Meet cryptic scenery

Having performed and released music for about thirty years now, primarily under the guise of cryptic scenery, but also under my own name, I was delighted to be afforded the opportunity of contributing some of my albums to the Free Music Archive.

Much of my music is of primarily atmospheric character (clever chord changes are to be found elsewhere), and therefore I considered it to be a good thing to provide some releases for people interested in using them for their videos, documentaries etc. – or merely for their own listening pleasure.

For the most part, I stuck to instrumental releases, but the art-rock song-oriented material is still around on the web as well. - cryptic scenery

Stazione Termini - Released 2020
Exceeding 30,000 plays, Morgengrauen is currently the most-streamed of my pieces on the FMA site. Probably surprisingly so, as it is a fairly bleak-sounding track; an electronic dirge with some backwards guitar thrown in. Like many of my recordings, it rests on a repetitive structure, with more elements gradually added and making the atmosphere more complex. - cryptic scenery

Imaginary Cities III - Released 2023
In recent years, I have released three albums of imaginary cityscapes evoked by long-form guitar drones with sonic events appearing and disappearing. This piece, Seventh Imaginary Cities from volume III, is one of the more accessible drones and a serviceable introduction. Ten pieces were released, but with all their differences, they are all more on the melancholy side of the spectrum. - cryptic scenery

The Glaciel Age - Released 2020
The Glacial Age, featured on the FMA in an edited form, is a long, hypnotic drone piece that moves a long slowly – glacially, indeed. To me, it is not as dark and melancholy as many of my other drones, but rather pleasantly icy. Music to drift away to. Probably even sleep-inducing, or suited for meditative sessions. - cryptic scenery

Ephemeral V2 - Released 2022
The Ephemeral V2 album is a bit like the wayward sister to the Station Termini album. V2 is a revisited version featuring some tracks in edited form and an additional piece. This is, presently, the most popular track from that album on the FMA, a catchy guitar loop with a delicate guitar melody. The Conversationalist a simple track with two elements basically. I like to juxtapose these stripped-back tracks and the more intricate and/or fully orchestrated pieces. - cryptic scenery

The Aural Rear-view Mirror - Released 2020
This ultra-minimalist piece; Being, is so ultra-minimalist that it predominantly merely indicates its own being there. Sections of silence make way for two single notes that display: there is something. Over the years, I have recorded many versions in different settings. This is an edit of the first recording by my 20-year-old self from 1996. Still grateful to anyone who appreciates it a little bit, even if it is only for noticing it is there… - cryptic scenery

Golden Ether - Released 2002
Many of my drone pieces are somewhat sinister and/or foreboding and, musically speaking, basically in minor keys. Golden Ether is an old one that is in a major key and sounds more uplifting and bright. - cryptic scenery