Sledge Leather (Los Angeles): Finished writing and recording the CD “Imagine Me Alive” (2012) with one of the best fem. heavy metal singers,
--Leather Leone, Scott Warren (Dio) keyboard and Jimmy Bain (Dio, Rainbow) Bass. Produced mainly by Juan Urteaga,
------Trident Studios, Pacheco, CA (Machine Head, Testament, Night Ranger).
--------- Finished & released July 2014: BURNING WINGS (a tribute to 'Strana Officina')
-------------on the double CD "Officina dei Sogni 2" (Loud n' Proud Records). Performed by Sledge Leather. Details Sledge Leather
---------------------
--------

------Twitch Angry (Sacramento): Guitar player at the ‘Monsterfest 2010’ in Merced, CA.
----------Great melodic and hard punk/pop/metal songs. Details

-------------Syria (Germany): Various contributions as a writer and player. “A Gift From Culture. Expanded and Re-Mastered” (Dec. 2010),
------------------"yesterday with logical visitors - best of 1993-2000" (re-release 2009), “Not A Nice Party. A Collection”, 4-CD-Box, (2008),
----------------------"A Gift From Culture" & "Voodoo Highway" (1996/1997). Details

As a sideman/guitar- and bass player also available for a working/touring band or artist (songwriting/studio - delivering/arranging tracks - live), musicals, producing/engineering, teaching position (gtr, bass, key, band coach).




Contact: info@gasoline-music.com

























MATTHIAS 'Matthew' WEISHEIT ~ Guitarist, Songwriter ... with LOS ANGELES based:




2013/2014: Burning Wings (tribute) +++ CD Imagine Me Alive +++ Line Up/Details +++ Links/Social Media +++ Reviews/Press/Interviews
VIDEOS +++ LIVE on Stage
From the past: DVD Sledge Leather ALIVE +++ DVD Trailer


2014: BURNING WINGS (a tribute to 'Strana Officina') - Performed by Sledge Leather
Released on the double CD "OFFICINA DEI SOGNI 2"


Leather Leone - Vocals
Sandy Sledge - Drums
Matthias Weisheit - Guitars
Scott Warren - Keyboards
Bjorn Englen - Bass 

Produced by Sandy Sledge, Matthias Weisheit - Engineered and Mixed by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios, Pacheco, CA.
Drums recorded by Patrick Lydon at SPL Studio, Van Nuys, CA.
Sledge uses AXIS pedals, Matthias plays Ernie Ball & Roto Sound strings

Loud n'Proud, Radio Diffusione Pistoia's metal program (on air every Wednesday from 9 pm to 11 pm on www.radiodiffusionepistoia.it
or on http://tunein.com/radio/Radio-Diffusione-Pistoia-921-s94998/) is happy to present the second discographic production of its
Underground and independent label: The Tribute CD n° 2 to Strana Officina, a metal legend from Italy!
After “Officina dei Sogni 1”, with bands from Tuscany (Italy), “Officina dei Sogni 2” arrives:
Double CD with both Italian and foreign bands. 22 cover songs of Strana Officina: 19 new versions and 3 bonus tracks from the first Tribute.



This band truly deserves a 2nd tribute CD, if you read the booklet with details about the Italian music & metal scene back then - you will understand.

INFO:
https://www.facebook.com/officinadeisogni2?ref=stream
- facebook.com/StranaOfficinaBand 
- myspace.com/stranaofficina - Faceboo
k.com/LoudNProudPistoia - rateyourmusic.com

PURCHASE:
The Tribute CD is avaiable worldwide (€15 + delivery) at Loud n'Proud Records: loudnproudrecords@yahoo.com
It is also avaiable at mailorder of www.rippingstorm.com

In
Italy it is avaiable at these shops or distributions:
-Yellow Records shop in Florence
- Black Widows Records in Genova (http://www.blackwidow.it)
- Pink Moon Records in Rome (www.pinkmoonrecords.com/)

For Germany and Europe:
Pure Steel Records: www.puresteel-shop.com Battle Cry Records: www.battlecryrecords.de
Forever Rock: www.forever-rock.de Metalizer Records: www.metalizer-records.de/ & Ebay

COMEBACK ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2012
@ the first annual
"Rock Over America Music Awards" at the
rock club Vamp'd in LAS VEGAS, NV on Nov. 21. 2012


"The Guy Upstairs Lied" in the
TOP 20 playlist of 2012

@ KNAC's
"The Vault"
along with Van Halen, Overkill, Testament, Accept..

-

SLEDGE LEATHER: "IAMGINE ME  ALIVE"

- Concept EP/CD
- 6 Full Lenght Songs & 5 Interstitials connecting the Songs to a Story

Label: metalUP records
Publishing: RudeGirl Publishing

Go & get it @: Amazon.de - Amazon.com - iTunes - eMusic
- Headbangers Open Air - Musik Sammler - jpc - Spirit Of Metal

SOUND-Example/CD Promo:
http://funnyfarmradio.com/sledgeleathercdpromo/

Lyrics: http://www.funnyfarmradio.com/lyrics.html

Liner Notes/iTunes: http://fontanaartistnetwork.tunecore.com/music/sledgeleather

May-20-2012 - Featured on the LOUDEST DOT COM On The Planet:
KNAC! In "The Vault": http://www.facebook.com/TheVaultKNACRadio / http://www.KNAC.com/

Leather Leone: facebook.com/LeatherLeone

Track-List :

01. Imagine Me Alive  ~ 4:30 (Full Song)
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit
*)
02. Torch ~1:32
(Sledge/Leather)
03. The Guy Upstairs Lied ~ 3:30
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit)
04. Illusion Opus 1
** ~ 0:57
(M. Weisheit)
05. Her Father’s Daughter ~ 4:20
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit)
06. Her Fathers Daughter - Reprise ~ 1:30
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit
*/S. Warren)
07. A Taste Of Night  ~ 4:30
(Sledge/Leather/Lois Threlkeld Larue/M. Weisheit)
08. One Glimpse ~ 3:50
(Sledge/Leather)
09. Fast Forgiveness ~ 0:29  
(M. Weisheit)
10. The Lost Forgiveness ~ 5:05
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit
*/S. Warren)
11. Sisyphus ~ 1:17
(Sledge/Leather/M. Weisheit
*)

*Wrong/missing songwriting credits on the CD booklet (1st pressing)

** Mixed and arranged by Matthias Weisheit. This composition is actually called "Thaumaturge (Illusions) ,Opus 1", the titel was changed without permission.


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Line-Up (on this recording):
Leather Leone (vocals)
Sandy Sledge (drums, piano on ‘Torch’ & ‘One Glimpse’)
Matthias Weisheit (all guitars - rhythm and lead, E-Bow on 'One Glimpse', baritone guitar)
Scott Warren (keyboards/sound design)
Jimmy Bain (bass)
Jeff Subauste (bass on ‘Fast Forgiveness’ and ‘Sisyphus’)

Mix and Mastering Engineer: Juan Urteaga, except "Illusions, Opus 1" mixed by Matthias Weisheit
Recorded at: Trident Studio, Pacheco, CA - Studio D, Sausalito, CA - Stagg Street Studio, Van Nuys, CA - Baldree Studio, Calabasas, CA
Management: Marks Entertainment Group. Thousand Oaks, CA, Keith Marks
Matthias:
- Played and recorded all guitars (rhythm, leads, baritone guitar, acoustic), Matthias plays Ernie Ball strings
- Created 98% of all guitar riffs, almost ‘on the spot’ (which means: there is a majority of
unused riffs and ideas left over he had and wrote down/recorded during the creation process of “Imagine Me Alive”)
- Is responsible for almost all key changes and transitions from part to part/riff to riff
- Arranged/co-arranged the songs
- Arranged the guitars and the 2/3/4…- part guitar harmonies, string-arr. on 'Illusions, Opus 1' and 'Sisyphus'
- Engineered the majority of the demo sessions
- Engineered Jimmy Bain’s bass recordings
- THERE ARE 3 MORE GREAT COMPOSITIONS form the "IMA" writing & demo sessions. NOT ON THE ALBUM. Prob. for future release.


Line-Up LIVE Band:
Leather Leone (vocals)
Sandy Sledge (drums - PIT)
Matthias Weisheit (guitar - GIT)
Rick Lambert (guitar - GIT)
Scott Warren (keyboards/sound design)
Chrisstopher Davidsson (bass - BIT)


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LINKS / Social Media / Email:

http://www.sledgeleather.com

facebook.com/LeatherLeone

http://facebook.com/sledgeleatherproject
http://youtube.com/sledgeleather / http://youtube.com/slpmagic
Business Contact:   slpmagic@gmail.com
WIKIPEDIA: Sledge Leather - Leather Leone


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REVIEWS / Press / Interviews:

First Reactions...

MIKE VARNEY
MONTE CONNER
JONATHAN WORKMAN

"Imagine Me Alive flat out gave me goose bumps! I love it! Killer album! And I loved the fact that this is more than just a collection of kick ass metal. There is cohesiveness to the whole album which you rarely hear anymore. This will be in my stereo for a long time. I can’t say enough good things about this album! Thank you!"

David Shreiner:
Awesome performances all over the new cd. Sandy was absolutely incredible on drums !!!!! Leather is back in top form too!!! Where'd you find this guitarist? He rocks!!! Can't forget Jimmy and Scott! Great disc! Can't wait to see you guys here in central PA.

Patsi Lane Eisenmann:
IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES IMAGINE ME ALIVE OMG LOVING THE CD !!!!!!! Its hard heavy and beautiful i cant stop listening



HEAVY Magazine AUGUST 2012 (Germany):
With Interviews SLEDGE LEATHER


There've been differtent Interviews in certain European Metal Magazines recently.
Stay tuned for more details.



INTERNET mix, latest LINKS:

>>> Dan's Movie & Music report
>>> Hard Rock Haven (Interview with some 'insights' to the writing process of "Imagine Me Alive")
>>> PitRiff (Interview with some insights/thoughts of the concept and ongs of "Imagine Me Alive"... make your own point of view...)


>>> Sea Of Tranquility "...With the band rounded out by the excellent guitarist Matthias Weisheit, the likes of "Imagine Me Alive", "Her Father's Daughter" or "The Lost Forgiveness" are prime cuts of female fronted traditional metal, leaning on the likes of Judas Priest, Saxon, or Accept for inspiration. Weisheit hammers out the riffs with the best of them, while Leather Leone proves that a tough, shredding female voice is every bit as effective on this style of music as any male wail..." 

>>> Metalodyssey "...Sledge Leather entered the studio in 2011 to record their comeback album “Imagine Me Alive”, engulfing the listener in an onslaught of heavy metal with 11 cohesive tracks that resurrects a classic HEAVY metal sound with Dio’s former band members Scott Warren (keyboards), and Jimmy Bain (bass)... "

>>> Frontrowsessions - Ladies Metal Night @ The House Of Blues "...The first three bands that played did not disappoint at all. But when SL came out, there was this feeling in the air that,YOU’RE GOING TO BANG YOUR HEADS AND LIKE IT!”

>>> Hard Rock Hideout
>>> Metalforces Magazine "...The vocals have way more in common w
ith Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) or Ronnie James Dio (Dio / Black Sabbath / Heaven & Hell / Elf) than they do with Doro Pesch (Doro / Warlock) or even Sabina Classen (Holy Moses).
Sledge Leather has crafted a grandiose style metal record that will appeal to any fan of the classics for sure..."

>>> Dremufuestias.de
>>> Heavy Paradise
>>> Sonic Cathedral
>>> DrMusic
>>> Women Of Metal
>>> Sleaze ROXX
>>> The Metal Pit.
>>> Metal Shock Finland
>>> Danger Dog

>>> Heavy Metal Time Machine / Metal Mark "...Take the short instrumental track "Illusions Opus 1" for example. It almost sounds like something you'd expect to hear from Queensrÿche or Fates Warning...".
"...
The title cut not only opens the album, but ends up as one of the more serious shredders. It is the excellent work of guitarist Matthias Weisheit that really carries the number along. The same goes for the heavy track "The Guy Upstairs Lied..."

>>> Rock Over America "...When an album or a pie
ce of music is done well and done correctly it will strike a chord with the listener.  When it heads into the stratosphere of excellence, it will take hold and never let you go, making you want to listen again and again.  The Sledge Leather Project has set a new standard for Rock/Metal albums and has raised the bar just that much higher.  
This is an Editor’s nomination for 2012 Rock Album of the Year..."

>>> Classic Rock Bottom
"...The title track kicks off the album with a hard charging rocking vibe. Leone shreds vocally and the musicianship of Sledge, guitarist Matthias Weisheit, keyboardist Scott Warren and ex-Dio bassist Jimmy Bain is top notch..."

>>> Blabbermouth
>>> Truth In Shredding

AUDIO INTERVIEWS:

Rockeyez (Brian Rademacher) interviews Leather Leone

Interviews with Leather & Sandy on Musiclegends.ca

Interviews with Leather & Sandy on High Voltage Music (audio):
http://www.highvoltagemusic.com/SledgeLeatherInterview.html

Interviews with Leather & Sledge, direct links to Rock Over America (audio):
Part 1: http://www.rockoveramerica.com/Media&mediaid=325
Part 2: http://www.rockoveramerica.com/Media&mediaid=324


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VIDEOS

Check out "Sledge Leather" as they make their Hollywood debut
and comeback show at the 'House of Blues' on Sunset Strip.




MaximumThresholds very own RadChad interviews Sledge Leather
at the "House Of Blues" Sunset Strip/West Hollywood (PART 2).

©2012 MTR West Coast



MaximumThresholds very own RadChad interviews Sledge Leather
at the "House Of Blues" Sunset Strip/West Hollywood (PART 1).

©2012 MTR West Coast




"IAMGINE ME  ALIVE" (FULL SONG)


"Her Father's Daughter" (test show @ Paladino's, Tarzana, CA)






L.I.V.E. 2 0 12

Date

Town / Country

Venue / Time

Notes

2012-June-15
Los Angeles, CA / USA
SUMMER
METAL
ONSLAUGHT 1

"House Of Blues"
Los Angeles
(Sunset Strip)
@ 10;45 pm
(Event starts at 8pm)
House of Blues Los Angeles
8430 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 848-5100
WITH:

Slaves Against The Machine
Hardly Dangerous
Cry Wolf
Divine Era


2012-May-05
Tarzana, CA (USA)
Paladino's @ 11:00 pm
6101 Reseda Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91335
1 (818) 342-1563
http://www.paladinosclub.com


2012-May-04
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Bedrock LA, room F @ 8:00 pm
Open to The Public - SHOW REHEARSAL
Bedrock LA
1623 Allesandro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026



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DVD: SLEDGE LEATHER: "ALIVE"

Track-List :

1. Ruler Of The Wasteland
2. Insane Again
3. Back To Drag You Home
4. When Lightning Strikes
5. Metal Up
6. Angel Of Mercy
7. The Gallows
8. Voice Of The Cult

(Audio re-mastered by
Matthias Weisheit)

From the "KEEP IT TRUE Festival in Germany 2011"



Line Up:
Leather Leone (vocals)
Sandy Sledge (drums)
Brett Baugh (guitar)
Betsey Stephens (bass)




Concert Promo (DVD Trailer)


More SLEDGE LEATHER on:

youtube.com/sledgeleather


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T w i t c h A n g r y


"MONSTERFEST 2010" in Merced, CA (USA)
lead guitar player with Sacramentos 'Twitch Angry', some cuts from the show




"Biscuits And Gravy"

One of the songs we worked on (& recorded) after the "Monsterfest" gig (Merced, CA) in Oct. 2010.
Some mixing, one rhythm guitar & the gtr. solo by Matthias.




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A GIFT FROM CULTURE. Expanded & Re-Mastered
"yesterday with logical visitores - best of 1993-2000 (remastered) +++ "Not A Nice Party. A Collection" (4-CD-BOX, 2008)
"Voodoo Highway" & "A Gift From Culture" +++ Reviews +++ VIDEOS +++ Pictures +++ Links
+++ Liner Notes "Not A Nice Party. A Collection"



SYRIA:
"A GIFT FROM CULTURE.
Expanded & Re-Mastered
"

- Double CD (37 tracks)
- The original album remastered
- Selected songs from "Neverland Things" and "Voodoo Highway",
- Demos
- Rough-mixes
- Live-Cuts from the "
Neverland Things /
A Gift From Culture - Tour 1996
".

Release: 2010-Dec-17

Label: Black October-Records
Publishing:
Distribution:

Go & get it @:
http://www.infrarot.de
http://www.darkentries.be

DETAILS and SOUND-Examples:  http://www.myspace.com/culturesite

* This double-CD contains 25 songs where Matthias was involved in as a songwriter/guitar player/bass player/producer/arranger/ programmer etc.

Track-List CD 1:

1. With Delicate Mad Hands*
2. A Gift From Culture
*
3. Neverland Things (Edit)
4. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 1
*
5. Passage For piano (Situation One)
*
6. Conversations At Night
*
7. Elegy Of Angels And Dogs
8. Description De L'Egypte (Badlands 1996-Version)
9. Back From Diaspora
*
10. Icon Of Sin (Black Cocktail 1964)
*
11. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 2
*
12. Venus Von Prag
*
13. In The Drift
*
14. Hey, Hey Helen (Gun Metal Grey-Version)
15. Untitled 1964
*
16. Fruit Of The Desert
*
17. Sweetest Smile (2002-Remix)
18. The Last Picasso
*
19. Disappearing Act
*

Track-List CD 2:

1. Unsichtbare Grenzen (Instrumental)
2. Voodoo Highway (Electric)
*
3. Elegy Of Angels And Dogs (live 1996)
4. The Trial, Parts 1 & 2
*
5. Enemy Land
*
6. Disappearing Act (Rough-Mix)
*
7. Wake The Kings (live 1996)
8. Logic Of Empire (live 1996)
9. Back From Diaspora (Acoustic)
*
10. Love Is A Gun (Original-Version)
*
11. Voodoo Highway (Acoustic)
*
12. Venus Von Prag (Demo)
*
13. Sweetest Smile (live 1996)
14. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 1 (Rough-Mix)
*
15. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 2 (Demo)
*
16. Logic Bomb (live 1996)
17. Lucretia My Reflection (Switzerland Club-Mix)
18. Passage For Piano (Situation Two)
*

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SYRIA:"yesterday with logical visitors - best of 1993-2000"

SYRIA
"yesterday with logical visitors -
best of 1993-2000"
(remastered re-release 2009)
Label: Black October-Records
Publishing: 2000 Mascara Colours
Distribution: Manufaktur

CD 1: 16 tracks, running time: 77'35''
CD 2: 17 tracks, running time: 78'45''

remastered double-album-CD
33 tracks, total running time: 156'20''
36 page booklet

This double-CD
contains the following 7 songs where Matthias was involved in as a songwriter/guitar player/bass player/producer/arranger/ programmer etc..:

CD 1:
5.
Sculptures, Fruits And Tea Partys 2
11. In The Drift
14. Back From Diaspora (electric - original version)
16. Passage For Piano

CD 2:
6. Disappearing Act

7. The Trial, Parts 1 & 2
16. The Last Picasso


Go & get it @:
Manufaktur - Distribution

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SYRIA:"Not A Nice Party. A Collection"

SYRIA
"Not A Nice Party. A Collection" (2008)

Label: Black October-Records
Publishing: 2000 Mascara Colours
Distribution: Manufaktur

CD 1: "The Grotesque", 24 NEW tracks, running time: 79'30"
CD 2: 16 tracks, running time: 76'10"
CD 3: 16 tracks, running time: 77'47''
CD 4: 20 tracks, running time: 79'10''

76 tracks, total running time: 312'30''
containing demos, outtakes & 'unreleased moments'
incl. 2 booklets (24 & 32 pages) containing complete
Liner Notes 'And The Telephone Horizon'

Released: 2008-Feb-04

Go & get it @:
Manufaktur - Distribution
Infrarot (direct link)
INDIEtective (direct link)

SOUND EXAMPLES available for listening in the Mediaplayer above.

20 plus some... Song Examples - songs where Matthias was involved in plus some other SYRIA material from the 4-CD-Box-Set in the Player above.
Some Songs are complete, some are just examples which means they where cut or cut apart and 'glued' together with some missing parts.
Some are direct from the "Not A Nice Party. A Collection" 4-CD-Box, some are from the original CDs
"A Gift From Culture" & "Voodoo Highway" or studio mixdowns from the past, which means the examples vary in sound and volume.
All examples are in LO-FI !

Promo Flyer

SYRIA- "Not A Nice Party. A Collection" - promo flyer

This 4-CD-Box
contains the following 15 songs where Matthias was involved in as a
songwriter/guitar player/bass player/producer/arranger/programmer etc.:

Introduction

CD 1
:
9. A.Lincoln, Simulacrum (NEW, written in 2007) - Liner Notes
CD 2:
11.
Venus von Prag - Liner Notes
12. Untitled 1964 - Liner Notes
13. Back From Diaspora (acoustic) - Liner Notes
14. Icon Of Sin (Black Cocktail 1964) - Liner Notes
CD 3:
1.
With Delicate Mad Hands - Liner Notes
2. A Gift From Culture - Liner Notes
3. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea Partys 1 (2007 remix) - Liner Notes
4. Enemy Land
* - Liner Notes
5.
Sculptures, Fruits And Tea Partys 2 (2003 remix) - Liner Notes
6. Voodoo Highway - Liner Notes
7.
Love Is A Gun * - Liner Notes
8.
Amsterdam I (45 Degrees Version) * - Liner Notes - VIDEO (YouTube)
9. My Vanity
* - Liner Notes
10.
Amsterdam II (The Bad Mix) * - Liner Notes - VIDEO (YouTube)

* previously unreleased
(T
he numbers are the actual track numbers on the CDs)


"Voodoo Highway" & "A Gift From Culture" (from 1996 / 1997)
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SYRIA - "Voodoo Highway" (1996)

After "Neverland Things¨ and moving to "Sounds of Delight¨ presents Syria with the E.P-CD "Voodoo Highway¨
the second pre-release to the forthcomming Syria-Album "A Gift From Culture¨. "Voodoo Highway¨ contains six songs not included on the album and also re-releases of "The Motel¨ and "Under The Gun¨ (Original from David Bowie and Sisters of Mercy). - Triton

Buy it for example at:
www.Amazon.de (direct link)
www.Ebay.de (direct link)
www.bol.de (direct link)
... or search for it in the www.

Tracklist:
1. Voodoo Highway
2. Voodoo Highway (acoustic)
3. Passage For Piano
4. I Do Not Sleep
5. I Do Not Sleep (acoustic)


6. The Trial, parts I & II
7. Under The Gun
8. The Motel


SYRIA - "A Gift from Culture" (1996)

"A Gift From Culture" is like the first Syria-releases a fascinating all-round album, with new musical expressions.
Powerfully pulsating, gloomy-bizarre soundpassages and tender melodic experimental fantasies with excursious into dark jazz-spheres give you a allround musical release. An extraordinary production which tries to reach the limits and possibilyties of the genre and goes beyond Gothic and Wave. - Triton

Buy it for example at:
www.Amazo
n.de (direct link)
www.Ebay.de (direct link)

www.bol.de (direct ink)

or search for it in the www.

"A GIFT FROM CULTURE. Expanded & Re-Mastered"
is scheduled for release on Dec. 17. 2010.
It will be a double CD (37 tracks) with the original album remastered and selected songs from "Neverland Things" and "Voodoo Highway",
demos, rough-mixes and some live-cuts from the "A Gift From Culture - Tour 1996".

Tracklist:
1. With Delicate Mad Hands
2. A Gift From Culture
3. Neverland Things (Edit)
4. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys (Part I)
5. Conversations At Night
6. Elegy Of Angels And Dogs
7. Description De L'Egypte
(Badlands 1996-Version)


8. Back From Diaspora
9. Icon Of Sin (Black Cocktail 1964)
10.Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys (Part II)
11.Venus Von Prag
12.In The Drift
13.Hey, Hey, Helen (Gunmetal Grey - Version)
14.Untitled 1964
15.Fruit Of The Desert
16.Sweetest Smile
17.The Last Picasso
18.Disappearing Act

REVIEWS:
>>> Necro Web Music Magazine (direct link - German)
>>> Dark Heart Magazine (German)
>>> re-flexion (direct link - Germ

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VIDEOS:
Top

"Amsterdam II"

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PICTURES:
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SYRIA 1995 / 1996 - front to back:
Christian Doerge, Matthias Weisheit, Kira Dee, Andy Haegler
(Photo © by Dirk Lakomy)
SYRIA 1995 / 1996 - left to right:
Matthias Weisheit, Andy Haegler, Kira Dee, Christian Doerge
(Photo © by Dirk Lakomy)


LINKS:
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LINER NOTES
*...* : Liner Notes added just here, not printed in the booklets.

SYRIA: "Not A Nice Party. A Collection" (2008)
Label: Black October-Records, Publishing: 2000 Mascara Colours, Distribution: Manufaktur

All Songs Mastered in December 2007 by Maja Anderson at Kling-Klang, Stockholm, Sweden.

Back to the Songlist or Top

Some exerpts from the booklets:

Christian Doerge:
… But 1996 signified the return of SYRIA as a band; we emerged with an intensely intimate and powerful revealing work, ‘A Gift From Culture’.
With guitar player Matthias Weisheit joining the band (and bringing in some new creative blood and well-structured writing of music) we continued recording songs for the 3rd SYRIA album – some of them were done in Basel/Switzerland, but most of it were recorded at home on Matthias’ 8-track tape machine.…
Matthias Weisheit:
*All the songs from “A Gift From Culture” were I was involved in were completely recorded on a Tascam 8-track tape-machine on which we also did the mixdown.*
It was quite a challenge back in 1995/1996 compared to today. We had all kinds of external effects wired to the tape machine, wrote down at which time a specific track had to be altered in volume, panorama and EQ, at which time an effect had to be altered or turned on or off, etc.
Due to lack of time to do it all again in Basel/Switzerland (Klangfang-Productions Recording-Studio) were the other songs were recorded - guess what - we used these 8-track tape recordings for the final album. Hooray!
* Actually we used only 7 tracks 'cause one track was used for tape-syncronization to the drum-machine, which again was wired to a sequencer. Besides the equipment listed in the liner notes I also used an Axon-Neural-Guitar-Midi-Contoller for some piano parts and other stuff.*
Christian Doerge:
But, well, all of those home recorded songs transported a very intimate atmosphere what divides them in a special way from most of the SYRIA songs that we had recorded ‘ til then. For the first time the guitars were used to colour and shade, not to dominate it all – and we used the electronic filled sounds and effects more different and (what’s quite more important) real conscious. The sessions for 'A Gift From Culture' really got rolling...

CD 1

9. A. Lincoln, Simulacrum (4:10)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Instruments, programmings and guitars by Matthias Weisheit
Recorded and mixed September – December 2007 at Gasoline-Music Station Frankenberg/Eder, Germany and at Smart Bomb-Area, Munich, Germany - recorded and engineered by Christian Doerge and Matthias Weisheit
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours
Zasu: Illusion or reflexion? What´s your personal Simulacrum? Dark glasses and things spun on all the sex-lines, anything can happen. Singing with Christian is like going hand in hand - easy and beyond questions on a warm sunny day.
Matthias Weisheit: Christian informed me about the release of a SYRIA compilation, consisting of 4 CDs with a cross-section of the whole back-catalogue and new recordings. He sent me the lyrics of this one, I sat down to feel the words and wrote the song on acoustic guitar pretty quick. The instrumental arrangement was just another vehicle to transport the words, the melodies and harmonies and took much longer and was involved with more thinking, feeling and checking out different instruments and beats than writing the song. You hear the result right here. Hooray!
Christian Doerge: It´s been years - a decade, it seems - since gave my lyrics to someone else asking to write music for them. But the lid clicked and swung upward with this. Well, I received Matthias´ playback via e-mail, adapted his vocal performance and recorded my singing (and Zasu´s wonderful voice) in a studio in Munich/Germany. This was the last song being mixed for ‘The Grotesque’.

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CD 2:

11. Venus von Prag (2.43)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Christian Dörge & Matthias Weisheit.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the album ‘A Gift From Culture’.
Matthias Weisheit: With spoken German lyrics. Moody, sad and dark. Have you ever been in Prague? Slow moving beats in a minor tonality and ¾ beat. We tried to transport some impressions. You see the weeping willow right in front of you, it rives you with grief and despair. Although it´s up to you how you interpret the lyrics and the music.
Christian Dörge: This song seems to be some ‘Antiphon’ echo... lyrics dealing with some Kafka elements, atmospheric music, vocals of a softer kind of ghost. Good thing.
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12. Untitled 1964 (4.51)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the album ‘A Gift From Culture’.
Christian Doerge: Still one of my most beloved songs recorded at that time. A swaying kind of music with very special and dramatic lyrics. And it´s far away now...
Matthias Weisheit: This song turned out as one of my favourite compositions of the session.
Christian Doerge: Feel free to join the club...
Matthias Weisheit: Just percussions, piano, synth-pad and the vocal lines. Everything supported with acoustic guitar figures, in their harmony forward looking, almost pushing this slow tomb beat, and experimental electric-guitars-swells with noises and gloomy screams from somewhere in time... the mood and spheric nightmares in this song are pushed as far as they could be pushed in these specific moments of song writing, creation, recording and mixing.
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13. Back From Diaspora (acoustic) (1.44)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: A mixing accident that happened during the mixing of the album version of this song... luckily recorded on some DAT that I kept in my archive. Well, what can I say? Not as ‘big’ as the released version, but very intimate, very close to the candle.
Matthias Weisheit: Linked together with ‘Icon Of Sin’. The music I created came with no outside influence to me, just the lyrics of Christian and then me alone in my room and driving around in my car on some dark lonesome street, guess all streets were lonesome where I lived back then. To get out and back from the diaspora (or my diaspora), to receive a moving and hammering beat in my soul and sinful guitar riffs in my head. Sad string and piano parts in the original electric version of ‘Back From Diaspora’ (left out in the acoustic mix), again delay guitars with picking and harmonics, transfigured vocal melodies sung with transfigured expression, all beaten apart by the ‘Icon Of Sin’.
Christian Dörge: This song is still alive in my mind. I should feel relieved about it. And I still remember the ‘frog that bites the dead’.
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14. Icon Of Sin (Black Cocktail 1964) (4.30)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Dörge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the album ‘A Gift From Culture’.
Christian Doerge: Besides ‘Hey, Hey Helen’ the most massive rocking song on ‘A Gift From Culture’ (and the 2nd one with the not-so-magical 1964 in the title) - and it made the stage shaking when we played it live in Berlin.
*Matthias Weisheit: Yes, massive rocking sinful heavy lonesome and broad guitar riffs, played in harmony over the hammering drum beat and pulsating synth bass. Might beat YOU apart.*
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CD 3

1. With Delicate Mad Hands (6.00)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the album ‘A Gift From Culture’.
Christian Doerge: Using the same trick as with the intro on ‘Antiphon’: starts soft and rushes hard on - and here it makes (referring to the lyrics) absolute sense... there´s someone, reaching out for you and you can´t get away, there are only... mad hands and an invitation to hell.
Matthias Weisheit: The song has actually just 3 lines of lyrics to which I composed the music around. ‘Reaching...’ was the key to the guitar figures containing rasqueado, tremolo picking and especially these airy harmonics. Christian added the intro sample later (from the movie ‘Quartet’ by James Ivory, based on a novel by Jean Rhys). It created a weird disharmony between the vocal-melody of the sample and the incoming synth-strings in the beginning of the song and, since it was the first track, the whole album. The rocking kinda freaking guitar ending of the song? Mad Hands?!
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2. A Gift From Culture (4.55)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge & Kira.
Recorded March 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the album ‘A Gift From Culture’.
Christian Doerge: Musically very much inspired by Mylene Farmer with a ghost of a violin intro... the lyrics were a little ‘thank you!’ to the spirits of Lord Byron and Percy Shelley. I´m still going there.
Matthias Weisheit: ‘The gathering winds will call the darkness soon / Like ghosts they come and go’; there you have it. The song had to start with kinda ghostly violin figures, some massive string pads and a cut-through simple kick drum and snare figures. Again, everything inspired mostly by the lyrics. Yeah, the title track - had to have some big hooks. The Sitar sound in the jazzy breaks gives a little contrast and space to the rest of the song. It´s a guitar effect of the legendary Boss SE-70. The clean guitars are played once every time with repeating delays of a half note synchronized to the tempo with the also legendary DigiTech GSP 2101 preamp/processor.
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3. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 1 (2007 Remix) (4.45)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings and instruments by Christian Doerge.
Madaxeman guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Zasu.
Recorded October - November 2007 at Smart Bomb-Area, Munich/Germany and at the Gasoline- Music Station, Frankenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Christian Doerge & Matthias Weisheit.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Originally released on the album ‘A Gift From Culture’. This version is previously unreleased.
Zasu: Surrealistic pictures sauntering along the streets. What a romantic way to perish! And a far better version than the tired original one.
Christian Doerge: With this re-make I tried to capture the sound of the ‘A Gift From Culture’ sessions again - more than a decade after the original recordings. It´s a bit faster now, better in the mix, with the sounds much more organic. A song like the uneven gravity of a surrealistic cruiser, very special, a fine moment of songwriting. What word on navigation?
Matthias Weisheit: Spoken doubled vocals and no specific melody. So we added sculpture-like drum figures, a rhythmically hammering synth bass, guitars with exact tap-delay, string melodies and rhythmic beep-figures. We added some organs in the end of the song to give it a little more atmosphere. In the new recorded version of 2007 with new recorded guitar tracks I played some sawing and incisively guitar melodies in the ending which fit in actually very good.
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4. Enemy Land (5.18)
(Words: Kira, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings and instruments Matthias Weisheit.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1997 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: For the first (and as it turned out, last) time we set words written by Kira to music. She did an early version of this song (with same lyrics) on a smaller scale with her pre-SYRIA projects A Plasma (or whatever it was called...). Listening to this again after all these years is like a backward path through space-time.
Matthias Weisheit: Part of a whole set of never released new compositions with an almost complete different sound written especially for Kira. Back then no. 1 of the song list. Drifting sounds through your own enemy land, tearing vocal melodies and phrases. Spacey and earthy at the same time. Use your imagination.
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5. Sculptures, Fruits And Tea-Partys, Part 2 (2003 Remix) (2.26)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings and instruments by Christian Dörge.
Vocals by Christian Dörge.
Recorded April 2003 at The Grammophon Suite, Munich/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Christian Dörge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the MCD ‘Driving Music’.
Matthias Weisheit: To create a connection to Part 1 the song is starting out with the same drum figures. But then ‘Moving through alcohol/Feedback raging in her skull’, supported with England-like sounding jazz-pop melodic vocal lines. In the end again sculpture-like accents as ‘she looked in the mirror and tried on that famous smile’.
Christian Doerge: A re-make, again. I tried to make it sort of more aerial, softer. This seems to be the sister-in-oblivion to Part 1. Very technological, black suits, mirror shades, an alcohol antagonist... all this dancing inside my head while writing the song.
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6. Voodoo Highway (6.36)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge)
Programmings by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge.
Recorded August 1996 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Taken from the E.P.-CD ‘Voodoo Highway’.
Christian Doerge: The whole drum shuffle was inspired by ‘Shades Of Green’ from The Mission; I remember driving around with Matthias in his car (returning from some Label talk), listening to the song and saying: this could be a good thing to do. It´s a song adjusted to the dark days of our 1996 tour, sleepless nights, small treason... and of course a massive change in musical style for SYRIA. Can we start the black box phase today?
Matthias Weisheit: The title track of the E.P. which was pre-released to the album ‘A Gift From Culture’. Actually it was recorded after the ‘A Gift From Culture’ sessions. Everything was captured digital on a Fostex 8-track machine (thanks, Maciek). I had this guitar riff in my mind and naturally we created a more rocking sound in this song. A forward pounding rhythm combined with biting guitars, dragging down the ‘miles of dust and gasoline’ on Voodoo Highway. To give the whole thing a more magical mood there are oriental sounding melodies incorporated. And again a disharmony in the end - created by another sample with a female voice layering above the guitar figures.
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7. Love Is A Gun (4.00)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings and instruments by Matthias Weisheit.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1997 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: Originally written for SYRIA, this ended up to be the pre-single for Kira´s solo album ‘No Cabaret’. Lyrically dealing with the relationship between Kira and me - already knowing things can only go wrong... I wrote all-new music for the lyrics in 2006 and we did an electro-clashed version of it with Stina Suntland performing cosmological voices (check it out on ‘The Kafka Syndrome’ respectively on the bonus-disc included).
Matthias Weisheit: This is also a song past ‘A Gift From Culture’ and ‘Voodoo Highway’. You hear a new sound and the song was written for Kira back in 1997, like ‘Enemy Land’. It´s a slow to mid-tempo grooving song with some 60s/70s funky and roots guitars that haven´t been heard in the SYRIA background up ‘ til then. We tried to break into some new musical territories with these compositions for Kira.
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8. Amsterdam I (45 Degrees-Version) (8.58) - NEW: Watch the Video above or HERE (YouTube)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings and instruments by Matthias Weisheit.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge.
Recorded March 1997 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: The main inspiration behind this was - musically - Bruce Springsteen´s ‘Streets Of Philadelphia’, with just a simple drum-roll and minimal pads. Well, the sound became blown-up during the writing and production, with heavy guitars in the endling linked to Part 2. The lyrics... some childhood nightmares invaded my mind. Still do.
Matthias Weisheit: Tastes like a complete SYRIA sound. It´s from 1997 and I try to get a feeling to this time and working period and what we intended back then. It´s a more accessible sound than the past works, melodic harmonies with wide open guitar arrangements. And of course strings and the Paris violins - coming in at the 2nd chorus at around 4:08 after the guitar solo. Yes, a melodic guitar solo, ‘follow you down’ and tingling ‘from Paris to the Amsterdam streets’ with a mid-tempo-rolling drum beat. Paris violins? It´s just a metaphor, a picture that came in my head while I was reading the lyrics and turning them into music back then. And it remained - `cause somehow I had the same Paris/violin feeling when I listened to this song after years, authoring these liner notes in the morning of Dec. 13th 2007. The 7-string heavy guitars in the end are pointing the way to what might have come in the future back then.
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9. My Vanity (4.26)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings and instruments by Matthias Weisheit.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Kira.
Recorded March 1997 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: More a residence than just a song... suiting Kira - referring to the words - very, very well - ‘Fighting in the streets/Shaking with your head’, that´s really Kira. The music itself is quite - let´s say - anthemic, but the vocals overturn too much.
Matthias Weisheit: A composition from the ‘No Cabaret’ writing and recording sessions for Kira. Or should I say THE composition? It´s up to you. Broad drums, fat sound, flashy guitar solos, big melodies and harmonies. It´s up to you. When you hear this one you get a brief idea of how the other songs of the sessions were sounding. Unfortunately never released.
Christian Doerge: C´mon...
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10. Amsterdam II (The Bad Mix) (6.22)
(Words: Christian Doerge, Music: Matthias Weisheit)
Programmings and instruments by Matthias Weisheit.
Guitars by Matthias Weisheit.
Vocals by Christian Doerge.
Recorded March 1997 at Black October Recording-Studio, Burgwald/Germany & at the Gasoline-Music Station, Rauschenberg/Germany.
Pruduced, arranged and mixed by Matthias Weisheit & Christian Doerge.
Published by 2000 Mascara Colours.
Previously unreleased.
Christian Doerge: For a long time I thought this song was lost inside a swarm of interceptors... while compiling this archive collection I found it on a DAT hidden and capsuled in some forbidden context of my home studio. Only roughly mixed in the old days, but hey - good song, SYRIA on a heavy ride. Have you ever been to Rick´s Café?
Matthias Weisheit: The bad mix. Imagine the perfect mix, might run over you like a bulldozer and turns YOU to dust. Dark, hard and deep, doesn´t give you ‘shelter in the rain’. But the mix doesn´t change the song! Get the idea? SYRIA with bloody heavy guitars, pointing the way. I remember some other compositions during that time, excursing into almost industrial sounding passages. I had some weird ideas in mind back then about what´s possible in arrangements, sounds, noises, heavy and strange guitars - a lot of experimental ideas and fantasies, but always combined with accessible songwriting and always aiming to transport and support lyrics.
I remember a version of ‘Wildcat In Brooklyn’, you can hear a chapter of it on my website (www.gasoline-music.com).
It´s part of an instrumental guitar sample.
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