Roger Matura - Time on Earth (2021) [Hi-Res]

No Need for Words: These twelve instrumental pieces highlight the soundscape-character of Matura's new approach. There is a lot of space and calmness in the compositions, which feel atmospheric and free – or, as Matura puts it, "cinemasque".

Rather than once again relying on his signature vintage-sound with plenty of references to the 60s and 70s, Matura was looking for more contemporary impulses this time. Taking Bon Iver as a cue, he spent two years studying the necessary technology.

The music may not seem all that striking, but each new listen reveals more of its gentle beauty - Time on Earth may well be the perfect summary of Matura's creative ambitions.

From Dylan to Waits, from Carly Simon to Joni Mitchell: Great songwriters tend to be great poets, too. Still, there are places which words can't reach. It is these places that Roger Matura keeps revisiting to gather inspiration. Already on his 2005 album Time Traveller, the vocal songs felt like lonely islands in an ocean of mesmerising instrumentals. On Follow me down to Chesil Bay he even let the music do all the talking. In some respects, Time on Earth seems to simply follow in the footsteps of this tradition. On closer inspection, however, there is a lot more going on here.

Rather than once again relying on his signature vintage-sound with plenty of references to the 60s and 70s, Matura was looking for more contemporary impulses this time. Taking Bon Iver as a cue, he spent two years studying the necessary technology. It was a phase of "hair-tearing, nerve-wrecking and occasionally frustrating production work". Still, there was a happy ending after all: When he went through all the pieces he'd recorded, there was enough material for a full four to five albums. Three of them alone will now see the light in 2020.

In some respects, precisely because of its instrumental purity, Time on Earth serves as the perfect summary of Matura's creative ambitions. These twelve pieces may not seem all that striking at first. But each new listen reveals more of their gentle beauty. Even more than the songs on his other two new albums, Take on the Giants and Roter Mohn, these tracks highlight the soundscape-character of Matura's new approach. There is a lot of space and calmness in the compositions, which feel atmospheric and free – or, as Matura puts it, "cinemasque".

It may be true that great songwriters often define themselves as great poets. Roger Matura is certainly no exception to that rule. And yet, they all share a simple understanding: That words should only be used if they add to the silence hidden behind the sounds. On Time on Earth, that simply didn't seem necessary any more.

Roger Matura, vocals, grand piano, piano, guitars, keyboards, orchestration, drum & sound programming
Armin Dahm, keyboards, piano, bass, drum & sound programming