blockstudio

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As a preferred example for her beautiful work I put up the second track and third video of Valeska Rautenberg‘s EP “Aerial Minds” which I highly recommend. Myself being an apprentice of her vocal coaching mastership I followed her musical path for quite some time now. Now that path came to it’s latest climax. Or in her own words: “Aerial Minds is the first of a cycle of four EPs: Each dedicated to one of the four elements. They are like parts of an equation, like puzzle pieces to me. Every song is a facet. An element. But whole on their own.” Please have listen, it’s out there on all kind of platforms.

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Blockdammweg 60-64, 10318 Berlin is the area where we are located for more than 6 years now. That era will come to an end in April when all buildings will be prepared for the final teardown. Which means we have to move. It seems that we found just the right place already and everybody who want’s to join us and rent working space over there please don’t hesitate to contact us even though we are rented out at the moment. Everybody else who knows an even better place but cannot afford it because it’s too big please contact us as well just for backup. We wil have multiple ads up and running so check them out for further information. Back to the music (right below)!

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MD421onUSA2004

Our new Ludwig Maple Set paired with K Custom Hybrid HiHats and a Gretsch Maple Snare aimed at by Sennheiser’s MD 441. We are testing clear Aquarian heads for this set as well as Pearl P-1002 double pedals. Sounding really good so far. Now we are looking to catch that sound on tape (HD) and then record the drum tracks for the musical material we are working on this year. All is laid out pretty much ready for action – a new studio PC, new instruments, new songs. All we need is time!

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Leaving the north from time to time Stralsund-based singer-songwriter Georg Laass was visiting our studio for some days during the last four years. Whenever he showed up we recorded a new song or another version of older attempts. By late 2014 we had assembled four tracks for today’s release “Songs from an open field” (EP) which is now available via Bandcamp as usual. The willing listener will find a rock band sound as well as accoustic folk on this EP and it might be a hint of things yet to come (another more band like approach for instance). The artwork was created by Georg himself with a little support from his brother Johannes who also mixed and mastered these songs.

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TCV-WOWWOW-CD

One of those moments when all the efforts finally pay off – The Cold View releases the two of his albums at once via different labels as Digipack-CDs. Endless Winter takes care of the newest strike “Wires of Woe, Ways of Waste” while GS Productions re-releases the “Weeping Winter” including a bonus track which left our mixing facility some weeks ago. Although pretty anachronistic in terms of distribution discs are a perfect supplement for download sales. It makes a difference you can grab by hand. The physical presence nevertheless works in a mere symbolic way, a CD cannot sound better or even different. So what it does is looking good. If that’s all you need then come and get it. Any help with the decision? Just read this review here and here

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Maybe our earliest approach on serious music production whatsoever – my colaboration with beat mate Oliver Wicke and lovely voice Viola Manigk. The fundamental elements (samples, guitars and synths) came together already 10 years ago and were complemented time after time by additional recordings namely drums, strings and keys. And of course – the voice – being the point where it all started to make sense. Also Oliver created fine video clips for some of the songs (see track information). Because we never knew how to take up the thread again we decided to just put it on Bandcamp in the realm of the blockstudio. So here you have it, please enjoy!

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This month we finalized the second album called “Wires of Woe, Ways of Waste” by The Cold View. Particulary the mixing job was a fine thing to do because it allowed the engineer so much creative freedom. Though the artist is officially a metal guy he does not make any amends to mainstream sound (I’m repeatung my self I fear). No harsh high mids and clicky kickdrums, so much subs and warm saturation. The album will be released this summer (why not winter) by Doom-label Endless Winter (to form the evil alliance of cold).

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As the studio is ready to mix again we updated our SoundCloud playlist and references. We’d like to mention particularly the guys above (to be watched in an older live video), a music project called “Aktion X”. Coming all the way from Leipzig they visited our studio to record vocals and some additional takes. The instrumental mixes were already done elsewhere so Christian just had to fit in the new stuff. The results you can listen to when you get to the Cloud and via the player on this website’s right side.

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lost_view

Our busy friend from “The Cold View” had another review in the Chronicles of Chaos. He also spread word about blockstudio talking with the Decibel Magazin in his distinctive metal-gentleman-like manner. Much appreciated. We also like to thank Thorbjorn Sigberg for willingly but unknowingly licensing the somewhat kitschy picture above.

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Re-Release of D-SO classic, some links, some plans

Those who followed the development of our references so far might have noticed the mentioning of a project called Deutsch-SüdOst, or D-SO. Its one and only release “Heimatherz” was remastered in-house around 2010. But you couldn’t actually listen to these praised versions and now you can. We uploaded all the tracks to our Bandcamp site and made them available for free (though donations are welcomed). Composer, creator and producer of “LFO” as of “Heimatherz” is our dear Christian and no other. You might find some of his older friends using the project name for social networking purposes but this re-release is about the music only.

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