Industrie und Melodie
Encyclopedia
Industrie und Melodie is in all the sixth studio album
by Cosmic Baby
and his fifth under that pseudonym
. The title is German
for "industry and melody".
The album was recorded between 1997 and 1999, when it had the working title
Rotes Quadrat auf Schwarzem Grund (Red Square on a Black Background). While initially planned to be released in 2000, it was in the end only released in December 2006, under its current title.
Industrie und Melodie makes use of analog synthesizer
s from the 1970s
and was influenced by electronic
artists active in that period, like Kraftwerk
, Tangerine Dream
and Vangelis
, but also by more modern artists such as Autechre
and Aphex Twin
. The album differs from most of the other works by Cosmic Baby in that the music is more playful and experimental, in the lines of 1996's Fourteen Pieces
(although Industrie und Melodie has a more minimalist sound design
and an overall darker atmosphere). Furthermore, the digital
piano sound
typical for Cosmic Baby is not heard on it.
-influenced, being similar in sounds and structure to Kraftwerk's song "Pocket Calculator" from the album Computer World
) and the track "Maschinengeschichten II" a poem in German can be heard, spoken through a vocoder
(more rhythmic and spread over some passages in the former; it is brought more ominous in the latter). This poem is seen in the CD booklet as well and goes as follows:
Free translation (from Cosmic Baby's official website):
Some other phrases and words through vocoder are also heard throughout the album.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Cosmic Baby
Cosmic Baby
Harald Blüchel is a German electronic artist who is mostly known under his alias Cosmic Baby. Blüchel is also well known for his participation in dance acts such as Energy 52 with Paul Schmitz-Moormann and The Visions of Shiva with Paul van Dyk.- Biography and musical career :Harald Blüchel was...
and his fifth under that pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
. The title is German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "industry and melody".
The album was recorded between 1997 and 1999, when it had the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
Rotes Quadrat auf Schwarzem Grund (Red Square on a Black Background). While initially planned to be released in 2000, it was in the end only released in December 2006, under its current title.
Industrie und Melodie makes use of analog synthesizer
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
s from the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and was influenced by electronic
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
artists active in that period, like Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
and Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
, but also by more modern artists such as Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
and Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
. The album differs from most of the other works by Cosmic Baby in that the music is more playful and experimental, in the lines of 1996's Fourteen Pieces
Fourteen Pieces
Fourteen Pieces: Selected Works 1995 is a music album by techno/trance artist Cosmic Baby which was released internationally on 27 May 1996. It is Cosmic Baby's third full-length album. It was released as a double CD with seven tracks on each CD...
(although Industrie und Melodie has a more minimalist sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
and an overall darker atmosphere). Furthermore, the digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
piano sound
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
typical for Cosmic Baby is not heard on it.
Poem
In both the title track (which is obviously KraftwerkKraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
-influenced, being similar in sounds and structure to Kraftwerk's song "Pocket Calculator" from the album Computer World
Computer World
Computer World is the eighth studio album by the German electronic music band Kraftwerk, released in May 1981. The album deals with the themes of the rise of computers within society. Critics see this album as a peak in the career of Kraftwerk, along with Autobahn and Trans-Europe Express...
) and the track "Maschinengeschichten II" a poem in German can be heard, spoken through a vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
(more rhythmic and spread over some passages in the former; it is brought more ominous in the latter). This poem is seen in the CD booklet as well and goes as follows:
- Ein Luxusgut für jedermann.
- Ein Auto und TV-Programm.
- Pauschalurlaub, Erlebnisraum.
- Per Joystick in den Cyber-Traum.
- Ein Film beschreibt die Wirklichkeit
- In digitaler Natürlichkeit.
- Vollkommen ist die Illusion,
- Durch Marketing in Perfektion.
- Unsichtbare Energien,
- Austauschbare Strategien.
- Schönheit, Lust: berechenbar.
- Alle Träume werden wahr.
Free translation (from Cosmic Baby's official website):
- A luxury for every woman and man.
- A car and a TV programme.
- Package holiday, adventure.
- Via joystick into cyber nature.
- A film describes reality
- In digital fidelity.
- The illusion is complete,
- Marketed to perfection.
- Invisible energies,
- Interchangeable strategies.
- Beauty, desire are calculable.
- All your dreams easily realizable.
Some other phrases and words through vocoder are also heard throughout the album.
Track listing
External links
- Industrie und Melodie at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Industrie und Melodie in unofficial discography
- [ Allmusic entry]
- Cosmic Baby homepage