Who Would Score Your Fantasy Movie?

The dragon-like belly blast of a steam engine sounds as a faded red curtain slowly climbs upward, raised to reveal a Victorian-era world, awash with sepia and brass tones. Airships sputter and glide across the sky, though not the type of ships we might imagine in this alternate age. No, these ships are great and mighty schooners that have mated with hot air balloons and blimps. Zeppelins: The beautiful abominations of the skies - they seem to defy all laws of physics and yet, somehow, they are there. They are right. This is their home. Their world.

They belong.

Another important aspect that would belong in my neo-Victorian movie is the popular Steampunk band, Abney Park. Their combination of tribal drum beats, keening electric violin and amazing vocals weaves a sound that is hypnotic and most-assuredly the embodiment of what steampunk music should be. A mixture of old and new, it's hard to listen to this band and not imagine a breathtaking and eerie clockwork world. Each of their songs tell a story and, despite their lack of music videos, the band just screams of a desire to bring dream into reality. Oh but to let one's imagination run wild!

Abney Park: The Crew

According to the Abney Park website, the band gained control of the HMS Ophelia (a time-traveling dirigible created by Dr. Leguminous Calgori) after it collided with their modern-day airplane during a freakish storm. The original captain was propelled out the window and so the band commandeered the vessel and decided to become airship pirates, creating a new band from the survivors of the two vessels. The story of Abney Park, the crew of the HMS Ophelia, is told through a collection of mesmerizing songs that are inspired by the Steampunk and Neo-Victorian sub-culture.

The Crew is as follows:

"Captain" Robert Brown - Robert "Captain" Brown is the original founder of Abney Park, as well as the lead vocalist and the creator/augmentor of many of the band's unique Steampunk instruments. In addition to writing and arranging the music for Abney Park, Captain Robert also plays darbuka, diatonic button accordion and the harmonica.

Kristina Erickson - The lovely wife of "Captain" Robert, this blond and buxom beauty plays Tesla-powered keyboards and piano for the band. According to their tale, it was she and Captain Robert who survived from the modern airplane and meshed with the remaining crew of the HMS Ophelia.

Nathaniel Johnstone - Sporting a chic kilt and a wild headdress of belts and straps, Nathaniel is the violin/guitar/and mandolin player for the group, as well as their chief banjo plucker.

Daniel Cederman - Playing some funky flintlock bass and acoustic guitar for the band, Daniel's blogs about various Abney Park adventures are a must-read.

Jody Ellen - Jody Ellen's uniquely beautiful voice lends itself well to the music of Abney Park as their lovely female vocalist.

Abney Park: The Projects

Originally starting out as a goth band in 1997, Abney Park made the switch over to Steampunk in 2006. To date, they have released 11 albums and are widely sought for various Steampunk and Sci-fi conventions. Their sound is undescribable; somehow meshing gothic ambience with steampunk flair and world beats. Live shows often involve aerial shows, belly dancers and hoards of screaming fans.

If you're looking for some amazing examples of unique tunes, I highly recommend songs such as "Victorian Vigilante" and "Until the Day You Die." Bring an open mind to this music table and you'll find yourself transported to an exciting new age.

In addition to creating musical masterpieces, Abney Park has also been working on a tabletop role-playing game that is inspired by the band's story and their music. Set in 2150, gamers can adventure as airship pirates in a world that is still recovering from the Great Apocalypse of 1906. "Airship Pirates," the role-playing game, is set for release in August of 2011.