All synth recordings were made using a Korg X5D, an entry synthesizer that I know inside out. It appears on all of my albums, on most exclusively so. The way I create my music is to record from sources (ie. the Korg synth, nature etc.) and then manipulate the result in a DAW until it’s hard to hear where music stops and sound design begins.

On Niemandsland the line between fieldrecording and synthesizer is blurred to an extend the entire album feels a little blurry, smeared, muffled and with resonant drones that can sometimes be soothing or oppressive and harsh sounding. It works in it's own right, of course and was well reviewed:

“… Florianz's attention to detail and ability to create intense swathes of emotive ambience is hard to beat …” – Paul Lloyd for Igloomag.com

Thank you Paul - Nevertheless, the release mostly sounded best on my specific headphones and that did not translate fully to other listening environments, requiring a lot of power and big speakers to sound good at a lower volume. An above average listening environment to reveal the nuances buried beneath the surface of drones and noise

For the remaster I've broken the original release up into "scenes" every time the sound moves to a new place or presents a significant tonal shift I change my approach for re-mastering. In the 60 minute runtime, on average, each section is about 30 to 90 seconds long.

In the embedded video I show the mastering tools used for one such "scene". I am especially pleased with DSEQ3 (paid for from sales on Bandcamp, thank you!) for helping me temper harshness and resonant drones without loosing the essence of the original. Ozone’s tools also worked wonders in dynamically bringing out the detail and clarity.

So in the end it's perhaps a little more than a remaster and perhaps a bit of a reimagination. Therfor the download of Niemandsland on bandcamp also included the original 2006 release so that the original version is preserved also. Visit: https://matthewflorianz.bandcamp.com/album/niemandsland for comparison, adjusting the volume of the original is required as it is much quieter.

Review quotes:

"... too epic to be merely ambient, subtly mutates and evolves into a massive cloud of tuned air mixed with chord-rush to occupy a space not far removed from Roach's Magnificent Void ..." - i/o by Alan Lockett

"... evoke imagery of gray, cold and barren spaces. This is not dark ambience! It is totally ambivalent. It seeks neither to soothe nor to provoke. Rather, it seeks to isolate and abandon..." - Jim Brenholts

"... doggedly minimalistic, monochrome, existing in a state of near stasis, almost sacral. Far from intimate, it is rather desolate, seeming to take in huge stretches of featureless geography at close range..." - sonumu by stephen fruitman

Hello, I’m Matthew Florianz also known as Liquid Morphine. I'm an ambient music producer, game audio professional and have taken inspiration from both to create the immersive, dynamic and layered soundscapes for this project.

The opening track starts with a peaceful field recording before erupting into a massive sub-bass sound. It is a thunderous start for an ambient project: Dynamic, intense and setting the tone for the second half, which mellows into a serene space. The final track signifies a new state of being, emerged from the descent before.

This feeling of descending (philosophical, emotional and physical) has been a fascination while creating A River Buried in Sand. I’ve thought of it as a soundtrack for an exploration into the underworld, an ambience for an imaginary game and also as a reflection on the five stages of grief.

The enveloping soundscapes and the images brought about are achieved through carefully chosen recording techniques that blend field recordings, analogue synthesizers, sound design and post-processing effects. This release is mastered for headphones and best enjoyed in a comfortable position, like lying down. For me, it can induce a feeling of falling, while simultaneously lying still.

In sharing some of my inspirations and experiences, I hope that you might find your own.
Available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms from August 31st 2023.

Recently, a sequence accompanied these moody images of misty streetlights:
Video - You Tube

When re-acquainted with the source material, rearranged and re-imagined, a recording for release was hiding in the material all along!

I’ve shared one track which showcases the nosier aspects, the mastering and also how beauty springs from the distortions. As the album progresses beyond that moment, it will become more introspective and perhaps a little less angry.

If you appreciate music to be “physical” – bonus materials include full colour artwork to be printed and applied onto a CD-R backup of the uncompressed download.