Single celled Organism - Percipio Ergo Sum - 2021
“... continuation of the story of the album "Splinter in the eye" ...”
intro
In the year 2017 progVisions published a review of the debut album "Splinter In The Eye" of a Jens Lueck project called Single Celled Organism. It was a concept album based on a modern-day dystopian story. This month Jens Lueck released a successor with the title "Percipio Ergo Sum" which includes the continuation of the story of the album "Splinter in the Eye".
All compositions and arrangements are by Jens Lueck except the main theme of “the girl” composed by Marie-Jeanne Lueck. The album is recorded, mixed and mastered by Jens Lueck at the Art of Music Studio (Garlstorf, Germany).
line-up
1. "She's awake" : Ingo Salzmann – Guitars; Isgaard – Vocals, VoiceJens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Voice
2. "The Final Door" : Johnny Beck – Electric Guitars; Jürgen Osuchowski – Acoustic Guitars; Volker Kuinke – Recorder; Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Percussion
3. "I'd Like to See" : Katja Flintsch – Violin; Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Guitars, Bass
4. "Ride On A Ray" : Ingo Salzmann – Guitars (Crunch, Distortion, Solo); Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Guitars (clean)
5. "Doubts" : Johnny Beck – Solo-Guitar; Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Programming
6. "Save Me From Dreaming" : Isgaard – Vocals; Johnny Beck – Guitars; Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals
7. "I'm Not Human" : Isgaard – Vocals; Johnny Beck – Guitars (second part of the song); Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Guitars (first part of the song), Backing-Vocals, Mouth-Percussion, Programming
8. "Hey You" : Ingo Salzmann – Guitars; Katja Flintsch – Violin & Viola (for orchestra-simulation); Olek Bakki – Violoncello (for orchestra-simulation); Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, additional Guitars; Kai Ritter - Voice
9. "Humble" : Isgaard – Vocals; Katja Flintsch – Violin & Viola (for orchestra-simulation); Olek Bakki – Violoncello (for orchestra-simulation); Jens Lueck – Keyboards, Guitars, Programming
10. "Entanglement Runs Off" : Ingo Salzmann - Guitars; Katja Flintsch – Violin & Viola (for orchestra-simulation); Olek Bakki – Violoncello (for orchestra-simulation); Johnny Beck – Additional Sequence-Guitar; Jens Lueck – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Programming; Kai Ritter - Voice
11. "Inhale the Dark" : Isgaard – Vocals; Jens Lueck – Keyboards, Vocals, Guitar
review
The story continues as follows ...
"The release of the artificial virus through the worldwide attack with bioweapons (religious extremists are suspected to be behind it) has, contrary to expectations, not wiped out mankind! About 5% of the people survived, a little less than half of them because of their relatively rare blood type which was immune to the virus, the rest had taken refuge in hermetically sealed bunkers to be protected.Both the "TV girl" (the TV girl had been locked in a sealed-off living wing from birth until the day of the bioweapons attack and was constantly monitored there, unaware that there was an outside world and other people) and the leader and initiator of the psychological experiment, Dr Barnaby, survived because of their blood type.The girl had fainted and Barnaby rescued her and took her to a bunker hospital where other members of Barnaby's research team had also taken refuge.The proponents argued differently: After all, the girl was now "free" and the second part of the observation could now be tackled without harming the "object" - as they called her; implantation of chips in the girl's body was necessary to realise tracking, interception, etc. (all in the service of science, of course). The problem, however, was that a world destroyed in large parts was too much of a "disruptive factor" and would not permit the desired research. The dispute escalated and government agencies stripped Barnaby and his confidants of their positions, finally forbidding them any further contact with the rest of the research team or the girl. The remaining scientists decided to continue the experiment, but not before the world would be "rebuilt". Therefore, they agreed to put the TV girl into an artificial deep sleep for at least 5 years ..."
The album opens with delicate piano and the voice of Isgaard in the song "She's awake". Besides Isgaard on vocals and a part of the narration of the story, and the nice melodic electric guitar at the end of the song, which is played by Ingo Salzmann, Jens Lueck is playing the other instruments like drums and keyboards (plus vocals and a part of the narration of the story). You will notice that Jens is also a fine drummer. Maybe because besides learning the classical piano at an early age, by coincidence he ended up playing the drums. So I think drums are his second instrument. Like on the first Single Celled Organism album he shows he is a very talented multi-instrumentalist and a fine singer. The second track "The Final Door" has Johnny Beck on electric guitars and Jurgen Osuchowski on acoustic guitars. Another familiar guest is making his entrance on the album, Volker Kuinke on recorder (progVisions readers will recognise his name from his own project Syrinx Call). "The Final Door" is a great song with fine drum work, synth solos and keyboard orchestration. The first highlight of this fine album. The slow ballad-like song "I'd Like to See" is working like a rest point after the previous great track. On tracks like "I'd Like to See" and the following song "Ride On a Ray" Jens shows us he is a fine singer and a composer who can come up with nice vocal melodies. In the latter song, Ingo Salzmann is playing a nice guitar solo. The following song "Doubts" is my next personal favourite song. After a delicate sung first part the tension of the music is slowly building up with nice keyboard orchestrations and a melodic electric guitar solo played by Johnny Beck (did you know that he is also the special guest player in the band Sylvan?). He is also playing on the next song "Save Me From Drowning". Jens his partner Isgaard is from now on again present again on vocals. Her beautiful voice always adds something extra to a song. Just listen to the following track "I'm Not Human". The second part of the song is more powerful with great instrumental parts. "Hey You" is a song with wonderful vocal refrains and a wonderful orchestra simulation made by Katja Flintsch (Violin & Viola) and Olek Bakki (Violoncello). You can hear those wonderful orchestrations also on the following two tracks "Humble" and "Entanglement Runs Off". The first one is delicately sung by Isgaard. "Entanglement Runs Off" is with almost 9 minutes the longest song of the album. For me, this is the next highlight of this fine album. Love the wonderful orchestrations and the fine drumming and guitar work of both the guitar players Ingo Salzmann and Johnny Beck. The album closes with the track "Inhale The Dark". This duet with a classical piano accompaniment is a slow song with delicately sung vocals by Jens Lueck and Isgaard. A fitting ending to an intriguing album.
conclusion
In my conclusion of the review of the debut album "Splinter In The Eye" of Single Celled Organism, I wrote that this was hopefully the first album of many to come. So I am happy with this second album and that the story continues. Like its predecessor "Percipio Ergo Sum" is a fine album full of progressive- and art-rock music. Which one is the better one? ... well you decide. But if you liked the "Splinter In The Eye" album, I would strongly recommend listening to "Percipio Ergo Sum". Once more Jens Lueck impresses me with his musical skills, compositions and arrangements. And when you read that the album is recorded, mixed and mastered by himself in his own Art of Music studio, you will know that Jens is an all-rounder