Ein Rückblick auf ETHEREAL

"Dieses Opus wird eine immersive und emotionale Erlebnis, eine Hommage an den legendären Moog Modular.
ETHEREAL ist ein Album voller Emotionen, die durch die Sequenzen und die klangliche Textur präsent sind.
Der Moog Modular bringt eine besondere Farbe in die Klangpalette dieses neuen Werks. Ich wollte ein Ergebnis erzielen, das mit meiner Vision der Berliner Schule übereinstimmt:
eine Erweiterung dieser musikalischen Bewegung."
Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

Tom Schakel mit dem Album ETHEREAL von Sequentia Legenda

ETHEREAL
Der beste Weg, um dem Alltag zu entfliehen

Tom Schakel: "ETHEREAL ist für mich das kompletteste und spannendste aus einer Reihe von hochklassigen Alben von Sequentia Legenda.
Ich höre es nach wie vor sehr oft und kann dabei bestens dem Alltag entfliehen. Immer wieder stoße ich dabei gefühlt auf Feinheiten, die mir vorher nicht aufgefallen sind.

Während mich die ersten beiden Tracks mit ihrer Leichtigkeit und ihren hypnotischen Drums langsam aber sicher hinfort ziehen, ist der dritte Track für mich das pure Schweben im Raum. „Elevation“ klingt ein wenig anders, aber gerade das macht dieses Album für mich so außergewöhnlich.

Die knapp 70 Minuten Spielzeit von Ethereal sind für mich eine komplette Reise und halten einem Vergleich mit der Alten Berliner Schule locker stand.  5 Sterne *****"

Etwas mehr über Tom Schakel :
"Begonnen hat mein Interesse für die alte Berliner Schule gegen 2007, als ich bei einem Freund war und er Timewind von Klaus Schulze auflegte. Ich war sofort gefangen und bin in dieser Form vorher noch nie so „weggezogen“ worden. Da ich musikalisch sehr offen bin und neben klassischer Musik auch Jazz, Blues, Independent, Heavy Metal, Kraut und Psychedellicrock höre, habe ich mich daraufhin auch mit elektronischer Musik befasst und auseinandergesetzt. Ich bin bis heute ein großer Fan von diesem Sound und höre sie fast ausschließlich am Abend zum Entspannen oder beim Einschlafen, da dieser Sound für mich fast schon meditativ ist."

ETHEREAL unter den Top 10 bei den Schallwelle Awards

 

ETHEREAL
Meine Hommage an Robert Moog, an den Moog Modular

Tom Schakel: "Welchen Platz nimmt ETHEREAL für Dich in Deiner Discography ein?"
Sequentia Legenda: "Dieses Album ist letztlich meine Hommage an Robert Moog, genauer gesagt an seine imposante Klangmaschine : Der berühmte Moog Modular. Dieses Instrument nimmt einen strategischen Platz im Herzen der Atmosphäre von ETHEREAL ein und spielt eine wesentliche Rolle: die des Rückgrats des globalen Soundtracks. Es hat mir großen Spaß gemacht, die enormen Möglichkeiten der Arturia-Emulation auszuschöpfen, um das warme und satte Klangkorn des Moogs zu extrahieren. Die subtilen harmonischen Variationen, die einigen Effekten hinzugefügt werden, verleihen der einzigartigen Klangfarbe des Modulars Leben. Der Sequenzer mit seinen bemerkenswerten Möglichkeiten erlaubte mir, Linien von Noten zu formen, die sich mit Präzision und Reichtum zum Ganzen überlagern. Wie ich gerne sage, ist der Sequenzer nach wie vor mein Lieblingswerkzeug, und mit dem Moog Modular ist es ein wahrer Genuss!

Dies ist auch eine neue Zusammenarbeit mit dem Schlagzeuger Tommy Betzler. Im zweiten Track "Around the Second Moon" konnte Tommy seinen ganzen Schwung und Impuls für ein Ergebnis einbringen, das ich als "Kosmisch Rock" bezeichnen möchte. Tommy und ich waren bei der Preisverleihung der Schallwelle Awards in der Rhur dabei. Am Ende schaffte es ETHEREAL in die Top 10 der besten Alben neben solchen Größen wie Tangerine Dream, Johannes Schmoelling und Mike Oldfield. Es war eine große Leistung."

Tom Schakel: "Du hast mir einmal geschrieben, dass der dritte Track auf ETHEREAL von den anderen beiden Tracks abweicht und für Dich eine Art Experiment war. Was hat Dich dazu bewogen, diesen Schritt zu gehen?"
Sequentia Legenda: "Mit diesem dritten Track "Elevation" wollte ich eine neue Erfahrung machen, indem ich mir eine noch kosmischere Atmosphäre als sonst vorstellte. Ich habe mich am Klangraum orientiert, um eine möglichst breite, dichte Wiedergabe zu erhalten. Der mystische und sich entwickelnde Verlauf wird mit einem Mix aus atmosphärischen Schichten realisiert, die flüchtigen Klänge kommen aus den beiden Sequenzern mit einem Duo von modularen Moog, das Ganze wird durch einen sehr langen Hall transportiert. In diesem sich ständig verändernden Klangbild laden ätherische Pads und Chöre, unterstützt von sonischer Perkussion, den Zuhörer zu einem Aufstieg zu den Sternen ein."

Tom Schakel: "Wie gehst Du an Deine Aufnahmen heran, Hast Du den Track das Konzept eines Albums von Beginn an im Kopf, oder entwickelt sich das Ganze beim Komponieren und Produzieren?"
Sequentia Legenda: "Ich habe zwischen zwei Alben einige Zeit verstreichen lassen. Ich warte auf Inspiration, die mich zu den Tastaturen führt. Es ist ein besonderer Moment, ein neuer Start für ein neues musikalisches Abenteuer. Ich habe ein paar Ideen, ein paar Inspirationen, die sich während der Entstehungsphase nach und nach aufbauen. Das Ganze wird sich weiterentwickeln, wird verfeinert, um einem neuen Titel Leben einzuhauchen, dann einem neuen Opus. Ich lade Sie ein, einen weiteren Artikel zum Thema Inspiration hier zu lesen." 

 

Sequentia Legenda in Arbeit

ETHEREAL
Aus Sicht der Rezensenten

Sylvain Lupari: "A true lover of Klaus Schulze music, Sequentia Legenda goes beyond in his quest to reproduce the essence of retro Berlin School with this exquisite Ethereal. A must!"
Sylvain Lupari (August 10th, 2017)
Read the review

Richard Gürtler: "70 minutes long "ETHEREAL" is another highly accomplished album by Sequentia Legenda and especially its third chapter showcases the more distinguishing approach in carving profoundly enigmatic, yet insistently sequencer-driven vintage-futuristic electronica. Laurent, keep on excelling!!"
Richard Gürtler (Dec 29, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia)
Read the review

Drew Fisher: "Laurent Schieber has done it again! Just when you think the Berlin School sound has been played out, Laurent releases something new that just keeps upping the ante! The second of these three epics of progressive electronic music may be my favorite Berlin School song ever made!  "
Drew Fisher (Progarchives) Jan 23, 2018
Read the review

ETHEREAL von Sequentia Legenda - Übersicht Teaser 3 Titel 70 min Musik der reinsten Berliner Schule

Dieses Opus wird ein immersives und emotionales Erlebnis sein, eine Hommage an den legendären Moog Modular, drei Titel werden für eine Gesamtdauer von 70 Minuten zu hören sein.

 

 

            

A return to ETHEREAL

"This opus will be an immersive and emotional experience, a tribute to the legendary Moog modular.
ETHEREAL is an album full of emotions, which are present through the sequences and the sonic texture.
The Moog Modular brings a particular color to the sound palette of this new opus. I wanted to achieve a result in harmony with my vision of the Berlin school:
an extension of this musical movement."
Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

Tom Schakel with the album ETHEREAL by Sequentia Legenda

ETHEREAL
Best way to escape from everyday life

Tom Schakel: "ETHEREAL is for me the most complete and exciting of a series of high class albums by Sequentia Legenda. I still listen to it very often and it is the best way to escape from everyday life. Again and again I come across subtleties that I hadn't noticed before.

While the first two tracks slowly but surely draw me away with their lightness and hypnotic drums, the third track is pure floating in space for me. "Elevation" sounds a little different, but that's what makes this album so exceptional for me.

The almost 70 minutes of playing time of ETHEREAL are a complete journey for me and easily stand up to a comparison with the Old Berlin School. 5 stars *****"

A little more about Tom Schakel :
"My interest in the old Berlin School started around 2007 when I was at a friend's house and he put on Timewind by Klaus Schulze. I was immediately caught and have never been so "drawn away" in this way before. Since I am musically very open-minded and listen to jazz, blues, independent, heavy metal, kraut and psychedelic rock as well as classical music, I then also got involved with electronic music and got to grips with it. I am still a big fan of this sound and listen to it almost exclusively in the evening to relax or when falling asleep, as this sound is almost meditative for me."

ETHEREAL in the Top 10 at the Schallwelle Awards

 

ETHEREAL
My tribute to Robert Moog, to the Moog Modular

Tom Schakel: "What place does ETHEREAL hold for you in your discography?"
Sequentia Legenda: "This album is ultimately my tribute to Robert Moog, more precisely to his imposing sound machine: The famous Moog Modular. This instrument occupies a strategic place in the very heart of ETHEREAL's atmosphere, playing an essential role: that of the backbone of the overall soundtrack. I was delighted to exploit the vast possibilities of the Arturia emulation in order to extract the warm and ample grain of the Moog. The subtle harmonic variations added to some effects give life to the unique timbre of the modular. The sequencer with its remarkable possibilities allowed me to sculpt lines of notes that were superimposed with precision and richness on the whole. As I like to say, the sequencer remains my favourite tool and with the Moog Modular, it's a real treat!

This is also a new collaboration with drummer Tommy Betzler. In the second track "Around the Second Moon" Tommy was able to add all his verve and impulse for a result that I would like to call "Planing Rock". Tommy and I were present at the award ceremony of the Schallwelle Awards in the Rhur. In the end, ETHEREAL made it into the Top 10 of the best albums alongside such greats as Tangerine Dream, Johannes Schmoelling and Mike Oldfield. It was a great achievement."

Tom Schakel: "You once wrote me that the third track on ETHEREAL was different from the other two tracks and was a kind of experiment for you. What made you take this step?"
Sequentia Legenda: "With this third track "Elevation", I wanted to try a new experience by imagining an atmosphere even more cosmic than usual. I oriented my research on the sound space, in order to obtain a wide, dense rendering, a result which is the most spatial possible. The mystical and evolving progression is realized with a mixture of atmospheric pads, the fleeting sounds are issued from the two sequencers with a duo of modular Moog, the whole transported by a very long reverberation. In this ever-changing sonic canvas, ethereal pads and choirs, supported by sonic percussion, invite the listener to an ascent to the stars."

Tom Schakel: "How do you approach your recordings, do you have the track the concept of an album in mind from the beginning, or does it all develop during composing and producing?"
Sequentia Legenda: "I let some time pass between two albums. I wait for the inspiration to guide me to the keyboards. It is a particular moment, a new start for a new musical adventure. I have some ideas, some tracks of inspirations, which are built little by little during the phase of creation. The whole will evolve, will be refined to give life to a new title, then to a new opus. I invite you to read another article related to inspiration here." 

 

Sequentia Legenda being composed

ETHEREAL
As seen by the reviewers

Sylvain Lupari: "A true lover of Klaus Schulze music, Sequentia Legenda goes beyond in his quest to reproduce the essence of retro Berlin School with this exquisite Ethereal. A must!"
Sylvain Lupari (August 10th, 2017)
Read the review

Richard Gürtler: "70 minutes long "ETHEREAL" is another highly accomplished album by Sequentia Legenda and especially its third chapter showcases the more distinguishing approach in carving profoundly enigmatic, yet insistently sequencer-driven vintage-futuristic electronica. Laurent, keep on excelling!!"
Richard Gürtler (Dec 29, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia)
Read the review

Drew Fisher: "Laurent Schieber has done it again! Just when you think the Berlin School sound has been played out, Laurent releases something new that just keeps upping the ante! The second of these three epics of progressive electronic music may be my favorite Berlin School song ever made!  "
Drew Fisher (Progarchives) Jan 23, 2018
Read the review

ETHEREAL by Sequentia Legenda - Overview Teaser 3 Titles 70 min of pure Berlin School music

This opus will be an immersive and emotional experience, a tribute to the legendary Moog modular, three titles will be present for a total duration of 70 minutes.

 

 

            

RENAISSANCE trois titres chroniqués par Drew Fisher

Meilleurs albums de l'année 2018 :
RENAISSANCE est dans la sélection de Drew Fisher !

 

"Dans l'esprit magique de la Berlin School de Klaus Schulze, Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda) le Maestro de Mulhouse semble faire un album par an (ou, plus exactement, tous les neuf mois) tout en augmentant en confiance, en qualité et en séduction. Alors qu'ETHEREAL, datant de 2017, était un véritable chef-d'œuvre et reste sur ma playlist de rotation fréquente - j'ai été si occupé en 2018 (depuis mai) et je n'ai pas eu assez de temps pour écouter de la nouvelle musique et encore moins des épopées de plus de 20 minutes comme celles-ci. Mais je peux dire aujourd'hui, qu'ils sont tout à fait à la hauteur des normes fixées par le travail précédent de Laurent - et par le maître lui-même, Monsieur Schulze."

Drew Fisher septembre 2018

UN TITRE SOLIDE AVEC UN MERVEILLEUX TIERS FINAL

Drew Fischer:
"1. "Out of the Silence" (21:54) commence étonnamment familièrement et prends un peu de temps à grandir et à se développer (un peu trop, à mon humble avis). Le jeu de cymbales d'un batteur entre et rejoint la séquence au cours de la cinquième minute. Il sonne comme en direct (pas en boucle) !

Les percussions intégrales entrent en jeu à la septième minute, le changement de tonalité total à 7:35, puis revient à sa formation initiale à 8:25. Deux autres changements de tonalité différents dans les dixièmes et onzièmes minutes avec quelques sons de percussions supplémentaires ajoutés au mixage, mais la pièce ne va pas vraiment vers quelque chose de nouveau, différent ou excitant, il y à certes un passage à un spectre de tonalité plus mineur à 11:00. Il est agréable qu'il y eut quatre changements de tonalité au lieu des deux habituels.

À 14:00, toutes les pistes rythmiques sont lâchées et de multiples couches d'accords et de bruits de synthés s'imposent dans un nouvel univers d'espace. J'aime cette section. Surtout l'arpège hypnotique de piano électrique à quatre notes répété comme base centrale. La brillance du travail de Rainer Brüninghaus avec Eberhard Weber me vient à l'esprit.

Une pièce solide avec un merveilleux tiers final, encore une fois, une pièce qui montre la croissance et le développement de la confiance et de la maîtrise de Laurent. (8.5/10)"

 

C'EST DÉFINITIVEMENT UN MORCEAU REPRÉSENTATIF DES MAÎTRES DE L'ÉCOLE DE BERLIN.

Drew Fischer:
"2. "Ici et Maintenant" (25:39) s'ouvrant sur un paysage sonore beaucoup plus sombre et inquiétant que d'habitude pour Sequentia Legenda. Le lent fondu enchaîné de rythmes, de percussions et les multiples boucles et des effets de synthés apportent un adoucissement de la tension, un léger regain d'espoir. À la cinquième minute, tous les niveaux semblent fixés. À la neuvième minute, la répétition commence à s'user et puis boum ! À la neuvième minute, juste au bon moment, il y a un grand changement de tonalité, un changement qui détend les nerfs. Génial !

Laurent devient si doué pour lire ses auditeurs (ou du moins, moi). Quelque chose dans cette tonalité rend la musique beaucoup plus décontractée, plus relaxante, puis, à la minute 11, la tonalité revient à son original, mais grâce à ce sursis de deux minutes, elle est beaucoup plus tolérable, agréable. Un autre quart de travail à 13:00 et avec lui un nouveau synthétiseur, un nouveau clavier "harpe" aux accords et c'est alors l'épanouissement. Joli ! À 15:00, nous rentrons dans une autre clé. Les objets séquencés semblent si amicaux et si proches maintenant. De nouvelles percussions sont ajoutées - une grosse caisse dans le registre grave et une cymbale charleston dans le registre aigu. Après 17:00, quelques autres bruits de synthétiseurs : bourdonnements d'insectes, accords pleins de synthés et une piste de caisse claire de type orchestre. Joli. L'environnement sonore est parfaitement équilibré et pas trop surchargé. L'introduction subtile de tant d'éléments m'aide, moi, l'auditeur, à rester envoûté et retranché... dans " l'Ici et le Maintenant ". Des passages de Tam-tam sont ajoutés au mixage à la vingtième minute et puis, tout à coup, à 20:00, tout s'effondre ; toutes les pistes sauf celles du synthé et quelques éléments rythmiques à deux notes disparaissent progressivement. C'est incroyable !

Je suis tellement stupéfait par la note simple, panoramique et avec effet flanger(1), qui se déploie lentement, que je revis mon lien profond avec "Dream Within a Dream" de Propaganda, l'une de mes chansons préférées de tous les temps. J'adore la sortie prolongée avec les percussions et les arpèges de piano électrique d'octave supérieure.

Une piste géniale ! Certainement un morceau emblématique des maîtres de l'école de Berlin !  (10/10)"

(1) Le flanger est un effet sonore obtenu en additionnant au signal d'origine ce même signal mais légèrement retardé, ce retard fixe est modulé par un LFO variant périodiquement à une fréquence de quelques hertz (communément entre 0,1 et 20 Hz). D'un point de vue spectral, le traitement est similaire à un effet de filtrage en peigne balayant. (source Wikipédia)

ENGAGEANT, HYPNOTISANT ET CONVAINCANT

Drew Fischer:

"3. "Valentins Traum" (17:24) une longue ouverture avec des choix d'accords mineurs ou discordants sur lesquels des sons étranges, voire dérangeants, entrent et sortent du paysage sonore. La piste rythmique séquencée reste loin en arrière-plan, s'estompant dans et hors du spectre auditif. Ce n'est qu'à la cinquième minute qu'il commence à émerger et à rester, voire à s'élever jusqu'à une place dans l'épaisseur de la palette sonore. À la fin de la sixième minute, un riff de clavecin électronique, un zip!-buzz d'insectes, un tambourin électronique et la rotation des cordes de synthé se sont imposés comme les piliers. La sélection d'accords n'est plus aussi sombre et effrayante maintenant, bien que des sons étranges et contre nature continuent d'entrer et de sortir de l'environnement sonore. Ce riff "harpe/harpsichord" est tellement hypnotisant !

À la onzième minute, plusieurs composants de la batterie sont introduits et entremêlés. Les sons étranges deviennent plus fréquents, constants, et se superposent en multiplicité à mesure que la batterie et les pistes rythmiques s'estompent à la fin de la quatorzième minute. Le dénouement est lent, progressif et régulier, donc je suppose que le rêve de Valentin a été un peu dérangeant, mais pas un événement qui a causé une peur soudaine ou des terreurs nocturnes, mais la persistance des sons effrayants continue à l'avant malgré le lent fondu de la musique dans le fond, alors peut-être que j'ai tort.

Beau travail. Définitivement engageant, hypnotisant et convaincant
en tant que représentation de son sujet. (9/10)"

 

Drew Fisher vit aux États-Unis d'Amérique, dans le Wisconsin.

Il a étudié l'histoire de l'art et l'architecture à l'Université de Strasbourg en France. C'est un homme proche de la nature, aimant tout ce qui touche à l'art. Il adore la peinture et il peint dans ses temps libres, il aime particulièrement la littérature et il est l'auteur de "The Osiris Plan Trilogy", une fiction visionnaire de l'histoire humaine. C'est aussi un grand amateur de musique, Drew a chroniqué un grand nombre d'albums.

Il est l'auteur de plusieurs blogs dont "Prog Is Alive and Well" consacré à la musique progressive. Drew anime une émission de radio "Prog is Alive !" diffusée sur WDRT.

Lien vers l'article original

 

 

 

UN APERÇU DE MON PROCHAIN PROJET " OVER THERE "

 

 

Les six premières minutes de FLOATING TIME (travail en cours).

Voici un extrait du deuxième morceau du futur album OVER THERE. C'est une composition dans la plus pure tradition de l'école de Berlin du milieu des années 70. Les synthétiseurs d'aujourd'hui délivrent des sons au grain analogique.

Dans le brouillard lointain et les vagues déferlantes, on entend le tintement d'une cloche. Une embarcation flottante sur une mer inconnue avance lentement, puis c'est un vol progressif vers le firmament. Dans cette atmosphère mystique, c'est le grondement du ciel et des profondeurs de la mer qui se mêle aux séquences flottantes et aux sons tourbillonnants...

Pour ce titre et pour ce futur album, les chœurs du Mellotron et les cordes du Solina viennent s'ajouter aux autres instruments mythiques tels que le Modular Moog, le Minimoog ou autre Jupiter 8.

OVER THERE

Sortie officielle prévue pour le 3 mars 2019

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

RENAISSANCE Three tracks reviewed by Drew Fisher

Top Albums of the Year 2018 : The Masterpieces by Drew Fisher
RENAISSANCE is in the selection !

 

"More Berlin School magic from Klaus Schulze devoté Laurent Schieber, the Mulhouse Maestro seems to be pulling together an LP per year (or, more accurately, every nine months) all the while increasing in confidence, quality, and allure. While last year's Ethereal was a veritable prog masterpiece--and remains on my frequent rotation playlist--I've been so busy this year (since May) that I've had little time to listen to much new music much less 20+ minute long epics like these. But, I can now say, these are every bit as much up to the standards set by Laurent's previous work--and by the master himself, M. Schulze."

Drew Fisher September, 2018

A SOLID SONG WITH A WONDERFUL FINAL THIRD

Drew Fischer:
"1. "Out of the Silence" (21:54) starts surprisingly familiar and takes a little time growing and developing (a little too much time, in my humble opinion). A drummer's cymbol play enters and joins the sequence over the course of the fifth minute. It sounds live (not looped)!

Full drums enter in the seventh minute, total key shift at 7:35 and then back to original formation at 8:25. Two more different key shifts in the tenth and eleventh minutes with a few more percussion noises added to the mix, but the song doesn't really go anywhere new, different, or exciting--not even the shift to a more minor key spectrum at the
11:00 mark--though it is nice that there are four key shifts to choose from instead of the usual two.

     At 14:00 all rhythm tracks are dropped and multiple layers of synth chords and synth noises hold their own in a new universe of spacey-ness. I like this section. Especially the hypnotic four-note electric piano arpeggio repeated as the central foundation. The brilliance of Rainer Brüninghaus's work with Eberhard Weber comes to mind.

A solid song with a wonderful final third--again, a song that is displaying the growth
and development of Laurent's confidence and mastery. (8.5/10)"

 

DEFINITELY A SHOWCASE PIECE OF A BERLIN SCHOOL MASTER

Drew Fischer:
"2. "Ici et Maintenant" (25:39) opening with a much darker, foreboding soundscape than is usual for Sequentia Legenda, the slow fade in of the rhythm and percussion tracks and multiple loops of synth washes brings with it a softening of the tension, a slight brightening of hope. By the fifth minute all levels seem set. By the ninth minute the repetition is starting to wear and then--boom!--at the 9:00 mark, just in perfect timing, there is a big shift--a key change which settles the nerves. Awesome!

Laurent is getting so good at reading his listeners (or, at least, me). Something about this key makes the music so much more settling, more relaxing, then, at 11:00, the key shifts again--back to its original, but thanks to that two minute reprieve, it is much more tolerable, enjoyable. Another shift at 13:00--and with it some new synth and keyboard "harp" chords and flourishes. Nice! At 15:00 we enter yet another key. The sequenced items are feeling so friendly and close now. New percussives are being added--prominent kick drum in the lower range and hi-hat cymbol in the high. After 17:00 a few more synth noises: insect buzzes, full synth wash chords, and an orchestra-like snare track. Nice. The soundscape is so perfectly balanced--and not overly full. The subtle introduction of so many elements helps me, the listener, to stay entranced and entrenched . . . in the Here and Now. Tom-tom runs are added to the mix in the twentieth minute and then, quite suddenly, at the 20:00 mark, everything collapses; all tracks but the synth washes and a few two-note rhythm tracks disappear. This is awesome!

I am so stupefied by the slowly panned and flanged single note "guitar pluck"--I'm reliving my deep connection to Propaganda's "Dream Within a Dream"--one of my all-time favorite songs. Love the prolonged exit with the percussives and upper octave electric piano arpeggi.

Awesome song! Definitely a showcase piece of a Berlin School master!  (10/10)"

ENGAGING, MESMERIZING, AND CONVINCING

Drew Fischer:

"3. "Valentins Traum" (17:24) a long opening with minor or discordant chord choices over which odd and eerie, even disturbing, sounds flit in and out of the soundscape. The sequenced rhythm track stays far in the background, fading in and out of the aural spectrum. Only in the fifth minute does it begin to emerge and stay, even rise to a place within the thick of the sonic palette. By the end of the sixth minute an electronic harpsichord riff, insect zip!-buzz, electronic tambourine, and rotation of synth strings washes have established themselves as the mainstays. The chord selection is not quite as dark and scary now, though eerie, unnatural sounds continue to fly in and out of the soundscape. That "harp/harpsichord" riff is so hypnotizing!

In the eleventh minute multiple components of a drum kit are introduced and interwoven. The eerie sounds become more frequent, constant, and layered in multiplicity as the drums and rhythm tracks fade out by the end of the fourteenth minute. The dénouement is slow, gradual, and steady, so I'm guessing that Valentin's dream was a bit of a disturbing event, though not one that caused sudden fright or night terrors, but the persistence of the scary sounds continues in the fore despite the slow fade of the music into the background, so perhaps I a wrong.

Nice work. Definitely engaging, mesmerizing,
and convincing as a representation of its subject matter. (9/10)"

 

Drew Fisher lives in the United States of America, Wisconsin.
He studied History of Art and Architecture at the University of Strasbourg in France. He is a man close to nature, loving everything to do with art. He loves painting and painting in his spare time, he particularly enjoys literature and is the author of "The Osiris Plan Trilogy", a visionary fiction of human history. He is also a great music lover, Drew has reviewed a large number of albums.
He is the author of several Blogs including "Prog Is Alive and Well" dedicated to progressive music. Drew hosts a radio show "Prog is Alive!" broadcast on WDRT.

Link to the original review

 

 

 

AN OVERVIEW OF MY NEXT PROJECT "OVER THERE"

 

 

The first six minutes of FLOATING TIME (work in progress).

Here is an extract of the second track of the future album OVER THERE. It is a composition in the purest tradition of the Berlin School of the mid-1970s. Today's synthesizers deliver analog grain tones.

In the distant fog and breaking waves, the ringing of a bell can be heard. A craft floating on an unknown sea advances slowly, then it is a progressive flight towards the heavens. In this mystical atmosphere, it is the rumbling from the sky and the depths of the sea that mixes with floating sequences and whirling sounds...

For this title and for this future album, the choirs of the Mellotron and the strings of the Solina come to be added to the other mythical instruments such as the Modular Moog, the Minimoog or other Jupiter 8.

OVER THERE

Official release planned for 3 March 2019

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

ETHEREAL: expert's point of view 🔍

A selection of four reviews

💡My fourth album under the spotlight💡

ETHEREAL - Sequentia Legenda's fourth album.

In addition to the fact that it is pleasant to read the reviewers' papers,
it is important to know how my music is perceived, 
how it feels, what the listener feels when discovering my sound landscape. 

Some analyses are very interesting and I have sometimes even found myself rediscovering my music through reading.
On the other hand, others give me ideas, trails and sometimes also sources of inspiration and reflection.

Here are some excerpts of my choice that I wanted to comment on.

I wish you a pleasant reading,
Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

Richard Gürtler Dec 29, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia

 Richard Gürtler: 
"Elevation, at 20:34 the third and closing opus, invites the listener into unmapped domains, where Sequentia Legenda with nebulously barren drone hums unlocks the gates to the void. Amalgamating a display of thrillingly oracular hues with lighter, artificially spellbinding pulsations and calmly ascending, but persistently magnified sequencer and drum sparkles. Ominous depths, never before reached by Sequentia Legenda are meticulously illuminated by perpetually shimmering and predictably sustained insignias. Wow, this final track was certainly beyond the ordinary Berlin-School endeavor!!!
[...]
70 minutes long "Ethereal" is another highly accomplished album by Sequentia Legenda and especially its third chapter showcases the more distinguishing approach in carving profoundly enigmatic, yet insistently sequencer-driven vintage-futuristic electronica.
[...]
Laurent, keep on excelling!!! And by the way, the next album "Renaissance" is scheduled for May 17th, 2018, so definitely stay connected!!!" 

Richard Gürtler Dec 29, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia

 Sequentia Legenda:
"Elevation, is indeed an original sound universe that I propose to my listeners, a different way of composing my music, a different use of sequencers, it's a new musical journey.

The global atmosphere of this title is oriented towards the ambient, the long evolutionary pads contribute to an opening towards to a wide sound and cosmic panorama.

From a technical point of view, I used reverberation extensively, in order to obtain a great width and depth sound, to shape a soundtrack favourable to immersion and meditation, allowing the notes to disperse in space. The Formant filter has been used to give a special touch and grain to this floating raster.

The sound texture in perpetual evolution is an invitation for the listener to discover and visualize a fragment of the cosmos, it's an immersive and astral invitation, it's a take-off to space, it's touching the stars and going very far.

📡Elevation is a title to elevate itself high." 

Sequentia Legenda on 28 January 2018

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Drew Fisher Jan 23, 2018, Avalanche, United States

 Drew Fisher: 
"Laurent Schieber has done it again! Just when you think the Berlin School sound has been played out, Laurent releases something new that just keeps upping the ante! 
The second of these three epics of progressive electronic music may be my favorite Berlin School song ever made!
[...]
"Around the Second Moon" (22:45) opens with some very interesting slowly sliding note "arpeggi" beneath which some sequential percussion/bass lines try to establish themselves. As the treble sounds thin and disappear, the "bubbling," "squirting" sequencer lines become more interesting, hypnotic, captivating, and then foundational, even melody holders. In the fourth minute, they are the only music placeholders before some synth washes sneak in from behind. The chord choices of the synths add so much to enhance the sequencing. It's not until the middle of the seventh minute that the first percussive sound arrives and begins to elbow its way into the mix. By now the bass and synth lines have wormed their way into your subconscious in a kind of Edgar Alan Poe way while syncopated, intermittent percussives make it sound like Madeline Usher trying to break out of her casket in the basement. This is SO COOOL!!!
[...]
Were I more familiar with Klaus Schulze's work of the second half of the 1970s I might find more to compare and critique, but, as is, I can only find praise. The clarity and fullness of modern sound is so pleasant and fulfilling to the ear and soul than the often thin and scratchy stuff of recordings from the 70s that, as with the Master's 2007 release, Kontinuum, I am filled with only praise and joy.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the 
21st Century's shining examples of stellar Berlin School revitalization." 

Drew Fisher Jan 23, 2018, Avalanche, United States

 Sequentia Legenda:
"Personally, I think the Berlin School still has a bright future ahead of it. This musical movement allows me to express myself, to release my emotions, to share a part of me with the public, to live my passion.

I have my own vision, that of an extended version of the Berlin School, a vision of sequencing. It is an honour to be able to contribute my contribution to this musical edifice and thus to contribute to its continuity.

I had the privilege of collaborating with artists specialized in this movement such as Kurtz Mindfields (Jean-Luc Briançon) and the emblematic drummer Tommy Betzler who played with Klaus Schulze in the 80s. 

Regarding the track "Around the Second Moon" it's a track where Tommy Betzler agreed to participate, he put all his experience in the profile of this composition with a lot of brilliance. Hearing that it's one of the best tracks in the Berlin School fills me with pride and happiness, which I am happy to share this with Tommy. 

Finally, if I can "revitalize" the Berlin School, as Drew Fisher so aptly put it in his article, then I will be proud and delighted. I'd like to add: "Long live to Berlin School!" 

Sequentia Legenda on 31 January 2018

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Thoralf Koß Oct 19, 2017, Riesa, Germany

 Thoralf Koß:
"Laurent Schieber bezeichnet seine Kompositionen als „‘ernst‘ mit einem Hauch von Nostalgie“ und bringt auf diese Weise die Stimmung hinter „Ethereal“ auf den Punkt. Elektronische Klassik der 70er-Jahre also – oder einfach nur Berliner Schule pur. Hinzu kommt die angenehm warme, sehr voluminöse Produktion des Albums, die bei einer entsprechenden Lautstärke und einer guten Anlage den ganzen Raum zu einer Art Universum werden lässt, durch das man bei „Stratums Of Seraphic Voices“ einerseits wie durch die Milchstraße schwebt, sich aber auch erste „Body Love“-Fantasien entfalten.
[...]
FAZIT: Ach ja, warum nur kommt einem immer wieder dieser KLAUS SCHULZE in den Sinn, wenn man SEQUENTIA LEGENDA hört? Die Antwort ist ganz einfach: Weil Laurent Schieber sich nicht nur Schulzes frühe Musik verinnerlicht hat, sondern auch dazu in der Lage ist, sie auf gänzlich gleichem Niveau und mit einem ähnlichen Instrumentarium, wie es auch Schulze verwendete, wiederzugeben. Das Schieber-Schulze-Gen funktioniert bestens. 
„Ethereal“ = Elektronische Musik für Berliner-Schule-Nostalgiker." 

in English:

"Laurent Schieber describes his compositions as "serious" with a touch of nostalgia"and in this way sums up the mood behind" Ethereal ". Electronic classics of the 70s - or simply pure Berlin school. Add to this the pleasantly warm, very voluminous production of the album, which, with the appropriate volume and a good system, turns the whole room into a kind of universe, which on the one hand makes you float through the Milky Way, but on the other hand allows you to unfold your first „Body Love“ fantasies with "Stratums Of Seraphic Voices".
[...]
CONCLUSION: Oh yes, why does this KLAUS SCHULZE keep coming to mind when you hear SEQUENTIA LEGENDA? The answer is quite simple: because Laurent Schieber has not only internalized Schulze's early music, but is also able to reproduce it at the same level and with a similar set of instruments as Schulze used. The Schieber-Schulze gene works perfectly. 

„Ethereal“ = Electronic music for Berlin school nostalgics." 

Thoralf Koß Oct 19, 2017, Riesa, Germany

 Sequentia Legenda:
"The German rigour is in me, it is most certainly due to my status as a cross-border man, to the fact that professionally I spent more time in Germany than in France. The adage "weniger ist mehr" which can be translated as "Less is more" reflects my personality, my musical vision. By the definition of "serious", musically speaking, 
I mean: no superfluous. 

I try to do as much as possible with the simplest possible configuration, I don't try to work with a record number of tracks, I don't try at all cost to "furnish" my compositions with solos or effects. 

My music is serious, yes, she is also nostalgic, but without falling into sadness in order to allow the listener to escape in the best possible conditions. 

Other than the fact that my music can be categorized as minimalist music, it is important for me to bring the sound elements to life, to make them grow throughout the title, to highlight harmonic subtleties in order to make musical exploration as captivating as possible. The search for symphonic balance, the balance of the sound spectrum, the coherence of spatiality are essential aspects in this vision of rigour and seriousness." 

Sequentia Legenda on 30 January 2018

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Sylvain Lupari Aug 10, 2017, Montréal, Canada

 Sylvain Lupari: 
"Véritable amoureux de la musique de Klaus Schulze, Sequentia Legenda va au-delà dans sa quête de reproduire l'essence de la rétro Berlin School avec cet exquis Ethereal. Un must!"
[...]
Près de 30 minutes sur une thématique minimaliste morphique 
qui s'épuisent sans sentiment de lassitude ! Il n'y avait que Klaus Schulze pour réussir pareil exploit. Laurent Schieber fait comme le maître et à la perfection." 

in English:

"A true lover of Klaus Schulze's music, Sequentia Legenda goes beyond his quest to reproduce the essence of Berlin School retro with this exquisite Ethereal. A must!"
[...]
Almost 30 minutes on a minimalist morphic theme 
that wears out without feeling tired! 
Only Klaus Schulze was capable of such a feat. 
Laurent Schieber makes like the master and to perfection." 

 Sequentia Legenda:
"It is a great honour to be compared in this way with the illustrious Klaus Schulze. I have a deep respect for his work. He was a forerunner. A true sound sculptor. 
Mirage was my musical trigger!

For me, the Berlin School is a real passion, I give my best.

I remain humble, I know where I come from and I will see what the future holds for me. 
I just hope to be able to continue on this path and live my dream as best I can. And who knows... maybe someday I could meet Klaus Schulze." 

Sequentia Legenda on 31 January 2018

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