Rome is a Luxembourgish neofolk band founded in November 2005 as a main output for the songs of Jérôme Reuter (born August 2nd, 1981)[3][4] of Luxembourg.[5] Though Reuter is the main creative force in the band, he performs live with a range of musicians who also contribute performances on various studio recordings. In early 2006 Rome was signed to the Swedish record label Cold Meat Industry. Rome has since signed with the Trisol Music Group record label as of 2009. Rome is considered one of the most important acts within the neofolk genre.[6][7]
Background
Reuter previously recorded music under the name Reggie Fain, which was influenced by Tom Waits.[4] He was also a member of an Oi! band[8] called the Skinflicks,[9] and a post-punk band called Mack Murphy and the Inmates,[6] where he performed under the name Mack Murphy.[4]
Reuter's first recording as Rome was the EP Berlin, which was recorded in Patrick Damiani's studio in Germany in December 2005.[10] Damiani, a sound engineer, has been considered a full-time member of Rome since 2008.[11][12] In 2009, violinist Nikos Mavridis joined the group,[12] although he left after being conscripted into the Greek military.[3]
Rome has had live performances featuring Die Weisse Rose on drums.[13]
Musical style
According to Paul Simpson, the band's sound combines "military drumming and horns with atmospheric electronic textures and ethereal acoustic guitars, as well as samples and poetic lyrics often relating to war-related themes, as well as more universal topics such as love, pain, and death."[5] Many of his albums have historical themes, such as Flowers From Exile and A Passage to Rhodesia, which focus on the Spanish and Rhodesian Civil Wars, respectively.[14] Reuter has cited Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré, Albert Camus, Ernst Jünger, and Jean Genet as influences on his music and lyrics.[15][16]
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