give us eternal life if we gave them the song called 'Dinner Du Jour' for the opening sequence. We kept our end of the deal. But ..."
Una De Luna united singer Marla Degenhardt (ex Cat Ballou and Electra Loves Daddy) with guitarist-keyboardist-producer Peter Guellard, who came to Pittsburgh from Poland in 1991 and fronted the local industrial band Mace, later touring nationally as keyboardist for the Electric Hellfire Club. He now works as a sound engineer at The Church Recording Studio in Overbrook.
"Long before the band existed I was producing Marla's solo tracks, which had this down-tempo, trance-ish character to it," he says. "Eventually it became obvious that her writing and my producing just clicked. Marla's musical interests span from ethereal pop through '60s groove and her bizarre love for surf music meshed quite strangely with my world of electronica, goth and industrial."
They intended to just make it a studio project, but for the movie release, filmmaker Michael McGovern asked them to assemble a live band, fleshed out by old Mace cohorts drummer A.T. Vish (also ex Thickhead Grin and Lowsunday) and bassist Mark Urbano, who, Guellard says, "wanted in on the eternal life thing."
Una De Luna's debut, "Controversy," is exotic blend of atmospheric rock, electronica and Indian music with guitars, sitar and tabla. The sound has been compared to "Portishead meets Garbage meets P.J.Harvey" and "Nine Inch Nails on qualudes."
"My adventure with Indian sounding music started when I met Jim DiSpirito of Rusted Root," Guellard says. "I was fascinated with the sound of his tablas. Later, while working on Michael Glabicki's solo album as sound engineer I was further inspired by Jim's takes and I asked him to play on the track 'Traveler.' Then I wanted to take it a little further and started to think how to incorporate other Indian instruments, which all sound very mystical to me."
Not only did Guellard not know how to play a sitar, he had never even touched one before. He stumbled upon a "sitar for sale" ad on Craiglist.
"A day later I was a proud owner of a semi-pro instrument. Then I started to Google. I came upon sitar classes and various articles on how to tune it. Yes, tuning a sitar is an art of its own. Being a guitar player, adjusting to playing a sitar was quite painless, except for proper sitting position ... if you never tried yoga, you will hate it. We used sitar on the song 'Lotus,' which was written last and in 100 percent inspired by this instrument. Right now I am still learning how to play it and will continue to learn for God knows how long."
If the vampire bargain works out, it could be a very, very long time.
Scott Mervis can be reached at smervis@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2576.
First published on August 14, 2008 at 12:00 am - Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Discography
Dinner Du Jour is the main track in the indie film "Carmilla's Kiss" featured in the New York film festival.
"Conspiracy" first CD release on Psychotribe Records USA licensed to Love Industry Poland.
Photos
Bio
Marla Degenhardt of Una De Luna (lead voice/song writer/keyboards)
Marla's background in music comes by her naturally.
From a grandfather who led big bands all over the East Coast to a mother who raised her on Motown and show tunes her influences are rich and eclectic as is the music she writes.
Performing in various bands (Cat Ballou, Electra Loves Daddy) in Pittsburgh PA, she honed her writing and performing skills.
With her most recent endeavor Una De Luna she has three honorable mentions from VH1 song of the year 2006, 2007 and 2008.
She has currently had a song "Dinner Du Jour" placed in the indie film "Carmillas Kiss" and she was a guest vocalist in the song "God" by Polish electro rockers Hedone on their upcoming EMI/Love Industry release called Werk-Rewerk.
Peter Guellard of Una De Luna (programming, guitars, bass)
Peter came to the USA from Poland as an established musician with long resume of bands. Among many projects he was most active as frontman of Polish cult dark rockres Blitzkrieg and as bass player for top punk band Moskwa and goth rockers Closterkeller.
In the USA he fronted industrial formation Mace and was touring nationaly with The Electric Hellfire Club as a keyboard player.
Peter now is an established sound engineer and producer. He never forgot his Polish roots and while in the USA, he is still producing and remixing bands from over there. His works were released by EMI and by many local and indy record labels.
Dark, mysterious, engaging, ambitious... fun.
Conspiracy is all of these and more.
Una De Luna paints a sonic landscape bristling with unknowns lurking around dark corners, of things left unsaid and the perils of exploring the intrigues of life.
The burning passion of radio-friendly tracks like Im On Fire and Mercenarywill reach into the soul of even the most jaded cynic. Lotus offers a beautifully layered dream with the flavor of the far east.
In fact, every song on Conspiracy has its own personality while staying true to the artists vision. And, much like a family, these individual songs come together to form a fraternal bond that leaves no doubt they are a part of the greater whole.
If this music conjures visions, its no accident. These songs were meant to be moody and are perfect for soundtracks. Dinner Du Jour has in fact already been used in a film.
Conspiracy is a CD that runs the gauntlet of the human experience while never losing its pop sensibility.
Band Members
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