The Beauty of Gemina Retrospective III: Stripped
Ahead of their 10th studio album, «Songs of Homecoming», we explore The Beauty of Gemina’s history, development, and sound in a three-part retrospective.
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I′m standing at the crossroadsThere are many roads to takeBut I stand here so silentlyFor fear of a mistakeOne path leads to paradiseOne path leads to painOne path leads to freedomThey all look the same.
The Swiss band The Beauty of Gemina is about to release their 10th album, Songs of Homecoming. Before the record’s arrival, I listened to the previous albums again, revising firmly held opinions and sharing past experiences with the band.
For this retrospective series, I went through old backup drives and folders and recovered some material that is no longer available online or has never been published. Today, the third and final part is available.
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In May 2016, The Beauty of Gemina did something bold: Announcing their upcoming album, Minor Sun, the single Crossroads was released.
It was daring because it was a cover version of Calvin Russell’s 1991 song; a sure instinct is essential because cover versions are a double-edged sword. They either plunge straight into the listener’s heart—or you stumble and fall into the blade yourself.
But Crossroads’ theme perfectly represented the band’s place at that time. When the song was released, I wrote: