Allerseelen MCD Pedra
At the Allerseelen concierto in Sintra on 1.XI.MMIII, the Allerseelen MCD Pedra was presented to the public. It is limited to 500 copies. The Allerseelen songs are dark and powerful: Steingeburt, Krieger aus Stein, Unverändert. Some dozens copies are available from Aorta.
http://allerseelen.dagaz-music.com/
Allerseelen
Steingeburt Krieger aus Stein Unverändert
Tonkunst: GerhardAll the familiar motifs of the Allerseelen sound can be found on 'Pedra': Gerhard's distinctive delivery over massed drumming, hypnotic bass woven with samples from European movies. 'Steingeburt' bustles with a mesmeric pulsating bassline augmented by muscular drumming, to which Gerhard delivers a spoken vocal. A symphonic sample appears throughout. It's a tense and and raw track which echoes the earlier work of Allerseelen. 'Steingeburt' (Stone Birth) is dedicated to the actress and priestess Diotima in the film Der Heilige Berg. The following track, 'Krieger aus Stein' (Warriors of Stone), is an untempo jaunty rhythm with acoustic guitar and a weeping violin score. The voice of Gerhard here is whispered over the looping melody. Pedra closes with 'Unverändert', dedicated to the actress and stone witch Junta in the film Das Blaue Licht, to which Gerhard reads from Hermann Hesse over a backdrop of plucked strings and soft strings. The entire CD is inspired by stone megaliths, with accompanying photograph's from Gerhard's travels throughout Europe, but Pedra isn't really a patch on recent Allerseelen but a necessary addition to those who immerse themselves in the work of this Austrian researcher and musical alchemist. http://www.compulsiononline.com/index2.htm
The song Steingeburt or Stone Birth, finished on 22.VII.MMIII, is dedicated to the actress and priestess Diotima in the film Der heilige Berg. The photograph, taken by Sabinita, shows a beautiful dolmen at El Pozuelo, Andalucia.
The song Krieger aus Stein or Warriors of Stone, finished on 17.VIII.MMIII, is inspired by the warrior menhirs of Palaggiu on the granite island Corsica. The photograph, taken by Gerhard, shows this alignment.
The dramatic monologue Unverändert or Unchanged, finished on 10.IX.MMIII, is dedicated to the actress and stone witch Junta in the film Das blaue Licht. The music was inspired by the magical mountain Rumer Spitze in Tirol. The lyrics are taken from the beautiful narration Faldum by Hermann Hesse.
"Unverändert und ohne Alter stand nur der Berg, und wenn der Schnee auf seinem Gipfel durch die Wolken blendete, schien er zu lächeln und froh zu sein, daß er kein Mensch mehr war. (..) Wald wuchs auf ihm und Wiesen mit wehendem Gras und mit Blumen; Quellen kamen aus ihm und Schnee und Eis und Steine, und auf den Steinen wuchs farbiges Moos, und an den Bächen Vergißmeinnicht. In seinem Innern waren Höhlen, da tropfte Wasser wie Silberfäden Jahr um Jahr in wechselloser Musik vom Gestein aufs Gestein, und in seinen Klüften gab es heimliche Kammern, wo mit tausendjähriger Geduld die Kristalle wuchsen. Auf dem Gipfel des Berges war nie ein Mensch gewesen. Aber manche wollten wissen, es sei dort ganz oben ein kleiner runder See, darin habe sich niemals etwas anderes gespiegelt als die Sonne, der Mond, die Wolken und die Sterne. Nicht Mensch noch Tier habe je in diese Schale geblickt, die der Berg dem Himmel entgegenhalte, denn auch die Adler flögen nicht so hoch."
Hermann Hesse, Faldum (Hermann Hesse, Iris. Ausgewählte Märchen, Berlin: Suhrkamp Verlag 1955, S. 95)
In 2003 Allerseelen did a special concert in Sintra, Portugal. A good occasion to release a limited mini cd, containing 3 new songs, inspired by the sacres stones of Sintra. It is also the first release for the Terra Fria label, which is related to the Dagaz Music webzine. The cute mcd is limited to 500 copies and comes in a small dvd-case, It has a booklet with photos of rocks by Gerhard, as well as lyrics of the songs in German and Portuguese. The music is typical Allerseelen: the hypnotic vocals of Gerhard, the repetive loops and percussion, deep basses and subtle orchestral elements. 'Steingeburt', dedicated to the character 'Diotima' in the film 'Der heilige Berg', sounds rather robust, bringing to mind the rawer earlier works of Allerseelen. 'Krieger aus Stein', the title track, is inspired by the giant menhirs on Corsica . It is a rather funny, cheerful monotonous track, based on repetive string and bass loops and adorned by classical music reminding me of old movies. The third and final track 'Unverändert' is rather short and minimal and has again quite a number of cultural references: to the film 'Das Blaue Licht', the Rumer mountain in Tirol and the 'Faldum' text by Herman Hesse. A nice mcd with typical hypnotic Allerseelen music. The three songs on this release can perhaps not compete with the best work on 'Flamme', but are certainly worthwhile. HD http://www.funprox.com/log/content.html
Released on the newborn Portuguese label Terra Fria, this mini-CD features three new Allerseelen songs inspired by the theme of 'sacred stones' and recorded in summer 2003 especially for the Allerseelen concert in Sintra in last November. Built upon Gerhard's spoken words, percussive rhythms and a martial bass (that reminds past Allerseelen works, 'Heiliges Blut' in particular) mixed with symphonic elements, the first song 'Steingeburt' ('Stone birth') is a powerful piece in the classic Allerseelen style. It is dedicated to the actress and priestess Diotima in the Leni Riefenstahl film 'Der heilige Berg'. The second song 'Krieger Aus Stein' ('Warriors of Stone') reveals a pretty different atmosphere created by an entertaining string melody supported by a harsh bass line and combined with repetitive lyrics. It is inspired by the warrior menhirs of Palaggiu on the beautiful wild island Corsica. The rather short last song Unverändert' ('Unchanged'), dedicated to the actress and stone witch Junta in the film 'Das blaue Licht', is based on a monologue by Gerhard with lyrics taken from 'Faldum' by Hermann Hesse. The magical mountain Rumer Spitze in Tyrol inspired the tense and hypnotic music. All in all, three inspired songs that evoke ingredients of past Allerseelen works, in their minimal and organic approach as well as the magic and intense essence that emanate from them. This mini-CD, limited to 500 copies, comes with a booklet featuring the original lyrics and their translation in Portuguese agreemented by nice photos of the three sites explored here by a very inspired Gerhard. Recommended! (Nathalie F.) http://www.heimdallr.ch/Reviews/2004/Allerseelen-Pedra.html
Produit par le label portugais Terra Fria le temps d’un mini-cd, ALLERSEELEN intitule ce dernier Pedra (« pierre », en portugais) et s’attache à rendre hommage aux mégalithes de rituels ancestraux. Les références n’ont rien de surprenant de la part de cet artiste autrichien (textes d’Herman Hesse, dédicaces aux actrices ayant tenu des rôles de sorcières dans les films de Leni Riefenstahl…), mais la musique fait preuve d’une maturité fort appréciable. Certes, « Steingeburt » ouvre le disque en fanfare, avec ses déclamations viriles et ses lourds rouages industriels appesantis encore par des envolées samplymphoniques, mais sur les deux autres morceaux les cordes se désaxent un peu plus et de langoureux rythmes trip-hop (ou comment passer de la moustache austère à celle des gens du village…) viennent ponctuer de captivantes narrations. Les éléments rituels et alambiqués de Gerhard sont ainsi toujours présents, seulement leur traitement vise désormais à l’efficacité et par là-même à un certain minimalisme nécromantique de bon aloi, pour un résultat singulier et envoûtant. http://www.topiste.com/iN_tensioN/article.php3?id_article=41
Gerhard branches out with the inclusion of a new label working in conjunction with Aorta, Terra Fria from Portugal. This 12 minute CD comes in a DVD like black plastic case, somewhat chilling my enthusiasm. The layout is reminiscent in ALLERSEELEN form however, with the two panel insert being set up along traditional guidelines, with the main difference being the lyrics presented in German and Portuguese instead of English. Three songs, all new and all fantastic! ‘Steingeburt’ or something akin to ‘Stone Birth’ sounds more like some of Gerhard’s past works with a throbbing, pulsating, breathing base line. A choice sample from some enigmatic film graces this to create an intensity rarely captured in Allerseelen’s works. Quite a sensation of tension and anxiety. The second song, starts off like a polka. A very welcome atmosphere to be worked into the repetoire. ‘Krieger Aus Stein’ features some up front whispering styled vocals with emotive strings, a very great short muted strum on a Spanish guitar(so it sounds in some way) and some unique little merriment that could originate from a conglomeration of sounds obtained from a “one man band” where many instruments collide it perfect consideration with one another. These components all sound quite fantastical when described in this way, but the really, almost, joyful atmosphere created by these is so utterly charming. The refinement of sounds and repetitiveness of the lyrics on this song raise the effectiveness of the jubilant music to a new height. Track three, ‘Unverändert’ uses a poetically rendered dialogue-like text with some very subtle wavering string sample and a sample (maybe like a guitar with one muted string being plucked numerous time in rapid succession) over a simple (not necessarily) scrapping sound feeling like the mist rising off the majestic peaks of Tyrol. One can also envision the fetters cascading down the rocky face of the mountain creating an echoing friction, utilized in this sparse arrangement. Most notable use of voice, setting this, I would say, above all other Allerseelen works. Overall this CD touches upon leitmotivs employed in past ALLERSEELEN works, but brings new life and a new potency to the mood and direction of the sounds and the corpus of ALLERSEELEN. Exquisite and enchanting. (Tyler/Ajna) www.theajnaoffensive.com
Nuove eredità ancestrali per il sommo compositore austriaco Allerseelen che questa volta esegue questo MCD composto da tre brani ispirati da luoghi mistici e geomantici. L'autore ha voluto scegliere come siti rappresentativi tre particolari testimoni monolitici: il dolmen in El Pozuelo in Spagna e di Palaggiu in Corsica, la montagna Rumer Spitze in Tirolo. "Steingeburt" è il tipico brano dove Gerhard unisce una linea percussiva granitica ad un basso marziale, lo spleen degli archi a delle liriche epiche. Un'alcova sacra e protettiva, generatrice di messaggi e certezze ataviche. In "Krieger Aus Stein" prosegue il cammino di megalitici presagi con una ballata solenne e narrativa, premonizioni intense tra gli echi rupestri di scenari immortali. Vibrazioni minimali per il terzo capitolo di Pedra, essenziali sonorità sollevano le liriche di "Unverändert" estratte dal Faldum di H. Hesse. Melodiche trasmutazioni di virtù ignee. www.unmute.net
New ancestral heritages for the Supreme Austrian composer Allerseelen. This time Gerhard releases a MCD with three new pieces inspired by mystical and geomantic places. The author has choosen as representative sites three particular monolithic witnesses: the dolmens at El Pozuelo in Andalucia and Palaggiu in Corsica, the magical mountain Rumer Spitze in Tirol. "Steingeburt" is the typical track where Gerhard adds granite percussive patterns to a martial bass, the spleen of the strings with epic lyrics. A sacred and protective alcove generatrix of atavistic messages and certainties. In "Krieger Aus Stein" continues the course of megalithic omens with a solemn and narrative ballad, intense premonitions between the rocky echoes of immortal views. Minimal emissions for the third chapter of Pedra, essential sonorities raise the "Unverändert" 's lyrics taken from Faldum by H. Hesse. Tuneful transmutations of igneous virtues. www.twilight-zone.it
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