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Eliza Rickman


Born: 1983
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Genre: Chamber Pop, Baroque Pop
Years Active: 2014 -
Real Name: Eliza Rickman
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Singular vision

Essential Releases

Eliza Rickman - O, You Sinners

O, You Sinners (2012)

Debut album.

Eliza Rickman - Footnotes for the Spring

Footnotes for
the Spring (2018)

Haunted classical music with a playful twist.


Eliza Rickman's music is a haunting mix of ethereal vocals and chamber pop which she composes herself. Coming from an evangelical Christian background she sometimes records, and even performs her songs in churches because they're designed to elicit feelings of reverence and awe via their acoustics.

The high ceilings in such locations create sounds that linger and echo, enveloping the listener in a booming, majestic, otherworldly embrace. This also reminds people that although they're in a house of God, there is a graveyard just outside the doors.

What makes Rickman's work so interesting is that she combines these feelings with a keen historical sense. Not only through her use of classical instruments, such as piano and violin, but with her imagery and aesthetic. For example, in the music video for 'Pretty Little Head' she casts herself as Marie Antoinette, the French queen decapitated during the bloody Revolution. The video is morbid enough to depict the severed head of Antoinette as she recites lyrics from beneath the guillotine.

Eliza Rickman as Marie Antoinette from 'Pretty Little Head'
Rickman's historical appreciation also influences her contemporary presentation. She often performs in dresses reminiscent of the romantic era's gothic fiction, reinforcing a fascination for the macabre. For example, on 'Cinnamon Bone' she sings the dreadful line: "Crawling flat on broken glass, to you, to you, to you." It could be ripped straight from the pages of Elizabeth Gaskell.

Continuing the theme of beauty and terror, on 'Bright Star', an awestruck woman watches a comet graciously caressing the sky before realising that it too will crash down in the end. It's this very dichotomy, between earth and heaven, that makes Rickman so interesting.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
70

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
60

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
65

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
85

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
45

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
85

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
70

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
80

Singing

i Technical attributes.
80

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
80

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
40

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
45

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
80

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
60

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
60

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
40

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards

Certifications

Charts

Critics


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