XX marks the 20th anniversary of Son Electronique.
In 2004 it wasn’t very comfortable to produce music only in the box, meaning only with a computer and software instruments and effects.
Those days I used a lot of real hardware-keyboards and synthesizers. I used a lot of outboard gear which isn’t necessary these days, such has a microKORG, a Korg NS5R, a Yamaha CS1x and an AN1x, a Yamaha TG7, a Creamware Odyssey and a Roland JV-1010.
Currently I only use the Yamaha TG77 and the Yamaha AN1x because Yamaha doesn’t offer them as software like big companies like Roland or Korg do.
The songs of this album have never been released so far on any album, each one tells a story of the time they have been written.
Let me tell you a bit about them…:
- Intro: Yes, it’s only a simple intro to start the record! I was wandering which track could do that. I’ve searched my archive and found an unnamed tune for opening a short movie I made during our holidays at Fuerteventura. Instantly I felt the sun, the heat, the wind and the sands of the endless beaches.
- Falling: This tune is from 2016 when I heard a lot of synthwave tunes like FM-84, Mitch Murder, etc. I recorded it mainly from samples of Native Instruments Machine wich I acquired these days. It was made to use it on an album I recorded for use in a gym but never was finished.
- Human Heartbeat: In 2005 I met a guy and his girl from Barcelona on party in Belgium with some friends. The both loved and played electronic music, especially Jarre, Karl Bartos and Tangerine Dream. We had a long chat about our heroes and they asked me if I could send them some of my music (these days we really used CD’s!). Because they liked Jarre a lot I made a tune in the style of Zoolok. I hope he forgives me.
- New Life: In the spring of 2016 I found a book about computer music from the early 90’s. Main tool these days was an ATARI-computer. Hands-up who knows about it. Several techniques of sampling and sequencing were described in that book. Same time I acquired Arturia‘s V-Colection – a bunch of software instruments containing an ARP 2600 and a Moog Modular. I played around with these instruments and put some samples of vocal chops on it.
- The Lighthouse: In 2019 we‘ve been in Portugal at the Algarve in spring and in autumn. Both times we headed to the sout-western point of Europe, Cabo de São Vicente with a beautiful lighthouse. This is a memory of happy and sunny days and the lightness of Southern Europe.
- Steel Town (Merlin’s Vision): In late 2016 I have found some old CD‘s from the mid 90‘s which I have bought on several clubs in the Rhine-Ruhr area, such as the Poison Club, Duesseldorf, and the Phuture Club, Duisburg. Same time I‘ve found some old sampling-CD‘s with some techno-stuff. This tune is inspired by a drive through old industrial areas in search of the Phuture Club in Duisburg. At the entrance was a guy with fancy clothes and a bag where the name Merlin was printed on. I don’t know Merlin or his vision but it was a cool name for the tune.
- Behind The Sun: This tune was written in the epidemic year 2021 when I had the feeling that we lived behind the sun. Sun seemed to shine anywhere but not on us. Anyway, it has an optimistic feeling because I never had the feeling that the little virus will win over us. I remembered Einstein saying that the ability to change is the measure of intelligence.
- Sweet Harmony: The story of this tune happened long ago, in late summer of 1995. Me and a friend went to the Poison Club at Duesseldorf‘s central station while her husband was on a business trip. We danced until the break of day and driving home very tired into the dawn we felt some sweet harmony. The idea to this tune came in late 2016 discovering some sample CD‘s with techno stuff.
- Silverlight: In 2009 we‘ve visited a light installation at Halde, Moers. It is located on little heap near the city of Moers at the Rhine where there’s a fantastical view over the Ruhrgebiet, Germany‘s largest industrial area. Seeing the lights of all the cities at the horizon it seemed that there was silver light in the air.
- Unit 5: In 2012 I bought a new digital camera and I liked to go deeper into photography. I wanted to take some shots typical to the area I liven. In Duisburg there is an old decommissioned industrial area called Landschaftspark. This tune was inspired by an old unit which produced steel in the 50‘s and 60‘s of the last century.
- Regéneration: This tune is heavily inspired by Kraftwerk‘s last album, Tour de France Soundtracks. I have written some music for myself for use in the gym and this should be the final stage to relax. For me it‘s always important to relax, even if it is some minutes in music.
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