AlionLive Return 2 Madeira Day 2 is ready!

You have really waited long enough, but here it is: The report about the second day of my 2012 trip to Madeira. Why is it all taking that long? I had a little creative blocking at the start of the year, which kept me just a bit from getting things done. You know that: Me and the grey winter in Germany will never become friends.

But now the second part is finally here and it features the following:
A quite tired and grumpy Sonny greets you at the beginning and after a little shopping task, he makes his way down to downtown Funchal to the cablecar station. There he takes the cablecar to Monte and ends up there in inferno-ish weather conditions. Despite that the day continues with a heavy hike to the Parque Ecologico do Funchal and after a few surprising twists, it ends with a quite drunk Sonny in Funchal again.

ATTENTION: the video contains extremely much "me talking into the camera" but also some nice images of nature. The music, with the exception of 2 tracks, is from the album "Electronic Spacerock". One of the 2 others is from "Alion - The Original Soundtrack". The song "Secret in the Forest" is currently not available on any album.

Ok, enough words, here's the video:

AlionLive Madeira - Part 8 - Santa Maria de Colombo is online!

Yeah, it is quite a time, since I uploaded part 7. Some personal problems simply kept me from doings stuff, but now I am back again with full force. Well, and then there was another thing which made me intentionally not upload that video earlier. Some time ago my internet provider offered me a VDSL 50 line for the same price as my old ADSL 3000 line. I instantly said yes, because, especially when uploading videos, connection speed matters. And how annoying it was to be forced to cut longer videos into portions of 15 minutes length, so I got part Xa to Xb. This was, because a 15 minutes video usually took 5 hours (!!!) to upload. Ok, recently I got it down to 3-4 hours with a more efficient compression, but that was still too much. With my new connection, I get a video, which formerly took 5 hours to upload, uploaded in 11 minutes (!!!). And this is why I got the new part, part 8, with it's 50 minutes playtime, uploaded in 33 Minutes. That's just great!

Ok, part 8 is about the trip on the replica of the ship Santa Maria on which Columbus sailed toAmerica and which I announce in the last 2 parts. The background music is from my orchestral soundtrack album "Alion - The Original Soundtrack", about which you can read in this older blog post. The album is, like 3 other albums of mine, available for sale on my Routenote shop and soon on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Rdio, Spotify and many other sites. And now, without futher words, 50 minutes of AlionLive Madeira in one piece. get something to drink and eat, because this will be a looong ride ;)

Alion - The Original Soundtrack is finally released!

Yes, it is done! After a year of work the music album "Alion -The Original Soundtrack" is out. This is my first album with 100% NO Reggae influence in it but mostly orchestral arrangements. Those of you who read this blog frequently will most likely know what I am talking about, if I write about the "Alion Original Soundtrack" project. Those who, for what reason even do not, should follow THIS LINK to learn about it. The album contains, like its predecessors, 13 tracks and this time there's not just a single image to stick into the frontslot of a jewelcase, but a complete set of coverartwork mostly created unsing Blender 3D with a little help of the GIMP. Have a look at it on my AlionVisualArts-Blog.

This artwork is also included in the album rar-archive which you can download from this link: DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM. As allways, this album is available for completely FREE DOWNLOAD. I'll keep it on my limited webspace for quite a while.

It is currently also available on LastFM and later it will be available from each and every good music download site on the web. So grab your copy, enjoy and let me know what you think about it.

The last song of the "Alion Original Soundtrack" album is OUT!

Yes, after over a year of work the last song, song #13 of the Alion Original Soundtrack project is finnished. This took some time because of my little recent creative blockade and also because this was a very special song to create. It is a reprise of the "Theme of Alion" which will be track #1 on the album. It is nearly the same compostion and arrangement as the original theme, except for that it is a stripped down version for two Grand Pianos. It was quite difficult for me to get this song sound good with such a tiny number of sound possiblities. It is compltely different if you have the choice of a whole orchestration or just two pianos. It was a challenge and I think I mastered it very well. So let's go straight to the music. Here's "Theme of Alion Reprise"

Theme of Alion Reprise - Alion OST - LISTEN
Theme of Alion Reprise - Alion OST - DOWNLOAD

"Shadows Of The Past" - Track # 12 for "Alion Original Soundtrack" project has been released!

After our heroes have mastered all the dangers of the old mine, in which the former archmage of Alion live, they stand before him face to face at last. As expected, the old man is anything but enthusiastic of their visit. He understands, however, that someone who is willing to face all the dangers on the way to him, must have a good reason to stand before him.
Impatiently, he asks what leads the uninvited visitors to him. Our heroes describe as detailled, but also as brief as possible what has happened at Alion Castle. With each detail they describes, his face gets darker and when they ask him if he know what is possibly going on and if he knows a way to stop the evil, he breaks out in a rage which completely baffles our heroes. "Do I know what is going on? Of course, how could I not know? I warned the fools at Alion Castle for years that just that will happen one day! What do YOU think made me leave behind my life as the archmage and high priest of Alion? One does not just say: Ok, I'm gonna live out in the wilderness, leave behind the life I used to live just because of I don't know! No I was sick and tired of being treated like a fool just because I tried to warn the blockheads at the court of the king of the evilwhich was lying ahead. But... how can I expect you to understand, what even the most educated people at the kings court were not able to grasp?
When the old man finishes his outburst, with some evil curses, he asks, "So, the king, the old fool on the throne of Alion I dead?". His forehead wrinkles got even deeper and he remarked quietly, "Not for long, he will not be dead for long. Well, not really dead... but ...".
Our heroes of course do not understand a word of what the old Archmage tells them. And they ask him if he can tell them this all from the beginning. The old man frowns and says softly, "Well, then I'll try. I will tell you the whole story. Not that I would have even the slightest hope that of ALL people YOU are able to understand, but an attempt can do no harm... "
He then tells a long story about an old threat that he once, when he explored the history Alion. discovered and how he had tried to warn the king and the elders of Alion. This new track of the "Alion Original Soundtrack is the music for this story.

NOTE I started to write this story, but it proved to be too long to put it in this song description. I will soon publish the entire history of the heroes of Alion and of cause a detailled version of the part about the causes of the threat, which I just described briefly in this text. I'll do this in form of a new Blog, titled "Tales of Alion". Yes I plan to become a writer :D Stay tuned, because this wioll become exciting!

Shadows Of The Past - LISTEN
Shadows Of The Past - DOWNLOAD

"Mystic Caves": A new track for the "Alion Original Soundtrack" project has just been released!

Yes, and on we go, heading towards finnishing the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project. As all alionsonny albums, the album "Alion Original Soundtrack" will contain 13 tracks. And as this is track number 11, there's only 2 tracks to go until that megaproject can be released. I am allready working at some nice coverart. Stay tuned on Twitter to follow the development.
And now, as for all songs, here's the story for this track titled "Mystic Caves" which is rather short compared to the stories behind the previous tracks: After our heroes arrived at "Elven Grove" they are told by the elvens living there, that the hermit former archmage they came to see is not living at "Elven Grove" but in some caves nearby. Even "Elven Grove" was not solitary enough for him and so he decided to live in a abandoned mine. The elven warn our heroes that it would not be very easy to speak with that man, because he secured the caves with loads of traps and magic spells to keep away unwanted visitors. In fact each visitor seems to be unwanted at this place. This track of the soundtrack reflects the mysterious and dangerous caves atmosphere and feeling.

Mystic Caves - LISTEN
Mystic Caves - DOWNLOAD

New song for the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-project is out: "The Elven Grove"

It took some time, but track number ten of the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-project has just been released. Somehow I had some kind of a creative block during the past week, but now it is done and I finnished a new song.
Time to tell the story behind this song. As you maybe remember, "Alion Castle" is under a siege of a enemy army of unknown origin. Right after our heroes saw the massive ammount of troops around the city walls from a watchtower, a messenger approached and told them, that the priest of the local temple who is also the archmage urgently needs to speak with them.
So our heroes enter the great temple of "Alion Castle" and the archmage tells our heroes that they have to find out what is happening and why those troops are attacking "Alion Castle". He says, that he can imagine just one person in the world to know more about it and what to do now.
This person is the former archmage of "Alion Castle" who is currently living at "Elven Grove", the place where the Elven of the forest are living. He says that this man will not not be very glad to be disturbed because after being the archmage of "Alion Castle" he decided to live as a hermit in the forest with the Elven. But he also says, that whatever it takes, our heroes have to speak with this man. So out heroes sneak out of the castle using a secret tunnel and also sneak thru the siege. They see that everything around the castle, farms and houses are burned down. Carefully they travel back thru the "Alion Forest" until they arrive at "Elven Grove". This song you are about to listen to is the theme for the "Elven Grove"-settlement, where the Elven live in treehouses and other small wooden houses.

The Elven Grove - LISTEN
The Elven Grove - DOWNLOAD

New song "The Siege" for the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project has just been released!

This is track #9 for the "Alion Original Soundtrack". The story for it is as follows: After the assasination of the king (Track "A Kings Funeral"), our heroes needed a bit of distraction and did a bit of sightseeing and visited the city which surrounds Alion Castle (Track: "Alion Castle Theme"). But they did not get much time to relax, because at the evening of the day, they got to hear that a big army is gathering around the city walls. Nobody knows who those troops are and where they came from, let alone who is their leader. One thing is sure: The assasination of the king was just the prelude for much more trouble to come. As our heroes get up on a watchtower from where they can see the area in front of the city gates, they see a horrifying scenario: from the city wall to the horizon they see hundreds, if not thousands of armed troops preparing to attack Alion Castle or at least for a long siege of the city and the castle. And this scenario they face is what this song is reflecting.

The Siege (Alion OST) - LISTEN
The Siege (Alion OST) - DOWNLOAD

Track #8 for the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project "Alion Castle Theme" is online!

Yes, I've done it again! Another song for the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project is ready for you to listen and download for free. This song is for exploring "Alion Castle" and the city of "Alion" that surrounds it. This song is meant to sound very majestic, reflecting the beauty and greatness of the castle and the city. This time I completely ommited a drum or percussion part. For my taste, the instruments add enough rythm and accentuation to the song. If you are really missing any drums and percussion in this song, there'll be more than enough in the next song ;)

Alion Castle Theme (Alion OST) - LISTEN
Alion Castle Theme (Alion OST) - FREE DOWNLOAD

"Alion Original Soundtrack" - "The Kings Funeral" out now!

Seems I am in a springtime creative rush these days. Just yesterday I released the battle theme for the "Alion Original Soundtrack" project and just one day later, today, another track for this epic album is ready. This may also be, because I have developed a new way of creating harmonics, melodies and arrangements. This is a real breakthru. Ok, it would take really too much time to explain it to you and I would most probably not be able to do it at all as it is all free floating in my head. I just can say that much: It is a new way of viewing and understanding musical theory which suits my mindset a lot more than the well known schemes.

Ok, what's the story for this track? Here it is:
After the attack at the Alion River Valley, the head of the Alion Cityguard tells our heroes, that the attackers were not just walking by and thinking "Hey, lets attack those people!", but were fleeing from the City Guards men, because some time ago they carried out an attack right on Alion Castle and most probably tried to murder the king. He says that he must urgently return to Alion Castle to see of the king is ok. Our heroes join him and when they arrive at Alion Castle, they get to know that the king was wounded that much in battle, that he had died. This song is the theme for the kings funeral which occurs within three days after his death, as the tradition tells it shall be done.

People, seriously, I had not only one time tears in my eyes when I did this track, because I had pictures of that fictonal funeral in my head while producing it and I crafted the several parts of this track according to those pictures. I think this track sounds beautiful and strong at the same time. But it also is quite full of sorrow in some way. I think I must do a happier tune for the next track ;)

The Kings Funeral (Alion OST) - LISTEN
The Kings Funeral (Alion OST) - DOWNLOAD

... and on we go with the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project: Battle Theme 1

After quite a long time it finally goes on with the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Project. I have to confess that I underestimated how difficult it would be to create a battle-them for a soundtrack. I NEVER thought that this would probably be the most difficult part of the whole project. Well, because I follow a well defined storyline, the inability to compose the battle-theme in a suitable way, blocked all further steps. This is why nothing happened for such a long time. I have to say, that I am quite glad, that I decided to do that fictional soundtrack prior to search for any real challenges at soundtrack project to work at. I allready learned a lot during this project, for example, that a battle-theme is not as easy to do as it ought to be.

This is track 6 of this project, which is planed to have 13 tracks and as I said allready, I learned a lot while doing those 6 tracks. I am excited and at the same time horrified when I think about what teachings and frustrations will come my way during the process of composing the 7 tracks still to do. Because of the fact, that the battle-theme blocked me for such a long time, I allready have at least 3 of the tracks folloing it in more or less advanced state of completion. So it will (hopefully) go on swiftly, so that I am hopefully able to release the album prior to my 42. birthday. This album will not be only downloadable for free as low quality MP3's but also be available for purchase in high quality format at all well known commercial online music distributors.

Now the story for this battle-theme:
In the last chapter (The River Valley), Our group of heroes was busy decimating the wildlife population at the Alion River Valley. Suddenly they are disturbed by a group of fighters approaching, immediately drawing their weapons, which are strangely allready quite breathless. Anyway, a fight is unavoidable. At the time when our heroes allmost defeated the enemy, another group of fighters approaches on horses. The armor and the coats of arms on it identify them easily as members of the Alion Cityguard. The rest of the enemies flee because of the obvious predominance of their opponents. Cityguard? What are they doing here? Are they comming to help a group of wandering heroes who were attacked while hunting? There must be something else....

To be continued in the next chapter...

Battle Theme 1 (Alion OST) - LISTEN
Battle Theme 1 (Alion OST) - DOWNLOAD

I have been very lazy recently...

... in updating my homepage and various other places on the web. I was not lazy in making music tho. Two new songs were released since my last update of this site:

1. A new song for the "Alion Soundtrack" has been published a while ago. The title is "The River Valley" and, as hopefully everybody can imagine, this song shall be played while exploring a idyllic river valley.

The River Valley (Alion OST)
LISTEN -- DOWNLOAD

2. It was about time for the release of a new "reggaelike" song. Listeners told me that this is probably is the best song I ever published in the "reggaelike" segment. As topic of the song I have chosen the classic spy movie topic this time. So here's the song:

Special Agent Jones and the case of the Saphire Cross
LISTEN -- DOWNLOAD

So what was it which kept me from updating my homepage, blog and lots of other stuff? Well, you know me and somtimes I do not find some stuff too important :p Ok, some things are not going the way they should currently here, but I don't want to bother you with my problems. ;)

Well, that's it for now. Much stuff to update. Let's go

The Old Harbor Pub (Alion OST) has just been released!

Yes, the story continues! A new song for the "Alion Original Soundtrack"-Album has just been released:

After a heavy fight with the undead on the cursed Cemetery of Alion Castle the throat is dusty and dry and our heroes urgently need a drink. The Old Harbor Pub at the harbor of Alion Castle is just the right place for that. As we enter the pub late in the evening it is quite crowded. Fishermen, Sailors and some folks who are for sure no honest merchants but rather pirates or thieves are enjoying the music of the band and the rum. A guy at the bar who is barely able to not fall on the floor shouts for another drink. He is told by the bartender that he allready had enough and should leave the place. As he keeps complaining the bartender grabs him and throws him out. We sit down at the bar and order a drink. The bartender looks at us with a suspecting face. Maybe it is because of our look: Full of dust, some minor wounds, dents and bruises all over the heavy armor. "You should visit a healer" he shouts with a thundering voice. Then he serves the rum. Finally... some peace and comfort... We all know: This will not last for a long time.

This song should capture the warm and rough atmosphere of The Old Harbor Pub at Alion Castle:

The Old Harbor Pub - Alion Original Soundtrack- LISTEN
The Old Harbor Pub - Alion Original Soundtrack- DOWNLOAD

Do you ear some celtic roots in this. Yeah, for sure. Ok, this is track four of 13. So we have 1/3 of the songs for the album done. I have some tracks in progress, but dunno which part of the adventure will be next... or let's say it like this:
Our heroes do not have the slightest clue what will be next. And they really don't care, as the strong rum blows away all care for future events like the breeze at the docks of Alion Harbor. They rent a room at the Old Harbor Pub and sleep until a loud knocking at the door wakes them up...

"The cursed Cemetery" a new track of the Alion Original Soundtrack released!

Again it is done and it was really a trip creating this song. To create the two previous tracks of the soundtrack was quite easy compared to this. This track really involved some additional work to get the atmosphere of how that evil place it is transfered into music. Well, I think I got it nailed.

So here it is:

The cursed Cemetery (Alion OST) LISTEN
The cursed Cemetery (Alion OST) DOWNLOAD

Sit down, close your eyes and imagine a place where you would never go alone at night, at least you would have a gun loaded with silver bullets, a big pack of crucifixes *LOL* and some garlic with you. This is a cursed cemetary where the restless spirits of those folks roam, who are not very happy with being dead and gone. As quite a lot of those folks were warriors when alive, they have been burried with their weapons. So, be aware of the fact that they are not only undead and dangerous but armed with mighty axes and swords. There's even tales of black mages burried here. No nice place to go... but now you are here and you can't run away...

After you cleaned that place, you are of cause thirsty and looking for a good time. So the next track will take us to the "Old Harbor Pub" where the sailors get drunk... stay tuned.. I am working at it ;-)

"Exploring Alion Forest", the second track of "Alion - Original Soundtrack" has just been released!

It is done! One more track for my soundtrack album. By the way, this is the official logo for the fictional computergame "Alion".

The second track of the soundtrack album is, as announced, the song that should be played while exploring a forest and is therefore titled "Exploring Alion Forest". While listening to this song, imagine to walk in a forest with huge trees, sunbeams dropping through the treetops, birds, a deer bouncing by. Imagine the smell of a forest in summertime. You get the picture? ;-)

So here it is "Exploring Alion Forest", the second track of "Alion - Original Soundtrack":

Exploring Alion Forest LISTEN
Exploring Alion Forest DOWNLOAD

The next track I am allready working at, will be a lot less nice & lovely, because of it's topic/location. It will be the song which is playing while the hero explores a dangerous, cursed graveyard, where the undead roam... not a nice place to be ;-)