Movement is important to Yvonne Ambrée. Born behind the wall in East Berlin, she knows better than most about the meaning of boundaries and borders. Under the name Panteon, she makes music which aims to break down such barriers, inspired by travel and a desire to explore musical forms. Although based in Brooklyn, Ambrée is constantly on the move and, having just toured Germany and the Netherlands she is this week playing her first shows in Italy. Travel informs her music, with the seeds for ‘January Keeper’ sown between Prague and Berlin. “The melody for ‘January Keeper’ came while taking a short three-day trip to Prague a few years ago,” she said. “While walking over the Charles Bridge a melody just came into my head and I recorded it quick. Months later when I was in Berlin I took the train to the studio one morning and read this article about a man slowly but gradually losing his sight. The morning sky looked like a beautiful purple dust and I thought about how tragic it would be to lose the ability to see and how much we take it for granted. Back at the studio I remembered the melody and wrote the song in less than an hour.”
If you happen to be in Italy, whet your appetite for this weekend’s shows by listening to this live session of ‘January Keeper’. And if you’re not in Italy, you can probably assume this restless wanderer is heading your way soon.
Live dates
April 14 – Secret Show – Novara, Italy
April 15 – Groove – Lugo, Italy
April 16 – Espresso Italia, Pinerolo, Italy