Switchblade Symphony - Scrapbook

Before Serpentine Gallery introduced Switchblade Symphony to the wider gothic underground, Tina Root and Susan Wallace were already creating some wonderfully strange music. Scrapbook opens a window into those formative years, collecting rare early recordings, alternate versions, remixes, and live material that reveal the beginnings of the duo's unmistakable darkwave sound.

Originally released in 1997 as a limited rarities collection, Scrapbook draws heavily from the band's early Elegy and Fable cassette EPs, recorded before their landmark 1995 debut. These recordings capture Switchblade Symphony at a fascinating point in their development, experimenting with gothic atmosphere, electronic textures, and the unsettling theatricality that would eventually become their signature.

There's something particularly compelling about hearing these early versions. The production is less polished than their later studio albums, but that roughness gives the music an intimacy and unpredictability of its own. Susan Wallace's synthesizers and programmed rhythms create strange, sometimes disorienting landscapes, while Tina Root's expressive vocals move effortlessly between haunting vulnerability and mischievous menace.

“Chain” and “Rain,” both originating from the Fable EP, offer an early glimpse of the duo's fascination with melancholy melodies and eerie electronic arrangements. “Numb” and “Ride,” taken from Elegy, further demonstrate how their sound was evolving beyond conventional gothic rock into something more experimental and atmospheric.

One of the collection's highlights is “Dissolve (Keith Hillebrandt Mix),” a reworking of one of the band's most recognizable songs by the musician and programmer associated with Nine Inch Nails. The remix brings a different electronic perspective to the track, emphasizing the rhythmic and industrial elements already lurking beneath its haunting melodies.

Equally intriguing is “Dollhouse (The Damned Remix),” featuring a contribution from The Damned's Rat Scabies. It's an unexpected connection between two generations of gothic and alternative music, highlighting the band's willingness to explore sounds beyond the boundaries of the darkwave scene.

The collection also includes a live performance of “Dollhouse” recorded in San Francisco, offering a glimpse of Switchblade Symphony outside the controlled environment of the studio. It's a reminder that beneath the elaborate arrangements and electronic experimentation was a band capable of translating its strange musical world into a live setting.

Early versions of “Clown,” “Gutter Glitter,” and “Bad Trash” are especially rewarding for listeners familiar with Serpentine Gallery. Hearing these songs in their earlier forms reveals how much of the band's distinctive identity was already present, even as their arrangements and production techniques continued to develop.

What makes Scrapbook particularly interesting is that it doesn't feel like a conventional greatest-hits collection or a random assortment of leftovers. Instead, it documents the creative process behind one of the more unusual acts to emerge from the American gothic underground. The recordings are filled with the same contradictions that would define Switchblade Symphony's later work: beauty and ugliness, innocence and menace, delicate melodies and abrasive electronic textures.

The 2024 Cleopatra Records edition marks the collection's first official commercial vinyl release, presented on pink, purple, and black haze vinyl. The LP features ten tracks, bringing together selections from the early cassette recordings alongside the remixes and live material.

More than a collection of rarities, Scrapbook is a fascinating look at the origins of Switchblade Symphony's beautifully twisted musical universe. For longtime fans, it's an opportunity to revisit familiar songs in unfamiliar forms. For newcomers, it's a revealing introduction to the imagination and experimentation that made the duo such a distinctive presence in 1990s darkwave.