Show us your new work!

Voila!
It has just been confirmed that the album is in the distribution process. It takes approximately 4 weeks to appear online, but keep a close watch, some online services are very quick. now i'm gonna take a breeeeeaaak.
 

Proof! Distribution date confirmed

No pressure. Fingers crossed, legs spread. In the meantime I'll keep you updated if there's any change and as I'm working on some visuals, that tasty promo is on its way too. So now you know.
Now let's see where you have to look at this year and the rest of your life.


The artwork.

The original "selfie" pictures have been chosen from some amateurish mobile phone footage, filmed in the bathroom by yours truly. No. 3 became my ultimate frontcover as I liked the welcome sign in my sort of "I invite you all" atitude and the mirrored spotlight above the "starstrucked" me.

1.Here

2.Here!

 3.Here....

Here's the original for the back cover with mirror reflection:

Spotlights!

On the net you can find all kind of photo design editors.
I especially liked the paint department from Lunapic. All kind of echoes of Van Gogh and Kadinsky art that fitted well. Here are a few choices, eyes open or eyes closed:

Close my eyes...

(Starry starry night......) Sagitario!

The title. 

I know it's a bit pretentious...to say Sagittarius, so it became

                                                       Sagitario

It's spanish- which sounds so cool- for  (english), boogschutter (dutch). It happens to be my sign. I guess you'll hear a few characteristics of those on the new album. Playful sounding and with the extra bonus of the word siguitario in it. I'll explain in a later blog all bout it.

The final result (or insult).

Well, we've got that title, the art, so here's the design. I was switching between black or white for the background, both choices eventually made it.

Final frontcover result

for disribution purposes only (only one name prohibited)

We've got the frontcover, for the backcover I've chosen the same design but as a whole in contrast.

A few choices

Kadinskish smile

A white background with all the information you need. Now, what does it sound like? Soon...

Final backcover result with songtitles and credits

Next: promo video/song

Title & Covers for the new 2015 album

Beware, especially the impatient listeners, it's a longplayer (like a double album on vinyl), but relax... it consist mostly of short songs. 18 of them.  I could even choose from about thirty/forty songs. Lucky son of a ...Yes, it's been a very productive ride in my homestudio. But I'm aware...quantity is not quality.
Excited? Me?

I've been in a very electric- no, not in the heavy guitar metal way-state of mind the last year. All that bursts of inspiration, energy coming out, so I came up with this flashy title:

                                                Lightning Dutchman

sure, there are always references......a bluesname like Lighnin' Hopkins? Well, although I'm not a bluesman, I have a few blues chops in my throat, so indirectly it is) To me it sounds cool and nifty.

                                                                            

Frontcover

                                                                                                         The concept: 
Pictures have been taken by my camera-spying spouse Yola on a weekend trip, while climbing an endless dutch tower. I've dealt with the design (the black & white, lightning electricity effect) and what I especially liked about it, was the delusive perspective (upside down) of the staircase. It reminded me of the work of dutch artist Escher. The mystery of that Vanished Dutchguy. Fascinated by gravity and relativity? Take a walk into the illusion of the Penrose stairs
Now look at the covers (two frontcovers!) and tell me where the stairs are:
 

alt.Frontcover 2/innersleeve & Backcover & songlist

Excited! Me? 

Next: live session, New song, video promo "Lightning Dutchman"

Covers and Songlist Of The Ballooning Brouhaha (ha-haaaa!)

Front

Back

Yes, it's almost all white (it's the peace album I guess), even my hair has caught the snowflake glow......

Next:  The Ballooning Brouhaha The Songuide

Songlist for the 2012 colllection

Hey all you good folks up there, hope you all have a laugh once in a while, a tear is not that far away.

heey, what does that string do here...

Once in a while I'm having one too- even with a total stranger- to keep my restless feet on the ground. But it's the music that 's giving me energy, blowing all the bullshit away.
Now, where were we?
Still trying to finish some songs lyricly, technically. Still trying to give the best that I have. Well that´s not that easy to do as to say. Hey Joost, just don´t dissapear again...

So here's what i have for you: the songlist for 2012:

So what will this new album be about? A different Orson Nietes?
Well the jokes are still there..

But please don´t compare me with the great Frank Zappa, that´s a different league. But still a big inspiration! Gone too soon. Another hero of mine, Levon Helm, just passed away. What an intense and sincere drummer and singer he was. Coincidentally I´ve been reading his wonderful humoreus biography, This Wheel´s On Fire, a must read.



So study those titles carefully and imagine the music behind them, Big exam up next blog.

Orson Nietes: The songguide

For those who want to to know everything, nothing spicy, shocking or special Murdochish up here........but take a deeper look into my humble kitchen sink an take a trip into the deep. The process of creating something from nothing is only possible when I let myself go. Doing it immediately from the void! So much fun I had! And sorry soundengineers, I ain't one, the sound had to be a big blasting powerhouse. I guess you would do a more professional thing here. Thanks to all of you that have listened this last year, your feedback has made my self-confidence (Orson Nietes) grow a little bit more. Already teased the hungry listener with the first 11 tracks on bandcamp. And now finally,  I bring you these 24 stories, doing it like it's a full blown double vinyl album, my 15th album: (hey pssss...GRAB me....it´s over there, somewhere on the right...it's the "lite"version for now)                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                   
                                                        01.Back In The Race

Sort of  a comeback song isn't it? No, it isn't. Well, that pushy drive (banging out on the piano) got me to these competetive words. A little edgy (rock energy). I wanted a full, organic bandfeel. For me this had to be the opener.  


02.Bigger Things
Had a lot of ideas floating around, some didn't immediately fit. Two of them I melted into a bigger one. Just sing along and feel happy, think BIG.             

   

                                                                                                                             03.Alice Tea 

Goofy humor? A trippy LST or LSD song with a lot of Chaplin Slapstick to set that goofy mood.  Sugar your tea honey. Aktion- reaction effects from the soundlibrary and yours truly.    


04.Leak
 Yes, it's about leaking in general and it's about those wiki revelations, that won't go away. Gimme some truth. I'm especially fond of the combination of melody and chords,  so I kept it very direct and simple.                                          


             
                  
                                                          05.Suits In A Building

 Elevator blues! Stuck in slowfunk. It started with a piano pattern. I doubled      different bass parts to make it more pulsing funky. 


06.Showking

I'll show you! Rock'n troll pastiche. Quick, Short ditty on the piano. Had a lot a fun with myself, but only 1.19 minutes, ha.                                                             




 
07.Tweet                                               


I had to write this.....
poor birdy...retweet  







08.Pukeman     

I really got it going. Wrote all these crazy songs very quickly! (Alice Tea, Tweet, Showking). It's good to puke sometimes. Karmacleaning. Man, I had too much energy, I had to....                                                                           

                                                                                         
                                                                              09.Bill Withus





To keep things fresh, I often switch between guitar and  piano when I write. It started with this breaky melodic intro. All instinct, funky, groovy fingers hammering on the keys, basically around G7. "Hey Bill, are you with us?" The music busines vs Bill Withers. Very talented man, not taken seriously by these A&R guys. Well, watch the documentary... Hope you like it Bill (although he'll probably never hear it).  


10.Climb Another Hill
You can relax now. Variation in mood, tempo and theme right here. Basically a lovesong for the desperate ones, written and played on the piano, yours truly.       



                                                                                                                  
        11.My Sweet Spanish Drama 

I love spanish flicks and although I've never been there before, I feel something matadoresque bullying in my blood, si, si. I was in a flamenco mood.    


Don't Stop now! (In the old days my turntable would repeat itself, scratching the vinyl at the end, so I had to flip it over to the other side, try to do that with your device!)

                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                        12.Citizen Able



"Started at the top, worked my way down", he said. This song tries to do the opposite. With a smooth latin beat I worked myself up.                                                                                                                        


13.Mask
A sober approach, intimate atmosphere contrasts with the first half of the album. I always try to vary with tempo, style, just to keep myself on my toes. A personal favourite. So revealing.                     



          

                            
                                                                            14.Jazz Off

    

"I do not play jazz", Miles said, just to get those jazzpurists reaching for their guns.. It's all music in the end man, and we all hear it in our own way . I love it when musicians reach out, explore something they haven't done before. There is nothing new up here, but I'm always fascinated by hypnotic, repeated patterns or rhythms. I tried to sing unusual, different melodies on top of that (listen: Talking Heads- Remain In Light [1980].                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                             15.Miracle



JoosTVD does a poppy one. Well, everything I do has got to have some sort of a melody. This I did on piano, quickly writing itself.    





16.Sombrero
Siesta! My sweet spanish drama under Mexican hideaways.                                                                           
                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                                17.Sugar Tune





Something that's hard for me to do sometimes (sorry mom and the rest), so I write about it: a lighten up-live a little-song. Soft melodic one, written on the piano. Lost my teeth in there..                                                            


18.Mermaids In Bloom


The girl is growing up, finding her own feet.
You know who you are...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  19.Entre Nous                                                                                                       
Instrumental, consisting of two seperate pieces I had other plans with orignally. Found them interesting enough to melt together. But keep it "between us".                                                                                                      




20.Has To Be
I'm a big fan of blue-eyed soul, (I think black music is rhythmically more subtle) but offcours I'm just a plain, stiff euro-celtic. It has to be this way....                                                                                                                                                                                               21.Overdrive        

At first I had this slow pianoballad version, but decided to change the tempo. The result: I combined those two. I love to play these chords on piano.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                           22.Flag Of The World              

Think about that, mmm.......a dream......utopian music?                                                                                                                                           






                                                                   23.Machito                              

Mucho-Macho-Macheato. it was a combination of words, chords and the "Riders On The Storm" inspired Bass-pattern that made this fun to write.


24.Dad Waltz (The Song He Gave Me)
  
Basically me, touching strings. Heard it on his funural....