ART NOIR is the project of German film composer Jan Weber and singer/writer Nadine Stelzer (aka Nadja Delajura), based in Salem, Germany. Jan is a former keyboardist of the darkwave/neo-classical group Impressions of Winter, which he co-founded in the mid-1990s in Stuttgart.
The project's roots go back to 1996, when the debut single Hinter der Nacht appeared on the Saille Compilation — recorded with Cubase on an Atari and a Korg Wavestation SR. After a co-production with Carlos Perón (co-founder of Yello), Art Noir released Flügel and Silent Green, blending dark ambient textures with cinematic soundscapes and industrial elements.
In 2015, Jan was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He had just begun laying down the framework for a new album when he was still able to move his fingers. As the disease progressed, he completed the recording over five years using an assistive eye-tracking communication device. The production, mixing and mastering were supported by Thomas Navas (Lost in the Void) and Stefan Vesper (Steve Dragon, In Strict Confidence).
The result, Poems of an Extinct Species, was released in January 2021 on Aenaos Records - Art Noir's first album in over a decade. The album unfolds a compelling story through Nadine Stelzer's ethereal vocals and thought-provoking lyrics, exploring the vulnerability and wound-inflicting ability of the human species within an anthropological-ecological framework.
ART NOIR connects melancholic melodies to brute industrial sounds: powerful, marching music meets the tender voice of Nadine Stelzer, whose vocals contrast with the music and give it a warm and comfortable note. The records develop a unique atmosphere - listening is like watching a good film: every time you replay it, you will discover new details.
In 2024, Art Noir re-released Hinter der Nacht as a standalone single, bringing the project full circle back to its origins.
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Discography
