The Breath of Life (band)

Or perhaps it is better just to think of The Breath of Life as they created a very personal sound.The group was born in 1985 in Gembloux when Isabelle Dekeyser (vocals), Philippe Mauroy (guitar) and Benoît Sokay (bass) met up for the first time.

In 1990, with the arrival of Giovanni Bortolin (keyboards & violin – ex Jo Lemaire + Flouze) and the decision to use a Drum machine the group began to get foothold and refined its musical style.

This first production is followed the same year by the first studio album Painful Insanity recorded by Gilles Martin,[4] cult producer of Coldwave (Minimal Compact, Tuxedomoon, Anna Domino, Colin Newman, Malaria, The Names, ... and in other styles Deus, Miossec or Indochine).

[1] "The songs are endearing and energetic, with the bass well forward, nerve guitars, original use of the violin, electronic stormy moods and sometimes lyrical, sometimes angry voices" as describes in the book "Carnets Noirs" in the chapter on the Dark-Wave international scene.

[6] Albums Everlasting Souls (2005) and Whispering Fields (2012)[7][8][9] marked a return to more gothic atmospheres, the abandonment of the drum machine and the arrival of drummer Marc Haerden.

[14] However, two members of the band travelled to France and met Gilles Martin for the final mix when rules in regards to COVID-19 allowed it.

The group performed in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.