After almost 1,5 year in making this is my new collection of noises and ambients connected in loose concept called “Immigrant Ghosts”. It’s, again, like previous “Pagans” and “Game of Life” based on my life story. This time is about place we call home, unplanned travels and illusions – When I left my hometown in flames I said “I'll be back in three months”. Now it’s 19 Years since I live somewhere else. Most of all it’s about our place in the world and our relation to reality of it.
Big part in my life and in my heart has my niece Eva - author of album's beautiful cover. She sent me 4 versions of it and I am playing with thought to put at least one more on this page. Eva is award winning animator from Montreal, Canada. Her last animated film "Once Upon A Meny Time" is in direct connection with the concept of this album and so I recommend it to all of you warmly - all other films on her web page too.
Another work in direct connection with this album is "Arrival", picture book by Shaun Tan. Here can you find excerpts from it.
All songs are Made after “Pagans” – from 2009 – 2011. First was "Elegy For Oil Platforms" which is also my first work published on net label Musictrade in VA album Miscued Rat (MT024).
Many Jamendians and Musictrade artists helped me to shape main sound of this work - sound of human speech in different languages. You'll have opportunity , maybe for the first time, to hear some of known Jamendo instrumentalists speaking! For help on this work Gigantic Thank You to all of them.
Credits:
Mary Cross (lyrics and narrator on Homecoming, ghost on Moj Dom je Moja Dusha)
Ivan1984 (Lyrics and narrator on Out of Africa, Ghost on Moj Dom je MOja Dusha)
Doc (Lyrics and narrator on Northern Ghost)
Lena Selyanina (Lyrics and narrator on Moj Dom je Moja Dusha, ghost on What Am I Doing Here)
KraftiM (Ghost on What Am I Doing Here)
CŒDES Pierre-Marie (Ghost on What Am I Doing Here)
Daisylis (Ghost on What AM I Doing Here)
Cvijaxo (Composer, Software Synths, cheap electric guitar on Elegy.., Homecomming, and Out Of Affrica, homemade samples on Northern Ghost (whole thing is actually on the city buss) and Waiting for the Storm, Ghost on What Am I doing Here).
Special thanks for Hakon and Penguin (Ghosts on Northern Ghost)
PHEUH! This was one long intro. But I am still impressed and deep humbled by having all those creative and good people on my second full lenght album! Thanks Again Ladies and Gentlemen!
AND BIG THANK YOU to Tixon, Ninja and Stiffe for Inspiring me and being with me allways and on all my works!
I added lyrics of Homecoming, text of Northern Ghosts (translation by Doc) and lyrics of Out Of Africa. You can reach them by clicking on respective song title link.
The tracks of this album are published under a Creative Commons licence, check the licence associated to each track.
Reviews for "Immigrant Ghosts"
28 reviews
A superb start with Moj Dom, great tragic part. as will show on further tracks cvijaxo has a great way of making words sing and sounds speak, his special integration of words and sounds is marvelous and often surprising. The Platforms I know from his fine debut. Homecoming starts with the beautiful voice of Mary, transforming into a superb uptempo melodic piece. Tension is built up in Utvandrarna, a fine intermezzo. And then the voice of Doc, a surprising rarity.... I guess the young doc is behind the screen on the great sleeve, a very fine sound-image. And so is Fear region, a dark scary piece, so in the middle of the night. Huh?? Huh?? nice collage following, what am I doing there, surrounded by such nice people :). Curious about cockroach, was he jumping on yer drums? And did you hit him? Good old Ivan showing up again, embedded in wonderful ambiance. Classic beauty in Airports, a wonderful piece.Concluding with great eastern relaxed atmosphere. Very fine album again, with great variety on moods, styles and to be discovered again and again. Nice work, mate
Civilisation stowaways, walking and walking to flee fright, hunger, thirst . . . they are so many around us, those we see on our TV screen, those we do not see because they hide themselves from the laws of our civilizations and sealed hearts.
It is a long way to the Promise Land, if there is one. Hope in the minds, heavy burden in the hearts carrying the never to forget feelings of cruel losses.
These Immigrant Ghosts haunt cvijaxo music. His tracks discreetly depict different visions for us to hear of this humanity on the move, its epic, misadventures, quests for a home, a place to be... They remember what they lost, do not know what they will find, what it will be.
How will you feel, expressing yourself with words your mother did not teach you ?
Out Of Africa (with Ivan1984’s voice I love so much) with Ivan’s words, reminds me of a picture by Radu Mihaileanu (whom I met when he started to work in France) : « Go, Live and Become ». The song tells that when it comes to mere humanity, colors, races, nations, regulations, religions have nothing to do with Life and Love.
While we are drinking green tea waiting for the Storm to come, because we just can’t let these immigrant ghosts wander around for ever, and we know it !
The musical expression of civjaxo is softly, tenderly haunting.
Nothing to fear from these notes, they are so discreet. But if we don’t see these immigrant ghosts, cvijaxo gives us to listen to their voice.
And in this album, there are many voices, those we discover, those we hardly listen to.
Beautiful work cvijaxo, made with your intelligence, sensitivity, heart and guts. Along with beautiful collaborators.
great work!!
cheers!
Se il mondo della musica non fosse come il mondo della finanza, se il mondo della musica non fosse impietoso specchio del mondo in cui viviamo, questo album sarebbe un capolavoro assoluto. Invece esso è qui, una perla, figlio del talento e della passione pura. Esso è come una luce che indica a noi la strada per tornare a casa, la casa dove possiamo esistere. Non mi piace dare musicali definizioni, mi piace sentire emozioni. Se questi suoni parlano della tua storia, essa è una grande storia. Capolavoro! Grazie!
The world of contemporary music is how the world of finance, music is the merciless mirror of the world we live in, this album, in the right world, would be an absolute masterpiece. Instead it's here, a pearl, the son of talent and pure passion. It's like a light that shows us the way back home, the house where we can exist. I don't like to musical definitions, I like to feel emotions. If these sounds tell of your story, it's a great story. A masterpiece! Thank you!
An exciting music style, like innovative and meditative!
The sound gives a great clarity from this view of world story and lead it to the whole album, yes it gives a lot of subtlety! A+
“Out Of Africa” is my favorite.
Good job, I like it very well.
Cheers
C.J.
A multi-faceted gem in Cvijaxo's crown of achievement! A very intricately crafted album, each track a little epic in its own right, and in such good company too!-) Nicely done.
Logras crear una atmósfera oscura a lo que contribuye en gran medida la voz del narrador. Original propuesta. Sigue por este camino.
'Immigrant Ghosts', is a 11 track, Multiple Languages, Electonica-Experimental album.
Many of the Songs in this Collection do not fall Strictly into the Electronica Category. Equally some Selections are NOT structured on Standard Harmony-Melody Structure hence the "Experimental" classification in this review.
Musically, Spoken Word- Female and Male Narration,Intonations and Whispers.
Instrumentally, Synthesizer-as Synth, Instrumental Replication and Sound Effects Generator, Various Percussive Elements: Gongs-Drumming Styles.
Track #1. 'Moj Dom Je Moja Dusha,', Features Electronica, Experimental and Female Voice Narration. If listened to first, Listeners will have a Musical Summary of the entire album.
Track #3. 'Homecoming', Features English Language Narration with a Touch of Ghostly Background Voices and a Electro-Pop albeit Minimal Sound with a Cool Bass Vibe.
Track #5. 'Norhtern Ghosts', Introduces Male Narration and Myriad Experimental Sound Effects and Musical Snippets. Fans of Records Played Backward should find this work of particular Interest.
Overall, Unique and Eclectic but a Good Collection. This said, some Listeners can not or will not expose themselves to New and/or Unusual Musical Experiences and this is just the sort of Album the Narrow Minded will not Understand or Appreciate.
Un style très particulier auquel j'ai pas vraiment adhéré.Désolé !
Interesante trabajo... Intrigante, laborioso, inquietante... produciendo sonidos que profundizan en la creación exclusiva y diferente de un ambiente musical impresionista, donde los elementos soñadores son aplicados de forma rítmica perfecta, creando un efecto sobre el oyente puro y maravilloso.
Mi más enhorabuena Cvijaxo por este álbum repleto de originalidad y talento.
