A Beautiful Brutal Betrayal is a recording that did not work back in 2017 when I first wrote it. It sounded too close to Wasteland Signals which was released a year before. It needed a bit of time and distance as the raw sketches (included as bonus materials) will highlight and also some post processing and additional editing to present the original recording in a more interesting direction.

I’ve heard it called “a wall of sound” and “digging deep” with “brooding soundscapes (that) morph into an introspective landscape of drones and atmosphere with an engaging, evolving melodic ‘lead’”.

I’ll try not to spoil too much of the audio trip so you can form your own ideas and opinions while I will leave my associations in the track titles.

The @Ambientblog (www.ambientblog.net/blog/2023-04/florianz-remanence-maddalena/ ) mentions this as Peter touches upon the title and meanings which I haven’t disclosed.

Some thoughts: When I create it is often associative, lateral and from intuition. Track titles rarely exist beforehand and usually come into focus as the recording does. That is to say, there’s a path to creation: from generating a source to delivering a recording and titles are part to that.

That path is not documented and the associative nature of how a title comes to be is illusive at best. Vaporous connections, sometimes going back to a childhood experience or a current fascination.

The title itself is an observation: A betrayal (in the heat of a moment) can be followed by reflection and perhaps even a moment of regret. An honesty that feels brutal and beautiful.

Peter is also right to note that the album ends abruptly. The last minutes build up to something. The backside (of a) mirror is reflective but it doesn’t reflect. That’s something that fascinates me, it is like passages opening up in the wall behind the mirror. With all the opportunity to reflect and choose what to do next, perhaps even listen again?

I realise all to well that it doesn’t answer Peter’s questions. It is perhaps also a little cowardly to use provocative titles and not explain them in a satisfying way. I don’t write songs, I am not telling a story through structures of acts and logic. Titles and artwork guide but don’t narrate explicitly. Applying meaning wouldn’t be authentic to my (limited) level of skill and ability.

More clues…

When listening you might have an association or not, whichever it will be, it is from your experience and that is good.

Suffice to say, it is an encompassing journey that works well on headphones or really good stereo speakers with a bit of volume going into either.

Oh and back to that revising and tinkering, since the first upload of the album to bandcamp two weeks ago, I have made three more subsequent uploads: Slightly different takes in mastering and fine-tuning of the exact same material.

Does it make a difference?

I think it does but most likely that’s because once again I’m flying very close to my own creativity.

A release date brings wonderful focus as it building towards an inevitable moment, much like the ending of this recording does on “backside mirror”.

I hope that you will enjoy the trip - I’ve thoroughly enjoyed re-imagining this and the newfound technical experience will come to good use when revisiting Niemandsland from 2006.

Original recordings 2016-2017 in Cambridge Uk
Mastered and produced by Matthew Florianz in 2023