With the first listening session of the Paris Spleen cd from Ataraxia together with the drama company CircuZ Kump the sonic spectacle immediately reminded me of two things: the HBO Carnivale series and the band Dresden Dolls. And indeed, this concept album deals with cabarets, circusses, fun fairs and freak shows from the early 20th century which you could find in cities such as Paris or New York. The so-called ‘cabarets macabres’ or ‘ghost cabarets’, such as you could see in a.o. the Boulevard de Clichy, really appeal to the imaginative, as it shows all the abberations we don’t (want to) confront in the reaility of every-day life. The woman with moustache, the elastic man, the deviner, could salesman or man-in-chains. The esthetics of madness, the burleque and the extraordinary. And if you look closely you might catch a glimpse of hell. Add a decadent atomsphere, rich folk instrumentation with kettle drums and cimbals, trombones and the expected accordion. Next add a healthy dose of absinth and literary poetic pretentions in that vein from Baudelaire and you come pretty close to what you will hear on this phenomenal Paris Spleen album. Very special!