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31 july 2010
a six-track ambient / drone mp3 e.p. called ‘low battery‘ has recently been released on the test tube netlabel. the material is free for download...
02 apr 2010
three tracks have been released recently as an exclusive download via the ‘sonus‘ site: a 2010 version of ‘being‘ plus two versions of a composition called ‘preparation‘ go to the download section for links...
17 jan 2010
did i say i was going to update this site more frequently? well, shame on me; i hope to amend this in 2010. the site may have been dormant, but musical activities certainly haven't - most importantly, since june, 2009, cryptic scenery exists in a two-piece line-up of christian h. sötemann on whatever it is i am doing and thomas pertzel on saxophone and additional percussion and sounds. we have recorded an ambient-oriented album called 'tragic monochrome' and an e.p. called 'low battery'. the former will hopefully be out on tosom later this year, while the latter will be released on the net label test tube in a couple of months, as free download. check back our myspace page soon for some streams previewing tracks from those releases...
in addition to that, some even more experimental tracks have been recorded this january, amongst them another inevitable version of ‘being‘ - these pieces should surface for free download soon...
last year saw the release of a four-track cd-r e.p. ‘early morning haze‘, featuring my remixes / reconstructions of four tracks from ‘on the outskirts‘, on the bsbta sub-label d'oorhinge mandarine...
besides, cryptic scenery‘s re-interpretation of roxy music‘s ‘if there is something‘ was included on the ‘deluxe & delightful edition‘ of the tribute record ‘take refuge in pleasure - the songs of roxy music revisited‘, out on burning sky records...
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08 jan 2009
i have updated the downloads / sounds section of this site. since there are myspace pages for both cryptic scenery and the organisation of sound, you can listen to streams of more recent material there. i have also reorganized the display for free download links. some of you may notice that i have also deleted several mp3s - one reason being the existence of the myspace pages, another being that there has been so much material listed over the years which made it a bit confusing. it is more streamlined now, i think. over the next weeks, i might add the odd mp3 to this site, probably unreleased versions or tracks, but let's see...
there are several possible new releases in the can - i have returned to more frequent recording, but it remains to be seen what will finally emerge in whatever form - sorry for being rather vague...
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02 jan 2009
life intervened, at times in drastic ways, and there were periods in 2008 with little time to devote to music. there should be more time in 2009, i hope...
either way, ‘the radar society‘ has been released on tosom in november 2008...
earlier that year, a track by the organisation of sound called ‘summer sky‘ was included on the 3s3ta (bsbta sub-label) swansong ‘au revoir, 3s3ta‘...
and even earlier, back in 2007, the russian label ostroga released ‘illusion of a movement‘, by the organisation of sound...
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02 jan 2008
unbelievably, over a year has elapsed since the latest news reports on this site. well, not too much time was spent on doing music, but still, there have been three releases in 2007: two very limited 5"es by cryptic scenery ('being / the 2nd rest') and the organisation of sound ('briefest sketchbook') respectively, put out on bsbta vinyl, and, on the album stakes, at long, long, long last (gasp!)... cryptic scenery's 'on the outskirts' cd! while the album was recorded in 2005 already, some remixing was done to some tracks between late 2006 and late 2007. at the end of the last year, the label (d'oorhinge l'orange - part of the bsbta label group) and myself were able to fund the album, which is available via the order page on this site, but also the bsbta boutique...
2008 will most likely see the release of cryptic scenery's minimal / dark ambient /whatever album 'the radar society' on the tosom label...
for the moment, no live performances are planned - but since i intend to update this site more frequently from now on, details will be mentioned here once they have been arranged...
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19 nov 2006
no news updates for a while since i have moved to berlin recently. but of course, this will have no negative impact on my continued plans to release music! there are two sampler contributions to appear very soon: a cover of david neuer's 'i don't remember my nightmares anymore' which is part of the bsbta release 'anybody's anthems' and a hitherto completely unreleased song (though dating from 1994 and being part of the first cs demo) called 'discreetly trapped in webs', to be included on bsbta #100 (congrats!)...
besides, both cs and toos have made contributions to bsbta's subscriber series recently - the former to the 'pop' (four songs), the latter to the 'un-pop' series (three instrumentals)...
more toos stuff is to follow since another full-length album called 'illusion of a movement' will hopefully released on the russian label ostraga at some point in the future...
and last not least, 'on the outskirts' is still very much up on the agenda and a 2007 release looks likely. what is also likely is that some of the tracks will undergo a careful procedure of remixing some details. no additional recordings, just some minor changes. but i can already give you a tracklist at this point (i think we have come this far in our relationship that i can confide in you when it comes to this point): the lost hotel - empty building - tealight sleep - hope - jarrett evans has gone - man without - of the sad things in life - tar machine - the street - towards the sky - woman closing door - on the outskirts...
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04 sep 2006
there is a myspace.com site for the organisation of sound now also. i have decided to remove toos sound snippets from this site; please refer to the mentioned myspace.com site...
in the meantime, there are two mp3 excerpts from 'seven bars of silence' available for download from this site...
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20 jul 2006
r.i.p syd barrett, crazy diamond...
the artist david rudd has assembled a very nice cryptic scenery compilation which is available for download for seven days starting today - tracklisting is: 1. the promise that was your life; 2. spoon lost in the snow; 3. continuously there; 4. park lantern; 5. of parting; 6. of parking; 7. cd-r; 8. oceanic feeling; 9. b-p; 10. equality; 11. the chill; 12. an angel must come; 13. night city; 14. tealight sleep; 15. my mother flies; 16. being. it is a one-track download, the tracks are all cross-faded into another (so you get to hear the first ambient location sounds of 'being' while 'my mother flies' goes into its last chords, for example). many of these tracks have never been available for a free download befooore - so grab this!...
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01 jul 2006
'seven bars of silence' is out since... er, yesterday...
other releases to follow soon...
the cryptic scenery myspace.com site carries four mp3s, including a remix of 'london' and a track from the forthcoming album 'on the outskirts'...
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13 apr 2006
i have created a myspace.com account for cryptic scenery, which, at this moment, is still a bit light on information, but i plan to have that amended within the next days and weeks...
it is quite likely that cs and toos will contribute tracks to the new bsbta subscription series...
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12 mar 2006
what? the first news update in months? i must have been busy...
amongst other things, with recording new material. one or two releases by 'the organisation of sound' are planned for this year (with recordings already terminated in 2005)...
then, i have recently recorded material for another experimental cryptic scenery project (titled 'the radar society') - we'll see if and when and where this one might be released...
also, a chs retrospective called 'the aural rear-view mirror' will be released on bsbta at some point during the coming months...
'seven bars of silence', a cd-r e.p. collecting some songs, should be out on bsbta as well...
come again? that's enough? most certainly not, because i hope that the 'on the outskirts' album will come out in 2006. personally, i consider it the best cryptic scenery song-oriented album so far...
and, since i forgot to mention this in 2005, i have contributed a reworking of a track by christopher orczy for his recent 'altered days' compilation. chris released a harmonium diary in 2004/05, yes, that's twelve cd's! - containing some of the most beautiful and touching ambient music you'll ever be able to come across. it's never less than beautiful and melancholy, and often outstanding...
besides, i did a remix of a moving track called 'ich versuche, dich zu lieben' by und morgen, der asphalt, for the label 12rec...
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27 dec 2005
a recent interview (translated into serbo-croation) is to be found in the recent edition (no. 41) of the web magazine 'helly cherry' - thanks very much to dejan for this...
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12 nov 2005
the split-7" with antenne is out now on bsbta...
also, there are two chs traccks to be found on the bsbta compilation 'blow your own melodica'...
more stuff is in the works - detailed info on the new releases to be added later...
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28 sep 2005
'sine world' has been released a couple of weeks ago...
a rarity 'at the atelier' has also been brought into circulation...
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06 sep 2005
belated as always, the monthly download is available...
the release of 'sine world' on yousns and the split-7" with antenne on bsbta are imminent...
'on the outskirts' has been completed in the meantime - bar several external contributions (more later)....
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12 aug 2005
two cryptic scenery live appearances in bremen to take place soon...
'on the outskirts' approaches completion, but i cannot really say when it will be released...
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03 aug 2005
another download of the month available, this time a demo version of sedatives...
if it all works out, a chs solo disc called 'sine world' will be released on yousns in the coming months...
live dates - two concerts in bremen are likely to happen in august and october, respectively...
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03 jul 2005
the next monthly download is uploaded now...
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26 jun 2005
'office music' is available via yousns now...
the sessions for the 'on the outskirts' album are progressing very well, and i anticipate the album to be completed within several weeks. to give you a frame of reference, this is the album the (so far) last 'band line-up' was meant to record in 2003 - and even then, sessions were already delayed. the album will contain a number of tracks which have been around for a long time, and quite a few songs have been performed live in earlier concerts. i must say i am pleased with the results so far, and i have a feeling this could be the best song-oriented cryptic scenery album so far. although it is being recorded by the 'solo line-up', there are lots of drums - programmed ones, that is, and there's quite a bit of bass attack. a more electronic and often rhythmic approach whilst at the same time retaining strong atmospheric as well as minimalist elements. i hope to be able to get some outside instrumental contributions on a few tracks. watch this space for future information on this work in progress...
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05 jun 2005
due to a change in hardware (enter the new emac!) the update of the download of the month has been delayed for some days, but here it is...
finally. the 'on the outskirts' sessions have started, with a couple of shorter tracks already finished. however, it is hard to anticpiate when the recording process will be finished, as that, amongst other factors, also depends on software issues...
some releases - you might have read of them on this site - are planned for this year; at the moment, the labels involved have to get the material manufactured, which can take some time...
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19 may 2005
'office music' should be released on yousns quite soon...
cryptic scenery have, or if you prefer, i have contributed a remix to the branta ix 3 cd-r retrospective 'arse-shaped box', available now via bsbta...
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04 may 2005
no, i haven't forgotten the download of the month... just before i head off to london to catch van der graaf generator in concert and spend some hopefully splendid days, you will find an early version of 'the chill' to download...
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13 apr 2005
an in-depth interview with cryptic scenery appears in the new edition of the german magazin 'black'...
the recording of 'office music' has been finished for some days, and the release will be out soon...
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04 apr 2005
you thought i'd forget to put another monthly download on the web? no: here is an exclusive, previously unreleased version of 'the falling dawn', which, in a different version, has been released on the 'sedatives' e. p....
'office music' by the organisation of sound is still in the recording stages but should be released on yousns in april or may...
don't forget cryptic scenery is playing the pony bar in hamburg on the 18th of april...
'ontic' is now available via cdbaby also...
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02 mar 2005
yet another exclusive download to be had here...
more the organisation of sound material in the making...
hopefully, the spilt 7" with antenne will be out on bsbta in may or june...
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02 feb 2005
the next exclusive download is available throughout february...
the organisation of sound will be releasing its debut album in a few months time, on the u.s. label yousns recordings, if it all works out...
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01 jan 2005
happy new year to all! with the start of this year, a 'download of the month' will be uploaded each month - but will be replaced by the next at the start of the following month. for january, we have a track by cryptic scenery called 'the sunspot'...
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23 dec 2004
'new minimalist' is out at last...
enjoyable festive days to everyone, then. planned releases/projects for 2005 include a split 7" release, the cd-r e. p. 'seven bars of silence', a collaboration with mr. doherty, and, yes, finally, unbelievable, gasp, cough, wince: the recording of the long-overdue 'on the outskirts' album. well, if it doesn't come to happen, it'll be like that. but given financial and technical possibilities, i still have hope...
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14 dec 2004
downloads for the new releases are uploaded and linked in the meantime...
i have contributed a song to the bsbta 'christmas calendar', available for download for a limited time only, i suppose...
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08 dec 2004
blimey, it's already late in the year. 'simrishamn' has been released in late november, fitting the mood of the year...
finally, 'sedatives' is out as well, delayed due to technical problems and work commitments. downloads will soon follow...
next up: 'new minimalist'...
a hamburg show has been scheduled for april 2005...
the british library sound archive has archived several more cs/chs releases, to be hit upon via browsing the catalogue...
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26 oct
r.i.p. john peel. it's very sad to hear that the most influential music radio journalist of all time has departed so early...
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23 oct 2004
oh, it's been a while! well, here we go: nov. 15 is now the set date for the next cryptic scenery cd-r e.p. 'sedatives'...
the 'new minimalist' e.p. will most likely follow up in december, both on bsbta of course...
as of late, the american composer and musician michael a. doherty (you're recommended to check out his site informing you about his excellent work) and i have undertaken a few collaborative efforts; the fruits of which will hopefully be released at some point in the future...
a very limited promo cd-r of the 'electronic works' archived at sonus has been distributed to radio stations and a couple of artists; the disc is unavailable, but you can still download the tracks themselves. some cs/chs material has recently been aired on the radio shows 'feedback monitor' and 'electric brainwaves'...
the 'seven bars of silence' project has been restructured to become an e.p. to be released on bsbta in the spring of 2005. thus: some of the pieces which would have been on a complete album will now appear on 'sedatives', while other tracks will be on the 2005 e.p....
'the kick-out disc' is sold out in the meantime...
the possibility of several gigs here and there is currently at the planning stage - it's too early to confirm anything as yet, but watch this space...
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28 aug 2004
no gig confirmed as yet...
the ambient album 'simrishamn' will be released by retinascan at a later point...
'being' has recently been aired on the australian experimental music radio show 'symbiosis'...
a cd-r called 'new minimalist' will hopefully be released on bsbta later in 2004, as will the cd-r e.p. 'sedatives'...
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27 jul 2004
the copenhagen gig has become very uncertain; at any rate, as concerns this date. hopefully, it will take place at a later date. watch this space...
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04 jul 2004
sound excerpts from 'cupboard' (re-released version) are now present for download...
cryptic scenery will make a live appearance during a three label showcase at copenhagen's studenterhuset on the 7th of august...
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28 jun 2004
a collection of six electronic pieces has been added as exclusive mp3s to the sonus site. you can go there and search for 'sötemann' or download them via the links on the download page...
the re-release of 'cupboard', the very first cryptic scenery tape, as a limited cd-r with two bonus tracks, is out and available now, on bsbta, of course; sound excerpts to follow soon...
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08 may 2004
a new bsbta compilation has been released: 'affiliate program, vol. 1' contains 22 tracks, including 'blue boy soul' by cryptic scenery...
three versions of being (taken from the 'being - six objects' release) have recently been featured on the field recording-oriented london radio show called 'framework'...
i'm still in the process of recording demo versions of songs for the next cs song album...
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29 apr 2004
i'm still alive...
'being' by chs/cs has been released on the nyc compilation 'sonic supper #3', along with other very interesting and challenging tracks. the version of 'being' was recorded around, er, february 2003 by the solo line-up....
'affiliate program' featuring 'blue boy soul' by cs should be out any day now...
i've signed a multi-million deal with sony, by the way. ok, i was joking. what do you mean, you knew that?...
there might be possibilities for further concerts in autumn, on danish ground, but nothing is concrete as yet. at any rate it would give the drunken guys from the århus gig a chance to what cs sounds like when you're listening in sober state...
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16 mar 2004
an exclusive cryptic scenery track will appear on a soon-to-be-released bsbta sampler called 'affiliate program vol. 1' i think. the song in question is called 'blue boy soul' and dates back (in composition and performance) to 1998, but already features the solo line-up. more information on the sampler via www.bsbta.dk...
another sampler appearance will be on the third 'sonic supper' sampler, if all works out. this new york project assembles a variety of experimental tracks, and cryptic scenery's discreet hanseatic contribution is an exclusive recording of 'being'...
other than that, i have started recording demos for the next cryptic scenery song album, to be called 'seven bars of silence'. to be honest, i have no idea as yet where or when it could be released, especially since proper recording has to be done first. might be some time in 2005. current plans conceive it to be a vox/guitar- & vox/piano-only album...
the århus appearance will be the third concert this year already. i'd like to do more, but it's certainly an improvement on the unfortunate 'two concerts a year' schedule, which was caused by the difficulty to *get* and to *arrange* gigs. it's grown easier with the solo line-up. many things have grown easier with the solo line-up...
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23 feb 2004
there will be a cs appearance at the musikcaféen in århus, denmark on the 20th of march as part of a 'bsbta label night'...
due to technical reasons, the release of the 'cupboard' cd-r might suffer further delay, but hopefully not too much of that...
the 2nd half of the year will be likely to see a release of a cryptic scenery cd-r e.p. called 'sedatives'...
there is a complete finished 'ambient' album called 'simrishamn' waiting to be released, but for the moment, it's unlear as to the where and when...
the next song-oriented album is completely mapped out, with a few tracks already debuted live; much of this planned album has been around for a long time, but it has to be recorded at some time throughout 2004...
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23 jan 2004
the appearance at the café 46 has been postponed and will now take place on the 18 feb 2004...
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14 jan 2004
i will make a brief-ish appearance at the café 46 in bremen next week on the 21st: it's part of their open stage program called 'vip lounge'. it will be a short gig, but is intended to expose some people to cryptic scenery who have yet to hear of it...
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10 jan 2004
a copy of the first 'being' cd-r (from 1996, there are only four) has been archived at the national sound archive in london in the meantime...
the first cryptic scenery concert of the year will take place on the 22nd of january, 2004, at the astra-stube in hamburg - go to concerts for more details. this will be a vox/guitar/loops gig, i'll leave my keyboard at home. more gigs to follow, hopefully, with nothing concrete as yet...
the next record to be released will be a reissue of cryptic scenery's first tape 'cupboard', it should be out around february...
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21 dec 2003
'ontic' is here! you can buy the album including the limited edition bonus disc from now on, and listen to excerpts at the downloads page...
a merry christmas and a happy new year from cryptic scenery (chimes ringing in head etc.)...
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14 dec 2003
as time didn't permit it, i have changed my mind: the bonus cd-r for the 'ontic' album will contain alternative versions and outtakes from the sessions...
the next concert will be at the astra-stube in hamburg, on 22 jan 2004...
i have contributed guitar to two tracks of the recently released album 'zen so red files' by the samplez of welfare. learn more at the ohrenwaesche site...
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03 dec 2003
'ontic' is finished and already sent to the pressing plant; the next days i'll have to record the tracks for the bonus cd-r...
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23 nov 2003
the mixing of 'ontic' is almost completed...
'music for museums' is out now - and very limited...
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15 nov 2003
work on the 'ontic' album is continuing...
the preceding cd-r e.p. called 'the playground of the world' is now available...
as is 'the singing machine', a collection of (mostly rather beautiful) guitar tracks...
'music for museums' should be available soon, the re-release of 'cupboard' as well...
'a deadline for the living' is almost sold out, go to 'order' to get hold of the final copies...
several live dates are being planned for 2004 - more about this as dates and venues are confirmed...
i have added a couple of downloads or links to downloads to the, well, downloads page...
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