This album of Johannes Schmoelling from 2003 - his 7th Solo album since leaving Tangerine Dream in 1986 - , is primarily a collection of tracks composed during the last 10 years for theatre and film productions. Furthermore "Recycle Or Die" is a hommage to people, who affected Schmoelling's musical life lastingly (here in particular its two former colleagues Christopher Franke & Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream and the very much appreciated Johann Sebastian Bach).

The CD is introduced by the rather minimalistic piece "L'Atelier", which has its origin in the theatre production "Das Atelier" from Jean Claude Grumberg, which had premiere on 20 October 2000 at the Renaissance Theater in Berlin. From the music accompanying the play now a stand-alone composition was created.

"Explosive Game" shows Schmoelling from a completely different side: originated from music for the German crime television serial "Ein Starkes Team" (A Strong Team), this piece has a pressureful, aggressively mentionable, dramatic character. One hears and experiences the tension of the story also without seeing the pictures.

Also "Recycle Or Die" originally came from the TV series already mentioned, shows up however from a completely different side. Here one hears Schmoelling, how fans and friends of electronic music know and love him! To spherical sounds he arranges an economically used drum loop, in addition sensitive, romantic melodies, whereby this piece gets already nearly a catchy tune. (tip for playing!)

As track Nº 4 follows the probably most unexpected piece of the CD: "Stratosphere", an adaptation of the well-known and popular title track from the 76' album "Stratosfear" by Tangerine Dream. "Stratosphere" developed as musical homage to his band colleagues Christopher Franke & Edgar Froese. Based on the original melody of the 76' recording Schmoelling leads up to his own arrangement, consisting of newly composed, typical Schmoelling elements.

The following tracks "Broken Heart Of A Broken Hero", "Midnight in Tula", "Buda-Pest" and "Dominion" follow similar, above described intentions.

"Italian Scratches (1st, 2nd & 3rd Scratch)" should have served as musical sketches for a film over Italy, unfortunately never carried out. The different character of the tracks reflects Schmoellings impressions and memories of journeys through Italy in the 80's and 90's. The energy loaded guitar solo on "3rd Scratch" is played by Hans Fahling, a well known rock and jazz guitarist living in America and, since 2001, in Berlin. He lends strong self-dynamics to the "3rd Scratch", as one gets to hear rarely in electronic music.

As last track Schmoelling consciously sets "The Electrified J. S.", an improvised, electronic version of the "Concert For Piano And Orchestra Nº 4 In A Major, BWV 1055" by J. S. Bach, his favorite composer since his youth days as organist at the large church organ. After that approximately authentic interpreted introduction the piece develops away from the original to a typical Schmoelling composition, which uses the original only as stand for the independent development, in order to return at the end of the improvisation to Bach again.

Recommended.

Recorded at Rietstudio, Berlin, Germany between 1992-1994 by Johannes Schmoelling.
All tracks composed, performed and produced by Johannes Schmoelling. Jan Seliger - drum on tracks 2, 6 and 9.

Certain sections of the music in "Songs No Words", which is Johannes Schmoelling's 4th solo album, are meant to be a mixture of two music styles. The classical-romantic music of the 19th century and the popular electronic music of the present.

Pieces such as "Hymnus" or "Funeral March" are examples of this. "It is my attempt to combine traditional instruments such as the piano, the clarinet or string instruments, including traditional melodies and harmonies, with electronically generated sounds from synthesizers and samplers, and modern rhythms. This resulted in new stereophonic sounds. Virtual stereophonics produced by the electronic music are combined to the known and experienced stereophonics of traditional music (the so called, 'classical music'). In turn, the sound achieves more depth and scope, stereophonics and composition become equal partners during the production of music." (Johannes Schmoelling).

The title of the CD "Songs No Words", and the individual tracks, are based on the style from the piano album "Lieder Ohne Worte" by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, published in 1834.

"The Zoo Of Tranquility" was Johannes Schmoelling's 2nd album released on LP in 1988. This is the re-released CD edition from 1998.

Johannes Schmoelling is an expert sound designer. On "The Zoo Of Tranquility" he uses his soundtrack experience (from his tenure with Tangerine Dream) to paint sonic pictures that are both playful and intimate. The album
was inspired by concepts and designs of British artist Paul Spooner, who happens to be a master of scultural animation. Spooner created an anteater, a lion and a woodpecker among others, for his book "Moving Animals".

Johannes Schmoelling was tempted to capture the magic of little absurd machines cheerfully spinning, lazily grinding, endlessly wiggling. "I like to create scenarios for the ears, to give a vertain depth, perspective, colouring and three-dimensional quality to sound textures. I like to arrange them like stage-sets".

His Berlin school electronica has symphonic and organic sci-fi textures. He toys with his listeners as he flits through and around the atmospheres.

This disc will appeal to fans of Steve Jolliffe, Edgar Froese, Paul Haslinger, Klaus Schulze, and fans of New Age as well.

Dear all my friends,

As you knew, Bright, Quietmelodies' founder, is extremely busy now so that he can't spend more time posting new music. I think that's the reason why this place can't attract visitors any longer. Gambetis is still doing his job really well, but it's not enough without your help. Please share what you have here instead of just downloading and leaving.

Honestly, there is a problem about kinds of music that are allowed to be published here and it's totally my fault to approve them. I've just removed all such kinds of music and I hope that you don't mind it anymore. All posts now will be checked carefully and approved as soon as possible. Gambetis said: "We all have to be involved in keeping the quality of our place". So please stay with us as friends!


Best Regards,
Mr.Neveralone.

Tracks 5-6 were originally composed as theatre music for the play "Opus ESP" by Hans Bosch, premiered in 1985 in Amsterdam.

Johannes Schmoelling's 1st solo outing after his departure from Tangerine Dream in 1986 remains for me his finest work to date. The title of the album comes from the Dutch 'Wind Blown Reeds' and when it was originally released in 1987 it confirmed the magnitude of Tangerine Dream's loss. In truth only side 1 (the first 4 tracks) of the (then vinyl) album has seen consistent wear on my turn-table, but I've heard other's proclaim side 2 as a landmark so there are depths to be charted right through this album. Schmoelling has the ability to produce infectious melody from very simple themes, and there is no better demonstration of this than on the opener "Matjora Is Still Alive". This track is perhaps the best piano/synth composition ever to grace an EM album. Strong words yes, but there are not many who have heard this track that will disagree. It is spell bindingly beautiful and the over-used phrase 'worth it for this one track' was never more apt. "Zeit (For Stephan)" opens with strange vocal treatments then builds and surges into a synthesised wall of infectious motifs which still send shivers to this day. The piano virtuosity of "Kneeplay Nº 9" takes some getting into but when it clicks there's no looking back. "Walking On Wooden Legs" features sequences and is the most TD-like offering, and graced with Schmoelling's wonderful synth leads it's another winner. If by some weird quirk of fate this album has passed you by, don't waste another moment.

This album is his most Tangerine Dream-like, but it has its very own amazing qualities.