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Art As Catharsis
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Seven Tales

by Hinterlandt

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1.
There’s a warm glow over the ocean It’s coming closer in a slow steady motion Is this the future past or present It feels so mild and gentle tender and pleasant Meantime the wheels are turning Tiny machines are churning out Fact and fiction loud and proud A million versions of the real thing Stage adaptations and two films in the making While we’re still waiting on the headland Transfixed in wonder as we’re swallowed by quicksand As the events slowly unfold The story’s already been told Turned into advertising gold There’s a dark cloud over the north ridge The townsfolk gather near the foot of the old bridge Vilma says this might be the big one Goes back inside swiftly returns with a shotgun She aims at the power station No signs of hesitation Just pure determination Split second later she gives a start As the rebounding bullet finds her heart Her final words were heaven sent She knew that this is how she’d end
2.
He crouches To listen To Borges Who whispers straight into his ears The details Instructions And plans for The grandest of all palaces And he’s building his castle just outside of town To fill it with dancers magicians and clowns The arches And towers And windows And staircases that lead nowhere The doorways And corridors And galleries And passageways into the past And he’s building his castle just outside of town To fill it with dancers magicians and clowns Yes he’s building his castle just outside of town To fill it with dancers magicians and clowns Everyone said it was out of character Some blamed the rabies Others the alignment of the stars They were such a harmonious couple The bite wounds were severe The vet said I’m sorry She had to put Borges down And with him went the castle just outside of town
3.
It was almost nightfall when Jamira was picked up from daycare She enjoyed these short walks Played a game called Hey Look As they strolled through the mellow autumn air Turned a corner into their street Hey look mum there’s the evening star But it turned out to be a warplane Approaching from afar Don’t you worry sweetie They’re not here to do us any harm They just want to see if they can But then we’d just go up to Uncle Massoud’s farm Aiza whispered to herself I wish they’d stop these provocations once and for all Hey mum what does pro-co-vations mean It’s like when someone takes away your rubber ball But how can we tease them when they’re up in the sky And we’re down here on the ground Honey it’s the politicians either ours tease theirs Or it’s the other way around Hey look there’s a gecko sitting on the wall Enjoying the last rays of sunlight Let’s try and catch the cheeky fellow shall we But one swift move and he was out of sight That night when they watched the Simpsons As they did every Tuesday Her mum laughed a little bit louder Than she normally did
4.
There was a reason For the inquiry Into the reason For the inquiry But it had become somewhat ambiguous and vague over the decades He was fully aware That it would take a while He was fully prepared To go the extra mile Jeff had a hunch that The problem’s root lay In its own presence So he decided To abandon common practices and use unconventional methods He was fully aware That it would take a while He was fully prepared To go the extra mile They found his boots right next to the machine The strange device he had developed A mechanism to cancel out Existence against existence The apparatus was so complex They couldn’t even find the door Through which he must have climbed inside For his eternal ride So they dismantled the contraption A tortuous process that took weeks But they could never find a trace of him Except for one hair Of his mighty white beard Which was stuck in a gap Everything else Seemed to have disappeared
5.
Efficiency efficiency The key to productivity Efficiency efficiency The only thing that Ralph could see And this obsession with proficiency Caused his mission to abort When he decided to stop breathing It cut his life real short
6.
Her boyfriend was against it Said it wasn’t safe But she yearned to save up money To go and see the Taj Mahal Signing up was easy So she became the first female Uber driver In their circle of friends One night she kept on driving Until the sun came up And just when she was about To call it a day She thought one more ride Just one more ride So she picked up this guy in a business suit He sighed as he sat down A sound that spoke of honest deep fatigue What followed was the silence Of a crisp golden morning A rare state of timelessness and weightlessness And unspoken agreement On nothing in particular She dropped him off at Watson’s Bay And made a joke to lighten the mood Sir don’t jump now will ya They’ve got cameras everywhere these days You know what it’s like But he did And she never heard about it
7.
An ocean without water No fish no birds no beaches An island without coastline No creatures plants or humans A space without dimensions Coordinates or fixtures A land so vast it’s boundless No mountains and no valleys Barren as the desert in summertime A time so long it’s infinite No days no months no seasons On course without direction A passage without compass A man without a woman A woman without mankind A land so vast it’s boundless No mountains and no valleys Barren as the desert in summertime Karim stepped outside And he lit his pipe And he pointed at the sky Which was featureless and white And he said Once we have been freed This is what you’ll see There is nothing you will need As there’s no one you will be

about

Art As Catharsis are proud to announce the release of Hinterlandt’s new release Seven Tales – an elegantly composed collection of acoustic indie-chamber anecdotes.

As the fourth Hinterlandt record released under the Art As Catharsis label, Seven Tales showcases Jochen Gutsch’s exceptional compositional talents. A quintet of classically trained instrumentalists shape the music with masterful violins, cello, guitar, trumpet and vocals, bringing together such diverse influences as the moving storytelling of Grand Salvo, the compositional intricacies of Robert Fripp and the fearless curiosity of John Zorn.

“The chamber-music style of the arrangements carries some dark subject matter in the lyrics,” begins Gutsch. “Listeners are introduced to fictional characters who experience tragic moments in each of the tales. Heart-breaking circumstances delivered with glimpses of black humour provide an emotional window into the lives of seven humans (and a dog).”

The Tale of Karim serves as both the first single and closing track for Seven Tales. Opening with forceful string patterns, the song soon sweeps into soothing, clean progressions. Nicole Smede’s honeyed vocals work wonders at crafting worlds whilst each instrument unfolds below like a rolling landscape. The clarity of each musical element leaves the listener open to interpret pace, pulse, and proposition freely without interruption – a rare and beautiful thing when compared to the clutter of many contemporary artists.

“We chose The Tale of Karim as the first single as this song best demonstrates our journey from the instrumental urgency of the previous release Sollbruchstelle to the wider musical and lyrical concept of Seven Tales,” says Gutsch. “The arrangements now carry words that are equally as important as the musical composition.”

On Seven Tales, Gutsch’s compositional talents are taken to new heights through the introduction of narrative, poetic and vocal elements. Both the band and contemporary indie-chamber music are thrust a significant step forward by these careful additions – the storytelling is engaging, clear and rife with curiosity.

For lovers of narrative music, meticulous compositions and unique instrumentation, Seven Tales stands as a record with a brilliant and refreshing twist on multiple fronts – a must-listen for anyone with appreciation to intricacy and detail.

credits

released August 20, 2020

Musicians:

Nicole Smede: Vocals
Monique Mezzatesta: Violin
Jara Stinson: Violin
Simeon Johnson: Cello
Jochen Gutsch: Trumpet, Guitar

All music and lyrics written by Jochen Gutsch.
Recorded and mixed by Richard Belkner at Free Energy Device Studios in Sydney.
Mastered by Michael Lynch at Shoehorse Studio.
Artwork by Sam Harwood.
Released by Art as Catharsis in July 2020.

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Hinterlandt Sydney, Australia

Progressive indie-chamber ensemble from Sydney.

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