Paul Anthony and Jim Roditis have been active in the underground music scene in Ottawa and Toronto Canada for over a decade, releasing music on dozens of international labels. The duo recently joined forces as TOUCHED FABLES to write and produce "A Thousand Goodbyes", which features Darkwave tracks built on a skeleton of dusty 1980s drum machines, minimal synths, and ghostly guitars.
About
A move half way across a province, along with the death of two parents
was the unexpected catalyst for the formation of TOUCHED FABLES.
"We both lost a parent in the last year, but once things settled down
and Jim moved to Ottawa, it wasn't long before we started talking
about working together on something new. Any time you lose someone
you love, you tend to pause and re-examine where you are in life.
It felt natural to try something different." says Anthony.
Their debut album "A Thousand Goodbyes", evokes cold sepia tones,
brooding loss, and is steeped in half remembered nostalgia.
"We obviously want the material to resonate with a sense of purity and authenticity, while avoiding having it feeling contrived or maudlin.
I think we achieved that." says Anthony.
REVIEWS / INTERVIEWS
Featured Artist: Touched Fables - September 16th 2023
Modern Dark Music - Dark Wave | Post Punk | Cold Wave | Goth Rock - January 18th 2024
Modern Dark Music - Dark Wave | Post Punk | Cold Wave | Goth Rock - July 20th 2024
Full Biography / EPK
A move half way across a province, along with the death of two parents was the unexpected catalyst for the formation of TOUCHED FABLES.
Paul Anthony and Jim Roditis have been friends for years, and talked almost daily while being separated by a four and a half hour drive. The pair are both seasoned producers, who independently release techno and other forms of electronic music on various international labels. They have collaborated with each other as well as shared the bill at several shows and festivals over the years.
"We both lost a parent in the last year, but once things settled down and Jim moved to Ottawa, it wasn't long before we started talking about working together on something new. Any time you lose someone you love, you tend to pause and re-examine where you are in life. It felt natural to try something different." says Anthony.
Working outside their comfort zones, Roditis was tasked with writing synth lines, drum patterns, and playing guitar. Anthony provided synths and drum machine patterns while writing lyrics and picking up a microphone for the first time. "It was daunting at first" says Anthony. "But we both quickly settled into our new roles and tracks were completed at a ridiculous pace. It was scary how fast and how well everything fell into place. We knew we were onto something, so going full speed ahead kept us from getting bogged down second guessing ourselves. I think it benefitted the album in the end."
Their debut album "A Thousand Goodbyes", evokes cold sepia tones, brooding loss, and is steeped in half remembered nostalgia. Roditis: "We quickly came upon the idea of writing an album we wish we could have made as teenagers, but obviously had no means to create. Tapping into those awkward years where you attempted to navigated new relationships, and often had your soul crushed. " As a result, simple drum machines and the ghosts of early 1980s home studio productions were conjured as the blueprint across the disc. This is a record with one foot unashamedly planted in the past.
Anthony: "We all have a teenage memory of a time and place when we were dealing with traumatic personal issues, while simultaneously being conscious of our own insignificance in the world. With this album, we hope to instill a sense of community within the minds of the listener. It boils down to letting people know they are not alone in their past experiences and memories. Learning of shared experiences can often bring closure for those who have been carrying things around for years. It's up to the listener to choose to seek anything out of it, or to simply enjoy it as something to dance to. I know I personally worked through a lot of issues writing this album."
The duo were also mindful while producing the record to allow for the opportunity to take these songs to the stage. "From day one, we made sure to simplify, document, and be wary of the pitfalls of playing this material live versus just having an album made from studio trickery. It would have been easy to cheat and use the latest technology to fine tune every millisecond of audio, but we chose the more difficult path. When we play these tracks for an audience, they will hear a wonderfully accurate representation of what you will find on the album. We're proud of that." say Roditis.
"Jim and I were very careful and deliberate while making this album, refining the artwork and multitude of references that are embedded within. It's no easy task while tackling about such weighty subjects. We obviously want the material to resonate with a sense of purity and authenticity, while avoiding having it feeling contrived or maudlin. I think we achieved that." says Anthony.
Production Notes
• Recording sessions for "A Thousand Goodbyes" began on Thursday November 7th 2022 and ended on Friday March 3rd 2023.
• The album is purposefully the exact same length as David Sylvian's 1984 debut solo album "Brilliant Trees".
• The liner notes include photographs of both producers at the age of 17, as well as a high school yearbook photo of Anthony's
girlfriend at the time. She was killed along with her new boyfriend in a traffic accident in February 1993.
• The album contains references to Lords Of The New Church, David Sylvian, Ultravox, Portishead, Talk Talk, The Fixx, Gary Numan, English poet Robert Graves, as well as to the very first album Anthony ever bought, Split Enz's "Time and Tide".
"It was important to me to return to the absolute literal starting point of my love for music."
• The single backlit window on the cover is a metaphor for the people the band have lost, with a funeral bouquet on the reverse.
• The band name TOUCHED FABLES is a reference to a lyric off Brooklyn producer El-P's 2002 album "Fantastic Damage".
• While writing the album, Anthony was reading Martyn Ware's autobiography "Electronically Yours - Volume 1".
• The final album track count was capped at 10, in keeping with the Pythagorean theory of ten being a number of perfection or completeness.
• Anthony kept the fact he was a singer / songwriter on this project a secret from his wife, working late at night or while she was out of the house. His role was only later revealed to her at their inaugural live gig.
Podcasts / Support / Radio Airplay
Candace Nelson / Candyshop 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Path Eternal / September 1st 2023
Martha Walsh / Mar's Local Connection / 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / Sept 5th 2023
Jeff Larocque / Thursday Special Blend - 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables Interview - Altitude Low & Only You Could Know & Children Of Darkness / Sept 7th 2023
BRUTAL RESONANCE / TOUCHED FABLES - A THOUSAND GOODBYES Album review / Sept 8th 2023
POST PUNK / By the Sea and Within the Brilliant Trees — Canadian Darkwave Duo Touched Fables Debut Video for “Only You Could Know” / Sept 11th 2023
Pasquale Meta ( Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy) / Sound Streams / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / Sept 11th 2023
Achilleas C. / ElektroSpank Radio Show (Athens, Greece) / Darkwaveradio.net / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / Sept 12th 2023
Andrew Pakuts (Ottawa, CAN) / Lost in Bass / Episode 374 / Touched Fables / 93.1 FM CKCU / Chillloverradio.net / Sept 12th 2023
Flatlines Radio - (Bremen, Germany) / Touched Fables Interview repost / September 12th 2023
Candace Nelson / Candyshop 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Memories Without Sight / Sep 15th 2023
Christopher Miller (Gainsville Forida, USA) / Cold Minimal Darkwave / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / Sep 15th 2023
Dark Soul Radio Episode: 152 (USA)/ Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / Sept 16th 2023
Ricardo Lopes / Contatos Imediatos 106 - 21.9.2023 fwr.radio (São Paulo, BR) / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / Sep 21st 2023
kgardner1987 / Your First Listen Friday (Fargo, North Dakota, US) (89.1 KNNZ FM) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / September 22nd 2023
Infectious Unease Radio #1544 / 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis USA) / Touched Fables - Memories Without Sight / Sept 23rd 2023
Foxx Crowley / The Gothic Sanctuary Italian Community / (Massa, Italy) / Touched Fables Album link / Sept 27th 2023
Ricardo Lopes / Nova Safra / fwr.radio (São Paulo, BR) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / September 28th 2023
Candace Nelson / Candyshop 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Altitude Low / Sept 29th 2023
Mistress McCutchan / Prophecy - Psalms (Toronto, CAN) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / Sept 29th 2023
Music On - World Off / Flyflewradio / (Rosenheim, Germany) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / Sept 30th 2023
HOT BUT DARK (The Hit-Mix Of The Alternative Charts)/ Flyflewradio (Rosenheim, Germany) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / October 5th 2023
Eins Zwei Drei Vier! w/ DJ Datafreq + SuperJen / Houndstooth (Toronto, CAN) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / October 6th 2023
Myk Fused / The Fused Wireless Programme (23.41) / Big Satsuma Radio (Blackpool, Lake District Radio, Morecambe UK)/ Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / October 6th 2023
Jeden Sonntag / DAS DUNKLE ALPHABET - THE DARK ALPHABET (Music from A-Z) / Flyflewradio (Rosenheim, Germany) / Touched Fables / October 8th 2023
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / October 8th 2023
Gilbert Lachance #604 From Extreme To Another / CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Altitude Low & Cold Arms / October 17th 2023
Gilbert Lachance #605 From Extreme To Another (Ottawa, CAN) / CHUO 89.1 FM / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / October 24th 2023
HAIL SATAN Halloween Party / House of Targ (Ottawa ON) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / October 27th 2023
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Children Of Darkness / October 29th 2023
Infectious Unease Radio #1550 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis USA) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / October 31st 2023
Tinnitist (Winnipeg, CAN) / Touched Fables Bid A Thousand Goodbyes To The Lost / Album review / November 6th 2023
Eric Mulligan (Ottawa, CAN) / Episode #124 of PositronicRadio / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 6th 2023
Angel In The Dark (Athens, Greece) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms & Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
Petr Pie (Sternberg, Czech Republic) / Music of the 21st century / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 7th 2023
Giorgos Gratsias (Athens, Greece) / Dreamcatcher / ICE PLANET (LA Band) and all things Post-Punk, Goth, 80s and Darkwave / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
Ofra Gaya Nezer / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
Jessica Yvonne van Brenk (Utrecht, NLD) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 7th 2023
Darkhorseman82 (Australia) / Darkwave/Coldwave\New Wave/Synth\Post Punk/Random / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
Into Darkness (Italy)/ Dark Circle Group Playlist / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
pino'cleen (Florida, USA) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 7th 2023
hollagramzz (Riverside California, USA)/ July/August / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 7th 2023
Danica Radityo (Los Gatos California, USA) / UniqueMuzique / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 7th 2023
ChristianDeathInJune (Kassel, Germany) / 23.Favorite / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 7th 2023
INFINITE CEILING with Colin & Emily (Ottawa, CAN) / 93.1 FM CKCU / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / November 9th 2023
DJ Wildhoney (Tienen, Belgium) DARK SIGNS 022 / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / November 9th 2023
I Die - You Die (Vancouver, CAN) OBSERVER / TOUCHED FABLES album review / November 10th 2023
Greg Death (Germany) / Dance on your Grave / 2023.11.11C Body of Evidence / Touched Fables - Cold Arms & Nothing Undone / November 11th 2023
Maurizio Rizzo (Black Ossian) (Milan, Italy) / Voice of Silence / *New Releases November 2023* / darkitalia.com/radio/ Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 13th 2023
Infectious Unease Radio #1552 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis, USA) / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / November 14th 2023
White Light // White Heat (Turin, Italy) Weekly Post-Punk #45 / Dark Synth Tips / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 14th 2023
DJ TPK (Sweden) / EBM/Industrial/Futurepop/Synthpop/Goth Preparty bangers v.45 2023 / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 14th 2023
DJ Reverie / PSTRNC / Episode 124 of #PositronicRadio (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 23rd 2023
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / November 26th 2023
DJ Eurydice (Strassburg, France) / D.A.S (Dark Alternative Sound) #56 Live Vidéo Mix/ Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / November 28th 2023
Infectious Unease Radio #1554 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis, USA) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / November 29th 2023
Hans Helwinden (Kharkov, Ukraine) / DARKWAVE, COLDWAVE, DARK ELECTRO EVENING [COMPILATION 10] / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / November 29th 2023
Dave Rout / Shatterproof w/ DJ Datafreq / Vinyl set at Ground Control (Toronto, CAN) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / December 1st 2023
Adrian Medina / Dec 2023 / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / December 3rd 2023
DJ Black / All Dark Music / Isolation Radio EP. 154 (Tampa, US) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / December 5th 2023
DJ Gozz / The Outsider Collective / Swizzles Bar and Grill (Ottawa, CAN) / Retro Underground / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / December 9th 2023
Infectious Unease Radio #1556 / 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis USA) / Touched Fables - Altitude Low / December 12th 2023
Gilbert Lachance #609 From Extreme To Another (Ottawa, CAN) / CHUO 89.1 FM / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / December 12th 2023
Dj Eurydice (Strassburg, France) / D.A.S (Dark Alternative Sound) #70 Mix / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / December 13th 2023
Konstantinos Kourkounakis (Chaniá, Greece) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / December 13th 2023
Kyla Vėjas! (Vilnius, Lithuania) 2023 Is Here / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / December 13th 2023
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Path Eternal / December 17th 2023
DJ CLAUER (by Paco Solaz) (Spain) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / Cold Arms / January 1st 2024
Gilbert Lachance #611 From Extreme To Another (Ottawa, CAN) / CHUO 89.1 FM / Touched Fables - A Thousand Goodbyes - Top 25 albums of 2023 / January 1st 2024
Infectious Unease Radio #1560 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis, USA) / Touched Fables - Path Eternal / January 7th 2024
hell80sDark / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / January 1st 2024
AaronBenYahMin TheFlynt / Goth / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / January 13th 2024
Huascar Rodriguez Garcia / Darkwave 5 coldwave postpunk / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / January 13th 2024
Nuno Ricardo Gracinhas Nunes Guiomar / Dark Electro / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / January 13th 2024
Gozz / Retro-Underground (Swizzles, Ottawa CAN) / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / January 13th 2024
onlyyesterday1967 / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / January 14th 2024
Dark Soul Radio / Dark Wave | Post Punk | Cold Wave | Goth Rock / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / January 19th 2024
Krystal Xinxal / In my time of dying, in my heart of crying / Touched Fables / Only You Could Know / January 20th 2024
Infectious Unease Radio / D&B Dub Jungle Garage #1562 / 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis USA) / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / January 24th 2024
FASCINATION Dark DJ Nights 01.25.24 - DJ Data Freq, DJ Sine Ritual, +Xicada / Andthenyou (Hamilton, ON) / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / January 25th 2024
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms/ February 18th 2024
Darkitalia (Parma, Italy) / Touched Fables Music & People Feature / February 27th 2024
Alta Nocte March 2024 (Italy) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / March 2nd 2024
Dark Laundry (Mexico) / Saturated Sheets / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / March 11th 2024
DJ LateBloomer (Ottawa CAN)/ STUDIO J JUKEBOX / 93.1 FM CKCU / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / March 29th 2024
Ottawa Public Library / Touched Fables - A Thousand Goodbyes available on Compact Disc / March 31st 2024
Malek Eye (Ottawa CAN) / Mapped Out Radio 93.1 FM CKCU / Touched Fables - Hope in the Blackened Heart, Altitude Low, Only You Could Know / April 12th 2024
Nightmare Delirium (Calgary CAN) / CJSW (90.9 FM) / Touched Fables - Altitude Low / April 21st 2024
Gilbert Lachance #625 From Extreme To Another (Ottawa, CAN) / CHUO 89.1 FM / Touched Fables - I See Your Shadow / April 23rd 2024
DJ Reverie / PSTRNC / SWITCHED-ON SYNTHS / House Of Targ / (Ottawa CAN) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / April 26th 2024
DJ Reverie / PSTRNC - Goth / Industrial Dance Party / Underground, 56 Byward (Ottawa CAN)/ Touched Fables - Cold Arms / May 18th 2024
vasculardisease02 (New Braunfels, TX USA) / Essence of Andi / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / May 23rd 2024
Davin Kubota / Ebmi / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / June 5th 2024
Gilles Susant (Ath, Belgium) / 2k23 and others (goth playlist) part 3 / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / June 10th 2024
PlanetStacy / Castle music / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / June 17th 2024
RealPhillipCarter / Writing Earthloop / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / June 18th 2024
GIWTA ALEX / Darkilles / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / June 23rd 2024
Christian Vance / Greatest of late 2010s/20s / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / June 23rd 2024
Infectious Unease Radio / (USA) Industrial-Futurepop-Gothic-Synthwave Darkwave 1584# / 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis, USA) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / June 23rd 2024
Branislav Stropkai / Chill Budha / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / June 25th 2024
Flyflewradio / Music On - Off World (Rosenheim, Germany) / Touched Fables - I Close My Eyes / July 5th 2024
Flyflewradio / "The Matinée" (Rosenheim, Germany) at 14:00 CET The Afternoon-Music-Mix / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / July 11th 2024
Mesa de Mistura TV / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / July 16th 2024
Dark Soul Radio / Modern Dark Music - Dark Wave | Post Punk | Cold Wave | Goth Rock / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / July 20th 2024
DJ Reverie / PSTRNC / Goth Industrial Dance Party / The Underground (56 Byward, Ottawa) / Touched Fables - Cold Arms / July 20th 2024
Andrew Pakuts (Ottawa, CAN) / Lost in Bass 408 - 93.1 FM CKCU / Chillloverradio.net / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / July 29th 2024
Candace Nelson / Candyshop 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / August 2nd 2024
Mimsey Demon / Interzone 93.1 FM CKCU (Ottawa, CAN)/ Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / August 2nd 2024
SWITCHED-ON SYNTHS / House Of Targ (Ottawa CAN) / Carrellee + Touched Fables + Choirz / August 2nd 2024
Dark Soul Radio / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / August 10th 2024
Infectious Unease Radio / Industrial-Futurepop-Gothic- Darkwave-Synthwave-Indie - Punk #1594 / 96.5 FM & Inner FM (Melbourne, AUS) 99.9 FM Wax Radio (Indianapolis USA) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / September 1st 2024
Dark Soul Radio / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / September 13th 2024
Malek Eye / Radio Alhara راديو الحارة (Bethlehem , Palestine) / Touched Fables - Hope In A Blackened Heart / Altitude Low / Cold Arms / Only You Could Know / Memories Without Sight/ Children Of Darkness / Nothing Undone / September 13th 2024
Melodie Za / Headspace / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / October 1st 2024
CicadaSkin / Cold Minimal Dark Wave / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / October 3rd 2024
Juanjo Ruiz El Goticario / EL GOTICARIO / Touched Fables - Nothing Undone / October 4th 2024
Melodie Za / Headspace / Touched Fables - Only You Could Know / October 14th 2024