schengen release their new, and debut album this week and it's a great feeling to have done so. It can be purchased at makeminemusic (see links opposite). The alternative press release appears below because it's too amusing not to be published. Thanks Scott.
Schengen are Bontempi fetishists Ian and Nick. Both have paid their dues within the music industry, Ian being a founder member of Kajagoogoo and Nick half of Eurovision hopefuls Bardo. They met by chance through their day jobs, as dancers on the Brother Beyond tour, where they discovered a mutual love of Einsturzende Neubauten and crisps. "The Beijing of our Career" is Schengen's first full-length release. "We would have recorded a full-length album before," Nick explains, "but we never had enough coins for the meter and kept running out of power". Recorded by candlelight, the album follows on from EPs on Roisin International and some French label. The new album moves into new territory for the band and recalls both the dark, swirling majesty of Bros' sophomore album and the emotional intensity of "Martika's Kitchen". Imagine the hair of Howard Jones on the body of Aled Jones and you'd be nowhere near.
"The Beijing of our Career" will be promoted with a campaign of abstinence. Nick will be appearing in a series of pubs across the Bristol area, whilst Ian will be finishing his new collection of short stories entitled "I Know I'm Here Somewhere".
