SON OF THE VELVET RAT is the solo-endeavor of Georg Altziebler - at times shared with his wife Heike Binder - who, together left their home town of Graz, Austria and the cloistered safety of the Continent for the endless highway of America, finally settling along the edge of California's Mojave Desert in Joshua Tree in 2013.

Situated at the vanguard of Euro-Folk Noir, their songs build on the cabaret traditions of Old World masters like Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Fabrizio De Andre, now fused with the dark Old Testament prophecy and Kabbalistic visions conjured by Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan. The result, as realized on their 2017 U.S. debut Dorado, is like some exotic desert fruit of indeterminate provenance - equal parts ragged glory and brooding noir, the crepuscular glow of the violet horizon and blood pooled on a motel bathroom floor - all delivered in, what accidental fan Lucinda Williams who caught their set one night at the Hotel Café in Hollywood calls, Georg’s “great sexy-gravelly voice,” leavened by Heike’s translucent harmonies, like roses circling a tattooed heart.

Paul Cullum


"Dorado rides through the dusty California desert with haunting folk noir melodies"—PASTE MAGAZINE, Paul Corso— [1/28/16]

" Mesmerizing!" —MAGNET MAGAZINE—[1/28/16]

"One of the most wonderfully personal, beautiful and difficult albums I've ever heard."—FATEA, Rudie Humphrey—[2/16/17] Full article "There is a deep and soulful purity to their music. Georg is not just a lyricist.

"The slow burn noir-folk of this Austrian group feels like reading a great short story. Son of the Velvet Rat stokes the lurking passion that I have for voices with almost superhuman amounts of character. Altziebler's voice takes lead, sounding like a cross between Dylan, Tom Waits, and a dry lakebed. This is a voice that takes on the cadence and the patient proselytizing of folks like Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lambchop, Townes Van Zandt, Waits, and even Joni Mitchell, at times (as on "Blood Red Shoes").—WEEKLY VOLCANO, Rev. Adam McKinney—[10/11/18] Full article

"Dorado is a dark trip into the American psyche.” —BLABBER'N'SMOKE, Paul Kerr­­ (Glasgow)— [3/21/2017] Full article

"DORADO showcases superlative songwriting talents. Georg Altziebler and Heike Binder have created a work of sprawling, melancholy beauty."—NORTHERN SKY MAGAZINE (GB), Liam Wilkinson— [3/7/2017] Full article

"A strange, dark intriguing album throughout - destined to keep you on tenterhooks until the end." — ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE, Julian Piper (GB)— [3/8/2017]

"There's some dark majesty at work here."
(Suzie Q, logo magazine, London)

"Heartbreakingly beautiful, slow, minimal folk. Think Will Oldham, mellow tracks Iron and Wine, quiet Sun Kil Moon ... (Mor, KZSU Radio, Stanford, CA)

"Son of the Velvet Rat hat mehr Spannung, Charisma und fesselnde Atmosphäre im kleinen Finger, als die meisten Songwriter in der ganzen Hand."
(Oliver Uschmann, Visions)

"Melancholische Songs, kurz vor dem Zerbersten, die an der Substanz des Frohmutes kratzen. Minimalistische Instrumentierungen, leise Melodien, federleichte Streicheleinheiten. Jedem dieser Songs wohnt ein ganz spezieller Zauber inne, der seine Funken dezent versprüht und zu Feuern heranschwellt.
(Chistian Preußer, plattentest.de).