Sunday, September 16, 2012

Two Witches




Country of origin: Finland
Year of creation: 1987
City/ Location: Tampere – Berlin
Official site: Two Witches
Members: Jyrki Witch – vocals, Marko Hautamäki – guitars, HayDee Sparks – guitars, Aleksi Keränen – bass, Alarik – drums, Zynthexia – keyboards
Side projects:
SinMasters, Chaos Research, In Strict Confidence, Gravehill Paris Witch, Bloodpit, Jyrki Witch & Zynthexia
Official contact mail: jyrkiwitch@gmail.com

Official Biography:
1987
Anne Nurmi & Jyrki Witch started the band called Noidat ('witches' in Finnish).

1988
Jyrki began to sing in English and at the same time they changed their name to Two Witches. The first gig took a place in March in their hometown Tampere. The band's first release, 7" single Pimeyden Jousi came out in October from their own label called Darklands Records.


1989
The second and third 7" EPs (Cat's Eyes as a split with Advanced Art and Like Christopher Lee as a split with Russian Love) came out via Darklands Records.

1990
For the whole year there came out only one Two Witches- song in Rare Magazine's sampler, and one song under alias Click!."The Witches are Burning” European Tour" in Denmark, Finland, Germany and Italy. In December they were the headlining the first gothic-festival ever in Finland.

1991
The band played a few gigs in Finland and released 7" single Dead Dog's Howl/ Mircalla.

1992
Two Witches debut-CD Agony of the Undead Vampire, part 2 came out via Darklands."The Undead Vampire Tour" took a place in Finland and Germany.

1993
The first German release The Vampire's Kiss- CD came out in September via Talitha Records. Later the same year it was also re-released (with a new lay-out) by Cleopatra Records in USA. The band won the title "The best band of the year" by City Magazine, Finland. At same month came out third Two Witches-CD called Phaeriemagick and the band started another European tour (Finland,
Germany, Slovakia) under same name. After the tour Anne Nurmi left the band and joined Lacrimosa.

1994
Toby guest a German band Love Like Blood for their "European Odyssee" - tour from March to May as their guitarist, and Jyrki toured with another German band Sepulcrum Mentis in July singing Two Witches-songs. Nauku replaced Anne as a new keyboardist of Two Witches. MCD Bloody Kisses was the first release by the new line-up and it came out via Talitha at September.

1995
Jyrki and Nauku guest Sad Parade's debut MCD Immortal Illusions (came out from Jyrki's Darklands Records). Jyrki spent his time in Berlin, playing gigs with Sepulcrum Mentis. Bites-CD was released in April by Talitha Records. Two Witches featuring Shade Factory made a cover version of Bauhaus' King volcano which is included in the Cleopatra Records' Bauhaus-tribute called The Passion of Covers (and later re-released for European markets underthe name Bela). In August the witches started their "Bites tour '95" consisting fourteen concerts in four different countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, England). They played, for example, as a headliner at the legendary hippodrome in London, as well as in Berlin and Innsbruck.
During 1995 Two Witches was included in many compilations, e.g. Mick Mercer's "Gothic Rock II", "What Sweet Music They Make II" and "Gothik". A German label Vuz Records released a compilation of band's early songs called Into The Darklands - the early years 1987-1989".

1996
Cleopatra Records released Bites and Kisses - CD. Iris (who sold merchandise for "Bites tour '95") became a pianist of Two Witches. In September the band was on tour in Finland with two German bands Sepulcrum Mentis and Exedra.

1997
The year started with a tour from Brazil where they got a very favourable reception - all gigs were sold out and the local MTV filmed their Sound Factory-gig. In February and March Two Witches toured in Finland with Midnight Configuration. The band released a new MCD Talvenaika (back on the Darklands again) and got some very good reviews in various magazines. Two Witches had their 10 years Jubilee Tour. During the tour they played about twenty gigs in Finland, Germany, Spain and Argentina.

1998
Two Witches started their year by doing a mini-tour in England with Midnight Configuration. The tour continued in Finland until the band went to a studio for recording the new album. After the first studio session Nauku and Toby left the band. At the end of the year Two Witches played the first time in Athens, Greece.

1999
Nightbreed Recordings released Eternal Passion-CD and TW toured again in England and Finland.

2000
Wenches, Wytches and Vampyres-CD came out via Cleopatra. Two Witches toured heavily in Finland, same as in Germany, Holland, UK and Sweden. The band played also in Wave-Gotik-Treffen of Leipzig. Jyrki create an EBM/industrial side-project called SinMasters. This band released their first two MCDs and a bit later a mini-album Seducer.

2001
The debut album, Agony of the Undead Vampire pt. 2, re-released by Actcom Music in Finland. The jubilee edition of the album included a new lay-out and some bonuses. The band played in England, Germany and Mexico, and some long tours all over Finland. HayDee and Marko joined the band.

2002
The new MCD May You Be In Heaven was released early 2002, included a new studio track, a remix by Soil & Eclipse and two live tracks from Mexico City.
The band was planning a new European Tour for April-May, but they have to cancel it just before the first concert because of losing their tour bus and all equipments & personal belongings in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Early autumn TW toured in Germany and after the tour the band moved from Finland to Berlin, Germany.
Jyrki was guesting for NYX's debut album.

2003
Some concerts in Germany, Belgium and UK. Marko and Jyrki guested for Gintronic's debut MCD and recorded two albums of material with ex- Rozz Williams' Christian Death/ Shadow Project keyboardist Paris under the name Gravehill Paris Witch.

2004
Jyrki's Darklands Records released Sacrifice EP, including some new studio tracks and a remix by Dirk Scheuber (Project Pitchfork). Several concerts played in Germany and UK. Anke joined the band as a new bass-player. Marko started his solo-project called Chaos Research.

2005
Saints & Sinners -doubleCD was released, same as the first Russian editions; The Singles -compilation CD and a re-release of Eternal Passion (with a new lay-out and some bonus tracks). Two Witches played the first concert in Finland over three years, headlining Lumous Gothic Festival in Tampere. At the end of the year the band had a short tour in UK with Midnight Configuration and Pro-Jekt.

2006
The first concerts in Russia (St. Petersburg) and Lithuania (Vilnius). Bites -CD was re-released (with a new lay-out and a bonus video) in Russia via Shadowplay Records. Anke left the band and Heidi, Jyrki & Marko continued as three-some.

2007
Two Witches were celebrating their 20 years career the whole year. The first concert was in Dornbirn, Austria. Then the band continued the tour playing nine concerts in Russia. At spring TW were touring in UK with Pro-Jekt and DJ Zynthexia. SinMasters released their second album Innocence.Lost and played their first concerts. The official 20 years jubilee concert took it's place in Klubi, Tampere, Finland at September. The supporting acts were Jyrki's another band SinMasters, Silene (incl. Nauku, Pave & Toby) and the Russian label fellows Doppelganger. Two Witches were also headlining NightSide Festival at Prague, Czech Rep.

2008
The Jubilee Tour continued in Slovakia. Aleksi became a new bass player of TW.

2009
Two Witches headlining Nightbreed Fest in London.

2010
The band were playing mainly festival gigs, like Lumous Gothic Festival in Finland, NightSide in Czech Rep., Dark Entries in Russia and New Old Way in Austria. Inner Circle Outsiders double album came out in Mexico. Alarik became a new drummer of TW.

2011
Touring in Russia and Finland. Zynthexia joined the band. A new side project Jyrki Witch & Zynthexia was found.

2012
The 25 Years Jubilee. The new single comes out before the official jubilee concerts.


Official Discography:
7” vinyl
- Pimeyden Jousi/ Cat’s Eyes-Nazgul (Darklands, Finland, 1988)
- Cat’s Eyes/ A Child (Darklands, Finland, 1988)
- Like Christopher Lee/ Vampire Girl (Darklands, Finland, 1989)
- Dead Dog’s Howl/ Mircalla (Darklands, Finland, 1991)
- Inner Circle Outsider/ Spirit Sacrifice - Acoustic Dark Cabaret Version (SIN.gles Club, Finland, 2012)

12” vinyl
- Pimeyden Jousi – remixes (Kostamus, Finland, 2003)

MCD
- Bloody Kisses EP (Talitha, Germany, 1994)
- Talvenaika (Darklands, Finland, 1997)
- May You Be In Heaven EP (Actcom, Finland, 2002)
- Sacrifice EP (Darklands, Finland, 2004)
- Inner Circle Outsider EP (Darklands, Finland, 2010) *promo only

CD
- Agony of the Undead Vampire, pt.2 (Darklands, Finland, 1992)
- The Vampire’s Kiss (Talitha, Germany, 1993)
- The Vampire’s Kiss (Cleopatra, USA, 1993) *US-edition w/ new artwork
- Phaeriemagick (Talitha, Germany, 1993)
- Bites (Talitha, Germany, 1995)
- Bites and Kisses (Cleopatra, USA, 1996)
- Into the Darklands – the Early Years 1987-1989 (Vuz, Germany, 1996)
- The Vampire’s Kiss (Cleopatra, USA, 1996) *w/ new artwork
- Eternal Passion (Nightbreed, UK, 1999)
- Wenches, Wytches and Vampyres – the best of TW (Cleopatra, USA, 2000)
- Agony of the Undead Vampire, pt.2 –Jubilee edition (Actcom, Finland, 2001) *re-release w/ bonuses
- Saints & Sinners -2CD (Ausfahrt, Germany, 2005)
- The Singles (Shadowplay, Russia, 2005)
- Eternal Passion (Shadowplay, Russia, 2005) *re-release w/ bonuses and new artwork
- Bites (Shadowplay, Russia, 2006) *re-release w/ bonus video track and new artwork
- Inner Circle Outsiders - 2CD (Scarecrow, Mexico, 2010).