Glashaus

You have never heard German sung more beautifully in your life as you will from Glashaus singer Cassandra Steen. Gone is the gutteral, harsh sound of the consonants - replaced with something so milky and rich that it verges on spiritual.

First hearing them in Germany, this R&B/Soul collaboration-turned-band swept me away. Mixing acoustic, electronic, rap and lyrical R&B melodies their sound exhibits a maturity that's recently lacking from the American R&B scene. For an example of their acoustically mesmerizing lyrical phrases, check out Wenn Das Liebe Ist. And, if you can find it, their Haltet Die Welt An remix disc (featuring 13 versions of the same song) is worth a download. After listening to the 13 tracks, which run the gammut from minimalistic to quasi-eurolectro, I finally downloaded the accapella vocal version - which is a study of vocal layering in itself. The project reminds me of the painter, Monet's, Haystacks Series - in which he repainted a haystack 25 times just to explore the varying light and shadings that happen during different times of day. For both Monet and Glashaus, this sort of detail study pays off with a depth of observation and contemplation that cannot come out of a more hurried process.

And for you bibliophiles out there, the fact that Glashaus' website home is simply a page quoting a Herman Hesse passage just increases my respect all the more.

Click Here to Visit Glashaus' MySpace