Sunday 31 December 2017

My 2017 Year End In Review - December 31, 2017

Photo by Vortex © 2017


First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and the very best in 2018! 

2017 was a roller coaster of a year, to say the least. The biggest news was the Gemini Award win by the documentary film "Montréal NewWave" for Best Documentary Program or Series in Arts & Culture.  I'm so very proud and honored to have been a participant in this wonderful documentary movie and wish the team many more future wins.

In addition to refreshing my music and social media sites as well as regularly posting on Vavaland, I found the time to set and meet my yearly goals by releasing 6 full digital albums, 25 YouTube music videos as well as submitting tracks for Midnight Radio Compilation, Himmelholzsteg and Friends of Ambient.  

I was honored to work with urban explorer and photographer Andre Govia, who granted me use rights to his photographs on my music videos "The Marble Lady", "The Midnight's Chill" and "The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017).  Thanks so much Andre!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andregovia/

2017 marked the end of the long-standing and very successful Midnight Radio Compilation series which I have been an active and regular contributor since 2014.  Managed by Glasklinge Zeitenlicht and Julia Zimt, this talented and dedicated team released its first compilation in September 2013 and wound down the project in June of this year with free downloads of a whopping 100 compilations, 10 MRC Special Editions and other compilations under their belts.  Needless to say, we were all very sad to see the demise of our beloved MRC but Glasklinge will be back in the New Year with new music projects, so stay tuned!

https://midnightradio-compilation.bandcamp.com/

FILM
Nominated in three categories, "Montréal New Wave" won last night's Gemini Award for Best Documentary Program or Series - Arts and Culture! 

Congratulations to Director Erik Cimon, the crew and participants!  A Special thanks to our funders and supporters: Canal D - La page officielle, SODEC, Le Fonds Harold Greenberg, Canada Media Fund and le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

En nomination dans trois catégories, "Montréal New Wave"" a remporté hier soir le Gémeaux de la Meilleure émission ou série documentaire:  Arts et culture! Bravo au réalisateur Erik Cimon, à l'équipe du film et aux participants.  Merci à nos partenaires sans qui ce film n'aurait pu exister: Canal D - La page officielle, la SODEC, le Fonds Harold Greenberg, le Fonds des médias du Canada et le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

http://www.f3msurdemande.ca/montrealnewwave/

SELF-RELEASED ALBUMS & SINGLES
Renewed
Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheiten (on Hortus Conclusus Records, Germany)
Depth of a Soul
After All Is Said and Done
Go With the Flow
Infrasound
Ley Lines - Eisenlager & Vava Vol - Midnight Radio Compilation 82 (single)
My Silence - Vava Vol (single)

https://vavavol.bandcamp.com/

MUSIC COLLABORATIONS/COMPILATIONS (FREE DOWNLOADS)
Midnight Radio Compilation 82 - "Ley Lines" by Vava Vol & Eisenlager 
Your First Track You Recorded Edition for Midnight Radio Compilation - "Get Off My Case" by Vava Vol
(558) Eisenlager – Himmelholzsteg 5 - Himmelholzsteg 25  #featuring (eisenlager) (Vava Vol) on Petroglyph Music (Norway)
Unheimliche Zeiten - "Vava Vol Re-Work Track 001"
Friends of Ambient 20 - Evening Dune (Vava Vol, Lutz Thuns & Bruno Gussoni)
Friends of Ambient 21- Tales of Dreams (Vava Vol & Lutz Thuns) 
Friends of Ambient 22 - A Faint Image (Vava Vol & Lutz Thuns) 

https://midnightradio-compilation.bandcamp.com/
https://petroglyphmusic.bandcamp.com/album/558-eisenlager-himmelholzsteg-5
https://lutzthuns.bandcamp.com/

REVIEWS

Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheiten
"This is one of the most imaginative albums whose stylistic dichotomy does not clash rather than becoming delicately enmeshed.  "Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheitein", however, revisits an eterogeneous climes in full force, although its cosmic jitters and frolicking frequencies feel like liquedous rain showers next to the noisy fluxion of jagged fractions and pernicious ruptures.  A sonic universe of strong impaact awakened by the fusion of the talents, inspirations and experiences of two artists of the caliber of Vava Vol and Norbert Kutz aka Eisenlager." - Hortus Conclusus Records (Germany)

"I am thoroughly enjoying listening to these seriously compelling, inspiring experimental sounds.  So many influences blend together -- from diverse forms of experimental music through to musique concrete, from industrial through to modern electronic, from classic 1960s electronica through to field recordings -- into a cohesive yet diverse voice.  Immense confidence in the musicians' art radiates from these unclassifiable abstracat pot-industrial post-modern recordings.  I warmly recommend them to your attention." - David Paganin (Reviewer)

Vava Vol (Discogs) “Really like the mystic psychedelic, ambient soundscapes of what heard so far !! Also thanks a lot for providing some free download on Hearthis.at / mostly in terms of mixing/dj'ing and general belongings of records collecting people might come to mind... Best regards & Greetings Carlo” - Spaceschneider, DJ, Producer and Drummer at Rogalist Records (Germany)

MUSIC VIDEOS
Live By Your Wits
Switched Off
Parallel Wound
Dragon Glass
Real Absence
Real Presence
A Beatification
The Silver Lining
Asleep to See Everything
Lava In The Blood
Go With The Flow
Spaces Between The Silence
Floaters
Autumn Equinox 2016
Always Remember There Was
Dagaz
We Are Ashes (YouTube Version)
My Silence
Go With The Flow x 2
The Marble Lady
The Midnight's Chill
SensitivOrganz - "Instrumental 01" from "The Beatnik Show" 1986
The Midnigiht's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Forever Be

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5tdEzaGT26K9zZbZAZF4g

TOP TEN MUSIC VIDEOS
Forever Be
Vava Vol - Running Away From You
The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Les Mannequins
SensitivOrganz - Instrumental 01 - The Beatnik Show
My silence
Factory 2 with Zilon Lazer
The Marble Lady
The Essentials - You're Too Rude
Irridium

YEAR END POPULAR POSTS

The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Deserted Manufacturing Building in Montreal (1985)
My New Music Video Forever Be
DAF - Die Sprache Der Liebe
Pierre Dorion - Galerie René Blouin