Les Reines Prochaines
Les Reines prochaines | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Switzerland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Members | Muda Mathis Sus Zwick Fränzi Madörin Michèle Fuchs Barbara Naegelin |
| Past members | Teresa Alonso |
| Website | reinesprochaines |
Les Reines prochaines (in French, "the Successor Queens") are an all-female Swiss pop band. Their highly lyrical songs are rooted in various genres, including tango, folk and classical music.
Formation
Les Reines prochaines were founded in 1987 by Teresa Alonso, Regina Florida Schmid and Muda Mathis; in the following year, they were joined by Fränzi Madörin and Pipilotti Rist; and years later, by Gabi Streiff, Sus Zwick, Sibylle Hauert, Michèle Fuchs and Barbara Naegelin.
Touring members have included percussionist Dave Kerman, who also appeared on their 2013 released Blut.
Style
The group started a synth-only band (aside from their voices). At present the musicians (of whom several are also visual artists) play bass, drums, accordion, guitar, clarinet, trompette and flute. In spite of this their arrangements are quite minimalistic, incorporated into a larger multimedia framework. Their lyrics are poetic and political, and often quite provocative. In their performances, each musician has a unique role; instruments are traded, and the format shifts between song, dance, and spoken word.
Their repertoire includes a number of cover songs, including Opfer dieses Liedes (from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game) and Evening, a sparse cover of the Rolling Stones's As Tears Go By.
Discography
- 1990: Jawohl, sie kann’s. Sie hat’s geschafft. (LP/CD)
- 1993: Lob Ehre Ruhm (LP/CD)
- 1995: Le coeur en beurre double gras (CD)
- 1999: Alberta (CD)
- 2003: Protest und Vasen (CD)
- 2005: Starke Kränze (CD)
- 2013: Blut (CD)
Film
- Claudia Willke. Les Reines Prochaines – Alleine denken ist kriminell. Documentary DE/CH, 2012, 77 minutes.