''Anima Animus'' is the third studio album by British duo
the Creatures
The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie both members of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. Their music, initially based on drums and voice, evolved over the years. The Creatures releas ...
, consisting of
Siouxsie Sioux
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), better known by her stage name Siouxsie Sioux (, ), is an English singer and songwriter. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who w ...
and musician
Budgie, released in 1999. The title of the album was inspired by
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology. A prolific author of Carl Jung publications, over 20 books, illustrator, and corr ...
's concept of
anima and animus
The anima and animus are a pair of Dualism in cosmology, dualistic, Jungian archetypes which form a syzygy (disambiguation)#Philosophy, syzygy, or union of opposing forces. Carl Jung described the animus as the Unconscious mind, unconscious masc ...
("the woman inside the man, the man inside the woman").
Recorded in France and England, the album was a departure from previous Creatures works. While still retaining a percussive element, the music had a more urban sound. Upon its release, the record was well received by critics.
''Anima Animus'' was later hailed by peer
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...
, who selected it in her Top 10 Albums of 1999.
["7th January 2000 - PJ selects her Top 10 Albums of 1999"]
Pjharvey.net. 7 January 2000. Retrieved 15 December 2009. Featuring The Creatures (a.k.a. Siouxsie and Budgie) for the album ''Anima Animus''.
History and music
The pair began developing ideas for the songs in 1995. "Exterminating Angel" was composed that autumn in France. Siouxsie and Budgie had purchased a lot of equipment and decided to work at their house near Toulouse. The original title of the album was ''Gifthorse'', then ''Mount Venus'', before the duo changed their minds to finally opt for ''Anima Animus'', which was a reference to Jung's theory of "The Man Inside The Woman and The Woman Inside the Man". In 1996, no major label was interested in the demos, as they were judged as too avant-garde and not commercial enough. Siouxsie and Budgie then decided to finance the project themselves and began recording on their own. They produced the album with the assistance of Steve Lyon,
Steve Levine
Steve Levine is a British record producer, best known for his work on Culture Club's studio albums. He won a Brit Award for Producer of the Year in 1984. He has also composed film and TV scores.
History
Levine's career began as a trainee tap ...
and
Warne Livesey
Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is a British/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue.
Life and career
Warne Livesey started his career in L ...
. Four songs ("
2nd Floor", "Another Planet", "
Say" and "I Was Me") were recorded in England. While staying in London, they met Doug Hart, who owned an independent label, Hydrogen Records. With his help, the Creatures set up their own label called Sioux Records and became an independent act. The album was finally mixed in New York. The portraits of Siouxsie and Budgie for the sleeves were designed and conceived by French artists
Pierre et Gilles
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
in Paris in 1997.
Lucy O'Brien described "2nd Floor" as "a driving, thumping dancefloor thing that exudes a brooding glamour". Siouxsie said that the song was about the state a person was after having too many Vodka Gimlets. "It's when you still want more, when you want the party to continue and it's beyond being sensible. I remember times when I was the one person left in a place, and the euphoria that goes along with it. '2nd Floor' was my idea of what a private drinking bar would be, that was open all the time." She also stated that "There's something very religious about bars. They're like altars. The lighting. The colour of the bottles. Having a drink. It's like
Santa's Grotto time."
"Say" is stylistically akin to
trip-hop
Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
,
while the closing track, "Don't Go to Sleep Without Me" is a "ghostly lullaby".
Release
The first single, "2nd Floor", was issued in late 1998, shortly after the four-track EP ''
Eraser Cut''. The second single, "Say", featured two unreleased
B-sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...
: the acoustic "Broken" and the atmospheric "All She Could Ask For". The latter song opened their 1999 concerts. All of this extra material was later included on the ''
U.S. Retrace'' compilation.
''Anima Animus'' was released on both CD and double 10-inch vinyl record. The album was also released on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
.
Critical reception
The album was well received by critics. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' gave it 8 out of 10 and wrote: "Siouxsie, has rarely been in better voice. The opening track, "2nd Floor" is a fantastically knowing melodrama, riding a techno pulse, while the ominous, epic "Exterminating Angel" pursues its prey in lamplit streets. It's entrancing, hypnotic and inventive".
["Anima Animus" review. ''The Times''. 2 February 1999.] ''
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' praised it in glowing terms: "Siouxsie's voice has lost none of its ability to seduce and unsettle. The sound is percussive, defined by Budgie's supple rhythm work. "Exterminating Angel" is exquisitely menacing, while the sinuous "Another Planet" grows to a shuddering climax."
["Anima Animus" review. ''Sunday Times''. 14 February 1999.] ''
Uncut'' reviewer Chris Roberts rated the album 4 out of 5, saying: "Sioux's always been at her best as a harsh declaimer
..but there are phases where she whispers, breathes, reaches for vulnerability", before concluding "The Creatures have jettisoned comfort and are phoning home from a new end zone. ''Anima Animus'' crackles."
[Roberts, Chris. "Brute's Foresight" 'Anima Animus'' review ''Uncut''. February 1999.]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by
Siouxsie
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), better known by her stage name Siouxsie Sioux (, ), is an English singer and songwriter. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who w ...
and
Budgie.
#"
2nd Floor"
#"Disconnected"
#"Turn It On"
#"Take Mine"
#"
Say"
#"I Was Me"
#"
Prettiest Thing
"Prettiest Thing" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures (aka singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie). It was co-produced by Ian Caple.
It was the third single from their album '' Anima Animus''. It was released in both vinyl and CD ...
"
#"Exterminating Angel"
#"Another Planet"
#"Don't Go to Sleep Without Me"
Personnel
;The Creatures
*
Siouxsie Sioux
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), better known by her stage name Siouxsie Sioux (, ), is an English singer and songwriter. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who w ...
- vocals,
drone
Drone or The Drones may refer to:
Science and technology Vehicle
* Drone, a type of uncrewed vehicle, a class of robot
** Unmanned aerial vehicle or aerial drone
*** Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
** Unmanned ground vehicle or ground drone
** Unma ...
,
koto,
zither
Zither (; , from the Greek ''cithara'') is a class of stringed instruments. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.
Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a ...
and toy piano
*
Budgie - drums, percussion, marimba, synthesizer, guitar and organ
;Augmented with
*
Knox Chandler
Knox Chandler (born July 20, 1958) is an American musician. He is primarily a guitarist, but he also plays, cello, bass, and other instruments. He has also worked as a session musician.
Education
Chandler attended the Hammonasset School in M ...
- guitar
* Polly Chilcott - cello on "I Was Me"
;Production
*the Creatures with
*Steve Lyon on tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10
*
Warne Livesey
Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is a British/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue.
Life and career
Warne Livesey started his career in L ...
on "2nd Floor" and "Another PLanet"
*
Steve Levine
Steve Levine is a British record producer, best known for his work on Culture Club's studio albums. He won a Brit Award for Producer of the Year in 1984. He has also composed film and TV scores.
History
Levine's career began as a trainee tap ...
on "Say" and "I Was Me"
;Additional production
*
Ian Caple
Ian Caple is an English recording engineer, record producer, programmer and mixer.
History
Caple's career began at EMI Music in 1979. After training at Abbey Road Studios, he became an engineer at EMI's KPM studios in Denmark Street London. H ...
on "Prettiest Thing"
*
Juno Reactor
Juno Reactor is a multi-national musical and performing group, primarily based in Brighton, UK. Known for their cinematic fusion of electronic, global influences, and orchestral symphonic approach, collaborating with composer Don Davis (composer) ...
on "Exterminating Angel"
*Warne Livesey on "Say"
;Photography
*
Pierre et Gilles
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
;Design
*DED Associates
Charts
References
{{Authority control
1999 albums
The Creatures albums