Concept
The album Atlas symbolizes a train journey, and in a higher sense also a life journey. All songs represent different stages of life, from birth to death.
The first tracks (1-5) are mostly uplifting and somewhat naive, they gradually become more complex and dramatic (tracks 6-12) , and resignation follows afterwards (tracks 13-16).
Charity
Atlas is dedicated to my brother Bas (1957-2017). An important part of the proceeds of this album wil be donated to a fund for psychiatric health care and scientific research.
Bas did not have an easy life – on the contrary. Hence the name Atlas: not only a book with topographic maps, but also a Greek Titan who was defeated by Zeus and condemned to held up the celestial sphere for eternity (Wikipedia).
Guest musicians
Creating Atlas could not have been possible without the help of a handful of professional musicians:
- Leo Sienot (production, guitars, bass)
- Maartje Teussink (lyrics, vocals)
- Hans van Wingerden (trumpet, bugle)
- Remco van der Sluis (drums)
- Renske Dzon (vocals)
Special thanks to Leo who spent more than 100 hours of hard work in recording, mixing and mastering, and to Maartje, who encouraged me to develop an authentic style.
More about the songs
Just click.
Theme
The train is leaving station. A new journey, full of hope and expectations, has begun. But the voice-over also reveals there will be surprises ahead: “This was the lesson that wasn’t in the book”.
Music
This short intro consists of only one chord, the V in a standard II-V-I progression. The next song, Anthem, proceeds with the I of this progression.
A part of this melody is also a subtle reference to a religious song from the former official Protestant songbook (Song 293, Wat de toekomst brengen moge).
Theme
Birth. Newborn life. But this new human being has no identity yet: “What’s your name?”
Music
A simple melody that will later return on this album in different moods (Sorrow and Unknown).
Background
Written in September 2014, after visiting the annual reunion of Operation Market-Garden (more on hiking site Trek 11), an epic but unsuccessful military operation near the Dutch city of Arnhem in 1944. I was especially impressed by the presence of very old Polish veterans. Though the Market-Garden operation turned out to be rather disastrous, the veterans are still very proud on their efforts 70 years ago, which was especially visible while playing the Polish national anthem.
I am not a fan of military violence, but I do like the hidden metaphore: real pride is not in achieving success, but in the fact that you have been fully committed to a good cause, whether that cause turns out successful or not.
Inhabitants of the Dutch city of Gouda will probably get a deja-vu: yes, the melody is rhythmically equal to the carillon melody that is played every hour on the market of Gouda, but all notes have been replaced by other notes, resulting in a different melody.
Theme
Youth. The train is on it’s way to the horizon (in Dutch: einder). Optimism, hope and perspective, but again the voice-over also points to a darker side: innocense.
Music
This song is based on a mashup of samples and synth loops, and transformed by guitars, bass and drums into more traditional rock.
The last symphonic part – with part of a speech by Mahatma Gandhi – refers to the eastern world, as a symbol of mystery, truth and wisdom. It consists of pentatonic chords, common to eastern music. The same chords will return in the last song Unknown, but in a slightly more personal and humble style.
Background
Written in the summer of 2013, on holiday in Norway. The work title of this song was Flåmsbana, a Norwegian railway road (more on Wikipedia).
Theme
Teenage daydreaming.
Music
One of the background samples will reappear later in Derailed. A very subtle trait-d’union between teenage daydreaming and psychosis, a rather derailed form of human consciousness.
Background
Written in November 2013 on a foggy Saturday. Fog is also a subtle reference to my brother Bas, who had an aversion to fog all his life.
Theme
Embracing the world. Optimism and energy are back again.
Music
One of the most uplifting songs of the album, with a long dynamic and rhythmic bridge. Both main melody and chords of the bridge will reappear later in a totally different mood: Sorrow.
Background
The term Grand Tour refers to the 17th- and 18th-century custom of young upper-class people to make a months-long journey through Europe (more on Wikipedia). This custom served as an educational rite of passage (Wikipedia), which explains the title of the next song Passage.
Theme
The first major shift of this album.
The train crosses a bridge. The landscape suddenly changes. The next few songs refer to heroism, but also to losses and death. And also to different perspectives: the long voice-over connects the train journey to fundamental scientific insights of space and time (Albert Einstein).
Music
The melody and chords will return in the song Kroniek. Here the mood is slightly surreal, in Kroniek the mood will be more epic and also a bit nostalgic.
Theme
Heroism leading to glorious victory.
Music
Based on a mashup of Logic Pro samples and percussion loops. Some of the samples have been replaced by real vocals and instruments.
Theme
Heroism leading to failure and loss.
Music
The speech is a shorter version of an improvised but monumental speech by Robert F. Kennedy on April 4th 1968, announcing the death of Martin Luther King (more on Wikipedia).
Theme
Dynamic city life.
Music
A clash of different music styles: cinematic, orchestral, rock, Americana, synth pop and African percussion.
Background
I created the first demo on my iPad during a flight from Amsterdam to New York in April 2014.
On some parts there is a voice on the background. This voice looks ahead to the next song Derailed.
Theme
Death. An abrupt end of the train journey. The most personal and dramatic song of Atlas.
Music
Emotional words on a train-like rhythm, followed by a rock climax with dissonant synths. After a few seconds of complete silence a repeating gregorian chant emerges, symbolising timelessness and humbleness.
Theme
Mourning abouth loosing our dearest ones.
Music
Three elements of former songs are reappearing here in a completely different and rather tragic setting: the main melody of Anthem (symbolising hope), the chords of Grand Tour (symbolising strength and optimism) and the eastern glimpse of Einder Express (symbolising spiritualism).
Theme
The human urge to become free of all sorrows. Also the human need of connecting to other people. Hidden symbolism: the beach as a frontier between land (life) and sea (emotion).
In the last minute there is a subtle change from day to night, marking the end of an episode.
Music
This song consists of only one chord, all structure and musical development are formed by the arrangement. Yes, there is a strange rhythmic shift in this song, you may like it or not.
Theme
The second major shift of this album.
Waking up the next morning. A holiday. The sun is shining again.
Music
The fastest song (130 bpm) of Atlas.
Background
Vikos is a beautiful gorge in the northwest of Greece (more on Wikipedia).
Theme
Personal connection and intimacy.
Music
Based on a simple piano melody I wrote more than 20 years ago.
Theme
Grandeur. An epic reflection of a both adventurous and sorrowful life.
Music
An epic return of the melody and chords of Passage.
Theme
The life journey continues, not in a train, but in a more humble form. Seeking a new identity. Destination unknown.
Music
Also in this song some former ingredients reappear: the eastern chords of Einder Express and various themes of Anthem.
Background
The first demo was created in the summer of 2013, inspired by a visit to the breath-taking Jostedalsbreen in Norway, the largest glacier in continental Europe (Wikipedia).
I am incredibly pleased with the beautiful lyrics and melody that Maartje wrote for this song.