Solo (album)
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| Studio album by Peter Heppner | ||||
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Publication |
September 12, 2008 |
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admission |
02/08 - 05/08 |
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| Label (s) | Warner Bros. Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, DVD, digital |
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Title (number) |
10 (+ bonus tracks) |
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running time |
44:17 (+ bonus tracks) |
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Studio (s) |
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solo is the debut album of the German synth pop - singer Peter Heppner .
Creation and artwork
All songs on the album were written and composed by Heppner himself, whereby he was only responsible for the vocal composition of the compositions. Most of the compositions were created in collaboration with the German musician Jose Alvarez-Brill and the producer trio 3typen (consisting of: Tom Albrecht , Dior Da Silva and Marc Kaschke). You were involved in a total of four compositions. With the British musician Peter-John Vettese , Heppner worked on three compositions. The German musicians Andreas Herbig, Olli Pinelli and Dirk Riegner were each involved in two compositions. Furthermore, a composition comes from the collaboration with Lothar Manteuffel . The authors Albrecht, Herbig and Pinelli were already working as producers for Heppner and his former band project Wolfsheim . Most of the tracks on the album were produced and programmed by Vettese (7 tracks); programming (“Additional Programming”) he received support from Mark “Tufty” Evans. Alvarez-Brill produced and programmed three pieces; with the producer trio 3types at his side. Thommy Hein produced one piece each for two limited editions of the album . The piece Walter (London or Manchester) was arranged by Nikolas Nohn; Additional orchestral arrangements ("Additional Orchestra Arrangements") were made by Alvarez-Brill. Mastering was done by Master & Servant in Hamburg , under the direction of Tom Meyer. The mixing and the final engineering was done by the producer trio 3typen, Alvarez-Brill, Mark “Tufty” Evans and Hein in the Wispington Studio in London. Work on the album took a total of one and a half years from the beginning of 2007 to mid-2008. The recording was made solo from February to May 2008 in the Berlin recording studios Pleasurepark and Thommy Hein Tonstudio (February to March 2008), as well as in the London recording studio Area 21 (April to May 2008). solo was published and distributed under the music label Warner Bros. Records as well as the music publishers Art 4 Art Music Edition, Edition Pleasure Park, Edition Songs of Tro, Hanseatic MV and pH-Werk Musikverlag.
For the booklet and the cover picture , Heppner was photographed on the one hand in a black and on the other hand in a white outfit while he was sitting on a stool . On the cover of the album - in addition to the artist name and album title - only Heppner can be seen. It is kept in black and white and consists of two different photographs that meet or are divided in the middle of the cover. On the left half of the cover you can see Heppner from the front, wearing a black outfit and parts of his face can be seen. On the right half of the cover he wears a white shirt. It only shows him from the rear, so that only parts of his back can be seen while he is taking off a Jacks. The same artwork can be found in a different variant on the cover pictures for the single releases of Aloneein and Wherever . Inside there is a 16-page booklet with song texts, the contributors and Heppner's pictures. In these there is the following quote: “Love won't tear us apart, Walter” ( English : “Love won't tear us apart, Walter” ). This quote is an homage to a friend of Heppner's who died a year earlier. With him he shared a common passion for the music of Joy Division . The quote is a modification of the Joy Division song Love Will Tear Us Apart . All photographs of the booklet and the cover are from Mathias Bothor and Dennis Neuschaefer-Rube. The design concept comes from HORT-Berlin.
Publication and promotion
The first publication of solo took place on 12 September 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The album consists of ten new studio recordings and is available as CD and download. In addition to the regular edition, two other limited versions of the album were released across Europe at the same time, which were expanded to include a cover version and a remix as bonus tracks in addition to an additional DVD. At the online mail order company Amazon , a limited edition was available exclusively with an additional original Heppner autograph on the booklet. A promo sound carrier for solo was released across Europe even before the official release .
background information
The decision to make a solo album at this point was, according to their own statements, "a bit ad hoc ". The idea itself had been around for a long time. However, it was not necessarily his idea, rather it was more that he had been asked about it many times since the beginning of his career. In December 2005, Heppner finally signed his first solo contract with Marner Music . In 2007 he started working on them. His former band colleague Markus Reinhardt didn't like it because Heppner would not have time for the Wolfsheim project until 2010 at the earliest . For this reason, Reinhardt tried to exclude his long-time band colleague from the joint band project and sued the Hamburg district court for this purpose . However, the action was dismissed, as was the appeal before the competent higher regional court . Heppner repeatedly emphasized in interviews that he would continue to be very interested in continuing Wolfsheim.
According to his own statement, the decision was made to name the album solo in order to distance oneself musically from the not yet finished chapter Wolfsheim .
content
All lyrics on the album are written in German or English and come from Peter Heppner. Heppner made the compositions together with changing composers. Musically, the songs move in the realm of electro and synth pop . The regular album consists of ten newly recorded tracks. In addition to an additional DVD, the limited editions include a cover version or a remix as a bonus track. One version includes a cover version of the song Gone , which was recorded in a new rock version. The new recording was made together with the German rock band moonrise . A second limited edition of the album features Being Me (Berlin Nighttime Version), a remix of the original made by Thommy Hein. The 3 types, Jose Alvarez-Brill and Peter-John Vettese, can be heard on the instruments - including the keyboard. The exception is the cover version for Gone , here the instruments were recorded by the band moonrise themselves.
| # | title | Author (s) | Producer (s) | length |
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| 1 | Easy | Peter Heppner, Peter-John Vettese | Peter-John Vettese | 5:22 |
| 2 | Be alone | Tom Albrecht, José Alvarez-Brill, Dior Da Silva, Peter Heppner, Marc Kaschke | José Alvarez-Brill, Tom Albrecht (Ko), Dior Da Silva (Ko), Marc Kaschke (Ko) | 3:22 |
| 3 | Suddenly | Peter Heppner, Dirk Riegner | Peter-John Vettese | 4:40 |
| 4th | Past | Tom Albrecht, José Alvarez-Brill, Dior Da Silva, Peter Heppner, Marc Kaschke | José Alvarez-Brill, Tom Albrecht (Ko), Dior Da Silva (Ko), Marc Kaschke (Ko) | 3:31 |
| 5 | Being Me | Peter Heppner, Andreas Herbig, Olli Pinelli | Peter-John Vettese | 5:26 |
| 6th | I hate you | Peter Heppner, Peter-John Vettese | Peter-John Vettese | 4:30 |
| 7th | No Matter What It Takes | Peter Heppner, Peter-John Vettese | Peter-John Vettese | 4:27 |
| 8th | Walter (London or Manchester) | Tom Albrecht, José Alvarez-Brill, Dior Da Silva, Peter Heppner, Marc Kaschke | José Alvarez-Brill, Tom Albrecht (Ko), Dior Da Silva (Ko), Marc Kaschke (Ko) | 4:25 |
| 9 | Wherever | Peter Heppner, Dirk Riegner | Peter-John Vettese | 4:13 |
| 10 | That will pass… | Peter Heppner, Lothar Manteuffel | Peter-John Vettese | 4:21 |
| Limited-Edition (1st version) | ||||
| 11.1 | Gone (feat. Moonrise ) | Tom Albrecht, José Alvarez-Brill, Dior Da Silva, Peter Heppner, Marc Kaschke | Thommy Hein | 3:41 |
| Limited-Edition (2nd version) | ||||
| 11.2 | Being Me (Berlin Nighttime Version) | Peter Heppner, Andreas Herbig, Olli Pinelli | Thommy Hein | 4:26 |
| Limited-Edition (DVD) | ||||
| 1 | Making of solo | 38:34 | ||
Tours
To present and promote the album, Heppner played two tours between 2009 and 2010. First the solo tour took place in 2009. This was Heppner's first tour as a solo artist. The tour lasted three months from January 15th to April 4th and took him through 14 cities in two countries. The tour was originally supposed to take place at the end of 2008, but the tout start was finally moved to the new year. The new tour schedule for 2009 initially envisaged 22 concerts in three countries, but in the end eight concerts were canceled due to errors in the organization and further concerts were postponed to smaller concert halls. Heppner first appeared in Russia during this tour. During the concert series, Heppner presented a new piece in the first part of the encore with the Yazoo cover Mr. Blue .
The club tour that followed was a tour where concerts were to be played in parts of Germany that were underrepresented on the previous solo tour due to organizational issues. The tour lasted several months and took place in two sections in 2010. It took Heppner through twelve German cities and for a concert in Athens in Greece . All clubs have a capacity of around 400 to 600 spectators. In Greece it was Heppner's first concert as a solo artist and the second concert of his career. With the German synth-pop band Melotron , an opening act played for the first time during a Heppner concert. During the tour, Heppner presented a new piece with God Smoked . After he sang the song only during this tour, a year later it was part of the soundtrack for GOD SMOKED - A Mindtrip with Howard Marks and again a year later part of the second studio album My Heart of Stone .
Single releases
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Just one week before the release of solo appeared with Alleinesein the first single of the album on September 5, 2008. The regular maxi-single was released as a digital and physical single and in addition to the radio version of one of Paul van Dyk incurred remix version , and the music video for Alone as B-side . Instead of the music video, the digital maxi single contains a second remix on being alone by the Hamburg DJ Azzido Da Bass . In addition to the regular maxi single, a 2-track single was released at the same time. In addition to being alone, this includes a snippet and commentary on the album solo . The 2-track single contains a code that allows the free download of the album snippet. The single made it to the chart in Germany and reached its highest rating in nine chart weeks at position 16.
Around four weeks after the release, the album's second and final single, Wherever, was released. The single was only released as a single download on January 27, 2009. In contrast to being alone , no music video was made for this. The single missed a chart entry.
Contributors
Album production
- Tom Albrecht : Mixing (songs: 2, 4, 8) , arrangement (song 8) , engineering (songs: 2, 4, 8) , instrumentalization (songs: 2, 4, 8) , composer (songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1) , co-producer (songs: 2, 4, 8) , programming (songs: 2, 4, 8)
- José Alvarez-Brill : Mixing (songs: 2, 4, 8) , arrangement (song 8) , engineering (songs: 2, 4, 8) , instrumentalization (songs: 2, 4, 8) , composer (songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1) , music producer (songs: 2, 4, 8) , programming (songs: 2, 4, 8)
- Dior Da Silva : Mixing (songs: 2, 4, 8) , engineering (songs: 2, 4, 8) , instrumentation (songs: 2, 4, 8) , composer (songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1) , Co-producer (songs: 2, 4, 8) , programming (songs: 2, 4, 8)
- Mark “Tufty” Evans: Mixing (songs: 1-11) , engineering (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10) , programming (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10)
- Thommy Hein : Mixing (song 11) , engineering (song 11) , music producer (song 11)
- Peter Heppner : vocals (songs: 1-11) , composer (songs: 1-11) , songwriter (songs: 1-11)
- Andreas Herbig: composer (songs: 5, 11.2)
- Marc Kaschke : Mixing (songs: 2, 4, 8) , engineering (songs: 2, 4, 8) , instrumentation (songs: 2, 4, 8) , composer (songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1) , co-producer (Songs: 2, 4, 8) , programming (songs: 2, 4, 8)
- Lothar Manteuffel : composer (song 10)
- Tom Meyer: Mastering (songs: 1-11)
- moonrise : vocals (song 11) , instrumentalization (song 11)
- Nikolas Nohn: arrangement (song 8)
- Olli Pinelli: composer (songs: 5, 11.2)
- Dirk Riegner : composer (songs: 3, 9)
- Peter-John Vettese : instrumentalization (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10) , composer (songs: 1, 6-7) , music producer (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10) , Programming (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10)
Artwork (booklet + cover)
- Mathias Bothor: photographer
- HORT-Berlin: Artwork
- Dennis Neuschaefer-Rube: Photographer
Companies
- Area 21: recording studio (songs: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-10)
- Art 4 Art Music Edition: Verlag (Lied 3)
- Edition Pleasure Park: Verlag (songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1)
- Edition Songs of Tro: Verlag (Songs: 2, 4, 8, 11.1)
- Hanseatic MV: Verlag (songs: 1-11)
- Master & Servant: Mastering (songs: 1-11)
- pH-Werk Musikverlag: Verlag (songs: 1-11)
- Pleasurepark: recording studio (songs: 2, 4, 8)
- Thommy Hein Tonstudio: Tonstudio (Lied 11)
- Warner Bros. Records : Music label (songs: 1-11)
- Wispington Studio: Mixing (songs: 1-11)
reception
Reviews
The German-language online magazine laut.de rated the album with 3/5 stars. Artur Schulz is of the opinion that there were no “groundbreaking” surprises in the implementation. The album fits “round and pleasantly” into the actual Wolfsheim environment. The portrait of Heppner on the cover picture has "a little" resemblance to Erik from the Phantom of the Opera . The one half of the face, which is covered by a cloth, look all the more forcefully into the face of the viewer, "sharply fixating". Schulz compared the song Easy with the "unambiguous" Peter Heppner sound in "familiar style". Exuberant serenity was never Heppner's trademark, but by being alone he succeeds in a "blow" against all clichés : Musically equipped with cheerful somersaults , flanked by "shimmering" and "shimmering synth cascades", dance the song in an irresistible manner through the " cold glistening rigidity ”of a glass garden - once sung about with Goethe's heirs . Mainly minor chords dominate the album, for example in Suddenly or the "irresistible" Being Me , which sends hopeful "morning sun rays" over "gloomy horizons" with its heart-grabbing hookline . Past "seamlessly" connects to past "Wolfsheim showpieces" like no back . Nothing could be done against the “melting” and “moving truthfulness” of Heppner's voice. Nothing but the “retreat” remains when Heppner calls Walter (London or Manchester) and with the “indulgent” wherever “finally” strikes out for the “victorious blow” against the “tireless, insatiable forces of darkness”. The principle of hope floats even through the “darkest chords” and carries you away on “gentle waves of synths” past “velvet curtains” made of “blown techno sounds” back into the saving light. Solo dance "feeling drunk" through the "adversities of the world", the soul, the heart - but if you should stumble, do not be afraid. Heppner is already there, takes your hand, before you actually plunge hopelessly down into “unfathomable, black depths”, on that “ruthless and final” edge beyond midnight.
The German-language online portal medienkonverter.de rated the album with 4/6 stars and came to the following criticism: The work bears the “simple” title solo , which is as simple as it is indicative of the album. Heppner will present ten “catchy pop songs” that have a “melancholy and thoughtful basic tenor”, but also exude a kind of new self-confidence, a new optimism. In addition to Heppner's “haunting, distinctive voice”, the album is particularly impressive because of its excellent production. But “unfortunately” all these “manual skills” cannot hide the fact that most of the songs they are just “pleasant mediocrity”. In interviews, Heppner described that this time he wrote his texts very directly and without lyrical detours. That's true, but unfortunately the lyrics often get dangerously close to kitsch . Lines like “It's over / Everything breaks in two” or “I hate you from the bottom of my heart” may well be meaningful and catchy, but such “simple, pointless phrases” would be more Christina Stürmer , not an “exceptional artist “As Heppner attribute. In this way, “actually great songs” like Alone , I Hate You or Being Me would degenerate into “interchangeable average pop numbers”. Despite the “lack of depth”, Heppner had nevertheless proven that he could also survive on his own. The bottom line is that solo remains a “solid” pop album, which has some charm and very nice moments, but which cannot entirely meet the high expectations.
The German-language e-zine Plattentests.de rated solo with seven out of ten points. Oliver Ding from the online editorial team is of the opinion that in solo lines like “You are only thanked with mockery; and every word bent ”or the“ politely reveled ” I Hate You put a“ little ”bitterness. Ding attributes this to the legal dispute between Heppner and his former band colleague Markus Reinhardt regarding Wolfsheim . Fortunately, Wolfsheim producer Jose Alvarez-Brill knew that aggression didn't suit Heppner, and tailored these ten “buttery soft synth pop numbers” to the “lean body”. There was even room for a kind of concept, because on solo it would be about numerous different aggregate states of loneliness: “Just before, shortly after, soon not anymore, got around it again and preferably right in the middle of it”. It shouldn't be a minor matter that the “semi-dark passion” ensures a “formidable” pop album. The "catchy" single Aloneein is easily recognizable as an "attempt at emancipation " and is not unjustifiably marching straight into the charts. “Wide-walled” hymns such as Being Me and Walter (London or Manchester) are also recommended for large audiences and offer plenty of space for Heppner's “nasal expansions”. Again and again “fresh acoustic antics” sounded out, and even a few guitars could be guessed at. The final That will pass ... even cheat the famous " John Bonham Boom" into his groove and recreate the " Coolio- tried" " Pastime paradise " strings by Stevie Wonder . Of course, the grand gesture prevails everywhere, which would make it inedible solo with “ Pathosallergy ”. The fact that small "inadequacies" crept into a few of the songs at the same time is not a real problem: it is the voice that works.
Charts and chart placements
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solo reached position ninth in the album charts in Germany and was able to stay in the top 10 for a week and in the charts for six weeks. In Austria and Switzerland, entry to the chart has been denied to this day. In Germany alone , the first chart success Heppner in the album charts as a solo artist.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter Heppner. deutsche-mugge.de, accessed on December 21, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c repertoire search. online.gema.de, accessed on December 17, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c d e f CD booklet: solo (Limited Edition) , Peter Heppner, September 12, 2008.
- ↑ a b c d e Peter Heppner - solo. discogs.com, accessed December 17, 2017 .
- ^ A b c Marius Meyer: Solo, but not alone - Interview with Peter Heppner. ( Memento from September 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) alternativmusik.de, October 19, 2008, accessed on May 3, 2019.
- ↑ Peter Heppner - solo (CD + DVD, 2008, Limited Edition, Digipak). musik-sammler.de, accessed on December 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Peter Heppner signs a solo contract with Warner. mediabiz.de, accessed on October 23, 2013 .
- ↑ Ingo Scheel: Interview with Wolfsheim singer Heppner: “Suddenly we were visionaries”. (Part 1) ( Memento from March 21, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) stern.de, October 4, 2008, accessed on May 7, 2019.
- ↑ Ingo Scheel: Interview with Wolfsheim singer Heppner: “Suddenly we were visionaries”. (Part 2) ( Memento from October 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) stern.de, October 4, 2008, accessed on May 7, 2019.
- ^ Peter Heppner: My Heart of Stone (Review). musikreviews.de, accessed on December 17, 2017 .
- ↑ a b solo tour. setlist.fm, accessed December 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Freya Kettner: Peter Heppner postpones “Solo” tour. ( Memento from December 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) the-spine.de, October 22, 2008, accessed on May 3, 2019.
- ↑ Marius Meyer: Peter Heppner - February 15, 2009, Leipzig Werk 2. ( Memento from December 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) alternativmusik.de, February 17, 2009, accessed on May 3, 2019.
- ^ A b Marius Meyer: In conversation with Peter Heppner. ( Memento of December 24, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) alternativmusik.de, February 17, 2010, accessed on May 3, 2019.
- ↑ Peter Heppner - Being Alone. officialcharts.de, accessed on September 13, 2015 .
- ↑ Alone (Azzido da Bass Remix) - EP. itunes.apple.com, accessed September 13, 2015 .
- ^ Wherever - single. itunes.apple.com, accessed December 14, 2017 .
- ↑ On the brink of midnight, the Whisperer will save you. laut.de, accessed on December 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Peter Heppner solo. ( Memento from December 24, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) medienkonverter.de, September 14, 2008, accessed on May 3, 2019.
- ↑ You're the voice. plattentests.de, accessed on December 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Peter Heppner - solo. officialcharts.de, accessed on December 16, 2017 .