Persephone

Sonja Kraushofer meets for the first time Tobias Hahn, who produced the L'Âme Immortelle album "Dann habe ich umsonst gelebt". As a result of this creative collaboration and of extended talks, the idea emerges to bring forth a new conjoint project that will also involve Dirk Riegert in a pivotal role as a songwriter. As early as 1999, Sonja Kraushofer, while on a tour with the band Christian Death, met Christian Death’s guitarist at that time, Wim Leydes. He then goes on to perform some of his own compositions for Sonja and the singer is elated. One of the pieces is entitled "Forest Song" that is featured on the debut album "Home" and that in turn leads Wim to join the band. In autumn, the first song drafts are created. The cello assumes a central role and PERSEPHONE succeeds in winning over the instrumentalist Martin Höfert, who will later become the live-arranger of the formation. After a half a year of preparations and elaborations of the existing drafts the first full-length album with the title "Home" is produced at the Nachtschicht-studios by Tobias Hahn and Dirk Riegert. The artwork-artist Joachim Luetke is responsible for the visual presentation and his name is often mentioned in connection with bands such as Marilyn Manson, Dimmu Borgir, Pain and Sopor Aeternus. The first album is released in January and is welcomed both by the public and the press. PERSEPHONE presents itself at fortresses, castles and other buildings with flair for the first time live, and embarks together with Janus on the very successful "Winterreise"-tour. Furthermore, the band pays tribute to the "Wave-Gotik Treffen". Martin gets supported with the cello by Holger Wilhelmi who becomes another member of the group. PERSEPHONE devotes itself to the Nachtschicht studios to the subsequent EP-production, "Still...". Dirk Riegert withdraws from the project. The EP "Still..." is released almost exactly one year after the album "Home" was released in a limited edition that in turn is sold out within a short time. It includes, aside from live-recordings and a remix, a new song. Plans for a full-length album have been made and shall be implemented now. Due to time constraints and occupational reasons Tobias Hahn is forced to cancel his participation in the production of the new album. In November the band assembles at the studio in order to record the new album "Atma Gyan" that will be released in March of 2004. For this purpose, PERSEPHONE invites Matt Howden (Sieben) and producer John A. Rivers (Dead Can Dance) as part of the team. The production concludes in January 2004. The album "Atma Gyan" is released in March 2004 and sets the starting point of a concept which spreads over the whole of 2004. Part of this concept is a one-year-concert-cycle where the band plays only one concert per month. After PERSEPHONE already has been supported by Johannes Kramer (Doublebass, Cello) in 2003, John Abdelsayed (Percussions) joins the formation. As a special guest the band invites the highly skilled guitarist Frederik Behrens for the concerts in Krefeld and at Schloss Wernigerode. The other part of the concept is a second album which is recorded in summer. "Mera Sangeet Kho Gaya" is again produced by John A. Rivers. It is released on 6th December 2004 and completes "Atma Gyan" as well musically as thematically. The last concert finalizes the extraordinary concept about the mythological character of Persephone.