Cirque Klimperei – Deluxe 2 Vinyl gatefold – Available at Bandcamp now!

Klimperei! I have been a lover of their uniquely strange and beautiful music for well over 20 years, and some of the tracks on this album go back to the mid 1980's. When I initially approached composer Christophe Petchanatz with the idea of releasing a two record, comprehensive compilation of what I thought were some of their finest moments, he was immediately and completely enthused. Over the period of several months he gave me access to hundreds of tracks, giving me carte blanche to select those that I felt most expressive of his wonderful aesthetic.

I then arranged them in what I feel is a balanced selection of tracks and moods for the four sides of the release, and after some back and forth with Christophe, along with a complete re-mastering of the entire album by Taylor Deupree, the circus has come to town!

Much of Klimperei's music has an off kilter performative feel about it, as though it were written with specific characters and unusual concepts and scenarios in mind. This, and the fact that much of the music features the usage of various toy instruments, utensils, and noisy mechanisms led me to the concept that became "Cirque Klimperei." As I repeatedly listened, I began to envision the album as a soundtrack to a set of particular acts, performed for our pleasure by a most unusual cast!

"Klimperei" is a German word that means in effect...an awful plunking! That is hardly the case, and for me it is music that is difficult to describe in words. A blend of broken minuets and fractured fairy tales, wonderfully off-key, melancholic and melodic folk based meanderings, where mysteriously ethereal chiming and softly played piano leads into darker magical expanses, and magicians ply their theatrical trade under the big top that is "Cirque Klimperei!"

This 2 record release comes in two distinct vinyl versions. A "standard", heavyweight, gatefold jacketed edition of 150 copies, and an over the top Limited Edition version of 50 copies, which even by our standards is unbelievably and appropriately absurd!

For 10 years now I have been collecting all the copies I could find of a particular, 1959, double record release of Beethoven's, "Missa Solemnis" music. Released by Angel Records at the time, the two records came inside a gaudy, red and gold, embossed and die-cut, heavyweight, cardboard, windowed gatefold jacket. Over time I managed to collect 50 copies of these jackets, and just in time for this Klimperei release!

The appropriately dramatic looking jackets have been extensively modified, and been turned into an open air, 3D circus tent of sorts! As you open the jacket a sewn string of felt flags set the stage, while below, the popup "audiences" await, cut from from antique Bay Area children's class photos. A dangling antique French tram ticket gets you to the show.  The two interior spaces are decorated with an old bullet perforated paper shooting range target, Japanese art paper, hand cut, dimensional gold papers, and populated with a pop-up mermaid riding the waves, a hanging spinning children's game card, a hinged vintage French, Epinal postcard, and hand cut and collaged costumed figures from a colorful 100 year old book on the circus. The Circus is in town!

The 2 records come in poly inner sleeves, and the final fantastical package comes in an oversized outer poly sleeve.

Shipping starting mid-october 2024. The Deluxe Edition examples shown may or may not be the one you receive, as they are all uniquely different.

More Info about the deluxe packaging and Sound Clips!

Please purchase this release at our Bandcamp page...

https://timereleasedsound.bandcamp.com/