An Pierle and White Velvet

'White Velvet' suggests something beautiful and cold, something dazzling, yet perhaps found underground, innocence and experience - a cross between Snow White and Nico. 'White Velvet' is also the 3rd album from a very special artist who has successfully thrived in the cultural "otherworld" of Europe, without quite breaking through in the UK or America.

There have been hints of interest, such as Time Out enthusing about An Pierle's "twisted, fragile pop in a strange, black pearl" or Q magazine concluding "…huge in Ghent - the world may follow suit." But few fans or writers have journeyed to Belgium to discover Pierle singing in front of an orchestra or sitting on a transparent ball, always moving as she hits the notes on her piano.

If they arrived today, they'd find this gifted pianist and singer with a band also called White Velvet, as her sound continues to mutate, eating up all her previous experiments to create something new, incredibly fresh and inarguably exciting.

Pop hooks are cast throughout, but just as important are the subtle things happening in the margins of the songs, as An Pierle and her band White Velvet have created an album that reveals new ideas and textures with each listen.

Written with her co-songwriter and arranger Koen Gisen, 'White Velvet' draws broader strokes upon a more expansive canvas, featuring string quartets, a mellotron, the live band and a whole range of instruments, big and small.

Pierle's '99 debut 'Mud Stories', though piano based, is closer in spirit to Devendra Banhart or Coco Rosie than Kate Bush or Tori Amos, and is arguably one of the most experimental song-based piano albums of all time. The follow up, 'Helium Sunset' ['02 ], introduced guitar-driven indie pop songs nestling alongside brooding and stark tracks. The ghosts of Brian Eno and Nick Cave can be glimpsed in the sound, but it remains an alluring and oddly sinister journey.

'White Velvet' is a combination of everything Pierle and Gisen have experienced and absorbed so far, but blended into a distinctive style. It has the energy of Pierle's debut 'Mud Stories' and the dark, twisted sophistication of follow up 'Helium Sunset', while pushing further ahead with more driving rhythms and sweeter harmonies - in short, the sound of a new band.

"…beautiful, touching, dazzling, honest, sweet, theatrical, raw, furious, horny and wild! I am a man in love!"
- Houbi.com

An Pierle and White Velvet are one of the Top 25 artists in 'Rolling Stone Magazine's Best Bands on MySpace.com 2007'!