The black butterfly
The song cycle of the black butterfly (also simply called the butterfly cycle ) is the first of four song cycles of the band ASP so far . It includes the band's first five albums, Did you miss me? (Part 1) ,: Duet (Part 2), Weltunter (Part 3), From the Deep (Part 4) and Requiembryo (Part 5). In addition to the tracks on these five albums, the Wolfspuren EP Nie Mehr! - Die Verschollenen Archives 1 and the band's (possibly darkest) song So much deeper from the double CD Horror Vacui - The eeriest tales of ASP so far counted among the “tales” that encompass the cycle.
action
The story of the song cycle is about a person who struggles with several inner 'voices'. The actual personality of the person, Asp , is often described as the "bright", good side that has to fight against the other personality, the black butterfly , which represents the evil in humans. However, the songs often mention how closely these two sides are linked. A mental illness of the protagonist is indeed a possibility of interpretation, but the listener is offered various other interpretive approaches. According to the singer Asp, the correct interpretation does not exist.
The place of action is the so-called Dark Tower , located in the fictional land of the world below , which is particularly described in the album From the Deep . This is probably a metaphorical representation of the protagonist's soul . It is described as a dark, labyrinth-like place.
The Dark Tower is mentioned for the first time on the third album, Weltunter , which is partly due to the first collaboration with Ingo Römling, who took over the artwork from this album. The plot finally culminates in the 27 minute long Requiem from the album Requiembryo .
background
Musical development
While there were still strong electronic elements on the first albums, these moved into the background more and more in the later albums and classic rock and folk elements came to the fore. In addition, more English lyrics were used on the first albums. On the first album, around two thirds of the lyrics are in English, whereas on the fifth album, except for three songs, only German texts were used.
From the fourth album on, radio play-like interludes are also used.
Quotes
Within the song cycle, some text passages are often taken up and quoted in later songs. For example the line of text Did you miss me , which is mentioned for the first time in the song The Little Ballade of the Black Butterfly (it is also the title of the first album). This passage is quoted in the song How far would you go , but here in English ('Have you been missing me?').
Some musical quotations are also used. The theme from the song Lykanthropie is used particularly frequently, for example in the song Das Erwachen or in the interlude Pavor Diurnus (Stranger Dreams I) . In addition, there is a song on every album, except the third, which contains a lot of elements from other songs.
Artwork
From the third album on, the artwork is an essential part of the concept. It comes from the illustrator Ingo Römling alias Monozelle, who also contributed some remixes. Similar to music and text, there are also motifs in the artwork that are taken up again several times, for example the so-called portal of the eyes , which is shown for the first time in the artwork of Weltunter . There it is still shown closed, later it is shown open in the artwork for Requiembryo .
Something special is the font in the booklet of Aus der Tief , which was written in a font called Spiegelauge (based on the song Spiegelaugen ) specially created for this artwork by Römling .
interpretation
The band mostly does not comment on the interpretation of the cycle, it should be left primarily to the listener. However, there are a few exceptions, so the book Horror Vacui also answers some questions about interpretation. Many songs, however, offer the listener a few more possibilities of interpretation that have nothing to do with the Black Butterfly or the Dark Tower . Songs like I want to burn , advertise , and we danced - awkward love letters or I am a true Satan, etc. can also be viewed on a completely different level of interpretation.
Trivia
The song cycle begins on the first album "Did you miss me?" in the song "Schwarzer Schmetterling" with the line of text: "Alles schwarz, I kann nicht see" and ends on the last album in the song "Offährte (Reprise)" with the same.
Publications
Note: This section only deals with publications that are directly related to the cycle. For all releases of the band, see ASP (Band) #Discography .
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Albums
- 2000: did you miss me? (The Black Butterfly I) (released in 2004 as a re-release box)
- 2001: Duett (Der Schwarze Schmetterling II) (released in 2004 as a re-release box)
- 2003: Weltunter (The Black Butterfly III) (released in 2004 as a re-release box)
- 2005: From the Deep (The Black Butterfly IV)
- 2007: Requiembryo (The Black Butterfly V)
EPs
- 2005: Hunger (EP only available on the 2005 Hunger Tour)
Singles
- 2003: Weltunter (come to me)
- 2003: Silence of the Night (A Christmas Tale)
- 2004: I want to burn
- 2004: Where Do the Gods Go (Promo CD)
- 2005: Schwarzes Blut (promo single only sent to DJs and later in the vinyl edition of Werben )
- 2006: Advertise (as a vinyl luxury royal edition and as a 3-track single)
- 2006: I Am a True Satan (Parts 1-4)
- 2006: I'm a True Satan (Special DJ Promo)
- 2007: Duet (Das Minnelied der Incubi) (Special DJ Single)
more publishments
- The two songs Wolfsspuren (from the Nie Mehr! EP ) and So much Tiefer (from the best-of album Horror Vacui ) can also be counted as part of the cycle.
- The Horror Vacui book contains all of the band's lyrics and some background information.
- In 2011 the complete cycle was released as a 10-CD collection (the 5 albums & some of the singles)