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Shrouded in mystery, classical crossover string quartet
Eklipse transform pop, alternative, and soundtrack favorites into lushly arranged pieces that capture the essence of each original. Formed in 2012 after a chance meeting at a festival in St. Petersburg, Russia,
Eklipse are comprised of four German artists: violinists Miss E. and Scarlett, cellist Helena, and the aptly named
Viola on that eponymous instrument. They issued their debut LP,
A Night in Strings, in 2013. The collection included covers of alternative favorites from
Linkin Park and
Depeche Mode, pop hits from
Coldplay,
Lady Gaga, and
Justin Timberlake, and classics from
David Bowie and
Kate Bush. They went on tour with
Nightwish, receiving additional support from bands outside the classical sphere like
Kamelot and the Mission. They expanded their reach on their follow-up, Electric Air, incorporating
Adele,
Massive Attack,
Muse,
Empire of the Sun,
the Clash,
the Eurythmics,
Florence + the Machine, and even
Sia and
David Guetta's dance smash "Titanium." For their third effort, Liberte, Egalite, Sensualite,
Eklipse drew inspiration from France. The EP presented a range of French favorites, from
Debussy's "Clair de Lune" and the 1965
France Gall/
Serge Gainsbourg hit "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son" to
Les Rita Mitsouko's '80s single "Marcia Baila" and the 2001
Noir Desir/
Manu Chao song "Le Vent Nous Portera." In late 2016, the quartet unveiled their version of the classic "Carol of the Bells." ~ Neil Z. Yeung