Search - Berntholer :: Merry Lines in the Sky

LTM are proud to announce the first CD by Berntholer, the Belgian band whose classic 1984 single My Suitor remains a firm cult favourite. Berntholer formed in Brussels in late 1981 around Albanian-born singer Drita Kotaji, joined by Simon Rigot, Pol Fourmois and Manu Poutte. Their curious name was taken from a line spoken in the song Attention Stockholm by kitsch Swedish chanteuse Virna Lindt. In 1982 the band released their first single on the tiny Putovsky label, which paired Japanese Garden with The Others. The following year Berntholer made waves in several European countries with their second single, My Suitor, a haunting cello-led torch song initially released on Blue Feather. In the UK, the single became an enduring favourite of legendary BBC radio DJ John Peel. During 1984 and 1985 Berntholer recorded a superb third single, the folky You Grabbed Me by the Hand, as well as many excellent demo tracks which revealed a unique and highly individual collective talent at work. However a combination of bad luck and internal dissent meant that no further music was released on record until now, that is. The enhanced CD gathers together all Berntholer studio recordings made between 1983 and 1985, and also includes an extended QuickTime mpeg audio visual section featuring video clips for My Suitor, Exterior Nuit and The Choice. The artwork includes detailed sleevenotes and archive photos.