Welcome to the world of Dreamchild....

In the Boston Phoenix, online and in the print version, dated March 14-20, 2008:

Gotharama Greetings from the dark side By: JIM SULLIVAN 3/10/2008 4:37:04 PM It was a dark and stormy night . . . which made for a veritable holiday in the sun for the folks attending “Gotharama — New England’s Dark Music Festival,” a seven-band goth-rock marathon downstairs at the Middle East last Saturday. The ghosts of Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees hovered over the trenchcoat brigade, the pseudo-Victorians, the gals with dark eyeliner and push-up bustiers, and a chick who recalled Abby, the geek-goth tech on NCIS. How you look is important, but local dark-music promoter Anderson Lyn Mar demurred, “People think it’s a fashion statement or mindset — no, it’s music in a minor key.” Yes, the dark heart of goth is still beating, if somewhat more faintly than a quarter-century ago, when the movement began. Mistress Laura, who’s been hosting Bats in the Belfry on WMBR for 16 years, beamed: “I still love it. I see it as the ultimate alternative to the alternative. It’s a whole dark æsthetic, the transcendent quality of the emotion.” Which isn’t as simple as people reveling in doom and gloom. Cusraque, who booked “Hell” night at ManRay, the now-defunct goth nexus in Central Square, said that it’s not all about “being depressed. That’s tongue-in-cheek, like rubber bats. There’s a dark sensibility in the humor and an acknowledgment that things suck — without dwelling on it.” The show was keyed to bands rather than DJs. Beginning with the My Bloody Valentine–like noise of Happy the Clown, the music continued with the mad-woman rants, drones, and loops of Dreamchild. There followed Bauhaus and Joy Division knockoffs by, respectively, New York bands the Hunt and Blacklist. This was the first time promoter/MC Matthew Griffin and partner Robert Read have brought the festival — headlined by Boston’s synth-based You Shriek and metallic rockers Bella Morte — up from Providence. But it’s not likely to be the last. It was all summed up by Dreamchild singer Cheryl: “The melancholy and fascination with death inherent in human nature ensures that music which appeals to our darker sides will forever endure. . . . Goth is a little overly obsessed with the dark side and death, but so am I.”

On June 9, 2007 DREAMCHILD, TWELTH OF NEVER, HAPPY THE CLOWN, COBER
15th Anniversary for Bats in the Belfry
Skybar, Somerville, MA 6/9/07
It's the 15th anniversary celebration of Laura Wilson's WMBR Bats in the Belfry radio show. Besides the music, there's clothing, jewelry, and art on display and for sale. There are yummy coconut skull cupcakes, ginger bat cookies, and lots of dark chocolate available for the taking.
Sheila Bommakanti is Cober. She plays an Epiphone SG double neck with two Marshall amps that bookend her dramatically lit stage presentation. Her guitar parts are doubled with loops and her smooth dark vocal melodies swim in a sea of reverb. Her long black hair curves like waves of snakes–the visual balance of the music created. She expertly executes changes between the guitar necks with calm control. You could say she's a goth version of Bleu‚s e-band–a very soothing sensual experience.
The volume explodes as Happy the Clown smears the room with echo and feedback from their guitar, bass, and keyboard. A drum machine keeps the beat and a slide show offers a range of images from warping little shapes to the pope, to Mexican pyramids, to Hitler, to Charles Manson. The mood is dark while the calm vocals drift over the band‚s insistent drone. I have to admit I thought I'd be bored by this, but the show works, and the audience pays attention 'til the end of Happy the Clown's half hour set.
Twelfth of Never from western Mass. looks a little unsettled as their soundcheck takes longer than expected. They're a split gender six-piece playing goth folk that sounds medieval at times. Aurora Grabill‚s violin has almost an oboe quality to it. They remind me of Mistle Thrush with Katie Bunting's soaring melodic vocals. Extra voices join in on "Shades of Grey" adding extra dimension to a band that already has nice depth–the cello adds warmth to the low end. Things get lively with their last song "The Tiny Draw"(from their second CD, Things That Were), where the keyboard player Matthew Davis picks up a guitar and wails for a while.
Dreamchild, a dramatic two-piece, sets the stage with Japanese curtains masking the electronics on either side. Centered is a harp sitting rear center. Frank Gerace plays a synth guitar that lets him sound sometimes like a small orchestra, as in their performance of a French opera. Cheryl Wanner's drawn expressions, heavy black makeup, and laced dress enhance her cabaret-type acting as she sadistically pours the phrase "You fear my touch, come feel my touch". She goes back to the harp for a rendition of Peter Gabriel‚s "Here Comes the Flood" while Frank conjures up a group of flutes. Next he creates angelic voices for "Weeping Willow" A show highlight is "What Lizzie Took" a musical tale of the 1892 Fall River brutal ax murder–it's monstrous and marvelous. If you‚d like to experience a European cabaret–we have it right here in Boston. Frank and Cheryl work together as if they're spiritually making love.
Congratulations to Laura Wilson for tonight's nice mix of dark talent. May bats continue to occupy her belfry for many full moons to come.

On June 9, 2007 I had the pleasure of witnessing a spellbinding performance by Boston area band Dreamchild at Skybar in Somerville, Massachusetts. They were the final act to appear during a show which celebrated the 15th anniversary of Laura Wilson's gothic radio program Bats in the Belfry (WMBR). Over the past several years the two piece Dreamchild has built a following throughout southern New England, thanks largely to its intrigue as an experimental yet emotionally intense live act. Audiences are regularly impressed with the combination of Cheryl Wanner's highly animated vocal delivery and Frank Gerace's Fripp/Eno influenced sound paintings.
Instead of relying at least in part on the back catalog Dreamchild decided to perform exclusively unrecorded material. For their remake of Peter Gabriel's "Here Comes the Flood" Cheryl played delicately intricate passages on a Triplett Luna, which is a wire strung harp. During "You Fear My Touch, Come Feel My Touch" she made fantastic use of finger percussion. Sometime during the latter half of the set Cheryl's microphone lost power. As the sound technician struggled to restore sound an audience member encouraged her to go on without the microphone. She proceeded to belt out several operatic vocal riffs without the enhancement of technology and everyone in the room heard her loud and clear. The grand finale of "What Lizzie Took" and "All the Perfumes of Arabia" left me staring at the stage in an open jawed trance as the house lights went back on. "What Lizzie Took" is written about the Lizzie Borden trials which occurred in nearby Fall River, Massachusetts. "All the Perfumes of Arabia" chronicles the madness of a sleepwalking Lady Macbeth. Frank ends the latter song with a barrage of manic and metallic chord progressions.

No discussion of Dreamchild live would be complete without mentioning the incredible acting/performance abilities of Cheryl. During moments of musical tranquility she glided almost effortlessly across the stage while soothing the audience with spoken passages and ethereal melodies. Whenever Frank's muted guitar playing gave way to frantic explosiveness she'd react by ruthlessly stalking the stage. Her facial expressions and clever use of stage props served to enhance this already memorable performance.

Dreamchild is currently working on their fourth CD, which is expected to be released sometime in 2008. For information concerning Dreamchild's previous recordings and their performances please visit http://www.dreamchildmusic.com/index.html.

"Very, very white, in fact, downright pale. This duo from Cambridge Massachusetts make some well crafted darkly gothic folk pop. Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner both contribute guitars [sic] and percussion and looping devices. Cheryl also contributes harp, bass, bowed psaltery and the vocals; whether sung or spoken. From dreamily lulling to strident and grim."

"Sounding as theatrical as it does musical, Dreamchild embraces the territory covered by bands such as Dead Can Dance and writers like Edgar Allen Poe, and fuses them into a perfect soundtrack for a dark French film. The cd is also filled with references to Greek and Celtic mythology in addition to the film noir influence. Dreamchild is a two piece, fully manned and operated by Cheryl Wanner mainly on vocals and Frank Gerace mainly on strings. The arrangements are very sparse and eerie but that is not to say that there is a shortage of sound. There are assorted loops, harps, acoustic and electric guitars loaded to the gills with reverb and chimed on by assorted spooky percussion. There are even instruments featured on here that I have never heard of - things like "bowed psaltery" and "zils". Lullabies for the Dead, as you can tell by the title, is a sort of creepy kind of music, maybe not the right kind of music for a late night dance party but it's perfect for a haunted house Halloween Party".

"Thrilling terrors and beguiling witchery from both history and mythology take shape in these songs, which are like absinthe: an acquired taste, quickly intoxicating and leaving behind a strong memory of their flavor. Vocalist Cheryl Wanner, who also accompanies herself on the harp in some of the works [sic] most charming and haunted moments, delivers with a visionary wildness reminiscent of Miranda Sex Garden or Rasputina. Her flights of fancy can take her startlingly into character, but she is at her best in the registers of a true lullaby like "Avalon" or "Forever". Frank Gerace's guitar work deserves mention as well, as he brings in some rare and stylish art."

"With Lullabies for the Dead, Dreamchild creates an eerie landscape of ethereal nightmares with theatrical overtones. From the dream-like Art Nouveau package design to the antiquated themes of their songs, this duo surrounds the senses in a morbid Victorian atmosphere akin to an absinthe nightcap. The haunting compositions of guitarist Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner lay the foundations for the avante garde, free form vocal stylings of Cheryl Warner as she delivers poetic lyrics that recount sinister fables of dark passion and horror. The themes range from sorrowful tales of Salome, Medusa and King Arthur to the somber and romantic poetry of Keats. Like a dark fairy tale told at bedtime, Lullabies for the Dead delivers a dose of dramatic melancholia to accompany Morpheus as he makes his nightly rounds."

"Dreamchild features the duo talents of Cheryl Wanner and Frank Gerace. On their new album, Lullabies for the Dead, Cheryl Wanner handles all the vocal work as well as playing harp, bowed psaltery, harpsichord, zills and an assortment of percussion instruments. In the mean time, Frank Gerace plays a Roland VG8 guitar synth along with electric and acoustic guitars and handles all the programming. The CD artwork alone is more impressive than most acts while the music sounds more like something straight out of France's baroque period than a local rock offering. Trust me, this is no ordinary, local CD release. Thematic, operatic and full of lush arrangements and instrumentation, Wanner and Gerace pay homage to the dead with their original collection of 16 cryptic tales, stories and lullabies. Cheryl Wanner's voice is rich with nuance and emotion while her abilities on various instruments are impressive. She creates otherwordly vibes with deft precision. Frank Gerace is the mastermind behind putting all the musical pieces together. Like a master puzzle maker, Gerace collects, intersects, and meshes a plethora of auditory images with the undaunting care of a tomb keeper. His meticulous production efforts, guitar work and recording prowess allows this CD to buzz with ominous intensity. If Rod Serling were alive today, he would surely employ the talents of Gerace and Wanner to grace the soundtrack of his macabre, twisted, maniacal Twilight Zone featurettes. Be afraid - be very afraid!"

"Lullabies for the Dead, Dreamchild’s third full-length release, is steeped in romanticism and myth, presenting historical and quasi-historical characters, including King Arthur, Orpheus, Medusa and John the Baptist. While all the songs focus on death and dying in some manner, Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner do not limit themselves to the typical gothic cliches such as suicide and vampirism, instead mining the vast possibilities of poetry and legend. In fact, the music is best viewed as poetry settings rather than as any typical modern song form.
The music is generally very minimal and understated. There is a wide variety of instrumentation including various guitars and percussion, harps, and harpsichord but it all remains firmly in the background while Wanner’s vocals step to the fore. Unfortunately, her vocal style, especially in the upper register, is somewhat indistinct. The strength of the songs lies in their lyrical content, with the music serving simply to highlight the effect that the words already produce. Sometimes it’s difficult to make out the lyrics and the music becomes overly involved in creating the mood. It is sufficient to create a general impression of loss and longing, but without the lyrics, the songs lose their individuality. Dreamchild shortchange themselves but not better highlighting the differences in their songs. The resulting homogenous sound does not do justice to the potential of the poetry. Of course, the lyrics are included on the CD package, so it is possible to examine the depth of the songs, but it would be better if they stood on their own.
Dreamchild excels at creating mood through music, but the subtle variations in this mood are too easily lost in the indistinct lyrics. Lullabies for the Dead succeeds at the most basic level, but fails to attain its full potential."

"Blending traditional and modern instrumentation with the Siouxsie Sioux-meets-Lisa Gerrard timbre and inflections of vocalist Cheryl Wanner, Dreamchild weave a diverse ethereal/world/folk/goth web on their third full-length outing, Lullabies for the Dead. Sporting a lovely fold-out digipak, the album is a 16-track, 67-minute journey through poetic tales of time and death. Sharing the stylistic and ethnic diversity of many of their contemporaries, albeit in a style that is, perhaps, a bit sparser and more reserved, Dreamchild's latest features exceptionally strong songwriting and performances, its mellow, stark shell inhabited by interesting, often subtle, production and lyrical and emotional depth. Highlights include the coupling of "The Double Rose" and "Custom Fails", the sparse, stark instrumental beauty of the former giving way to the fully realized latter built around the same melody. The melodically lovely and atmospheric "La Tête d'Orphée", the length opener, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", drawing its lyrical content from Keats, and the gorgeous layered ethereal folk of the disc's title track, "Lullaby for the Dead", are other standouts. "Avalon" is, notably, the disc's airiest, most upbeat offering, while "Salome" and "Darkness Ascending" both lean a bit more towards bass-driven goth rock, albeit with rather unique production. "Forever", another lovely ethereal folk outing, has something of an Eastern influence, while the band incorporate a bit of authentic Latin flavor into their sound on a cover of R.J. Stewart's "Tango for Frida", a Latin sound that also underpins the following bass-driven, acoustic guitar-centered moody rock of "The Fountain". "Medusa", "Herodias Piercing", and "The House of the Dead" are more sound collages than proper songs, blending vocal wails and breathy sighs and hisses atop moody instrumental soundscapes, the first and last adding spoken word poetry to the mix. The closing "Salve (5000 Monks Praying to a Falling Star)", likewise, is something of a moody 6-minute experimental soundscape, albeit with melodic lead vocals, while "Una Escultura de Huesos" is a short layered a cappella piece. Overall, Dreamchild's Lullabies for the Dead is a strong and sonically interesting album with a fairly unique blend of instrumentation. From stark folk ballads featuring traditional instrumentation to unusual goth rock to experimental soundscapes, it's a lovely, worthwhile journey whose blend of subtle music and lyrical poetry will likely hold particular appeal for those with more artistic leanings. "

"After becoming acquainted with this group and enjoying their sophomore album so much, I looked forward to hearing this, their third work. With a title like Lullabies for the Dead, one can imagine the nature of the music. The packaging of this album is very well done, in a type of fold-out digipack, it contains some excellent artwork, photos, lyrics and information behind the band and many tracks. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" is introduced in the liner notes as "A musical setting for some stanzas from John Keats' haunting poem with additional lyrics en francais". For this album this piece was immediately the most captivating. The subtle electronics as a synthetic cello sound mixed with the occasional guitar and harp blend well with Cheryl's vocals. Of course the french language often adds such a romantic touch to any song and so it does with this one. As we move on through the album and I compare the tracks on this one with the previous works I notice that Cheryl's often reaches for higher notes often piercing the air. I feel that she really reaches, but often question my own judgement and think that maybe she does it on purpose to add that much more of an eerie and almost paranormal sound to the album. This seems almost to be the case in "La Tete d'Orphee" as she hits those high notes causing a child to run up my spine. Like their previous works, the album contains a number of accessible and catchy vocal tracks along the lines of a kind of psychadelic ethereal. But there are also a number of dark and eerie pieces with spoken word and freaky vocals and underlying samples and sounds. This is definitely the case with "Medusa" which might stop some people from listening to this as they go to sleep for fear of inducing nightmares. "Herodias Piercing" is another example of this with a number of haunting vocals. With the album divided nearly in half between these haunting tracks and the dreamier ethereal nature, it seems to be pretty well balanced. "Avalon" has quickly become another favorite of mine with it's inclination to the often romanticized connection to the tales of King Arthur. There is a beautiful interlude instrumental piece "The Double Rose" which provides the base for "Custom Fails", another beautiful ethereal piece. At this point we reach something of a halfway mark and drift back into an eerie world of "The House of the Dead". This and each piece is a perfect addition to Lullabies for the Dead fitting the theme and ambience. In fact this brings right to "Lullaby for the Dead" which is appropriately titled with the almost creepy vocals and ghostly harp. The album wraps up with sixteen total tracks with the finale being "Salve (5000 Monks Praying To A Falling Star)". This piece is an excellent work in dark, almost psychadelic music. But it brings the album to a close leaving the listener dazed and mystified. "

"Boston-based masters of dark arts and gothic imagery, Dreamchild mark their third album release with Lullabies for the Dead. The long-time collaboration of Cheryl Wanner and Frank Gerace return with 15 compositions that are perhaps even darker than Gates to the Sea and La FéeVerte if that is possible. But what all three releases have in common is the ability to form atmospheric landscapes out of Wanner's ethereal vocals, Gerace's provocative guitar stylings and the employment of unusual instrumentation. Quoting poet John Keats and with one of the titles authored by mystic arts Renaissance man R.J. Stewart, this is pretty spooky stuff and perhaps it is best not to listen when you are home alone. Like any worthy gothic tales, these will send shivers up your backbone, but the end result is an emotional rush that is worth it. Adding to the sensory experience is the extraordinary funereal graphics, paintings and photography that are on display throughout the gate-folded CD package. " (Jeff Rey)

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, I am Princess Diana. I was Princess of Wales. I was married to a man named Charles when I was only 19 years old. Charles is Queen Elizabeth's oldest son. We had two kids together. My family is very wealthy and important. After being married for a few years, Charles and I were not getting along. People loved to read articles, magazines and newspapers about me and Queen Elizabeth. I helped a lot of people in need, such as poor and sick people. For the first time in my life, I shook hands with a man that had AIDS. I also ran a marathon for people that had cancer. In August 1997, I died in a car accident in Paris, France. My grave site is on a tiny island near my home in England. Over my grave they used to play Dead Can Dance all day long. Now they play "Avalon" and "The House of the Dead" and "Salve" by [sic] Lullabies for the Dead. I am so glad. Well, thank-you for listening to my life story. Goodbye, until we meet upon a distant shore. " (Francis DiMenno)

"These 2 new CDR releases from Boston area duo Dreamchild present both something old and something new. Seeking Sirens is a welcome reissue of 6 tracks from the now out of print debut CD Gates to the Sea, while Lured by a Glimpse looks to the future, with 3 tracks from the upcoming full length. For anyone familiar with La Fee Verte (Dreamchild's second, more widely-known disc), their world is part absinthe-inspired faerie vision, part Poe and part classical myth, sounding at once unique, but touched by slight reminiscences of the likes of Fairytales of Slavery-era Miranda Sex Garden, the Moors, and Trio Nocturna. Though created with similar instrumentation (guitar, guitar-synth, bass, wire-strung harp, assorted percussion ,and Cheryl Wanner's widely-ranging vocals), the earlier material has a more atmospheric and experimental quality, while the newer tracks are more like ethereal rock. Both are equally good and essential to what formulates Dreamchild's distinct sound (and Seeking Sirens gets points for using not one, but two John Waterhouse pieces in the cover art)..."-e. David

From the beautiful Belle Epoch inspired magazine, The Sentimentalist, Vol. II, Issue VI:

"A bit of fairy dust strewn over turn of the century paths. This duo recalls certain works of Miranda Sex Garden, though Dreamchild only showcases the vocals of one singer, Cheryl Wanner, often ascending from the lowest depths to uncharted ethereal planes. With an obvious nod to fin de siecle poetry and culture, this band revels in absinthe-soaked atmosphere and minimalist, dreamy writing. With an emphasis on lyricism, the music acts as a backdrop to the delicate vocals. Frank Gerace's guitar playing never overpowers the vocals; instead, it takes on the aspect of an added harmonic layer. The guitars are subtle and moody, with some electronics added in for a curious foray into fairyland. The vocals, guitar, and the light strains of a wire-strung harp, glimmering in the distance, play off one another, conjuring a dark folk effect. The final track, "In The Night", is a meandering testimony to an indolent inebriation of spirit. With its clever interplay of dark and light dream based themes throughout, this CD may be a perfect accompaniment to reading Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland." - Maria Antigone Doiranlis & Cleo

" Psychedelic Goth Neo Folk: Dreamchild is charmingly anachronistic, peculiarly idiosyncratic, and genuinely creative. On this, their second full length album, members Frank Gerace (guitars) and Cheryl Wanner (vocals, bass, wire-strung harp) once again successfully juxtapose elements from psychedelic rock, goth and neo-folk to achieve unique and often deeply beautiful results. Lyrically, Dreamchild's inspirations are primarily based in historical romanticism - from the lure of absinthe to the horror of an executioner's blade, to the fables of ancient Greek and Celtic mythology. Wanner's vocals are strongest when they are in her haunting, sensually low range. Her voice is emotionally evocative, especially when narrating the plight of an Arthurian sorceress ("Nimue") or describing the thrill of evening's twilight ("In The Night"). Clearly fearless experimentalists, Dreamchild pushes past boundaries of expectation in more than one direction. Some whimsical musical measures include a spoken word track in tribute to mad dancer Nijinsky, and a nearly a capella version of "Cry, Baby, Cry", featuring several layers of Wanner's voice in harmony over an eerie soundscape. Overall, La Fee Verte is an enjoyable and engaging album. I am truly delighted that Dreamchild upholds the creative precedent they set with their debut Gates To The Sea" - Lara Haynes

DREAMCHILD - LA FÉE VERTE (Independent - 2000): An a capella female voice opens this record with a short song called "The Stolen Child" that takes us to the spectacular "La Fée Verte" with Cheryl Wanner´s voice getting into each space of your soul, thanks to her power of expression. Dreamchild is a duo formed by Cheryl on vocals, harp, bass and kalimba and, Frank Gerace on guitars. The result is an introspective work with a permanent search for climatic textures. Through all the songs we can see the combination of instrumentation and the different states of mind that the songs transmit, ("Capacocha" for example transmits to me something like desolation, while "Nimue" is a more dynamic song with some percussive touches). Dreamchild is a really creative outfit with a music that we can describe as céltic/experimental/ambient something original!!! The distinctive element are Cheryl´s vocals full of inflexions (to give you an idea is like a mix between Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Björk and Francesca Nicoli (Ataraxia). I hope to listen more from this duo in the future because they caught my attention from the beginning to the end of this CD. This is for those who search originality (they also include a Beatles, "Cry baby Cry").
Favorite tracks: All - Federico Marongiu. www.musicextreme.com

"Dreamchild designers Cheryl Wanner and Frank Gerace have created a modern day baroque-like opera on their new release La Fee Verte. Filled with opulent musical sounds, chiming effects and an eerie moodiness, Wanner and Gerace make for a very interesting, albeit it diverse, listening experience.
The duo is quite adept at composing such arrangements, as fourteen of the fifteen cuts were penned by the duo with the lone Lennon/McCartney song "Cry, Baby, Cry" being the only hint of outside influence. Even there, you most likely won't recognize it after Wanner and Gerace get through with their transformation of the song.
Definitely original and completely distinct, La Fee Verte is an album that must be experienced first hand to be appreciated." - Douglas Sloan

Dreamchild’s album, La Fee Verte, produces an ethereal potion swimming with sinister poetry and eccentric sounds. The dark, sinuous guitar, wire-strung harp, and kalimba create a feeling of timelessness. The experimental nature of Dreamchild renders an album of mystique and instinct. Not fitting neatly under a particular genre, critics tend to liken Dreamchild to the sounds of Dead Can Dance. I sense the similarity between the bands more by the idea than by the sound. A good time to listen to this album is when it’s bleak outside and you’re in a somber mood. I enjoyed the instruments more so than the vocals.
– Lora Cecca Lyons

La Fee Verte, the 2000 release by Dreamchild, almost lost me at track #1, but really takes on a life of its own as you listen on. Dreamchild is a duo: Cheryl Wanner on vocals, wire-strung harp, bass and kalimba and Frank Gerace on VG8 and acoustic guitars. They meld the past with the future with their brand of gothic, medieval trance. It's darkly hypnotic and nightmarish at times, and so atmospheric. The songs are lightly dreamy and then they pull you back to reality, becoming primal and tribal, laced with new age and high-tech sounds throughout, definitely stylish, innovative and very brave. Track #4, Nimue, is layered with edgy guitar beneath Wanner's elegantly Baroque, sometimes growling vocals. Sounds are recorded backwards, then looped to create a stunning landscape. Wanner invokes elements from Poe to Shelley, along with her own writing, and while most is sung, some is Exorcist-type spoken word, far-off cries and whale-like sounds. Her lyrics are heavy: "Now I know you wish me gone/I have but a slender neck, and shall not see a new dawn/the blade is sharp..."
Dreamchild writes music that is boundless. - Jami Renee Farrah,

"Come, embrace La Fee Verte, she's everywhere, glowing in the glass., if you dare" So begins the follow up to the highly acclaimed Gates To The Sea CD. Echoes of Taliesin and Poe seem to channel through the silky, siren-like vocals and pleasantly eerie bass and wire strung harp of Cheryl Wanner. Complementing Ms. Wanner is the tone sculptoring (sic) guitar playing of Frank Gerace. Together they are reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, but only for comparison's sake, as especially with this new release Dreamchild stands alone, and a cut above their predecessors. Scott Chesley of Northeast Performer adroitly states that Dreamchild "is so well constructed and alluring that the music commands with ease the space it occupies, hypnotically spinningæ a ghostly ambiance that bleeds and breathes'. Fragments of our own dreams and nightmares seem to flit like a firefly from the conjured scenes, called forth by sound to our own daydreams, hopes, fears. That major radio stations of the Northeast and beyond present live performances and airplay is no surprise. No need to spin the dial if you have a copy of La Fee Verte; it just may take you where you've never been before - except in dreams"

DREAMCHILD -La Fee Verte 2000
From E.A. Poe on their first album duo of Cheryl Wanner and Frank Gerace moved now to William Yeats themes which means that the band's music became less gloomy. Yeats verses sung in a short intro "The Stolen Child" perfectly set the mood for "La Fee Verte", very exquisite in its sparse easiness, Cheryl's voice sounds higher than before and in places reminds Michael Dunford's RENAISSANCE, the Haslam-less one. Ethereal effect comes more clear with ghostly guitar lines. Wordless vocalization surrounded by crystal sonic dew of "Capacocha" prefaces bodhran-adorned "Nimue" -
here's melody elusive yet at this point the line "absinthe tinted dreams" off "La Fee Verte" springs to mind because both the song and the album taste exactly like this. Incidental ballet music is "Nijinsky's Descent" - just a few freaks remember now the great dancer initially put in rock context by Marc Bolan. Both are long gone - isn't "Procession" a funeral? - but not forgotten. "The Blade" cuts slowly yet deep taking you away - "In The Night". Curtain's down."Lenan-Sidhe" bears Cheryl's double vocals, voice in low octave weaves some mantra behind high tones and that hypnotizes before "Pandora's Music Box" gets opened - through soaring paean "Your Eyes" - to release a child's nightmare of Lennon's "Cry Baby Cry". What a trick having a go not at the song as such but at that bit "Can You Take Me Back" in the beginning! DREAMCHILD shapes it somewhat surreal to match their lyrics that tend towards a real poetry and succeed, intertwining with classic allusions in short sketches like "Do Bats Eat Cats?" Carroll-esque quirky humour is a clue to many little doors on this progressive-gothic suite. So who's next - Blake, Keats or?..
****Dmitry M. Epstein
http://dme.freeservers.com/reviews.html

LET IT ROCK - DME Music Site (Israel)

DREAMCHILD -Gates To The Sea 1998
While DEAD CAN DANCE and Diamanda Galas seem to be the obvious reference points for the music of this duo, it takes a glance at the CD itself, not the inlay, to notice a quote from Edgar A. Poe to see there's more to the sparse canvas DREAMCHILD paint on. Cheryl Wanner's low voice and odd intonations framed by her wire strung harp and Frank Gerace's guitar lace sound as a cross between RENAISSANCE and Zappa doing Boulez. Annie Haslam's influence feels in the most melodic piece, "Through The Gate", where guitar takes over the harp to complement the voice and add some warmth to the overall freezing environment.From the dew-dropping crystal atmosphere of "Outside The Window" there are master's strokes throughout, harking back to the early Seventies art rock - spot the Frippian strumming in "Silver Brow" or Howe's touches on "Dream Within A Dream". Vocal performance little by little gets you hooked, especially when the voice gains rich textures - as in "Sea Horses" - revealing singer's passion for opera and ability to place it into pop context just like QUEEN did. Cheryl's bass remindful of ZEP's "No Quarter" paves the road for almost orchestral manouevres, nearly reaching the "Carmina Burana" dramatics. But this seriousness is decisive: one listening can't reveal all the humour put into moaning of "Speaking With The Dead" and mad laughter heard in "Sirens' Song", mesmerizing as the title suggests. The puzzle pieces fall into their places no earlier than the second spin when the whole picture appears. And it deserves to be seen. -Dmitry M. Epstein,
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"Gates to the Sea" by Dreamchild is also deeply affecting. The ghost of Dead Can Dance is summoned up. Cheryl Wanner's keenings, laughter and odd intonations place her alongside Diamanda Galas as a vocal idiosyncratic. She's perfectly complimented by Frank Gerace's Frippian guitar. Intuitive music-making of a high order.

Moving with a natural ease through their songs, the dreamy duo of Dreamchild, Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner, captivate with their melodic and rhythmic sounds, spinning dark, glittering web strings around the fog-and-darkness atmostphere of their music. In a whirlwind of harp notes, beautiful lyrics,and the occasional descending of a few edgy guitar pieces, Dreamchild's CD "Gates to the Sea" is sure to measure up to higher expectations. Cheryl's vocals are similar to those of techno-pixie Bjork as they soar above the ambient orchestration (both modern and classical) of the penetrating, stormy sound of the music. But her voice is unique; it is heartbreakingly pure and dreamy, and at the same time, rich, strong and almost motherly, like that of a mystical goddess of the ocean mists and white shores that one might imagine while listening to Dreamchild. Children of dreams and nightmares alike will delight in listening to the twelve song release and its holistic, soothing yet still strong intricacies inside the skillfully performed songs.

"Gates to the Sea" starts off with "Outside the Window", containing an ocean of emotions expressed through music that falls and lifts itself gracefully, and singing that follows the same pattern with an equal amount of careful grace. "Speaking with the Dead" starts out with an eerily beautiful, near primal and slightly dreary but never dull landscape of sound, and fades into "Silver Brow", which, while indulging in a repeating chorus, has a stronger, more forceful feel than the previous track. It also has a few distant-sounding, slightly mournful guitar pieces falling over the surreal darkness of the other sounds. Next, "Seahorses" has an edgy beginning, and around thirteen seconds into the song there's a piece which might make a listener think of A Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran", but it fades away rather suddenly and gives way to ethereal, almost chanted lyrics. Rather, it ends up sounding like meaningful prose set to the tune of that A Flock of Seagulls track reversed. Other interesting pieces of this work are "Steel Tomb", a tale told above rumbling guitars; Also, "Murias II" provides a rippling, blissful instrumental addition to the CD, and "Down from the Air" contains slightly distorted vocals in the beginning which sink into a feeling of utter dreaminess.

Dreamchild's release is most definitely worth a listen, especially for listeners who thirst for new, unique sounds. Those who appreciate the music of Vast and Madonna's "Ray of Light" era material will love the unique, ambient shadows and textures of "Gates to the Ses".

"I was really surprised by this album; snap-judging from the cover art and liner photos, I was expecting neoRenaissance sweet stuff. Though occasionally effusive, but certainly not"sweet" per se, I would dare use the term "neo Renaissance" to remark only on a couple tracks here. Dreamchild is actually quite psychedelic, occasionally exotic, and darkly experimental. Cheryl Wanner's vocals are the central aspect of the music, often powerful and raw with emotion (e.g."Sea Horses" and"Steel Tomb"), but they also emerge gentle and light ("Murias I and II" and "Sirens' Song"). In addition to her talents as a singer, you'll also hear Wanner growl, scream and laugh at points on Gates To The Sea, dramatically enhancing the lyrics or music itself - thankfully, enough to do so without taking it over the proverbial top. Her voice is complemented by the eerie drones and jangling harmonies of Frank Gerace's guitars. Throughout the album, both members take up other instruments as well, including harp, rainstick and a variety of percussion. Gates To The Sea proves considerable creativity on the part of Dreamchild. I don't even know who I could compare them to for reference, but that should be considered a positive comment."

"This kicks serious goth/ambient ass! Dreamchild is a duo of Cheryl Wanner (vocals, bass, harp, percussion) and Frank Gerace (guitars, rainsticks, drum). Imagine Gitane (Christian Death) meets Diamanda Galas meets Enya and you have Dreamchild in a Renaissance-goth nutshell. (Yes, I like Enya, so drum me out of the cool-goth- chica sorrority). This is a CD I would actually plunk down the bucks to buy if I had to. Wanner sometimes sings and sometimes howls against Gerace's backdrop of ambient/Renaissance music. Well worth the time. I hope Dreamchild comes out with more stuff."

"A debut album always remains a mystery until it finds an appreciative audience. In Gates To The Sea, Cheryl Wanner and Frank Gerace create a musical tapestry of fluid images reminiscent of Taliesin, Poe and the truly great surrealists of Post-Impressionism in the graphic arts. Their poetic mediums are voice, bass, wire-strung harp, guitar and highly tuned genius. Their dreamsculpting follows the rolling waves, taking the listener (aye, traveler) away from the temporal and into the spiritual eternal. In yin/yang fashion, lilting rifts of musical sweet dreams may be followed by the clamor of garish nightmares. The hauntingly beautiful voice of Wanner, thanks to training and innate talent, reaches into the depths and reminds us that the sea is a source of life as well as a liquid burial place, the tale of the Titanic remembered.

This CD may not be suitable for the squeamish because at times the conjured visions and emotions are as chilling as the waters below an iceberg. For the brave and appreciative, it is more than the freshest, techno-digital compilation on the market, it is traditionally inspired music with a generous serving of artistic competency of the highest order"

"It is always a pleasure to play Dreamchild. Your CD is gorgeous."

" At times gothic and haunting, Dreamchild utilizes the arcane vocals of Cheryl Wanner and the textural, adventurous multi-instrumental work of Frank Gerace to create stunningly visual music; well-conceived and brilliantly executed. Gates To The Sea weaves mesmerizing, evocative and otherworldly soundscapes.

Intro track "Outside The Window", featuring Wanner's wire-strung harp and low-throated baroque vocals settles like a psilocybin rush on the heart; exhilaration in slow motion...like a tea party for Grace Slick at Edgar Allen Poe's place.

Gates To The Sea takes great chances with its construction of an alternate sonic reality. The red-velvet psychedelia and timeless aural pastiche of pieces such as "Murias II" and "Sea Horses" require of the listener one key concession: suspension of skepticism. The good news is that Dreamchild makes it painless. Gates is so well-constructed (and alluring) that the music commands with ease the space the it occupies, hypnotically spinning a ghostly ambience that bleeds and breathes."

"I've played a cut from this CD every week since it came out and will continue to until it's too old to be a new release. And then I'll still play stuff from it regularly because it's a really good CD."

"Having listened to your CD twice, I'd like to say--Will you still be my friends after someone important realizes how good this stuff is?"

"Beautiful vocals with nice guitar loops, bass and percussion. Some of these pieces are really haunting. Give it a listen."

"The members of Dreamchild are greatly concerned with the sea, as might be inferred from the title of their debut album. Cheryl Wanner's lyrics approach the sea both of itself and as a metaphor for the deeper unconscious, supported by her bass and delicate wire-strung harp. Guitarist Frank Gerace crafts a sonic palette which owes more to whalesong and horses (Sea Horses) that typical guitar-hero tonalities, although hints of the latter emerge at times. Together, the two create aural spaces which ebb and flow, pulse and breathe (aided and abetted by the overall lack of percussion). The lyrical content tends toward a Gothic darkness overall, culminating in their three song "Titanic" suite (Steel Tomb, Murias II and Down From The Air). The duo entwines strands of Celtic myth tradition in several songs, particularly "Silver Brow", in which Cerridwen prophecies the coming of Taliesin/Gwion Bach. Don't expect dance music, but definitely check this out for engaging, emotionally responsive musice.

Scott's picks: "Sea Horses" and "Through The Gate"

Dreamchild was founded just a couple of years ago by the veteran etheral art-rockers Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner from the ashes of their previous band, Nine Lives. This former band had gone through an extensive evolution in sound and concept carrying them through the confused New Wave 80s and into the Jaded 90s. Dreamchild represents the next step in musical evolution. The influences are still keenly felt. Drawing lyrical inspiration from the likes of Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe and Clive Barker, Cheryl Wanner's voice and words have never been in better form than on this disc. Gerace's Frippean approach to guitar has earned him critical acclaim and even a blurb in Guitar Player (!!!!)

Dreamchild embraces sonic textures and brings them to the forefront, in a way that sounds regal, yet naive. Perhaps this is a function of the fact that this album was recorded entirely on their own in their home. The homemade quality seems to only be to the detriment of the band in "Outside The Window" (the vocals are a little too out front) and in "Speaking With The Dead" (Wanner's voice is pitch shifted and warbled, sounding like something from a classic Star Trek episode). When you get past these trivial little nits, the tracks remaining get truly enthralling. The sonic landscapes are reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, Renaissance and Pearls Before Swine, yet with a postmodern edge. Wanner's harp playing gives the music a timeless quality, and by the middle of the album the music has sucked you in. "Murias II" and "Down From The Air" show the whole concept of Dreamchild at its best. Both songs are part of a trilogy inspired by the sinking of the Titanic, written a couple of years before Leo DiCaprio made that ocean liner a household word. My only nit-pick here is that the first of the duo's "Titanic Trilogy of Terror" just cries out for drums or machine or some kind of clanging for this rather hard edged rock tune. The other two songs are reminiscent of the Gavin Briar soundtrack from a recent Titanic documentary. At any rate I would rather listen to this than Celine Dion anyday."

" I promise never to moan about how some of my music is too offbeat for widestream acceptance. You make me sound like the Spice Girls"

"Astonishing. I listen to this music while I write."

This is what we'd get if someone arrived in 1565 with a Roland VS880 and a VG8, and an earful of crimson, bach and hendrix!!Cool patches, very orchestral, well composed stuff with midieval (midi-evil??) vocals, sometimes rem of diamanda galas or dead can dance.

" A Titanic CD!. The ship has sailed and its a winner! Its really great! The best ever! Rave!!Rave!!Thanks for sharing your wonderful music."

What unique trippy music. I am going to share your music with the DJs so they can be familiar with it, too.

The strongest point is mood and atmosphere..Sea Horses is like this sea sorceress-invocation to Neptune,,,it is beautiful, stunning. I did listen twice and played in my mind with your low long sonic tides. Awesome guitar work there.... a powerful work of art.

"The tape is a gem...Is this what Jimi Hendrix and Sandy Denny would have sounded like together?

"Cheryl is in excellent voice. Much of it (Gates To The Sea) has an ethereal quality that always appeals to me in non-commercial ventures. Some favorites that come to mind are Through The Gate, Sea Horses, Dream Within A Dream and Steel Tomb."

"I received your CD in the mail today and I've been listening obsessively to it for the past five hours or so. This is great stuff! Cheryl's vocals are amazing, and I'm really into the textures you're getting on the VG8."

I REALLY like the loop in "Sea Horses" - that electric guitar 'horse whinny' thing is GREAT. what was best about your CD is that everything was about SONGS! You could very easily have made a showcase for your obviously enormous chops, but you practiced what so many people only preach-restraint."

"Having seen Dreamchild play live a few times, I was expecting trippy-spooky tales of the drowned and the deathless, awash in a tempest of weird guitar effects and encrusted with half-recognizable deposits of recycled myths.

I'd already galloped with the wildly dipping and circling Sea Horses and hung on for dear life once again, plunging through the shivering cold depths in slow motion. I'd followed the 'Drink Me' instructions and wandered barefoot Through The Gate and in a Dream Within A Dream, and only shuddered a little at the persistent tapping from inside the Steel Tomb. I've been here, I can do this.

I wasn't looking for vampires, or for old lady Cerridwen caterwauling curses sizzling with venom. I certainly wasn't expecting to giggle at the bobbling bodies of silly sailors, fools that they are for a pretty song. Never having visited Murias, I was surprised to be offended at the intrusion by all that falling junk (what IS that thing? Look out!). I have no doubt Cheryl Wanner is indeed Speaking With The Dead. I just hope she doesn't scare them to life."