cryptic scenery - on the outskirts

1. the lost hotel
2. empty building (bremen)
3. tealight sleep
4. hope
5. jarrett evans has gone
6. man without
7. of the sad things in life
8. tar machine
9. the street
10. woman closing door
11. empty building (berlin)
12. on the outskirts

words and music by christian h. sötemann.

cd, door122; released 2007.

personnel:
christian h. sötemann - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming, electronics. produced by chs. cover design by chs. design consultation: erich sötemann.

'on the outskirts', released in late 2007, is the first song-oriented album by cryptic scenery since 2003's 'ontic' (which was followed by a number of limited, briefer vinyl and cd-r releases) - although there are four succinct, austere instrumentals to be found here as well. the prevailing mood is a brooding, plaintive one that occasionally descends into outright darkness. however, this is not to imply a lack of melodies - on the contrary, many of the compositions here are by far at the catchier end of the cryptic scenery repertoire. the arrangements for most songs are fully fleshed out, with a frequent wall-of-sound feeling... shiny, guitars joined by ethereal keyboards form a highly atmospheric sonic ambience.