"Ad Hominem" is now available EVERYWHERE!

...well, at least I think so. This is the case at least on the most important music sites, that I know. I intentionally waited a few days longer to post this, so also the slowest music sites had the chance to get it into their catalogues. By doing so, I wanted to make sure, that the album is available from as many sources as possible. I am 100% sure that it is available on (click the links to get directly to the album):

iTunes
Google Play
Amazon

You can also stream it on:

Spotify
Deezer

I'm not sure about the following sites / services, as I would have to create a (often charged) account there to check it:

• Napster
• Pandora
• emusic
• Rnd
• Groove
• Omnifone
• Wimp
• Anghami
• Claro-Musica

The album is for sure also available on one or the other site / service, I didn't list here. If your favorite source for music is not mentioned here, please let me know. I'll ask my distributor about it then. My distributor is always looking for more retailers.

Ok, and now have fun. The next album (Madeira) is making great progress, and will be out soon also.

Ad Hominem IS FINISHED!

It is done! It is done! It is FINALLY DONE! The latest and long awaited album "Ad Hominem" is finished and has been uploaded to the distribution service. It will (hopefully soon) be distributed to all major music sites, including streaming services, like Spotify. I want to say thanks to all of you, who were faithful during the hard times, during which I announced a lot and got not much done. Also thanks to those who gave feedback and suggestions and encouraged me to work further when I was close to giving up. Yes, this is a very special album in so many ways. Not just that it is the most personal album I created ever, because it is about depression, but also because it was created during a time which had many personal challenges for me. One can safely say, that this album was created not just out of melodies and rhythms, but also with a lot of very strong feelings. Now it is done and the 13th track's title is really fitting here: "O Dulce Nomen Libertatis", oh sweet name of freedom. I feel very free, now that this work is finally done. Apropos titles: For thos who, for what reason ever, do not read the posts on the Cimelium Facebook page, here's the full and final playlist:

• 01 - Ad Hominem (To the person)
• 02 - De Profundis (Out of the depths)
• 03 - De Omnibus Dubitandum (Everything must be doubted)
• 04 - Noli Me Tangere (Don't touch me)
• 05 - Nihil Verum (Nothing is real)
• 06 - Alea Iacta Est (The die is cast)
• 07 - Mortui Vivos Docent (The dead teach the living)
• 08 - Tempus Fugit (Time flies)
• 09 - Preaterita Mutare Non Possumus (To change the past isn't possible)
• 10 - Ne Obliviscaris (Do not forget)
• 11 - Quere Et Invenies (Seek and ye shall find)
• 12 - Sic Parvis Magna (Greatness from small beginnings)
• 13 - O Dulce Nomen Libertatis (Oh, sweet name of freedom)

I know that some now will ask "And what about the album 'Madeira'? It was announced to be released in December 2015!". Yes, that's true and it was 99% finished when my little personal armageddon hit me. I'll now grant my a week of rest and then finish this album also. You'll agree, that it is worth the wait.

Cimelium IS ALIVE!

Ad Hominem Coverart in it's current state (raw concept)

After more than a year of silence, shortly after the announcement, that the "Madeira" album would soon be released, I owe you an explanation. You agree with me, don't you? ;) I think I do not need to say, that the "Madeira" album is still not out yet.

What happened?
Well, life happened... I do not want to go into detail, because all is too private to me. But I can tell so much: A loved one, with whom I have been together for 25 years (yes, this is possible), has bitterly disappointed me in a very nasty way. This has completely paralyzed me and took away 100% of the creativity and joy of life, which usually gives me energy for everything. Friends: I was so far down, most of you probably can not imagine. But that is the past. I am still not quite through it, but I am again steeply on the way up.

What's next?
I really HAD to put the work on the "Madeira" album on hold for various reasons. There are too many memories connected to it. Every time I tried to work on it during the dark time, memories came back and it was extremely painful. So after I felt a bit better, I invested all my power in the "dark sister album", titled "Ad Hominem". As this theme album deals with the topic of depression, it fitted quite well. And, actually, as I write this, I am in the process of polishing the 13 pre-release-versions, and creating the final versions. I don't want to promise anything, but when I say that it is only a matter of days, it is just about right.

Those who have so much looked forward to the release of the "Madeira" album do not have to mourn: I am now again able to work safely on the pieces for the album. And since the album was almost finished at the time of my little private apocalypse, it will not be long, after the release date of "Ad Hominem", until "Madeira" is also released. Keep your fingers crossed that everything is going well. Then you will soon get 2 Cimelium albums, one after the other. Great, eh?

And so you can look forward to something, here are a few samples of "Ad Hominem" pieces in their present state:

Ok, I'm back at work!

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"!
 

"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:

New song for the "Madeira" album: Santana, and more ...

Yes, things are going quite turbulent recently at the alionmind headquarters, and so it is not surprising that this post ends up just today on the Blog. I just took a look at the blog, and had to realize that since the 15th of July there has been no update. Well, that's really not good because I usually try to keep you updated. Anyway, let's make up for this! So: What has happened since the 15th of July 2013 regarding the Cimelium project?

De Omnibus Debutandum
Until October 17th, everything here at alionmind was rather focussed on the other projects, but at that exact date another track for the lovers of the more deep and dark Cimelium sound was published. Thus, this song, titled "De Omnibus Debutandum" (everything must be questioned) is of course a prime candidate for the dark sister album of "Madeira", namely "Ad Hominem". I hope now the doubters, who began to rebel slightly after the release of first few songs for the "Madeira" album, have calmed down a bit. No: Cimelium will not become another happy & funny music project from alionmind, but rather represents the more serious and more "thoughtful" part. So my "Cimelium Goths" (as I call them by now ;)) can relax.


Santana
Even much longer than the lovers of dark sounds, the friends of the "Madeira" album had to wait for something new. Since the 20th of May (Man, has it been for so long?) nothing has been done here. But now, exactly 3 days ago, after overcoming my latest depression attack, this changed and the 7th track for the album was completed. This time, the song is about the, as I call it, "pearl of the rough and tough north coast of Madeira", Santana. As with the other tracks for the album I have done my best to summarize my impressions of this place into sound. In the case of Santana, this was anything but easy. The north coast of Madeira was an absolutely overwhelming experience for me. Madeira is in itself one, but the north coast is even more rich in unique and absolutely fascinating aspects that it is difficult to choose a tangible amount to use as an inspiration for a piece of music. I still think that I have been able to put my personal impressions of Santana and the surrounding area in a suitable sound concept. Not everyone may experience Santana as I did, but we are all individuals. And if you rather hear Funchal or your breakfast out of this song... well... so be it.



Yes, and that's it. Closing this post, I would like to again ask the listeners of Cimelium for a bit of patience and understanding. As, at least most of you, know Cimelium is not my only music project. And if you think again, that alionmind records is dead, because you do not get new Cimelium sound material, I am working hard on the other projects. And if you, like now, get new stuff from  Cimelium, the fans of alionsonny and Willma Poppen have to wait . All in good time. So: Most probably you will have to wait quite a time again for new Cimelium music, because now it's the turn of the other projects. And if you do not like the wait, well, then expand your horizons and listen to the music of the other projects ;).

ALEA IACTA EST - The die has been cast! New song!

Yes, the Facebook friends already know it, and so do the followers on Twitter: The song "Alea Iacta Est" was published allready two days ago on Soundcloud as a pre-release version. So, why didn't I immediately write a blog post about it? Well, I allready announced the song briefly the day before yesterday morning, so I did not consider it to be very important to write the official release announcement, especially since there always are a few stragglers who miss the song at the first announcement on Facebook and Twitter . And they will be for sure happy about a reminder ;).

In addition, I was just still busy, working at the new song, released yesterday for Willma Poppen, and did not want break the creative flow for some rather boring blogging ;). Generally you should not be surprised too much about the fact, that I currently do not follow the usual promo procedure. This is part of a small experiment by which I try to improve my promotion strategy. For this purpose it is necessary to analyze the promo channels which promise the greatest success. You can read more about that later on, on the badly maintained alionmind records blog.

Those were quite many words allready, even though I wanted to make it very briefly here today ;) And there was still no word about the new song... The new song is actually already somewhat old. Work on this began in 2009 as a crude sketch for the predecessor project of Cimelium, the alionsonny project "Alion Meditations". Last year, just before my departure to Madeira, I began to shape that sketch into pretty much the present status. Since November last year, the song has actually already been on my hardddisk and I always thought I would have to add something special to it.

So it was there allready for months. This is not unusual: Many songs in "almost complete" status are on the hard drive and about some sure many of you would say that they are ready for release. And so did a friend every time we listened through the "Almost done" directory. The day before yesterday then, I asked myself very seriously, what EXACTLY I would have to do at that song and the result was: "Well, maybe I should smooth out the mix a bit, but otherwise it's really perfect." Well, that it was actually: I smoothed a few edges and it was finished.

The song shows clearly from which time its beginnings originate. It could easily fit seamlessly on the "Mesopotamia" album. And since the new (described in my previous post) album idea "Ad Hominem" is also a small peace offering to the part of my audience, which is shocked  by the first songs of the 'Madeira' album, the new song fits perfectly on "Ad Hominem". What? You don't know about the resentment that the first songs for the 'Madeira' album caused? Well, somehow I felt a bit like in the early days of the project alionsonny, back in the days in which I annoyed my small growing fan base, by constantly trying new styles of music. Not just a small part of the early Cimelium fans is not quite pleased with the direction the Cimelium sound took with the start at the "Madeira" album. Some say it is too happy, others say it is too rythmic and others just say it is too structured. One disgruntled fan even said "Cimelium goes Willma Poppen" right after the release of "Cais do Sardinha". This is not intended at all. I had already announced shortly after the release of "Mesopotamia", that the next album would sound different. And I had already preplanned the basics. However, since the album is a theme album about "Madeira", droning arabic-inspired mystic sounds would simply be inappropriate for the topic.

The album Idea "Ad Hominem" now gives me the opportunity to provide the "old fans" again with the usual dark sounds, while I continue the work at the happy relaxing concept album 'Madeira'. So everyone gets what he wants ;)

The song "Alea Eacta Est" is again a so-called "free floater" in best "Mesopotamia" Tradition and thus joins also wonderful in the line of the other two already completed songs for the "Ad Hominem" album, as you can easily hear in playlist linked at the very bottom of this posting. And now here is, after many words, finally the song:

And here is the playlist of the album "Ad Hominem" so far with all three songs:

...and you thought it is all about "Madeira"...

...for this year! What am I talking about? I am talking about Cimelium albums! As some of you allready noticed, I release songs "out of the line" since I started to work at the album "Madeira". Those songs popped seemingly out of nowhere, had "strange titles in Latin" and are SO different from the current songs for the "Madeira" album. So, what about those songs, which sound a lot like a refined sequel to the "Mesopotamia" album? I will tell you...

Most of my long term friends and fans know, that I suffered a few nervous breakdowns and some bad times with heavy depression. As those who are following my doings know, I was able to beat the depression. The songs we are talking about are somewhat like a soundtrack or musical representation of the process of "healing my soul". They are mile stones on the path from deepest sorrow to the smirk you see on my recent photos, or just reprises for episodes gone by.

First I asked myself all the time, what I would do with those songs. Would they ever go on an album and if: What kind of album? Today, as I am finnishing another song like this, I decided, that the album will be, what it is: A musical representation of my road out of the depths. Because of that, I think, this will be the album, which grants you the deepest insight into who I am you ever had and will ever get.

So "Alea iacta est", the die has been cast, as the track who will be released to day will be titled! From today on, I work at two Cimelium albums simultaneously. The second album will be titled "Ad Hominem" and will most probably take much longer to be finnished than the "Madeira" album. This is because, the songs for "Ad Hominem" are no planned compositions, but "snapshots", sudden strikes of inspiration and sound scultures of certain moments.

Because of that, "Ad Hominem" will not in any way delay the release of the "Madeira" album. Shortly after this announcement, another song for "Ad Hominem" will be released, titled "Alea iacta est", and the fans of the Cimelium "free floaters" will love it ;)