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":

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 ;).

Cimelium finally has a Homepage again!

After some friends from Russia found it very funny to test the resident alionmind content management system for securty and finally even found a gap, I had to put all project homepages into a allmost non-functional security mode. By and by I improved the CMS and migrated the homepages one after the other to it. And so I present, yet not with all the glitter, the new Cimelium homepage.

There's no particular reason why Cimelium got its homepage fixed as the last of the projects. It just happened that way. As I said, not all functionality is implemented yet. I will do this step by step. At some parts, the layout still looks quite trashy. I will fix that some day. If you out there spot some problems with the site, please inform me and I'll fix it. ;)

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 ;)

...and Track number 6 for the album "Madeira" is done!

Who did expect this to happen? 2 songs in 2 days. That's the way it is meant to work. Well, but a musician is no machine. At least usually ;). And what do we have here? It is, as announced, again a song for those, who like it rather calm and contemplatively, instead of happy and rhytmic songs. As every Cimelium song, and especially those for the "Madeira" album, there is a story behind this song, and the story describes a particular place in Madeira. In this case it is the "Parque do Lido", the park and the promenade near the open-air bath in Funchal. The story is as follows: As there is no such thing as daylight saving time in Madeira, I got up one hour too early on the first day of my stay in Madeira. So I was more than one hour too early for breakfast. So I decided to take a walk to the Lido instead of going to bed again or wasting the time somehow else, to enjoy the morning atmosphere. Funchal comes to life in the morning in just a few minutes. While at 7:30 am Funchal is very much alive, at 6:30 everything is quiet. I did not meet a single car, not to talk about people, this morning at 6:30 am. Only the homeless cats at the park were there with me to greet the red-golden sun, which was rising above the ocean and flooded the park with warm light. The atmosphere was so peacefull and somewhat eerie, that I will never forget that morning. And I captured exactly that atmosphere in this song.

I am allready working at the next songs for the album "Madeira" and some of them are allready pretty much complete. The fans of my other projects may be angry about it, but I am currently completely focussed on this album, because I really want to finnish it soon. So, again, enough words, here's the song: