| 1. Crossing Jamuna River (10:59) 2. Mountain Thunder (14:53) 3. Journey To Brittany (14:37) 4. Fullmoon Desert (12:07) 5. Cloud Ghosts (11:48) TOTAL TIME: 64:32 P + C 2004 by HEART & MIND - HaM 5 |
On the new and tenth CD "On the Wings of the Wind" MIND OVER MATTER are creating music for one of man's last adventure: Gasballooning.
If you ever had the chance to glide for hours and hours with the wind over the clouds, in face of only the sun and the bright blue sky, without any noises and hassle, you will understand what their new CD is about: the great experiences and feelings during those sky-high journeys.
Together with his musical friend (flute/recorders) and twice European Gasballooning Champion Volker Kuinke MIND OVER MATTER's mastermind Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock recorded the "soundtracks" for a bunch of different balloontrips through whole Europe, Asia and the USA.
The result is 65 minutes of floating, sometimes meditative, quiet and mystical, sometimes spicy Asian-flavoured mind music that gives the listeners an idea of those unknown adventures "on the wings of the wind".
The CD is the first MIND OVER MATTER product that comes out (besides the COSMIC HOFFMANN-CDs) on Hoffmann-Hoock's own HEART & MIND label.
On The Wings Of The Wind ist eine sehr schöne musikalische Reise mit dem Gasballon über die verschiedensten Teile der Erde. Sehr harmonisch in Musik umgesetzt, lässt uns die Fahrt mit dem Ballon den Alltagsstress vergessen .
Am besten im Dunkeln die Musik mit Kopfhörer genießen, denn so kann man sich intensiver auf diese schöne Atmosphäre konzentrieren. Neben der tollen Musik ist diese CD auch mit einem aufwendig gestaltetem Booklet mit sehr schönen Bildern ausgestattet . Es lohnt sich also.
sequenzerwelten.de
Delicate soundscapes open 'Crossing Jamuna River (Balloonflight Of Our Fantasy)' with singing insects which charm on lapping water. With such a title and the inner sleeve that goes in it, we easily guess that we fly over the Jamuna River, by one peaceful moment that gives us the chance to hear the wind as far as it can't interfere. The synth floats among the marvellous breaths of a recorder. The peace of the atmosphere, the fusion between the flute and synth on sitar chords is a unique moment of appeasement which extends our vision far away boring the horizon. Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock is in paradise. As high as the clouds, him and his flutist companion Volker Kuinke, twice European Gasballooning Champion, furrow the heights of Asia in search of inspiration. And on this first track, we are with them. We close our eyes and the connection is made. We have the feeling to be there, that we also see the images that their music describes so well - tenderness and amazement - a great inspired track.
It is with astonishing thunders that 'Mountain Thunder' begins, a tribal spirit title with tabla percussion that floats on rich Mellotron layers to lascivious movements.
The noise of flowing water mixes with the magic breaths of Volker Kuinke's flute, on the 'Journey to Brittany' intro. A celestial voice rises among this transition, half animal, half human, it moults itself in ethereal breaths, as synthetic passages that the wind raises at the top of clouds. Floating, with melodious fluty harmonies 'Journey to Brittany' owes its beauty to its environment.
A strange tic-tac emerges from an insects concerto that a tiny shimmering swirl half buries. 'Fullmoon Desert' becomes a superb melody on an atonic movement, stuffed of chimes and scintillating serpentines of harmonious keys which twist with tenderness.
'Cloud Ghosts' opens on drones which join to soft flute breaths, rocked by synthetic pads, hardly mutable, this slow procession progresses on a beautiful sensual bass which undulates an animated intonation of fine tabla percussion. 'Cloud Ghosts' is a beautiful title of a nostalgic softness that a beautiful flute oversizes the beauty on splendid synthetic layers that blow in an environment with hostile murmurs.
'On the Wings of the Wind' is a whole musical voyage where MIND OVER MATTER traces a romantic portrait of a planet end that our eyes will undoubtedly never see, but that our ears will have seen, thanks to the perspicacity of MIND OVER MATTER.
Sylvain Lupari, 'Guts of Darkness', Canada 1/2007
"On the Wings of the Wind" is the first MOM-CD on Klaus' own Heart & Mind-label. The concept of the album is gasballooning and the uplifting experiences and feelings which occur during the sky-high journeys. In regards it isn't that new as far as the subject before has been transferred in music by Erik Wollo ("Wind Journey") and Kevin Kendle ("Aerial Vistas"). Nevertheless, Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock composed the album together with his friend and twice European Gasballooning Champion Volker Kuinke (flute/recorders). The 65-minutes are divided in 5 engaging tracks of 10-14 minutes each, which act like virtual soundtracks for different balloon trips. They all sound very relaxing as they float by in all their quiet, almost meditative mysticism, on a few occasions a bit spiced with Asian elements known from his former albums. In all, listening to this album is very enjoyable and I'm sure all his fans will be pleased as well.
Bert Strolenberg
E-dition Magazine
The man behind Mind Over Matter is Klaus 'Cosmic' Hoffmann-Hoock. I have to admit that I'd not come across this side of Klaus' work before, so I was intrigued. The 'concept' behind this release is to create music that conjures visions of hot air balloon flights. The influence for this musical journey is Volker Kuinke, musical collaborator, playing a variety of recorders, and champion hot air balloonist.
Insect sounds and the sound of a trickling stream open 'Crossing Jamuna River (Ballonflight of our fantasy)'. A haunting, mellow synth pad rises and a plaintive recorder melody weaves in and out of the mix. It's beautiful and deeply relaxing. Things become more symphonic around the 2 minute mark; and the melodic duties become shared by gentle and understated sitar work (real, not synthetic!). Everything is now in place and we are allowed to 'float', and what an apt description that is!
The sound of thunder is an obvious but effective introduction for 'Mountain Thunder'. A very eastern-sounding wind instrument plays an evocative melody; tablas add yet more of an eastern feel; whilst Mellotron choirs suggest Klaus' 'day job'! A heavily filtered synth lead and glorious strings add melodic and harmonic support. This is superb stuff, I am very impressed by the playing. This is not the new age 'twaddle' I feared!
'Journey to Brittany' very much follows the pattern of the previous tracks, but adds a vocal performance to the mix. It's very 'abstract' really, not singing words (as far I could make out), but using the voice more like an instrument. It fits the music well.
'Fullmoon Desert' opens with the sounds of insects, and then a flurry of percussive (marimba-like) notes suggests 'take-off'. Yet another cracking melody is deployed and we're back to glorious drift. Like so much of this CD the music is deeply visual, it would perfectly fit a wildlife or travel documentary. A tinkling melody is added at just the right moment. This is a key feature actually. The musicians have carefully judged when drift could become tedious, and have ensured that fresh musical ideas are added, when necessary, but they never interrupt the flow.
Deep drones signal the arrival of 'Cloud Ghosts'. Strings and recorder begin to fill in the melodic detail. There is a melancholy feel to this track, heightened by some abstract vocal samples. The lavish and beautiful insert booklet describes the inspiration for this track as 'gliding silently through the air at 2 to 3 kilometres for a whole day' and the way that this encourages 'philosophising'. This track, and in fact the whole CD, would be perfect for this. If you ever 'use' music for relaxation, buy this immediately.
(WP GB 2005)
The last year released a studio album of his band Mind over Matter was 1998. After this album, called Avatar, Klaus was involved in many projects, of which his activities as Cosmic Hoffmann were most noticeable. Together with keyboard player Stephen Parsick Klaus released two albums on his own Heart & Mind label (Beyond the Galaxy in 1998 and Shiva Connection in 2000). Both albums were considered sensational in the electronic scène: not only were they filled with astounding Berliner Schule sequencers, but the intensity and the quality of music and production caused many a fan of electronic music to realize that there was still hope in the gradually declining EM-scene.
The question of course was what Klaus' next project would be. In the year 2000 he released another live album by Mind over Matter (Under the Stars, recorded in 1999) and also two DVD's were finished. These DVD's (Asia 1 and 2) included wonderful images (photographs and films) of Klaus' voyages in Asia accompanied by previously released studio-tracks of Mind over Matter. The second DVD contains an interesting extra: a 1997 live version of "Dreamy Kathmandu". Next to this Klaus appeared as welcomed session musician with other bands like Solar Project, Pyramid Peak and [Thomas]Fanger & [Mario] Schönwälder. He also released the album Heartbeat (2001) under his own name. This was to be the first album in the so-called Encounter-series of the Heart & Mind label. The encounter on this CD was with the graphic artist and musician Hans-Werner Faßbender.
On December 15, 2002; Klaus appeared with some of his friends at a "Schallwende EM-breakfast" in Düsseldorf where an amazing live show was performed. The set included apart from music of Mind over Matter, Cosmic Hoffmann and Pink Floyd (Set the controls...) three new tracks. The concert was released in 2003 as Psychedelic Breakfast (Heart and Mind 4).
Now it is the year 2004 and a new album by Mind over Matter is released. The title of the album is On the Wings of the Wind. The CD cover has superb photography and design. Klaus worked on the album for two years, from July 2002 till July 2004. Striking is his concentration on keyboards instead of electric guitar. This is the second release in Klaus' Encounter-series. This time the encounter is with German flute player Volker Kuinke.
Volker Kuinke is an appreciated flute player (who plays as many flutes as Steve Howe does play guitars) who is connected to the famous German progrock band Eloy, the group around singer-guitarist Frank Bornemann. Volker wrote all liner notes for the recently released remastered versions of the first six Eloy albums, from Inside till Eloy Live. Volker is also well-known from his ballooning activities, having won European championships twice. According to him the only true balloon is the gas balloon (filled with noble gas) and not the noisy hot air balloon. With a gas balloon it is possible to be carried on the wings of the wind above landscapes in complete silence. Klaus and Volker tried to translate this feeling into music. The result of this attempt is without doubt sensational. In the five tracks, varying from eleven to fifteen minutes, the listener first travels to the Jamuna River in India, and then from Düsseldorf to the Bretagne, to the deserts of New Mexico and the Southern Alps, the journey is rounded off amidst ghostly clouds. The riches in sounds, the combined action between Klaus (on digital Mellotron and sitar) and Volker and the extraordinary production make On the Wings of the Wind into a must for all fans of electronic music. Both musicians are supported by familiars Peter Jörgens, Josef Götz and Jürgen Gisa.
I am convinced that this new Mind over Matter album will win even the last of the doubters over. Those who raised their eyebrows while listening to Klaus' omnipresent electric guitar on his previous albums can safely purchase this new Mind over Matter CD. These compositions filled with keyboards and recorders are breathtaking. I can recommend starting with the second track on the disc: "Mountain Thunder".Be prepared to be carried away on the wings of the wind.
De laatste keer dat Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock een studio-album van zijn groep Mind over Matter uitbracht was in het jaar 1998. Na dit album, getiteld Avatar, heeft Klaus zich beziggehouden met vele projecten, waarvan zijn activiteiten als Cosmic Hoffmann het meest opvallend waren. Samen met toetsenist Stephen Parsick bracht Klaus in 1998 en 2000 op zijn eigen Heart & Mind label twee albums (Beyond the Galaxy en Shiva Connection) uit die in elektronische kringen een regelrechte sensatie te noemen waren: niet alleen was hier Berliner Schule vol moddervette sequencers te horen, maar de intensiteit en de kwaliteit van het spel en de productie deed menig liefhebber van elektronische muziek verzuchten dat er nog hoop was voor de alsmaar vlakker wordende EM-scène.
De vraag was natuurlijk was Klaus' volgende project zou zijn. In 2000 liet hij nog een live-album van Mind over Matter verschijnen (Under the Stars, opgenomen in 1999) en ook zagen twee dvd's het daglicht. Deze dvds (Asia en Journey into Eternity) toonden zeer fraaie stilstaande en bewegende beelden van Klaus' reizen door Azië met begeleiding van eerder uitgebrachte studio-tracks van Mind over Matter. Een aardig extraatje voor de fans was een in 1997 opgenomen live-versie van "Dreamy Kathmandu" (op de tweede dvd). Hiernaast verscheen Klaus regelmatig als verdienstelijk gastmuzikant bij andere bands, zoals Solar Project, Pyramid Peak en [Thomas] Fanger & [Mario] Schönwälder. Ook liet hij onder eigen naam in 2001 het album Heartbeat verschijnen. Dit was de eerste release in de zg. encounter-series op het Heart & Mind label. De ontmoeting (encounter) op deze cd was met beeldend kunstenaar en muzikant Hans-Werner Faßbender.
Op 15 december 2002 gaf Klaus met enkele vrienden tijdens een "Schallwende EM-breakfast" in een radio-studio in Düsseldorf een verrassend live-optreden, waarbij naast muziek van Mind over Matter, Cosmic Hoffman en Pink Floyd (Set the controls...) ook drie nieuwe tracks werden uitgevoerd. Dit concert werd in 2003 uitgebracht onder de titel Psychedelic Breakfast (Heart and Mind 4).
Maar nu is het 2004 en voor me ligt het nieuwe album van Mind over Matter. De titel is On the Wings of the Wind. Het cd-hoesje blinkt uit door prachtige fotografie en vormgeving. Klaus heeft er twee jaar aan gewerkt, van juli 2002 tot juli 2004. Opvallend is het feit dat hij zijn handelsmerk, de elektrische gitaar, in de wilgen heeft gehangen en zich voornamelijk op toetsen heeft geconcentreerd. Behalve een nieuw Mind over Matter-album is het tegelijk de tweede release in de encounter-series. Dit keer is betreft het een ontmoeting met de fluitist Volker Kuinke.
Volker Kuinke is een gewaardeerd fluitist (die evenveel soorten fluiten speelt als Steve Howe gitaren) die een connectie heeft met de Duitse progrock band Eloy. Hij schreef alle teksten voor de cd-boekjes bij de recentelijk uitgebrachte geremasterde albums van Eloy, van Inside tot en met Eloy Live. Volker is ook bekend vanwege zijn activiteiten op het gebied van de ballonvaart. En de enige echte ballon is volgens tweemalig Europees kampioen Volker de gasballon (gevuld met edelgassen) en niet de hete luchtballon, die met veel herrie het luchtruim kiest. Met de gasballon is het mogelijk om met de vleugels van de wind in volledige stilte over landschappen meegesleept te worden. Wat Klaus en Volker geprobeerd hebben is dit gevoel te vertalen naar muziek. Het resultaat hiervan is ronduit sensationeel te noemen. In vijf tracks, variërend in lengte van elf tot vijftien minuten, wordt de luisteraar eerst meegevoerd over de Jamuna Rivier in India, van Düsseldorf naar Bretagne, naar de woestijnen van New Mexico en de zuidelijke Alpen, waarna de reis wordt afgesloten temidden van spookachtige wolken. De rijkdom aan geluiden, het samenspel van Klaus (op digitale mellotron en sitar) en Volker en de buitengewone productie maken On the Wings of the Wind tot een must voor alle fans van elektronische muziek. Beide muzikanten worden bijgestaan door oude rot Peter Jörgens, Josef Götz en Jürgen Gisa.
Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat dit nieuwe album van Mind over Matter ook de laatste twijfelaars over de streep zal trekken. Diegenen die hun wenkbrauwen wel eens fronsten bij de alom tegenwoordige elektrische gitaar van Klaus op zijn vorige albums, kunnen nu met een gerust hart deze Mind over Matter aanschaffen en in hun cd-lade plaatsen. Deze louter met toetsen en fluit gevulde composities zijn adembenemend. Het verdient aanbeveling om de beginnen met track 2: "Mountain Thunder". Laat je meevoeren on the wings of the wind.
Perry Moree / NL
Alfa Centauri Magazine Nr. 41 / December 2004
Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, aka MoM, has offered up on the album "On the wings of the wind" a rare and beautiful work of cosmic, celestial music.
The evocative, flowing soundscapes that he conjures up pure musicial magic. Enchanted by the whispers of exotic instruments and guitar embellishments, the level of consciousness is raised seven levels higher than the earthly realm. Listen and ascend.
Eurock USA
First brand-new studio album in ages for Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock's Mind Over Matter with his "Ultimate Digital Mellotron", synthesizers and various electric guitars, and it features 5 tracks between eleven and fifteen minutes in length. This time around, we're talking a musician in reflective mode as the album decides to chart a largely full-sounding, expansive, cosmic, spacey, melodic and richly textured path.
The opener, 'Crossing Jamuna River', soars and drifts on undercurrents of bass while on top and all around you hear the gorgeous sound of cosmic synths, eerie flute sounds and ripples of Indian tampura to add to the exotic effect, as the tracks floats effortlessly forward, transfixing you with its heady delights - A supreme example of space synth music at its most beautiful.
'Mountain Thunder' opens with slowly undulating tabla rhythms, gorgeously distant haunting flute, subtle synth surrounds and this wondrous Mellotron choir, all creating a most powerful effect for what is a languid, drifting cosmic music track, with the Mellotron being the central character for the early part of the piece. Around the five-minute point, more synths enter and the track strengthens its spacey path, the river of drifting electronic bass synth now more noticeable underneath. The music travels slowly on, implying melody without really creating it, the textures changing with the mood just perfectly set and reflected in what is a truly emotional slice of music. With string synths, the undulating tabla rhythms, more Mellotrons and surrounding synth effects dominating the track; it's a deep and gorgeous slice of space music from start to finish.
'Journey To Brittany' is immediately revealed to be less overtly dark than the previous track, with synths leading the way as a wordless choral voice appears on top, the space synths spreading all around the musical horizon as the flutes emerge in the background. This cosmic effect that's heard and created is largely slowly changed as the track rolls by, but what you hear is what it is - the sound of deep, relaxed and quite gorgeous multi-layered synths-dominated cosmic music.
'Fullmoon Desert' has the flutes becoming more apparent in the mix, although still decidedly part of the overall electronic soundscape, but with this huge canopy of spacey synths opening up all around, it is the keyboards that are still the main feature of the music, as possibly the most drifting track on the album rolls by.
Finally, 'Cloud Ghosts' returns to the darker side, with more rolling bass undercurrents, deep and dark cosmic synths, eerie flutes and rumbles of deep synth layers that soar, float and drift.
So, apart from the slow tabla rhythms on one track, this is a completely non-rhythmic, space-synth, multi-textured, richly arranged and full-sounding cosmic music album - and it's a gem from start to finish.
Andy Garibaldi (GB) 10 / 2004
In den 80'er und 90'er Jahren machte eine Band in der Elektronikszene von sich reden, weil sie sehr rockige und asiatische Elemente mit elektronischen Sounds verknüpfte. Darüber hinaus waren ihre Konzerte immer mit visuellen Effekten wie z. B. bengalischem Feuer und Verkleidungen gespickt. Die Rede ist von Mind Over Matter, der Band von Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Die Alben erschienen seinerzeit auf dem - ursprünglich von Klaus Schulze gegründeten und von Michael Weisser fortgeführten - IC-Label. Nach der Auflösung des Labels brachte er unter dem Namen "Cosmic Hoffmann" bisher drei CDs heraus, die mehr in die Richtung Ambient und "Berliner Schule" gingen.
Jetzt, im Jahr 2004, hat er unter dem Titel "On The Wings Of The Wind" auf seinem eigenen Label eine neue Mind Over Matter-CD veröffentlicht.
Die CD hat das Thema Ballonfahren. Neben Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, der auf dem Album Tasteninstrumente, Gitarren und Sitar spielt, wirkt noch Volker Kuinke an Soprano-, Alto-, Tenor und Bass-Recorder mit. Volker hat Klaus auch die Idee zum Thema des Albums geliefert, denn er hat schon zig Gasballonfahrten unternommen und ist unter Anderem zweifacher Gasballon-Europameister. Auf seinen Reisen hat er viele Fotos geschossen, von denen einige sehr atmosphärische Beispiel in dem 16seitigen Booklet enthalten sind. Außerdem sind dort reichliche Informationen zu den einzelnen Stücken abgedruckt.
Die CD beginnt mit dem Stück "Crossing Jamuna River". Erst hört man eine Art Gequake oder Gezirpe von Tieren, die an einem Wasserlauf verweilen, gefolgt von sanften Synthieklängen, die aus dem Off langsam heraufziehen. Neben Synthieflächen hören wir auch eine Flöte, dazu mischen sich Sitarklänge. Das vermittelt gleich eine Art von Schweben und passt hervorragend zu dem Thema, denn man hat schon geistig abgehoben und sieht sich langsam über eine Flusslandschaft fahren. Die weiteren vier Stücke, die allesamt jenseits der Zehnminutengrenze liegen, vermitteln eine gleichartige Stimmung.
"Mountain Thunder", das eine Ballonfahrt über die Alpen nach Italien als Grundlage hat, beginnt gleich mit einem Gewitter, dem dann sanfte Melodien folgen. Verstärkt wird dieser musikalische Trip noch durch Windgeräusche, die sofort vereiste und schneebedeckte Gipfel vor dem geistigen Auge aufsteigen lassen. "Journey To Brittany" nimmt uns auf eine Fahrt in die französische Bretagne mit. Dann geht es in "Fullmoon Desert" bei Nacht und Vollmond über die Wüstenlandschaft Neu-Mexikos hinweg. Hier zirpen die Grillen zu den perlenden Synthieklängen von Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Der Abschlusstitel "Cloud Ghosts" nimmt uns mit in eine Höhe von zwei bis drei Kilometern. Dort schweben wir über den Wolken zwischen einem weißen Untergrund und dem strahlend blauen Himmel. Die Erde wird nur sichtbar, wenn die Wolken vereinzelt aufbrechen. Eine absolute innerliche Ruhe kehrt beim Hören dieser Sounds und Melodien ein.
Mit dieser CD ist den beiden Musikern eine sehr atmosphärisch dichte Produktion gelungen, in der man sich sofort fallen lassen kann. Das Thema wurde sehr ansprechend und gut umgesetzt, da man schon kurz nach dem Start des Silberlings geistig in die Höhe schwebt und über weite Landschaften treibt.
Stephan Schelle, MOONHEAD Oktober 2004
If you ever had the chance to glide for hours and hours with the wind over the clouds, in face of only the sun and the bright blue sky, without any noises and hassle, you will understand what their new CD is about: the great experiences and feelings during those sky-high journeys.
Together with his musical friend (flute/recorders) and twice European Gasballooning Champion Volker Kuinke MIND OVER MATTER's mastermind Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock recorded the "soundtracks" for a bunch of different balloontrips through whole Europe, Asia and the USA.
The result is 65 minutes of floating, sometimes meditative, quiet and mystical, sometimes spicy Asian-flavoured mind music that gives the listeners an idea of those unknown adventures "on the wings of the wind".
The CD is the first MIND OVER MATTER product that comes out (besides the COSMIC HOFFMANN-CDs) on Hoffmann-Hoock's own HEART & MIND label.
On The Wings Of The Wind ist eine sehr schöne musikalische Reise mit dem Gasballon über die verschiedensten Teile der Erde. Sehr harmonisch in Musik umgesetzt, lässt uns die Fahrt mit dem Ballon den Alltagsstress vergessen .
Am besten im Dunkeln die Musik mit Kopfhörer genießen, denn so kann man sich intensiver auf diese schöne Atmosphäre konzentrieren. Neben der tollen Musik ist diese CD auch mit einem aufwendig gestaltetem Booklet mit sehr schönen Bildern ausgestattet . Es lohnt sich also.
sequenzerwelten.de
Delicate soundscapes open 'Crossing Jamuna River (Balloonflight Of Our Fantasy)' with singing insects which charm on lapping water. With such a title and the inner sleeve that goes in it, we easily guess that we fly over the Jamuna River, by one peaceful moment that gives us the chance to hear the wind as far as it can't interfere. The synth floats among the marvellous breaths of a recorder. The peace of the atmosphere, the fusion between the flute and synth on sitar chords is a unique moment of appeasement which extends our vision far away boring the horizon. Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock is in paradise. As high as the clouds, him and his flutist companion Volker Kuinke, twice European Gasballooning Champion, furrow the heights of Asia in search of inspiration. And on this first track, we are with them. We close our eyes and the connection is made. We have the feeling to be there, that we also see the images that their music describes so well - tenderness and amazement - a great inspired track.
It is with astonishing thunders that 'Mountain Thunder' begins, a tribal spirit title with tabla percussion that floats on rich Mellotron layers to lascivious movements.
The noise of flowing water mixes with the magic breaths of Volker Kuinke's flute, on the 'Journey to Brittany' intro. A celestial voice rises among this transition, half animal, half human, it moults itself in ethereal breaths, as synthetic passages that the wind raises at the top of clouds. Floating, with melodious fluty harmonies 'Journey to Brittany' owes its beauty to its environment.
A strange tic-tac emerges from an insects concerto that a tiny shimmering swirl half buries. 'Fullmoon Desert' becomes a superb melody on an atonic movement, stuffed of chimes and scintillating serpentines of harmonious keys which twist with tenderness.
'Cloud Ghosts' opens on drones which join to soft flute breaths, rocked by synthetic pads, hardly mutable, this slow procession progresses on a beautiful sensual bass which undulates an animated intonation of fine tabla percussion. 'Cloud Ghosts' is a beautiful title of a nostalgic softness that a beautiful flute oversizes the beauty on splendid synthetic layers that blow in an environment with hostile murmurs.
'On the Wings of the Wind' is a whole musical voyage where MIND OVER MATTER traces a romantic portrait of a planet end that our eyes will undoubtedly never see, but that our ears will have seen, thanks to the perspicacity of MIND OVER MATTER.
Sylvain Lupari, 'Guts of Darkness', Canada 1/2007
"On the Wings of the Wind" is the first MOM-CD on Klaus' own Heart & Mind-label. The concept of the album is gasballooning and the uplifting experiences and feelings which occur during the sky-high journeys. In regards it isn't that new as far as the subject before has been transferred in music by Erik Wollo ("Wind Journey") and Kevin Kendle ("Aerial Vistas"). Nevertheless, Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock composed the album together with his friend and twice European Gasballooning Champion Volker Kuinke (flute/recorders). The 65-minutes are divided in 5 engaging tracks of 10-14 minutes each, which act like virtual soundtracks for different balloon trips. They all sound very relaxing as they float by in all their quiet, almost meditative mysticism, on a few occasions a bit spiced with Asian elements known from his former albums. In all, listening to this album is very enjoyable and I'm sure all his fans will be pleased as well.
Bert Strolenberg
E-dition Magazine
The man behind Mind Over Matter is Klaus 'Cosmic' Hoffmann-Hoock. I have to admit that I'd not come across this side of Klaus' work before, so I was intrigued. The 'concept' behind this release is to create music that conjures visions of hot air balloon flights. The influence for this musical journey is Volker Kuinke, musical collaborator, playing a variety of recorders, and champion hot air balloonist.
Insect sounds and the sound of a trickling stream open 'Crossing Jamuna River (Ballonflight of our fantasy)'. A haunting, mellow synth pad rises and a plaintive recorder melody weaves in and out of the mix. It's beautiful and deeply relaxing. Things become more symphonic around the 2 minute mark; and the melodic duties become shared by gentle and understated sitar work (real, not synthetic!). Everything is now in place and we are allowed to 'float', and what an apt description that is!
The sound of thunder is an obvious but effective introduction for 'Mountain Thunder'. A very eastern-sounding wind instrument plays an evocative melody; tablas add yet more of an eastern feel; whilst Mellotron choirs suggest Klaus' 'day job'! A heavily filtered synth lead and glorious strings add melodic and harmonic support. This is superb stuff, I am very impressed by the playing. This is not the new age 'twaddle' I feared!
'Journey to Brittany' very much follows the pattern of the previous tracks, but adds a vocal performance to the mix. It's very 'abstract' really, not singing words (as far I could make out), but using the voice more like an instrument. It fits the music well.
'Fullmoon Desert' opens with the sounds of insects, and then a flurry of percussive (marimba-like) notes suggests 'take-off'. Yet another cracking melody is deployed and we're back to glorious drift. Like so much of this CD the music is deeply visual, it would perfectly fit a wildlife or travel documentary. A tinkling melody is added at just the right moment. This is a key feature actually. The musicians have carefully judged when drift could become tedious, and have ensured that fresh musical ideas are added, when necessary, but they never interrupt the flow.
Deep drones signal the arrival of 'Cloud Ghosts'. Strings and recorder begin to fill in the melodic detail. There is a melancholy feel to this track, heightened by some abstract vocal samples. The lavish and beautiful insert booklet describes the inspiration for this track as 'gliding silently through the air at 2 to 3 kilometres for a whole day' and the way that this encourages 'philosophising'. This track, and in fact the whole CD, would be perfect for this. If you ever 'use' music for relaxation, buy this immediately.
(WP GB 2005)
The last year released a studio album of his band Mind over Matter was 1998. After this album, called Avatar, Klaus was involved in many projects, of which his activities as Cosmic Hoffmann were most noticeable. Together with keyboard player Stephen Parsick Klaus released two albums on his own Heart & Mind label (Beyond the Galaxy in 1998 and Shiva Connection in 2000). Both albums were considered sensational in the electronic scène: not only were they filled with astounding Berliner Schule sequencers, but the intensity and the quality of music and production caused many a fan of electronic music to realize that there was still hope in the gradually declining EM-scene.
The question of course was what Klaus' next project would be. In the year 2000 he released another live album by Mind over Matter (Under the Stars, recorded in 1999) and also two DVD's were finished. These DVD's (Asia 1 and 2) included wonderful images (photographs and films) of Klaus' voyages in Asia accompanied by previously released studio-tracks of Mind over Matter. The second DVD contains an interesting extra: a 1997 live version of "Dreamy Kathmandu". Next to this Klaus appeared as welcomed session musician with other bands like Solar Project, Pyramid Peak and [Thomas]Fanger & [Mario] Schönwälder. He also released the album Heartbeat (2001) under his own name. This was to be the first album in the so-called Encounter-series of the Heart & Mind label. The encounter on this CD was with the graphic artist and musician Hans-Werner Faßbender.
On December 15, 2002; Klaus appeared with some of his friends at a "Schallwende EM-breakfast" in Düsseldorf where an amazing live show was performed. The set included apart from music of Mind over Matter, Cosmic Hoffmann and Pink Floyd (Set the controls...) three new tracks. The concert was released in 2003 as Psychedelic Breakfast (Heart and Mind 4).
Now it is the year 2004 and a new album by Mind over Matter is released. The title of the album is On the Wings of the Wind. The CD cover has superb photography and design. Klaus worked on the album for two years, from July 2002 till July 2004. Striking is his concentration on keyboards instead of electric guitar. This is the second release in Klaus' Encounter-series. This time the encounter is with German flute player Volker Kuinke.
Volker Kuinke is an appreciated flute player (who plays as many flutes as Steve Howe does play guitars) who is connected to the famous German progrock band Eloy, the group around singer-guitarist Frank Bornemann. Volker wrote all liner notes for the recently released remastered versions of the first six Eloy albums, from Inside till Eloy Live. Volker is also well-known from his ballooning activities, having won European championships twice. According to him the only true balloon is the gas balloon (filled with noble gas) and not the noisy hot air balloon. With a gas balloon it is possible to be carried on the wings of the wind above landscapes in complete silence. Klaus and Volker tried to translate this feeling into music. The result of this attempt is without doubt sensational. In the five tracks, varying from eleven to fifteen minutes, the listener first travels to the Jamuna River in India, and then from Düsseldorf to the Bretagne, to the deserts of New Mexico and the Southern Alps, the journey is rounded off amidst ghostly clouds. The riches in sounds, the combined action between Klaus (on digital Mellotron and sitar) and Volker and the extraordinary production make On the Wings of the Wind into a must for all fans of electronic music. Both musicians are supported by familiars Peter Jörgens, Josef Götz and Jürgen Gisa.
I am convinced that this new Mind over Matter album will win even the last of the doubters over. Those who raised their eyebrows while listening to Klaus' omnipresent electric guitar on his previous albums can safely purchase this new Mind over Matter CD. These compositions filled with keyboards and recorders are breathtaking. I can recommend starting with the second track on the disc: "Mountain Thunder".Be prepared to be carried away on the wings of the wind.
De laatste keer dat Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock een studio-album van zijn groep Mind over Matter uitbracht was in het jaar 1998. Na dit album, getiteld Avatar, heeft Klaus zich beziggehouden met vele projecten, waarvan zijn activiteiten als Cosmic Hoffmann het meest opvallend waren. Samen met toetsenist Stephen Parsick bracht Klaus in 1998 en 2000 op zijn eigen Heart & Mind label twee albums (Beyond the Galaxy en Shiva Connection) uit die in elektronische kringen een regelrechte sensatie te noemen waren: niet alleen was hier Berliner Schule vol moddervette sequencers te horen, maar de intensiteit en de kwaliteit van het spel en de productie deed menig liefhebber van elektronische muziek verzuchten dat er nog hoop was voor de alsmaar vlakker wordende EM-scène.
De vraag was natuurlijk was Klaus' volgende project zou zijn. In 2000 liet hij nog een live-album van Mind over Matter verschijnen (Under the Stars, opgenomen in 1999) en ook zagen twee dvd's het daglicht. Deze dvds (Asia en Journey into Eternity) toonden zeer fraaie stilstaande en bewegende beelden van Klaus' reizen door Azië met begeleiding van eerder uitgebrachte studio-tracks van Mind over Matter. Een aardig extraatje voor de fans was een in 1997 opgenomen live-versie van "Dreamy Kathmandu" (op de tweede dvd). Hiernaast verscheen Klaus regelmatig als verdienstelijk gastmuzikant bij andere bands, zoals Solar Project, Pyramid Peak en [Thomas] Fanger & [Mario] Schönwälder. Ook liet hij onder eigen naam in 2001 het album Heartbeat verschijnen. Dit was de eerste release in de zg. encounter-series op het Heart & Mind label. De ontmoeting (encounter) op deze cd was met beeldend kunstenaar en muzikant Hans-Werner Faßbender.
Op 15 december 2002 gaf Klaus met enkele vrienden tijdens een "Schallwende EM-breakfast" in een radio-studio in Düsseldorf een verrassend live-optreden, waarbij naast muziek van Mind over Matter, Cosmic Hoffman en Pink Floyd (Set the controls...) ook drie nieuwe tracks werden uitgevoerd. Dit concert werd in 2003 uitgebracht onder de titel Psychedelic Breakfast (Heart and Mind 4).
Maar nu is het 2004 en voor me ligt het nieuwe album van Mind over Matter. De titel is On the Wings of the Wind. Het cd-hoesje blinkt uit door prachtige fotografie en vormgeving. Klaus heeft er twee jaar aan gewerkt, van juli 2002 tot juli 2004. Opvallend is het feit dat hij zijn handelsmerk, de elektrische gitaar, in de wilgen heeft gehangen en zich voornamelijk op toetsen heeft geconcentreerd. Behalve een nieuw Mind over Matter-album is het tegelijk de tweede release in de encounter-series. Dit keer is betreft het een ontmoeting met de fluitist Volker Kuinke.
Volker Kuinke is een gewaardeerd fluitist (die evenveel soorten fluiten speelt als Steve Howe gitaren) die een connectie heeft met de Duitse progrock band Eloy. Hij schreef alle teksten voor de cd-boekjes bij de recentelijk uitgebrachte geremasterde albums van Eloy, van Inside tot en met Eloy Live. Volker is ook bekend vanwege zijn activiteiten op het gebied van de ballonvaart. En de enige echte ballon is volgens tweemalig Europees kampioen Volker de gasballon (gevuld met edelgassen) en niet de hete luchtballon, die met veel herrie het luchtruim kiest. Met de gasballon is het mogelijk om met de vleugels van de wind in volledige stilte over landschappen meegesleept te worden. Wat Klaus en Volker geprobeerd hebben is dit gevoel te vertalen naar muziek. Het resultaat hiervan is ronduit sensationeel te noemen. In vijf tracks, variërend in lengte van elf tot vijftien minuten, wordt de luisteraar eerst meegevoerd over de Jamuna Rivier in India, van Düsseldorf naar Bretagne, naar de woestijnen van New Mexico en de zuidelijke Alpen, waarna de reis wordt afgesloten temidden van spookachtige wolken. De rijkdom aan geluiden, het samenspel van Klaus (op digitale mellotron en sitar) en Volker en de buitengewone productie maken On the Wings of the Wind tot een must voor alle fans van elektronische muziek. Beide muzikanten worden bijgestaan door oude rot Peter Jörgens, Josef Götz en Jürgen Gisa.
Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat dit nieuwe album van Mind over Matter ook de laatste twijfelaars over de streep zal trekken. Diegenen die hun wenkbrauwen wel eens fronsten bij de alom tegenwoordige elektrische gitaar van Klaus op zijn vorige albums, kunnen nu met een gerust hart deze Mind over Matter aanschaffen en in hun cd-lade plaatsen. Deze louter met toetsen en fluit gevulde composities zijn adembenemend. Het verdient aanbeveling om de beginnen met track 2: "Mountain Thunder". Laat je meevoeren on the wings of the wind.
Perry Moree / NL
Alfa Centauri Magazine Nr. 41 / December 2004
Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, aka MoM, has offered up on the album "On the wings of the wind" a rare and beautiful work of cosmic, celestial music.
The evocative, flowing soundscapes that he conjures up pure musicial magic. Enchanted by the whispers of exotic instruments and guitar embellishments, the level of consciousness is raised seven levels higher than the earthly realm. Listen and ascend.
Eurock USA
First brand-new studio album in ages for Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock's Mind Over Matter with his "Ultimate Digital Mellotron", synthesizers and various electric guitars, and it features 5 tracks between eleven and fifteen minutes in length. This time around, we're talking a musician in reflective mode as the album decides to chart a largely full-sounding, expansive, cosmic, spacey, melodic and richly textured path.
The opener, 'Crossing Jamuna River', soars and drifts on undercurrents of bass while on top and all around you hear the gorgeous sound of cosmic synths, eerie flute sounds and ripples of Indian tampura to add to the exotic effect, as the tracks floats effortlessly forward, transfixing you with its heady delights - A supreme example of space synth music at its most beautiful.
'Mountain Thunder' opens with slowly undulating tabla rhythms, gorgeously distant haunting flute, subtle synth surrounds and this wondrous Mellotron choir, all creating a most powerful effect for what is a languid, drifting cosmic music track, with the Mellotron being the central character for the early part of the piece. Around the five-minute point, more synths enter and the track strengthens its spacey path, the river of drifting electronic bass synth now more noticeable underneath. The music travels slowly on, implying melody without really creating it, the textures changing with the mood just perfectly set and reflected in what is a truly emotional slice of music. With string synths, the undulating tabla rhythms, more Mellotrons and surrounding synth effects dominating the track; it's a deep and gorgeous slice of space music from start to finish.
'Journey To Brittany' is immediately revealed to be less overtly dark than the previous track, with synths leading the way as a wordless choral voice appears on top, the space synths spreading all around the musical horizon as the flutes emerge in the background. This cosmic effect that's heard and created is largely slowly changed as the track rolls by, but what you hear is what it is - the sound of deep, relaxed and quite gorgeous multi-layered synths-dominated cosmic music.
'Fullmoon Desert' has the flutes becoming more apparent in the mix, although still decidedly part of the overall electronic soundscape, but with this huge canopy of spacey synths opening up all around, it is the keyboards that are still the main feature of the music, as possibly the most drifting track on the album rolls by.
Finally, 'Cloud Ghosts' returns to the darker side, with more rolling bass undercurrents, deep and dark cosmic synths, eerie flutes and rumbles of deep synth layers that soar, float and drift.
So, apart from the slow tabla rhythms on one track, this is a completely non-rhythmic, space-synth, multi-textured, richly arranged and full-sounding cosmic music album - and it's a gem from start to finish.
Andy Garibaldi (GB) 10 / 2004
In den 80'er und 90'er Jahren machte eine Band in der Elektronikszene von sich reden, weil sie sehr rockige und asiatische Elemente mit elektronischen Sounds verknüpfte. Darüber hinaus waren ihre Konzerte immer mit visuellen Effekten wie z. B. bengalischem Feuer und Verkleidungen gespickt. Die Rede ist von Mind Over Matter, der Band von Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Die Alben erschienen seinerzeit auf dem - ursprünglich von Klaus Schulze gegründeten und von Michael Weisser fortgeführten - IC-Label. Nach der Auflösung des Labels brachte er unter dem Namen "Cosmic Hoffmann" bisher drei CDs heraus, die mehr in die Richtung Ambient und "Berliner Schule" gingen.
Jetzt, im Jahr 2004, hat er unter dem Titel "On The Wings Of The Wind" auf seinem eigenen Label eine neue Mind Over Matter-CD veröffentlicht.
Die CD hat das Thema Ballonfahren. Neben Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, der auf dem Album Tasteninstrumente, Gitarren und Sitar spielt, wirkt noch Volker Kuinke an Soprano-, Alto-, Tenor und Bass-Recorder mit. Volker hat Klaus auch die Idee zum Thema des Albums geliefert, denn er hat schon zig Gasballonfahrten unternommen und ist unter Anderem zweifacher Gasballon-Europameister. Auf seinen Reisen hat er viele Fotos geschossen, von denen einige sehr atmosphärische Beispiel in dem 16seitigen Booklet enthalten sind. Außerdem sind dort reichliche Informationen zu den einzelnen Stücken abgedruckt.
Die CD beginnt mit dem Stück "Crossing Jamuna River". Erst hört man eine Art Gequake oder Gezirpe von Tieren, die an einem Wasserlauf verweilen, gefolgt von sanften Synthieklängen, die aus dem Off langsam heraufziehen. Neben Synthieflächen hören wir auch eine Flöte, dazu mischen sich Sitarklänge. Das vermittelt gleich eine Art von Schweben und passt hervorragend zu dem Thema, denn man hat schon geistig abgehoben und sieht sich langsam über eine Flusslandschaft fahren. Die weiteren vier Stücke, die allesamt jenseits der Zehnminutengrenze liegen, vermitteln eine gleichartige Stimmung.
"Mountain Thunder", das eine Ballonfahrt über die Alpen nach Italien als Grundlage hat, beginnt gleich mit einem Gewitter, dem dann sanfte Melodien folgen. Verstärkt wird dieser musikalische Trip noch durch Windgeräusche, die sofort vereiste und schneebedeckte Gipfel vor dem geistigen Auge aufsteigen lassen. "Journey To Brittany" nimmt uns auf eine Fahrt in die französische Bretagne mit. Dann geht es in "Fullmoon Desert" bei Nacht und Vollmond über die Wüstenlandschaft Neu-Mexikos hinweg. Hier zirpen die Grillen zu den perlenden Synthieklängen von Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Der Abschlusstitel "Cloud Ghosts" nimmt uns mit in eine Höhe von zwei bis drei Kilometern. Dort schweben wir über den Wolken zwischen einem weißen Untergrund und dem strahlend blauen Himmel. Die Erde wird nur sichtbar, wenn die Wolken vereinzelt aufbrechen. Eine absolute innerliche Ruhe kehrt beim Hören dieser Sounds und Melodien ein.
Mit dieser CD ist den beiden Musikern eine sehr atmosphärisch dichte Produktion gelungen, in der man sich sofort fallen lassen kann. Das Thema wurde sehr ansprechend und gut umgesetzt, da man schon kurz nach dem Start des Silberlings geistig in die Höhe schwebt und über weite Landschaften treibt.
Stephan Schelle, MOONHEAD Oktober 2004