Access ’Echoes’ here:
A long time ago I sat down in Antigua together with Torsten, Angela, and Adrian to write songs for my second rock album “What Lies Beneath”. The writing session was successful and among other songs written, this beautiful one came out.
Still, I felt it needed its own special space and that my rock album was not the right place for it.
Many years after, when we were in the process of working with Outlanders, I remembered our song and wanted to use it. In fact, I ended up recording my vocals for the song more than once…
Our love for Africa and its people was the inspiration for this song. Adrian is a Kenyan national himself, so we started to speak about his life there and we wrote the lyrics having this in mind. The endless abuse of this continent throughout the history created the powerful lyrics and sends out a strong message.
Most of the population in Antigua is of an African ancestry as well, so you can clearly hear the echoes of Mother Africa and our song found its home with Outlanders. Everything is connected and happens for a reason.
When searching for the guitar guest for Echoes, I felt we needed a female sensitivity to capture our soul connection with the song. Jennifer Batten was the right person for it. She understood the concept and played wonderfully throughout the song, colouring it with different pedals and voices.
Personally, her playing made me weep. Jennifer, thank you for pouring yourself into our song.
Hopefully you can find Echoes inspiring!
CREATION OF THE VISUALIZER
On the visualizer for Echoes we wanted to show a different side of Antigua. Its natural beauty surrounds you wherever we go, but if you get to explore Antigua’s rainforest, you get to fall in love with it.
Wallings Dam is about a 30 minutes drive from Falmouth along Fig tree Drive. The old British built dam in itself is not hugely impressive, but the forest scenery around there makes a visit worthwhile.
Echoes is a song about Africa, without forgetting the origins of the people of Antigua and the dark history of slavery.
The day of the filming was super warm and humid, so it felt really nice to be embraced with so much greenery and nature.
We hope you will enjoy Echoes!
LYRICS
Rescue the fire
Hope springs eternal Vibrant desire
Mirage infernal
Darkland it cries
over the ages
Under the sky
You turn our pages
How can we learn from the reflection
where the real darkness lies
naked it burns
history‘s passion
Now can you hear how they rise?
Are they the echoes
of disillusions
Crossing the wind
do they know?
Kimya!
Always the echoes
of our delusions
Crossing the rivers
they grow
Nalia!
Voice undefined
lost in the meaning
So imprecise
The past concealing
How can we learn from the reflection
where the real darkness lies
naked it burns
history‘s passion
Now can you hear how they rise?
Are they the echoes
of disillusions
Crossing the wind
do they know?
Kimya!
Always the echoes
of our delusions
Crossing the rivers
they grow
Nalia!
Vocals Tarja
Programming Torsten
Guitars Jennifer Batten
Swahili spoken words Adrian
Recorded and engineered at English Harbour Studios & Embassy Studio Antigua & Barbuda by Torsten Stenzel
Vocals recorded by Tarja at Stardust III, Marbella, Spain
Guitars recorded and co-produced by Jennifer Batten
Produced and mixed by Torsten Stenzel, Tarja & MIC
Mastered by Tom Porcell Mastering
Executive Producer Marcelo Cabuli for NEMS Enterprises SRL
Art Direction Tarja & MIC
Antigua & Barbuda Photographs by Alexis Andrews
Artwork by Sebastian Freimauer
Album recorded and mixed using Genelec Studio Monitors
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