GALIBIER by Mathijs Leeuwis
GALIBIER is an instrumental ode to the most beautiful and painful climbs a man can encounter, played on pedal steel guitar.
All pieces were immediately put on tape, without a second chance. The sound landscapes of GALIBIER appeared from the concentration, effort and partial improvisation of four musicians.
GALIBIER is inspired by a deep love for the abandonment of cycling and the organic sounds of the pedal steel. The Col du Galibier is a mountain pass of 2645 meters high in the French Alps. During the long ascent you, as a cyclist, are confronted with yourself and your stamina, while the landscape slowly passes by in endless curves and the mountain peak beckons in the distance. This experience is captured within GALIBIER: electronic soundscapes, earthy harmonies, minimalist open sounds and repetitive musical patterns. Together these pieces form a musical tribute to the most beautiful climbs of France and the most extraordinary stories from cycling.
In addition, GALIBIER is an investigation into the musical possibilities of the pedal steel guitar. The instrument is inextricably linked to traditional country music, but the musical possibilities are much broader. These other paths are further explored within this project by completely removing the musical environment of the instrument from the angle of the americana and giving space to improvisation and experiment.
Tracklist
| 1. | Col du Télégraphe | 2:16 |
| 2. | Galibier | 4:22 |
| 3. | Henri Desgrange | 3:03 |
| 4. | Descente du Lautaret | 2:13 |
| 5. | Mont Ventoux | 3:33 |
| 6. | Monseré | 5:32 |
| 7. | Solo | 2:48 |
| 8. | Docteur Fuentes | 4:01 |
| 9. | Requiem | 3:36 |
| 10. | Champ-Élysées | 4:20 |
Credits
Mathijs Leeuwis - pedal steel & bass
Mathijn den Duijf - piano & synth bass
Marzio Scholten - guitar
Mischa Porte - drums
All music by Mathijs Leeuwis, except:
- Henri Desgrange by Mathijs Leeuwis, Mathijn den Duijf
- Descente du Lautaret by Mathijs Leeuwis, Mischa Porte
- Docteur Fuentes by Mathijs Leeuwis, Marzio Scholten, Mathijn den Duijf
- Champs-Élysées by Mathijs Leeuwis, Mathijn den Duijf, Mischa Porte
All arrangements by Mathijs Leeuwis, Mathijn den Duijf, Mischa Porte, Marzio Scholten
Recorded live on multitrack tape at Duijf Studio in Kytopia Utrecht (Netherlands) by Mathijn den Duijf
Produced by Mathijn den Duijf
Co-produced by Mathijs Leeuwis
Mixed by Mathijn den Duijf and Mathijs Leeuwis
Mastered for CD/digital by Lennart Haman (NOX)
Artwork: Janine Hendriks www.kaftwerk.nl
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Mathijs Leeuwis is a pedal steel guitarist, composer and explorer of sound in general. Electro-acoustic installations, tape-loop based compositions and a completely analogue set-up form the core of his work. Mathijs is constantly looking for new sounds, methods and always curious about the limits of his own abilities.