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Visions of Atlantis - Official Studiodiary 2010

#4:

At the moment I`m trying to tie up on Martin`s recent reports and can just confirm that it felt really great this time being in the studio! Most of the vocal-harmonies have already been well arranged on the pre-production but in the studio everyone´s giving again a 110 percent. It was fascinating to see and hear how concentrated Maxi was doing her stuff and great results were already listenable right after the recordings, although there is still all this effect-stuff like EQ`s and so on missing. At the latest at this point a was realizing that we`ll now win the laurels for all the hard work during the last two years. I was starting with my vocal-parts 2 days earlier than actually planned, but had to realize soon something becoming apparent already on Metalfest Austria: My voice did not fit in the higher tunes perfectly which saddened me and I went over to picking out the parts which were recordable without loosing quality. The rest of the day I spent with my new friends the teapot, pastilles and honey while hoping for the regeneration of my high tunes.

The next day the situation was getting better already but we decided to record further harmonies and all the choir stuff the following week to grant my voice calmness for a few days. So we finished recording the basics and I returned to Austria for a few days to regenerate and to stay silent. On Monday I returned, and HOW I RETURNED! After 3 days of a hush cure my voice was sounding better than ever before and we were able to record everything missing. The final result is in my opinion the best male-vocals ever produced by Visions of Atlantis which has to be judged then by the magazines and listeners in the end. We had one day left at this time which was used to listen over the songs again and again to change some tiny details. Finally I`d like to say that it`s a great feeling to having everything recorded now and that I`m looking forward happily to getting the first reactions on it.

Rock on,

Mario

#3:

Well, Maxi Nil`s last day of recording started. From my point of view it was actually the most important so far, as we could see during the making of all that harmony-stuff and so on the real hit-potential of the new songs. And I tell you: The results of day three where enormous and where much more and better as I could have expected. We`ll see with the release of the new album how fans and press react, but with Maxi Nil`s voice and her diversity I`m really confident that we will not just continue where we stopped with Trinity in 2007, but more will show that we returned stronger than we`ve been ever before!

I think that was also the reason why you could Feel this little nervous and kind of positive Mood on this day, because when I think of myself I would actually like to show the world what we did until now immediately without waiting until the release. Looking forward happily to something is the most satisfying thing in the world and I`m sure that I`m (as a part of this great band which turned out to be more a great family during the last time) looking forward happily in the same level than our fans out there in the world to this album.

But back to topic: What was additionaly going on day 3? Maxi Nil worked until late night on the last Vocal-Fine-Tunings, more harmonies and Choir-Passages were worked out and because we could use a second director- und recording-room Mario P. was able to start already with his Vocal-recordings parallel to Maxi Nil, what saved much time for us and made it hard for me to sit everywhere and listen ;-)  On this day Mario had a few problems with his voice because of his throat with was raspy a bit, but we managed it to bring this to a positive side when we just started to recordings of song-parts where he actually has to sing this very aggressive and scratchy style, which turned out to work great! Between the work I as keyboarder also got my 15 seconds of fame, when we recorded some kind of speaking voice with me, which then will be mixed somewhere in the deep or whatever by our producers to support the mood and voice of Mario in one part of a song as they said this would sound cool (Whatever, I did it and it`ll sound quite cool I think in the end hahaha).

Well, and in the evening the first studio-inhabitants already left the holy rooms of Munich again as Maxi Nil has almost finished all her work and as we`ll have to return to Germany already next week for further recordings (my last synths then will be made) and the official photo-shoot for the new band- and promopics, which will be made by a great photographer (but more on that later!)

So stay tuned for more stuff to come, see you hopefully soon on tour! Best wishes,
Martin and the VoA-Family

#2:

Good morning everyone! While drinking some tea and trying to get my eyes open I thought it would be a good idea to write some lines about what is going on here! =)

Yesterday was also a very productive day. Recordings started around 11am and ended at 1am!!! During my lunch break Mario started recording his vocals and he’s doing a great job already! I have to say that it’s quite cold here in Munich for an original Greek like myself! In the studio though everything is cozy! The “studio masters” Jan and Mario make all of us feel like home and this is very important for a musician to give the 100% of himself!

Today is my last recording day and when everything is done around midnight, I will finally feel free to drink some wine and why not have a cigarette! (only one I promise! hehe)

That’s all for now!

Greetings from the VoA-Family

Maxi

#1:

Finally we made it! After a long period of preparing, some internal Problems and some delay we were able to enter the Dreamsound-Studios in Munich yesterday to start with the recordings of our new Album.

One chilling evening yesterday and today morning we started actually in time with the recordings. The weather with its mix of sun, clouds, rain and some other typically April-Weather-Stuff in the middle of May was perfectly inspiring. Everything was prepared and our singer Maxi Nil started with her Lead-Voices of the first songs, what turned out to work great from the very beginning. The motivation seems to be that big that still now as I´m writing these lines late in the evening we`re still working and recording and the first results sound fucking more than just amazing I have to tell you! The start couldn`t have been better and between some parts we even found ourselves headbanging already and some cold beers (which are not for Max Nil as she`s just drinking warm tea these days) do the rest for a great mood. Because we`re all together in the studio the whole time and some of us are sleeping here too the whole production-machine gets a home-like and very smooth character which you can also see in pillows on the ground of one recording room together with a very chilling and productive mood.

An advantage is of course also the possibility to have a fully-equipped kitchen here where we can cook and eat altogether and stay in the studio the whole time (except when going to buy the stuff haha) which always keeps us near the production-centre and gives us to chance to keep the machine running right after taking some breaks. But the here not exactly described fast-food dealer just on the other side of the street is also very attractive for our producers as it seems, but I don`t know if that`s because of our cooking abilities or has maybe other reasons?!? The work will last for one or another more hour and I wanna close this first entry with a few pics of our singer during work and more entries and pics will follow in the next days!

Greetings from Munich until then. The VoA-Family!

Martin