Everything you ever wanted to know about Novalis....

[regenerativemusic]

Seems like this band really dropped off the map. I don't read German very well so anything that I may have seen on a German only site
about what has happened to the band escaped me.

Does anyone know anything about this band they care to share? I think they did high quality music and it's sad to think they may die without
much of a biography of the band or decent interviews.

[Rarebird]

I wrote a large article about them for a Dutch magazine. Alas I don't have interviews with them. They weren's really very cooperative when I wrote the article.

Perhaps they didn't really like it that the band that once was their support-act became much, much bigger than they ever were.

[Mister Triscuits]

Perhaps they didn't really like it that the band that once was their support-act became much, much bigger than they ever were.

OK, I'll bite: who would that be?

[Scrotum Scissor]

I still like Banished Bridge, but although I prefer artists to sing in their native tongue no matter what, I find that Novalis' music actually got less interesting after that debut. It's the only one I've kept, along with one album each by Grobschnitt, Shaa Khan, Triumvirat, Anyone's Daughter, Pell Mell, Tritonus etc.

West German "symphonic" rock was never really my thing, though I sometimes pull out titles by S.F.F., Wallenstein or Sahara.

[regenerativemusic]

I still like Banished Bridge, but although I prefer artists to sing in their native tongue no matter what, I find that Novalis' music actually got less interesting after that debut. It's the only one I've kept, along with one album each by Grobschnitt, Shaa Khan, Triumvirat, Anyone's Daughter, Pell Mell, Tritonus etc.

West German "symphonic" rock was never really my thing, though I sometimes pull out titles by S.F.F., Wallenstein or Sahara.

I really like Novalis. I have been a huge fan, even creating the main international mailing list for the poet Novalis they took their name from well before I ever got into this German band. I love singing in German. After all, Germany with France and England was massively influential in the world at one time, and so there is some residual aesthetic power listening to this language, at least from this historical sense of it.

I wouldn't think that a band of such quality would become petty and remorseful but then artists can be odd and I've learned not to be surprised. I would love to get a paste in or link to that article in Dutch. I would go to the link of translating it if you feel it has some unique information in it.

[Progbear]

I have a soft spot for them, as Vielleicht bist Du ein Clown? was my first non-English-language prog album. I like them fine, but I think they’ve never bettered their self-titled second album (though I find that Brandung comes close, and that the much-vaunted Sommerabend is slightly overrated in comparison).

[Levgan]

I still like Banished Bridge, but although I prefer artists to sing in their native tongue no matter what, I find that Novalis' music actually got less interesting after that debut.

I encountered this opinion before, always from people whose tastes are generally close to mine and who are very knowledgeable music collectors, but it still baffles me every time. No matter how hard I tried, I just never could get into that Banished Bridge LP, found the music contrived and the vocals particularly off-putting. On the other hand, the next two LPs are among the best in the entire German symphonic prog repertoire, and the live one is pretty awesome as well. From Brandung on I'm starting to lose interest, but it's a slow process with Novalis (which is fitting if you consider the average tempo of their songs), so even on Augenblicke from 1980, which is chronologically their last LP that I heard, there is some nice material to be found among the more uninspired parts.

[regenerativemusic]

The thing about this band is that there is absolute no press about them that has made it to English. No magazine spreads scanned that I know of, nor cross-band friendships, etc. It's like they existed in the Middle Ages.

[JeffCarney]

I enjoy them. Konzerte was the first album I tried by them. Just took a chance on it and glad I did. Side 2 of that album is fantastic, IMO.

I really appreciate Banished Bridge the most in some ways. That organ sound Rahn was getting was to die for. Nice dynamics, really great melodic ideas ... a bit of Procol Harum in there, of course. Dark flavors but also really pummeling PFM-like, upbeat stuff on the title track. In fact the title track is a beautiful balance of major and minor themes and well arranged.

I can certainly understand why some find the vocals to be a mess on the debut, but I like them for some reason.

The s/t is excellent, even if the opening synth melody in "Sonnengeflecht" is just plain "off" and a bit misleading as to the quality that will ensue. Pretty darned unique "symph" approach they were developing here. Sommerabend is even better for my money, but again "Aufbruch" opens the proceedings with electric piano that has a note which is out of tune. I really dig the title track.

Brandung is good even if they are starting to sound a bit over-polished. "Astralis" alone is worth the price of admission. Nice live version of this showed up on the second Brain Festival LP.

Vielleicht Bist Du Ein Clown? is as good as Brandung. The next two have their moments as well but after that I haven't delved into much.

[zeprogmeister]

The s/t and Sommerabend are the ones I like most. Flossenengel is quite good too. A concept album about whales are something like that.

[regenerativemusic]

It would be pretty awesome to understand the German while they sing this.

Astralis

It breaks in a new world
And darkens the brightest sunshine
It now looks mossy ruins
A wonderful shimmer strange future
And what was previously commonplace
Seems now so strange and wonderful

The kingdom of love is opened
The fable begins to spin
The world is a dream, the dream world
The Urspiel nature begins and falls
Begins and falls

And so the great world mind
Everywhere stirs and infinitely blooms
Everything has to mesh
One thrive by Andre and mature;
Each in Allen represents arises
By mingled and greedy falls in their depths

The kingdom of love is opened
The fable begins to spin
The world is a dream, the dream world
The Urspiel nature begins and falls
Begins and falls

What you believed it happened
Can you see coming from far only
Free to turn the fantasy only
Some obscure, deploy many
verschweben Finally in magical mist
Sorrow, lust, death and life

The kingdom of love is opened
The fable begins to spin
The world is a dream, the dream world
The Urspiel nature begins and falls
Begins and falls

Who the highest Lieb 'result
Lernet in their wounds to life
Painful each band must tear
Once orphan the most faithful heart
The body is in tears
Consumed by fear tendon
The second tomb, the world will
The heart, as ash falls down,

The kingdom of love is opened
The fable begins to spin
The world is a dream, the dream world
The Urspiel nature begins and falls
Begins and falls

[regenerativemusic]

http://www.rocktimes.de/gesamt/n/nov...terview12.html

https://translate.google.com/transla...terview12.html

might be the translation

http://migmusicshop.com/UserFiles/Me...ert_1984_E.pdf

http://www.mig-music.de/en/releases/novalis-2/

[moecurlythanu]

Had Banished Bridge back in the day, but didn't keep it. Plodding and boring, as I recall. I've since picked up a few of their later albums, but have yet to spend much time with them.

[regenerativemusic]

From a German Yahoo Q and A:

Does anyone know what has become of the singer Fred Mühlböck of the group "Novalis"?
He wanted to start a solo career under the name * Fred Welser * and was from Austria

[regenerativemusic]

Not sure how annoying all these Novalis facts are going to be but I find them interesting.


"RNS"
Written by Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Dominick Wickliffe, Abraham Orellana, Justin Smith, O'Shea Jackson, Anthony Wheaton, Betty Mabry and Fred Mühlböck
Performed by Slaughterhouse
Courtesy Of Shady Records/Interscope Records
Contains a sample from "Ich Habe Noch Nicht Gelernt Zu Lieben"
performed by Novalis courtesy of Ahorn Records.


more:

http://www.stephan-schelle.de/grobsc...alis-story.htm

https://translate.google.com/transla...alis-story.htm

[Rarebird]

OK, I'll bite: who would that be?

I think it was PUR.

[helicase]

It would be pretty awesome to understand the German while they sing this.

Astralis

It breaks in a new world
And darkens the brightest sunshine
It now looks mossy ruins
A wonderful shimmer strange future
And what was previously commonplace
Seems now so strange and wonderful
[...]

I can't teach you German but let me try and make the English a bit more intelligible (apologies to our German friends if I've mangled any of it, but do feel free to improve on my effort):

A new world breaks through
And darkens the brightest sunshine
Now from mossy ruins you see
A wondrously strange future shimmer through
And what was mundane before
Now seems so strange and wonderful

Love’s realm has been opened
The tale starts to spin
The world becomes a dream, the dream a world
The primeval game of nature starts and falls
Starts and falls

And so the great inner world of emotions
Stirs everywhere and flowers without end
Everything has to interlock
One thing through the other thrive and ripen
Each is represented in all
As it blends together and greedily falls into their depths

Love’s realm has been opened
The tale starts to spin
The world becomes a dream, the dream a world
The primeval game of nature starts and falls
Starts and falls

What was thought to have happened
One can only see as it comes from afar
Imagination must first unlock
Veil many things, unfold many things
Finally float away in a magical haze
Melancholy, lust, death and life

Love’s realm has been opened
The tale starts to spin
The world becomes a dream, the dream a world
The primeval game of nature starts and falls
Starts and falls

He who has surrendered to the highest love
Will learn to live in her wounds
Painfully every bond must break
One day the truest heart be orphaned
The body will dissolve into tears
Be consumed by anxious yearnings
A second grave the world becomes
The heart, as ashes, falls down

Love’s realm has been opened
The tale starts to spin
The world becomes a dream, the dream a world
The primeval game of nature starts and falls
Starts and falls

[strawberrybrick]

I did an interview with Hartwig Biereichel, super guy. VERY excellent band, but as others have said, very symphonic music. However there's a simplicity (for lack of a better word) to their music that draws me in, and if you understand German, they were one of the first to revert to their native Sprache. Achim Reichel produced most of their albums, at least in the 70s.

Carlos Karges had a pretty interesting career too, he wrote the lyrics to 99 Luftballons by Nena!

Oh yeah, I have an album by Lutz Rahn, havent' listened to that in ages!

[regenerativemusic]

I did an interview with Hartwig Biereichel, super guy. VERY excellent band, but as others have said, very symphonic music. However there's a simplicity (for lack of a better word) to their music that draws me in, and if you understand German, they were one of the first to revert to their native Sprache. Achim Reichel produced most of their albums, at least in the 70s.

Carlos Karges had a pretty interesting career too, he wrote the lyrics to 99 Luftballons by Nena!

Oh yeah, I have an album by Lutz Rahn, havent' listened to that in ages!

The mysteries are vanishing....

Lutz Rahn owns or founded a recording studio. It looks like he still composes.

http://www.lutz-rahn.de/contact.html

and this:

http://www.stephan-schelle.de/grobsc...alis_disco.htm

[Scrotum Scissor]

I love singing in German.

I do too, but the music itself became less rewarding - to my ears - when Carlo Carges joined the band and they started using native tongue. Earlier West German progressive groups like Hanuman/Lied des Teufels, Eulenspygel, Ihre Kinder, Prof. Wolfff and Floh de Cologne benefitted greatly from German vox, but these weren't "symphonic" rock. Grobschnitt did a German-language rendition of Jumbo which actually sounds way better than the original with English lyrics, but I couldn't tell if the use of German tongue was the reason why the music of Novalis became somewhat, uh, less appealing to me.

[jamesmanzi]

Seems like this band really dropped off the map.

This thread is my introduction to them. Listening to Brandung on youtube right now. First thing I clicked on. This is great stuff.

[Rarebird]

I have all their albums, even the non-prog ones.

[spacefreak]

In my order of preference:

Sommerabend (a classic of the german sympho scene)
Novalis
Brandung
Flossenengel
Banished Bridge

[Rarebird]

In my order of preference:

Sommerabend (a classic of the german sympho scene)
Novalis
Brandung
Flossenengel
Banished Bridge

I prefer the s/t over Sommerabend.

[strawberrybrick]

I have all their albums, even the non-prog ones.

Me too!