Better late than never: New song "Nihil Verum"!

Due to unexpected technical complications and other reasons, this blog is more than just a little bit late. My friends on Facebook and Twitter know more already: Once again a song has been created for the "Ad Hominem" album. In fact, we have now completed almost half of the tracks for this album in form of pre-release versions. I joke sometimes, that eventually "Ad Hominem" will be released before the  "Madeira" album. Who would have thought this? Not me :).

Fitting for the album, "Nihil Verum" is once again a rather quiet and serious piece. Originally it was planned to be a so called "floater", ie without any kind of rhythm instruments. However, the use of percussion instruments, starting at around 50% of the playing time, was simply appropriate. Friends of beautiful and creepy experiments with different filter types (in particular comb filters) will again love this piece.

Finally, a short organizational note: Since the work on Willma Poppen album "Willma im Wunderland" is gettig into the "hot phase" (production of the release versions), it may become a bit quiet soon around both Cimelium album projects. Don't worry, we'll soon go on! And now have fun with "Nihil Verum"!
 

New song "Queimadas" and plans for the "Madeira" album!

Typical Queimadas!

The song was introduced two days ago on Facebook and Soundcloud already. This is one more example for why it is a good idea for real Cimelium fans to either "like" on Facebook or follow on Soundcloud. The slight delay of the update of website and blog results once more of a time conflict with another of my projects. More You don't necessarily have to know about it ;).

Queimadas
The new song is, as maybe expected, intended for the album "Madeira", and describes this time a picturesque village in the mountains south of Santana. This time I decided for an orchestral style approach and as it looks like the first listeners loved it. At least I had NEVER so many listeners in just 2 days without blog promo and publication of it on the homepage. Thank you! You encourage me. Here's the song again for those who missed it:

The album "Madeira" - almost done!
So we are now only two songs away from the completion of all traditional 13 songs for the album. And if you're thinking that this will take forever, I can not promise anything but:

1. The locations, described by the two missing songs, have already been selected. One is the Pico Ruivo Tunnel and the other is Porto da Cruz.
2. The two pieces were already completed in form of more or less detailled arrangements of approximately 5 minutes each. So rather a work of minutes instead of hours.

"Madeira" and then what? "Ad Hominem"?
One or the other asked already about what will happen after the completion of the "Madeira" album. So first don't forget about the dark sister album "Ad Hominem" in process, which is only completed almost 50%. But this means that I still have to work for a long time on it. What about the "sun children" amongst the Cimelium fans? Will they, until the album is finished, only get "dark music". Not at all!

Monumental work "Madeira Triptych"!
One or the other already carefully sugested, that something like Madeira can not be dealt with in just one album with 13 tracks. And not just a few noticed the absence of the capital Funchal in the planning for the current album. This is due to the fact that Funchal is a world in itself on the island. Jokingly I said to Malina the other night, that I could make a whole album about Funchal alone: So many places that are completely different even at the respective day- or night time in their feeling. And Malina's answer was THE answer: Then make one! Yes, an album only about Funchal. Sounds crazy? It is perhaps, but necessary. And even crazier like this here's the, now evolved, planning: Madeira will become an album triptych! This means that there will be THREE Madeira albums. Think about it as some kind of an altar: In the middle of it an album just about the queen of the villages of Madeira Funchal. And this album is flanked by two albums that deal with various, to me, important places on the island. Great idea, is it? But a great deal of work! Let's go for it!

"Sic Parvis Magna" a new track for the "Ad Hominem" album!

Finally also those Cimelium listeners get something new to listen who were a bit annoyed by the rather "happy" sound of the songs for the "Madeira" album. It's slowly but steadily getting forward with the "Ad Hominem" album. However, likely it will still take some time until the album release date. Now the fifth track was completed as a pre-release version. So I'm pretty sure that the album release will not still happen this year. Currently, the "Madeira" album and the new album by Willma Poppen have priority.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly, will likely know about the beginnings of "Sic Parvis Magna". It was really rather planned as a minimalist and not too rhythmic piece. However, you know all too well that I often change my plans. And so this track became at least a bit more complex and rhythmic. I have yet honestly tried to stick to the simplistic approach and I think I accomplished it ;). Nevertheless, there was a bit of discussion in my circle of friends and acquaintances, whether this title would be rather suitable for the Willma Poppen project. One or the other actually had the opinion that it would be a bit too rhythmical for Cimelium. Others, on the other hand, thought, that it would be "too dark" for Willma Poppen. I think "Sic Parvis Magna" belongs clearly to the dark side of Cimelium. What do you think?

I have this time tried a few new tricks regarding to the rendering and some other minor technical details. Should the present work therefore sound kind of weird, strange or otherwise odd: I'm currently learning a few new things and am experimenting. But that's what a pre-release version is good for, or? ;) In the finished product of cause everything will sound much better. So, enough said. Here is "Sic Parvis Magna". I hope you like it!

The evolution of simplicity

So simple it starts (screenshot of the basic project)

This morning I thought, after all the other projects were making progress during the past few weeks, it would be a good idea to create a new song for the dark sister of the "Madeira" album. The album in production "Ad Hominem" lags somewhat behind. So I searched through my giant folder with incomplete works for a good base and found one quite fast. 3 synthesizers (1 pad, a bass arpeggio and a lead arpeggio) and a simple breakbeat rhythm with hihat, kick drum and snare. On each of the synthesizers is a little reverb, delay and a lowpass filter. The latter will probably play a bigger role in this.

So far, so good. If one plays it all in the loop and plays around with the filters it is amazing fun and a little reminiscent of the works of the Berlin School of electronic music, especially Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook. You really want to do nothing else but let the whole thing just run for 30 minutes, and simply just turn knobs, just as the old heroes of the analog synthesizers did it back in the days.

I am often accused of complicating things unnecessarily. Friends often say that I should leave a piece as it is and not add anything new. Often it is then precisely such a simple loop with a little "filter magic". And my answer usually is " Hey, this is just one stupid synth, with a little oscillation and filter fiddeling. I can not present that to the public as a finished work!". But especially Malina is often thinks I could do it.

Today I start a little experiment on which I want my friends on the web to participate. Everyone can and should give tips, suggestions or just make comments to make this project a success.

This time I will just try that: Do as little as possible, as much as necessary. I'll try to create with what (described above) is in this project already an entertaining, relaxed, 5 minutes musical piece, which fits on the album project "Ad Hominem". And I want especially my Facebook friends from the FL Studio groups to participate in this. So here we go. There is much ... STOP : ;) little to do. Here's a first, very simple snippet of the project:

"Poiso", a new track for the "Madeira" album, is here!

Who wonders why it again took two months until a new song is presented, is recommended to read this article from the AlionLive blog. That might explain a lot and in addition I am working even on these very AlionLive videos and the new album of the "Willma Poppen" project. Also, as the attentive Facebook friends probably already have noticed, that  this song has already been out for a good week. The delay of this blog entry is due to the fact that I wanted to finish the first episode of "Frühling auf Madeira" video series as quickly as possible . This was somewhat complicated by some technical and personal "difficulties".

Here he is now, however, the 10th (of traditionally 13) title for the album "Madeira". This time I completely used an orchestral approach and rhythm instruments were not used this time. Nevertheless, the whole thing is not what I call a "floater", ie a flowing, rather spherical piece. Rhythm is created in sufficient form by the instruments. In this respect, this song is rather unusual for this album and is in the tradition of the alionsonny album "Alion - The Original Soundtrack" from 2010. Because of this, I especially recommend this album to all who like this song.

And what about the 'dark sister album" of the "Madeira" album, "Ad Hominem"? There are some pieces for this album in the works, but "Madeira" has currently a priority for me, since we are nearing the  completion and the work on the album really took long enough. In this respect, patience! Also for the lovers of the dark side of Cimelium there will be soon something new.

And here is now, without further ado, "Poiso" . Have fun !

New track for the "Madeira" Album: "Santo da Serra"!

I would like to start this posting with an apology for the confusion it caused that I have this time broken with the usual routine, which I usually follow regarding to the posting of pre-release versions of songs. This time I only posted a short announcement on Facebook and now four whole days have passed since I've done that. So one or the other asked me if my blog or Web site would not work, because there was the lack of the usual, more or less detailed, announcement. And I thought that no one really reads this stuff ;). No, I didn't forget it and both, blog and website, work perfectly. The reason for the break with the routine is a small experiment. Currently I am putting my promotion strategies to the test and am investigating on some strange things regarding the statistics of well known internet services. No, I will not explain to you in detail how I do this, because that may affect the results. To make it short: The experiment was successful and served its purpose. I thank the companies Google and Facebook for their involuntary participation ;).

But now finally to the new song. First of all: I never was as unsure about the quality of a piece of music as in this case. This is not just because of the fact that I recently went through a "dark phase" again, but also because that song is somewhat "unconventional". It has gone through amazingly many phases of transformation and I am far from saying that I am satisfied with it now. But for what do I have an audience and devised this thing with the pre-release versions? Correct: It is, because that way the decision if a song is good as I have conceived it initially and what is to improve it, remains not on my shoulders alone. Don't forget: Although I create the music, it is yours, because you listen to it. So this time I ask especially for a lot of feedback from you, and not just from the "usual suspects", but preferably by people who otherwise rather keep quiet. Come on: I do not harm anyone for factual criticism.

The new song is, as the title already says, destined for the "Madeira" album and this time it is about the picturesque mountain village of Santo Antonio da Serra, which is just called Santo da Serra commonly for the sake of brevity. Initially, the whole was what I call a "floater", something similar to "Parque do Lido 6:30 am". Two commentators already suggested that it would have been better if it stayed that way ;). But I have decided that it should be somewhat rhythmically this time. I still think that the it is quite relaxing and calm, except for the part with the marching drums. MARCHING DRUMS ??? Yes, exactly: There is a part with just such and one of the already mentioned commentators found this extremely inappropriate. But he was pleased with the once again used
accordion synthesizer, which in turn will inspire others to escalating criticism. I could use my favorite quote from Wilhelm Busch here again... Finally, I would like to say that there will be no return to the pure "floater", despite of desired change- and improvement proposals ...and the marching drums will also stay! Otherwise, everything is possible. And now I will end this (for me) unexpectedly long blog entry. Have fun with " Santo da Serra "!

The long wait is over: Here is "Câmara de Lobos"!

You all know for sure why it took "some" time again with the new sound food... or? I just say: The other projects. Now, finally, we have a new song for the "Madeira" album. This time it is about the picturesque fishing village "Câmara de Lobos". Fishing village? So Sonny will for sure get out the ol' accordion synthesizer and will fiddle a fine melody on it for us? RRRRIGHT! My long time listeners know that I have a certain fondness for organs and accordions, which already gets on the nerves of some folks. Again, as with the other tracks destined for the "Madeira" album, this one is a rather happy, cheerful, but also quite relaxed song. I hear the long time Cimelium listeners already groan in agony. Some time ago somebody classified the Cimelium album "Mesopotamia" even as "Gothic". So it did not surprise me that there are not a few who, as mentioned in previous entries... let's say "are not very thrilled" about the tracks for the "Madeira" album so far, because they are so "happy". But I never thought about Cimelium as a Gothic project or something alike. IT IS YOUR FAULT, IF YOU GOT THE PROJECT WRONG, DAMMIT! ;). Ooops, I actually went a bit loud here. Ok, but I can promise you "friends of the dark sounds", that it will soon get a lot "unhappier" again. We still have the sister album "Ad Hominem" in progress. And everyone who might think, that I have done nothing at that project is absolutely wrong. Actually I had too many depressive phases meanwhile, and in such phases the tracks for "Ad Hominem" are created usually. ATTENTION: Don't think, that you now have to plunge me artificially into a depression, so you get this album. I would notice that, and then I would release a Cimelium Polka album as a revenge ;). I also want to give you a glimpse into the somewhat distant future of the Cimelium project, so the "friends of the darker sound" will have something to really look forward to: Once we are finished with the two albums in progress, an album project is planned, which will be so dark, that tons of light bulbs will blow up, the dead will rise and dance on their graves. Exaggeration? Well, just wait and see ;).

Wow, and I am writing and writing... instead just announcing the new song. Well, you should get to know me in person. Then you would classify my blogging behaviour as rather "uncommunicative" ;). But now that was really enough words. Let the music speak for itself and let's hope that the wait until the next Cimelium track will not be too long. I do my best. I always do. And now: MUSIC! Here is "Câmara de Lobos":