Lyrics

Synopsis

Founding members Dennis Stant and Joris Wittenberg met during their university studies in 1995. A mutual interest in progressive rock (among other things) sparked a long lasting friendship, as well as the first forays into songwriting together.

In 1997 Dennis co-founded the rockband Counterpoint in which Joris joined as the bass player. Many original songs were written and occasionally performed live. Although there was room for many musical ideas in the band, it also was clear that some musical preferences, shared between Dennis and Joris, were out of place in Counterpoint.

This led them to start a side-project for ‘that kind of music’, which was named Landscape. At the time, home recording on computers was quickly becoming a realistic option, allowing the newly formed ‘band’ to rely on computers for drums, synthesizer sounds and recording – thus keeping the band small and focused. A vocalist was not needed... yet.

And so, the ‘part band – part machine’ set of to write music. There was no intention of ever becoming a live band, creating a free atmosphere for trying out many ideas. Usually Dennis ‘planted a seed’ with a guitar part, and Joris acted as the ‘fruitful soil’, building bass and synth parts around it. Together, they arranged the bits and pieces into songs.

Over the next years, a number of songs began to emerge from the pool of ideas and snippets, with eventually enough material for a CD. The time had come to search for a vocalist, as this was clearly something that neither a computer nor the band members could provide.

Finding a singer was no easy task, as the band had no live gigs, fame or financial gain to offer. Nor was the music ‘easy’ to sing along with. They searched someone that simply liked the music, was up for the challenge and had a desire to provide vocal parts - just for the sake of it.

Nevertheless, people responded. After some auditions, mostly carried out over the internet, talented singers were found and asked to join the band. Some lyrics and melodies were written over the next years. Unfortunately, two consecutive singers were unable to invest the time end energy required, and eventually abandoned the project.

Disappointed, the band set off for a third round of auditioning - and hit the jackpot. Sandra Smit stood out with her warm, smooth and intimate voice and some immediate great ideas. She joined the band and has been with us ever since.

In the years that followed, the three band members focused all energy on completing the vocal parts for the CD. Joris and Sandra proved to be particularly succesfull in writing lyrics and vocal melodies. Vocals were recorded and mixed in the modest (and sometimes unbearably hot) attic studio of Joris, during many evening sessions.

By this time, all band members also had regular dayjobs and all became parents. It had been a long time since the band was originally founded. But over the years, the music and energy stayed and evolved with us.

When the CD was finally finished in 2012, Landscape was ready to go public.

The band will continue working on new songs, hopefully resulting in many more CD’s to come. The original spirit of the band remains as it was since the beginning: to write and record music that we like. Not music that must be economically viable or ‘work’ in a live setting. Just for the fun of it. Now if only we can somehow pick up the pace

Photo's

Buy our CD

Our CD 'Staring at Utopia' is avaliable in CD standard quality and contains the following songs:

1 Blink of an Eye
2 Staring at Utopia
3 World within a World
4 Captive Dreams
5 Straightjacket vs. Individual
6 From Deep Within
7 The Third Life
8 Undetectable
9 A Hundred Reasons

It is available as physical CD or as download.

Order physicial CD

Comes in case with full color prints. It will be prepared and shipped with love by the bandmembers themselves! Transaction handled by Paypal. It costs $15 with a flat $5 international shippingrate.

Download CD or individual songs