Indicator

dreamdancer

I am a Fama Tuba
If you learn something as long term DL fan it is this: never ever expect that the next album will sound like one of the past releases. And this is definitely true for Indicator! The variety of musical expressions which can be found comparing the previous albums culminates here in a single one, sometimes almost in a single song. In Indicator DL are more dense and intense than ever.

So I am going to take the liberty to let you know what this album is doing to me (and if you like, please let me know what it does to you, too ;;) ).
Indicator has as many facets as the iridescent eye of an insect. Whenever I try to focus on a single part, something in the corner of my eye (or better: at the edge of my ear) distracts me. And hypnotized by the glance I can only surrender. Tossed around by electronic waves I feel a presence that carries me, sometimes soft, sometimes strong, sometimes distant, and sometimes close: a guiding voice.

At the beginning this voice leads through an autumn song full of regret but still my soul is floating in its soft tenderness.
Cold you felt
After One night I wake up by a soft and damped synthesizer and the syncopic rhythm of who'll save your world kicks me out of this drifting state.
like a wooden doll went through his hell
Then the voice tells the story about a love that faded in the past. This tale is embedded in synthesizer sounds full of melancholic affection. The bridge hits with a stronger beat only to give way to quiet chorus leaving me behind.
but I found you ran away with you
Alone, breathless with a beseeching voice humming all around, electronic nails are hammered into the head by a fractured beat until the remnants of my ego are torn into pieces in Immigrant. Who am I?
talked to you, saved you too
An accusatory voice, while I am all electrified by the music full of tension, full of hope, ready to go, to join in Europe. But where am I?
day by day
Lost along the road, drifting without care, without time, without direction, confused by spinning strings. But I move on and on as if attracted by the harp of a fairy queen. Without words I get trapped in her realm, unable to stop dancing the last dance.
more veils disappeared and turned to grey
Only to be shaken by a voice full of anger in six o'clock. Rage, which is barely suppressed at the beginning, turns openly on the oppressor. Merciless beats, contorted tunes hiss a question: Why are you?
fell to ashes took away your fears
Haunted by nightmares even during the day the chorus in Go away bad dreams is like spell to chase them away. The melody appears as if from a musical clock. This is really eerie, because with the sleep the ghosts and demons will come to torture the desperate soul. In the end the spell is not strong enough to overcome the evil. And also the singing heart on your stage again cannot take away the shiver running down my spine.
Go away, go away, go away! x_x
smiles came back, no more tears
Lost memories are brought back in the old man is dead. With all the samples scattered throughout the song it feels like looking at an old photo album with yellowed silver bromide pictures. They trigger vivid recollections almost as real as if one traveled back in time: A nostalgic bed time story told for a small boy. When am I?
Leave behind dusty backyards
Only the 2nd CD of the limited edition provides the way back - back in time and back to myself:
come with me come with me
Young 2010 seems to be dedicated to the current youth. It is hopeful but with enough pushing anger so that this generation may find the strength to fight for a better world though strained by the demands of the society and by the economic system.
for you and me
Spring will come as a healing spell. The beat underneath the hook (can you call this a "line"?) makes it a really intriguing invocation as if in a rite of spring. At the end of this song (which is my favorite), Ernst's drums go completely crazy, even brute. (And I cannot help myself visualizing Ernst playing the drums like Animal sorrysorrysorry)
for heaven's sake
Alabama is for me the song that concludes the album, since the remix of Gone and the acoustic versions of One night, Who'll save your world, and A fish called prince are more like a gift to the fans. A very welcome one, of course! Alabama refers to the Birmingham bombing in 1963, where four young girls were killed in a Baptist church. Martin Luther King gave a speech at the funeral giving an important impulse to the civil rights movement. Dedicated to John Coltrane, who put this event to music (e.g. see here) only a few months later, only simple chords are used here, like the echo of a church hymn or of a gospel song. :ympray: And such this stirring and quite disturbing album finally finds a very peaceful ending.
Blue heart (how intrusive can a song be?)
At the end of the day, one can clearly see/hear how much effort Alexander and Ernst put into this project. The songs differ so much in structure, in harmony, in rhythm and in lyrics that each one basically deserves an own thread. The long waiting was definitely worth while! :-bd

Thank you, guys, really: thx a lot!
 
I am also under the impression that Young 2010 is dedictated to the current youth, or even more intimately to Mr Veljanow's own daughter, who ought to be round about 13, I think. Although I wonder whether a professional like him would allow privat business entering in his songs. Romantic, that I am at heart, I am forever looking for secret clues, but I am really quite convinced that are none. Still, I am quite moved by the emotions that seem to be so true to the heart.

Lady Ash
 
Lady Ash meinte:
Still, I am quite moved by the emotions that seem to be so true to the heart.

Yes, Alexander appears more open than he used to be. In the CI interview he says, that his lyrics are more direct. But I think you are right, it holds for his interpretation as well. But he is not the person to mix personal things with work. He is well known to answer no questions regarding his private life in interviews. And why should he? But I reckon that inspiration can be triggred by the private environment of a person and from there on more general ideas are developed.
 
dreamdancer meinte:
But he is not the person to mix personal things with work. He is well known to answer no questions regarding his private life in interviews.

No, and why should he, indeed? I respect and applaude his silence on private matters because it is probably the only way anyone in his profession can continue to function both as an artist as well as a person.
But I stand here and admire his music (except that admire is too shale a word) and can't help some of that admiration reaching out to him personally. The more emotional the album the more difficult it is likely to be to seperate the work of art from the artist.
This afternoon, I listened to Immigrant, and it almost had me in tears, so overwhelming was the empathy for this immigrant just wanting to lead a normal life. By the way, here we have a case of private matters triggering a professional song, what with Mr Veljanov's experiences with his guest-musicians and all. So, yes, the album definately aims for our emotions and not only in the obvious songs, either.
On the other hand, I still refuse to be touched by One Night because it is so obviously made to be emotional. Oh, it's brilliantly arranged and superbly sung and all that, but for me it is also calculating in all its perfection. Do you know what I mean?
 
I have finally ordered it! Took me some time, I know Had to order from amazon.de because our amazon.co.uk doesn't have the limited edition version! So...I don't quite know how long it will take to get here!
 
Zuletzt bearbeitet von einem Moderator...:
@Rhiannon
You won't regret it, Rhiannon, I promise! For me, it's their best album ever - but I don't really know April Skies or all of the songs prior to Kasmodiah. Indicator is harmonic yet modern and clever, too. I totally like it. (By the way, this just reminds me: Does anyone know why Kasmodiah is called Kasmodiah? I know of a Persian demon, whose name is similar, but surely that is coincidence, is it not?)

@ dreamdancer
Last night I read that One Night is supposed to be an ... erotic ballad (AV). It is perhaps the piece I have most problems with, but I don't find it exspecially erotic, except for "close to your breath" and "sweet caress" - and, well, it IS a lovesong, after all. One has to say something in love songs, too.

Go away bad dreams:
Is it really celtic in melody or rhythym? I can't say, but music is not really my forte, anyway.
 
Lady Ash meinte:
... Does anyone know why Kasmodiah is called Kasmodiah? I know of a Persian demon, whose name is similar, but surely that is coincidence, is it not?..

Kasmodiah is just a female name and I have heard that it seems to be often used in Macedonia. The same-titled song deals with a father's feelings towards his daughter's first love.
 
One night: Yes, after your posting I found that interview, where AV states that One night is somewhat erotic. Well, I think it depends on the definition of "erotic". If you think about standing/dancing cheek to cheek, skin barely touching? Then it is more about your imagination what COULD be, rather about the potential than about what actually IS (or will be). And with that aspect I agree. ("One day all I've seen will come true") I feel that this potential is also reflected in the floating between minor and major key. This is in contrast to Gone, where there is no hope that something might still develop.

Go away bad dreams: I do not really understand a lot here, since I have quite a different perspective on celtic music. For me this is: Reel, Jig, Hornpipe! But I do not think that Ernst and Alexander refer to trad. tunes when they talk about celtic music. So maybe it has something got to do with the harmonies and the piece being based upon the quint (a-e). But I am really not sure x_x

Kasmodiah is supposed to be a girl's name and Alexander was convinced by Ernst and others that this song title should be the title of the album, because it sounds so nice and because the song Kasmodiah is very beautiful, too.

@Rhiannon: I apologize, of course it takes longer until the album is shipped abroad in Europe. I was just too impatient, as always... And it seems there are concerts planned in the UK (see link below)
(or even reaches the US - Oh RaBBit, where art thou?)

And just in case you missed the link for a nice English interview with Alexander (he also explains the name of the band) gwendolina posted in the German forum: http://www.reflectionsofdarkness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8165&Itemid=46
 
dreamdancer meinte:
@Rhiannon: I apologize, of course it takes longer until the album is shipped abroad in Europe. I was just too impatient, as always... And it seems there are concerts planned in the UK (see link below)
(or even reaches the US - Oh RaBBit, where art thou?)

And just in case you missed the link for a nice English interview with Alexander (he also explains the name of the band) gwendolina posted in the German forum: http://www.reflectionsofdarkness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8165&Itemid=46
Oh thanks for the link!!! :) Hey maybe I will see them twice, then :D
 
So...last night i joined the chat...and it seemed everyone had the same problem as me: the videos do not show properly, they are cut off...:( I tried it with realplayer, windows media and also quick time...same for all of them..:(
do you all have this too? I thought at first it was because my computer is widescreen, sometimes the tops of things don't quite show on it, and I'm really not technical, so I didn't really know :D but the others last night also had this problem.
I mean they play ok, but you can only see part of the picture.
 
Yep, same problem - I have not yet heard of anybody, who could watch the videos properly. Strange indeed! And somewhat a pity :(

On the other hand, I do not care that much about the videos, I have to admit. I do enjoy the songs of the 2nd CD a lot. Actually, I have to listen to Spring will come whenever I played Go away bad dreams --- the latter just scares me too much. So I do not regret to have bought the limited edition. And the acoustic live recordings are really nice, too (especially, since I was at that concert in Berlin it brings back nice memories :) ).
 
Bravo D'D s..et al. ...enjoy your fine new album me i wait until Oct whenever before the properly formated version is coming USA side....until then I will just press my pug Irish nose against the forums proverbial glass and glean what I can. ...
 
Hi RaBBitFan,

I hope, you get Indicator soon. Looking forward to discuss with you :D
RaBBitFan meinte:
press my pug Irish nose against the forums proverbial glass and glean what I can. ...
Then you probably feel a bit like Alexander in the "black" video ;) But I understand, what you mean. Be assured - the waiting is worthwhile...
 
or even reaches the US - Oh RaBBit, where art thou?)

Yes we will have this new and fantastic angsy higher conscious musical voyage yes we will..
its one thing (a bad think mind you) to be behind on a Veljanov Album..it is a massive fail to be behind on a Deine Lakaien album.. its like the balrog ... and Gandolf (still wanna know if Balrogs fly or if its all an illusion..see thats the real question isnt it :-B )

where has rabbits been?? having its gall bladder removed this past tuesday in an emergency Surg. :ymsick: :ymsick: :ymsick: .. and I am hoping that NEITHER of the Lakaiens and et al ever suffer that fate.. you too for that matter.. nothing says kill me NOW! like billiary colic... :ymsick:

I garner a sense of a tarotistic map.. of sorts..hard to say whether the Authroress of the original review er has put that spin on the album or that there is a general symbiotic link..knowing this weird UEBER sentient world its more than likely the latter.... psst the Lakaiens have ears they know their fan base well..

taking a look back into the goodie box ( I am referring to themes so well loved by AV and EH) yes there is always some thread of Celtic music..mind you that 'celtic music descends into northern Portugal,, and becomes partially Gaulish...there is the Angst.. always the angst... the lost love, the touch and go of lost love.. the pondering of man and his fatalities and in the same breath his ability to weld his/her own universe.. love light and Deine Lakaien... can't wait
In no way am I trivializing this upcoming album... I love how they shock us oh yes we love that..but I love the timeless classic DL... like the magic of the snow falling for the first time of the year.. it still is breath taking and mind blowing every single time!!

welcome all new peoples..big squishy rabbittiy hugs around...
your rabbitfan and weird Portland er
 
errata..gaulish= gaul esque or like that region.. think Alahambrah and Loreena Mckennit.. B-)

LOVE the interview in Anglais!! thanks Alice you're my heroine.. :p
well Guess Alex solved the name of teh band for our wiki article.. :)) :)) :)) :))
thanks Mr. V for the clairefication!

signed feeling less pressed against proverbial forum glass.. :D :D
 
Hope you are feeling better Rabbitfan! I know EXACTLY how you feel because I also had to have my gallbladder removed 5 years ago...YES the pain is like nothing else!!! :ymsick: I hope you will recover well from the surgery. Luckily I at least did not have an emergency surgery, but I was very sick for a long time. It's SO much better after it is done...
 
THANKS RHIANNON!!

heres to us being gall bladder less but not gall(gaul)less :)) :)) :))
welcome to teh wonderful and weird english forum at Colourize!!
cheers

note to all portlanders that I have TRIED to have a new DL album discusson with.. I will skin ya all alive if I hear one more person say 'oh that band with the dude with the dracula hair' yeah they're good' L-) %-( %-(
need I write more.. sometimes the rabbit is an island unto herself :ymsigh:
 
Zurück
Oben Unten