Mountain Melody

Growing up at the foot of the Alps, mountaineering is a natural need for the instrumental artist Mulo Francel. Up here, the mind gains a generous attitude. The problems and proportions of everyday life stay in the valley. Over several years, in different countries, Mulo Francel climbed with musical friends*. Sometimes arduous, but always in good spirits. Always with high quality recording equipment. Always with an instrument. On the almost 3000 meter high seat of the gods, Olympus, they dragged a bass-balalaika and a copper tube glockenspiel in addition to a saxophone and an Indian harmonium. The absolute height of the mountain is not always decisive. The crater rim of Vulcano north of Sicily is only a few hundred meters above sea level. Hot rock. Steaming sulfur plumes. On one side, the eye drops down into the volcanic cone. Here the Romans heard Vulcanus, the god of forging and fire, hammering away. Thus the mountain became the namesake for all volcanoes. The sound of the saxophone reverberates as if in a huge amphitheater. On the other side, the eye wanders over the myth-drenched Aeolian island world. Mulo Francel reports on his recordings on mountain peaks: Up there, civilization is silent. No mo-tors, no digital beeping. Sporadically the call of a mountain jackdaw. The wind as a disturbing noise in all frequency ranges. Often we had to wait for it to die down. Sometimes we caught an echo. But mostly there are no room acoustics at all. The complete openness of tonal and visual propagation. From the perspective of the summit, essential musical recordings were made. Later, in the studio, they were supplemented and condensed into the album Mountain Melody. The booklet provides further insights into the genesis of the album and provides information about the mountains and the musicians involved.