Symbiance

Reunion. Beginning. Conclusion. The Release Concert.

2008-12-24T12:03:00.009+01:00

Finally: The great day. The stage looked fabulous (thanks to the arts and craftsman Al Picante, who came up with a masterpiece in polystyrene carpentry!). Mustapha was in charge of the light switch (say this word 9 times at the end of this article!), and Stefan did once again a great job with the videos. The fire was lit, the hall was dark: Everything prepared for a memorable concert after quite a hiatus. Mr. Morgenthau announced a gathering storm and that was when it all started. The openers were played back to back, including the new tracks "Ivory Republic" and "Trans Siberia" as well as a "classic" by Robert Toteaux with a nude dancer on the screen.

The journey went on, opened with "North" and a bunch of new songs from the album. We headed for a typical SY moment, when we played "Days Of Our Lives". Nostalgia took over, not only on stage but also on the screens, where two younger, hairier versions of Les Boys rose from the dusty shelves of oblivion. "Rise and the Fall" was the closing bell and marked the beginning of the last round, which took us to Kurdistan and back.

For "Bob" and our first encore, "Ljubljana 225", young guitar hero Ruben joined us on stage and contributed two great guitar solos. Josus and Laubinho entered the stage and sang the choir finale in "Ljubljana" with us (well, they had their own interpretation of the lyrics) and stayed for the last encore, Africa, which ended in a spontaneous performance of the old SY classic "Hebena Guerellia".

Finis coronat opus. The end.

Planning. Aging. Still rehearsing.

2008-12-19T21:59:00.000+01:00

It's getting so much better all the time, says old Paul McCartney. Well, he is right! Speaking of SY of course, not of Paul's marriage. The songs are really getting better and with every rehearsal, it becomes somewhow clearer, that not only Christmas is coming along, but that we will be performing in only three days on stage. It's still loads of work, but for the first time, it feels like we could make it. And we have another contender for the ongoing search for the worst band photo ever:

Noise from downstairs. Rehearsing for the big day.

2008-12-16T21:46:00.002+01:00

Good God, it's happening. We're back in the basement, rehearsing this 14-piece-songlist for the upcoming release concert on the 23rd December:

Tathering Storm
More Of That Jazz
Fun It
Gift With A Golden Gun
Bohemian Rhapsody
Large Penis
Innuendo
Barcelona
Days Of Our Lives
Days Of Our Lives Reprise
Milchmann
Sennerin (Nik P.-Version)
Kitchen (Nick A.-Version)

Well, don't let us fool you. We won't tell you the songlist in advance, anyway. For those connoisseurs of SY lore among you, there are already enough hints in this eTrashlist. Well... it's a long way ahead, still. We also do have a serious contender for the "Worst Band Photo Ever" Award:

Decisions. Resolutions. The Point Of No Return.

2008-11-11T12:20:00.004+01:00

It is taking shape. More than that, it's breathing, living, expanding. And it's rocking, more than ever. We're in the last days of mixing, deadlines are creeping up and time is running out. We're adjusting, moving, editing, searching for takes in the bowels of what once were considered simple songs. Or rather, we're giving opinions, Patrick's doing the hard work. And while all that connects us to the continent is a video link - without the detailed conversations between a studio owner North of Freising and a fighting champion North-East of Appersdorf, many things would be overlooked or ignored. And so, once again, history is in the making. Not for the free world but for the one we call our own.

Planning The Concert. Ten Years To The Day.

2008-10-08T11:34:00.000+02:00

It is hard to describe that feeling that comes with creating a concert songlist. It's something we've always known how to do but it has been some 7 years since we've last drafted one. But then there's a different feeling to it. We have now decided to play Symbiance songs throughout most of the set. A few cover songs, yes, we can't possibly disregard those old deities to whom we owe so much. But there's also a feeling of security that comes with it. This is going to be our concert and we with all the things we've learned over the years, all the mistakes we've made, we'll make sure it will be a very special one. No supporting acts this time, even if a pairing of the Tex-Mex-Pax-Posa twins with a No Discussion-Revival-Band would sound reasonable. The 23rd of December is still a while off but there are things to do and it will be a busy time. 23.12.08 - Ten years to the day.

The Streets Of London. Shooting The Music Video.

2008-09-24T23:09:00.002+02:00

Looking at the recent movies we directed, it seems quite a while that we stood with our old and battered camera in the fields of the Bavarian countryside, inside central stations or on railroad bridges, shooting our own little music videos. Yet they exist. So, paying tribute to "the philosophy of the old days", all we needed to shoot a great music video was: An idea, some cartridges of Super8 film, a camera, our fabulous protagonist Steve, coffee, cigarettes and the people in the streets. The video was shot in one day on various locations around the City of London, e.g. The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Green Park, Soho and London Bridge. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Songs For The City. Listening To The Rough Mixes.

2008-09-22T12:58:00.003+02:00

No eyes for Admiral Nelson, no time for interacting with the city. Today, there's only one thing on the agenda: Listening to the rough mixes. Again and again. Just sitting there and listening. You think that's a dull thing to do while being in London? Well, you're wrong. That's what we always did. Some twelve years ago, we were skiing down the Austrian alps, singing along the entire "Queen - Greatest Hits". And later on, whether it was on train rides to France, on lawn mowing duties in Arizona or inside huge motor coaches down American highways, we would always just lie around, listening to records, together or on our own, muttering along or singing aloud, just sharing approving looks from time to time. Believe me, that's something. Ever since we've been recording our own songs, they have been our faithful companions on the road. From our "First Night" songs back in the year 2000, which we played over and over during our Tour d'Amerique, to the last recordings of PfY, that were with us over the last year. And now, it's the rough mixed soundtrack for London's streets. Rough mixed it may be, but that doesn't stop us from listening to "SFTC" again and again.

Scenes from the Studio. Part Two.

2008-09-20T20:05:00.008+02:00

This time, bottles of sparkling wine aren't charged at our heads, we drink them ourselves. Religion! We've done it. We have achieved something we thought at times would almost be impossible. But thanks to Patrick's guidance and expertise and additional help from his assistants, George and Jason we pulled through all the way. And the result is something we will listen to on loop for hours and hours. Rough mixes, but right now that's not so important. Because we know that the songs are in the best possible hands. Editing and mixing starts on Monday and we're really looking forward to the coming weeks and intermediate results. But most of all we know it will sound fantastique (euqitsatnaf)!

Scenes From The Studio. Part One.

2008-09-17T20:02:00.005+02:00

4 Songs in two days. Yes, we have some experience. But 10 Songs in 4 days is going even one step further. We're moving through these days as in a dream. Song by song, session by session. Obsession by obsession. Patrick is doing nothing short of an incredible job in moderating us through these days, encouraging us but getting every take perfectly right along the way. We know we are in safe hands. Then the first rough mix. We take it home. What a sound. Already! And it's only the end of Day 1. Guitars, piano, bass, all laid down. Now Day 3, the drums. The rental house deliver a brand new kit, never played. Alright, it's ugly but it sounds and feels perfect. Hauptorganisator: Andrew Tather. My arms still hurt. Tomorrow will be the day when it all comes together. The tracks are still instrumental interludes. Tomorrow they will become songs.

Last Rehearsal.

2008-09-15T19:46:00.004+02:00

No punk bands, no metal bands, no hard rock bands, wait, one viking metal band maybe upstairs. But the rehearsal studios are almost empty and we got the luxury room number 9, cool, on the ground floor and most importantly it meets the strict Security Standards of the Au-Magdeburg-Genf Charta and even surpasses them by one pear! It's like being part of a community, we need a capo, some batteries, some strings and pick them up next door while a new Claudia Koreck has mommy buy her an entire guitar outfit. Then back to the studio to grab a beer, only a few hours to go. But before we go back we have to get the new "Queen +Paul Rodgers" "album". This is not Queen. This is not music. Our hopes are up again. Richard Ferrer was right. After five o' clock we head home to make those last minute decisions. We don't know what to expect but we will know what to do.

Calm Before The Storm.

2008-09-14T22:27:00.004+02:00

Not enough time for sightseeing, but just enough time to make the important decisions. One final chat, deciding the recording order, replacing the last string. It's our last chance to make changes. From tomorrow on there will be no way back, one more rehearsal, then into the studio. We met with Patrick yesterday, our engineer for the coming week to talk about how we're going to proceed. Excited, yes we are, but also a bit scared. Not because of the days to come but because we saw an old friend on top of the Coliseum today...

It's getting better all the time. Rehearsing.

2008-09-14T22:01:00.003+02:00

The city is a charming place on this Saturday in Sepember. Not a trace of the famous London rain. There is a live concert on Trafalgar Square, but no time for leisure. We head down Charing Cross Road for our rehearsal room at Enterprise Sudios. Room 2 is strangely dark and the temperature in there is an unwelome homage to Les Boys' Texan episodes in the year 2000. Room 2 is a box. Don't mess with Texas! The noise of the #1 Fan turns every honest Schnulz combo into a loud rock band.

London Calling.

2008-09-13T20:44:00.004+02:00

There is usually something sentimental to early morning departures, but this time it's just too early. Two suitcases, two guitars, but no problems at the check-in counter. It must be too early for them as well. For all they care it's bulky luggage. We should have marked them with a "fragile" sticker. Not that it would have made a difference. But a tomato juice and sandwich later our minds are set on the day that is to come. Will we be exhausted from travelling? We have 9 hours of rehearsing today, by the end of the day we will be without sleep for 19 hours, while we're listening to the last chord ringing. But now we are still fresh, excited, ready and we hope it will stay that way. The pilot's voice sounds strangely familiar. We double check if the plane has yellow wings and is heading for the Amazon. But indeed we're lucky, we're heading North.

To the City. To the Country. There and back again.

2008-09-09T22:05:00.007+02:00

The concept is set, some would call it a two-day photoshooting, for us it is a journey through the past into the present. A strange mix of the epic, the common, freezing temperatures and hot beaches, grand mountain ranges and long highways, the country and the city. Voltaire. We know we will need these pictures for the booklet, yet we won't be able to see a single one of them before we get back home. I suppose we haven't arrived in the digital age. What we do know is the album's title, Songs From The City, Hymns To The Country, and we're taking this idea with us singing those songs from home in our heads, dreaming of the day when we will be able to drive down these roads once more listening to the music that was made for this trip. Because right now all we can listen to is Tathergang in their prime. No illusions. Only impressions. And we also know that we spent one third of our budget on cigarettes, Spezi and penthouse suites.

"Aber es wird sich für alle Beteiligten lohnen."

Love. Solitude. Long Cigars. Songwriting.

2008-08-24T22:38:00.004+02:00

We are playing Symbiance songs once more. Real ones, brand new ones. The songs are written, the preliminary tracklist is pinned to the wall. Three weeks and counting. We're still struggling with the concept but we know it will be a grand journey. And we know we will find the answers, even if it means sitting in a basement room for 14 hours back to back listening to NoDi and Mini-CDs, thinking over every possible option. The question that remains is: Will there be another concept after this one?