Heretic / Hiro Kawahara - Complete Works (2023)

9 works by Hiro Kawahara + 2 bonus tracks, (Total time 13h 36min 27sec)


about 1. Interface


Kyoto, Japan's answer to Heldon. Dense synth/guitar sonic excursions. The first album, originally released in 1985.


(1) This 'Interface' was originally composed in 1982 some parts as a work of OSIRIS which was my solo project before Heretic.
Since I got to know Ohta in June of the year it was recorded, we have been rehearsing this music, and it's not positioned as OSIRIS with guest,, so our project team had started and continued for many years from here.

As a private press LP was released as Heretic's 1st.
Moriyama was a classmate of mine in high school, and I forced him to participate because I really wanted to incorporate the cello sound. At that time, I also took in many of his opinions/advice regarding the direction of the music. He later became a famous university professor.
In addition to the composing and recording experienceat OSIRIS, I tried to study about hardware technology (there was no MIDI specification at the time) and conceptualized musical direction/idea such as what sound is and what would happen if different cultures coexisted at the same time. Heretic also has the 'conceptual art' idea.

for example, I was using an analog synthesizers at the time, I have also practiced 'time art' that changes the timbre (synth's sound color) from moment to moment from this work.

In addition to the synthesizer's sound, I also partially processed for the hi-hat sound of the drum machine. Even at the time, I think not popular way.

Except for the improvisation, I was in charge of the basic composition, and Ohta was in charge of arranging and rhythm's arrangement.

(2) The original version of 'El Rayo De Luna' was released on cassette during the OSIRIS era. The original version is included in 'Requiem's bonus track.

This work is 38 years passing, but it reminds me of my life at that time. This title was inspired by the short story by Spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. Its English meaning is 'The Moonlight Ray'.


about 2. Escape Sequence


Heretic's second album released in 1988 with the participation of many guests. Reply to King Crimson, Heldon from Kyoto, Japan.


At this point, I set up my personal recording studio. Many friends and acquaintances participated for this 2nd, and we were able to release it from the Belle Antique (Marquee) label as 2nd LP.

(5) The analog A side was all one piece, divided into 3 parts.

The basic sounds are all electric guitar sounds. my guitar's delay loop is the basic structure, combining a digital delay, a chorus unit and an analog delay.

Especially in part 2, I used devices such as a pitch changer, sampling delay, guitar synthesizer, wah-wah, and analogue delay for searching for the possibilities of new guitar sound.
This track is also used tape collage including subliminal processing throughout.

Taiqui Tomiie (Bellaphon and Ain Soph) and Hiroshi Kanai (Rose Band) participated in this track as guests.

(6) Tohru Ohta composed this music, and was created as a original, alternative soundtrack for the US movie, 'Fail Safe'(1964).

As of 2023, I think there is more and more recognition of the nuclear danger from a certain country.

Since those days, we had such a sense of crisis, so if you are interested, please listen to it.

(7) 2 members from Nagoya band, Anonymous played/sung their own music with Heretic arrangements. (Original song title was 'Song of the Bard').

(8) is a session take on tape, composed and played by Yozox Yamamoto (Ain Soph). In fact, due to a miscommunication (my fault), he had been thinking about arranging a different track until the day before, and he came to my studio without sleeps.... (very sorry Yozox!)
It was a Yozox-like arrangement that expressed complex rhythm and very thrilling music.
We can listen to rare guitar performances like Robert Fripp that we can't hear in his group.
Processing such as 'reverse gate reverb' and 'gate reverb' is applied to Robbin's percussion sound to bring it different sound from common progressive rock music.

(9) is played by Takurou Moriyama's younger brother. I changed the playback speed of the tape I recorded, and processed effects on speed down sound. 'Maforoba' is an old Japanese expression that means 'paradise' or 'utopia'.

(10) This track was played by me alone, and I didn't play back tracks such as tapes in advance. MIDI was not available at that time either.
First, I record phrases from the guitar sound into a Korg SDD-1000 delay machine, sampling/loop in specific phrases, and play backing tracks in real time.
If you listen carefully, the loop phrase will gradually change from the middle. With this guitar loop sound in the background, I played solo parts in order with violin, Roland Guitar Synthesizer (GR-500), and electric guitar.
In the last part, a sequence phrase using an analog synthesizer + analog sequencer (Korg MS-20 + SQ-10) is also played in the background.It's a recording of myself alone and is a all real-time performance.

(11) This track was recorded when I was trying and trying to see if I could use the sound just before howling.

(12) Do Heretick Session (@Kyoto ZipGunn Studio with Taiqui Tomiie)
The original source was a video, and my first impression was that it was a too long/boring and redundant performance.
For that reason, I thought it would be impossible to release it to the public, but after cutting my poor long guitar solo and correcting the sound quality, I thought it was worth having.
Since the original source was monaural, I processed it into a stereo image using special plug-in software. I was able to finish it with a very thrilling performance like Kraut Rock - Heldon - Hawkwind type.
Taiqui's drum is very technical, so there are parts like Bill Bruford @ King Crimson 1974 era, which made it possible to create a very tense take. Also, the 2-chord guitar backing part is originally from Astral Tempel - 'Shadow Illusion. This part is later replayed in 'Drugging For M'.


about 3. 1984-88


Kyoto, Japan's answer to Heldon. Dense synth/guitar sonic excursions. This compilation has material from the 1st and 2nd albums + improvisation session, and bonus tracks.

First of all, the sounds of each track from (13) to (20) are remastered differently from the 1st and 2nd 2022 remaster versions.

Therefore, you can enjoy the difference in remastered sound.
Furthermore, (21), (22), and (23) are not included in other albums.

(13) to (15) are excerpts from the 1st LP 'Interface', which was released in 1985 as an independent private release. Due to the CD maximum time, I edited a shorter version in each of the tracks.

(13) (14) This 'Interface' was originally composed in 1982 some parts as a work of OSIRIS. Since I got to know Ohta in June of the year it was recorded, we had been rehearsing this music, and it's not positioned as OSIRIS with guest, so our project team had started and continued for many years from here.

As a private press LP was released as Heretic 1st.
Moriyama was a classmate of mine in high school, and I forced him to participate because I really wanted to incorporate the cello sound. At that time, I also took in many of his opinions/advice regarding the direction of the music. He later became a famous university professor.
In addition to the composing and recording experience at OSIRIS, I tried to study about hardware technology (there was no MIDI specification at the time) and conceptualized musical direction/idea such as what sound is and what would happen if different cultures coexisted at the same time. Heretic also has the 'conceptual art' idea.
For example, I was using an analog synthesizers at the time, I have also practiced 'time art' that changes the timbre (synth's sound color) from moment to moment from this work.
In addition to the synthesizer's sound, I also partially processed for the hi-hat sound of the drum machine. Even at the time, I think not popular way.
Except for the improvisation, I was in charge of the basic composition, and Ohta was in charge of arranging and rhythm's arrangement.
As I wrote in this CD liner, the premiere of this Interface was performed with Yozox (Ain Soph's guitarist) at his wedding party in April 1983.

(15) The original version of 'El Rayo De Luna' was released on cassette during the OSIRIS era. The original version is included in 'Requiem's bonus track (tr 52). This title was inspired by the short story by Spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. Its English meaning is 'The Moonlight Ray'.

(16) to (20) are all tracks from the 2nd LP 'Escape Sequence', released in 1988 by Belle Antique label as well as this CD.

(16) The 2nd LP's whole A side, divided into 3 parts.
The basic sounds are all electric guitar sounds. my guitar's delay loop is the basic structure, combining a digital delay, a chorus unit and an analog delay.

Especially in part 2, I used devices such as a pitch changer, sampling delay, guitar synthesizer, wah-wah, and analogue delay for searching for the possibilities of new guitar sound.
this track is also used tape collage including subliminal processing throughout.
Taiqui Tomiie (Bellaphon and Ain Soph) and Hiroshi Kanai (Rose Band) participated in this track as guests.

(17) Toru Ohta composed this music, and was created as a original, alternative soundtrack for the US movie, 'Fail Safe'(1964).

As of 2023, I think there is more and more recognition of the nuclear danger from a certain country.
Since those days, we had such a sense of crisis, so if you are interested, please listen to it.

(18) 2 members from Nagoya band, Anonymous played/sung their own music with Heretic arrangements. (Original song title was 'Song of the Bard').

(19) is a session take on tape, composed and played by Yozox Yamamoto (Ain Soph). In fact, due to a miscommunication (my fault), he had been thinking about arranging a different track until the day before, and he came to my studio without sleep.... (very sorry Yozox!)
It was a Yozox-like arrangement that expressed complex rhythm and very thrilling music.
We can listen to rare guitar performances like Robert Fripp that we can't hear in his group.
Processing such as 'reverse gate reverb' and 'gate reverb' is applied to Robbin's percussion sound to bring it different sound from common progressive rock music.

(20) is played by Takurou Moriyama's younger brother. I changed the playback speed of the tape I recorded, and processed effects on speed down sound.

'Maforoba' is an old Japanese expression that means 'paradise' or 'utopia'.

(21) Heretic's only studio session held the day after the Tokyo live. At that time, I recorded the 8track recorder running and had a jam session endlessly. Ohta, Robert and me, Takeuchi of Anonymous, Chihiro. S (Golden Avant Garde, Lacrymosa) and Takeshi Naganuma (ds of Lacrymosa), Robert's friend, Victor Wells who was played for Akina Nakamori (famous female vocalist).
So, just before the end of this Jam recording, Mr. Takesako of Noa (Bill Bruford type drummer) came and we had a session with him for this recording. I met with him the first time, so just say 'Hello', then started improvisation. without discussion among parties.
Chihiro.S kindly joined to play in the previous day's work as a bassist, he is currently playing as solo musician.
Mr. Takesako is the leader of Noa and a former member of Aquapolis. Noa is now back in CD release and live act.

(22) is the taken from last track from 'No Shibuya-Electro Dub & Breaks' (compilation CD released in 2008 from the Ultra Vibe label). It is a different remaster from 'Interface' and '1984-88'.

(23) is a recorded in 1987 using a digital sampling keyboard (Korg DSS-1).


about 4. Past in Future


Demo and studio live of 'Yayoi Dream' and 'Drugging for M', released in 1996 for a very small number of people.

The myriad electronic tone colors and textures were like an evolutionary musical tapestry that kept transforming into new sonic landscapes.
The addition of guitar and other sounds helped it come to life and become somthing more organic than just machine music.
There is so much electronic music today that shows no imagination, 'Past In Future' literally overflows with creative ideas.
(Archie Patterson / EUROCK)

In general the music straddles the line between electronic rock and ambient, hovering somewhere between the random soundscapes of Biota, the aggressive imagery of Richard Pinhas, and the ambient driftiness of Forrest Fang's Migration, but in fact is like none of these. This is completely original.
(24) is offering a series of dreamlike sequences that open doors into subconscious realms, a soundtrack for the slow descent from consciousness into deep sleep. Sequences grow and develop, and then end abruptly as the listener passes through the 'door' to the next level.
(25) is more intense of other tracks, featuring several passages of blistering lead guitar over heavily processed waves of pulsating synth and synth-bass, sometimes recalling Fripp & Eno's Evening Star.
(Peter Thelen / Expose,1996-08-01)

The Heretic Interview 1997
www.expose.org/index.php/articles/display/osiris-is-dead-long-live-heretic-the-heretic-interview-1997.html

The reason why it took a long time from the previous work to release this demo is that it took a lot of time to research and trial and error many new MIDI modules and a lot of MIDI softwares.

At that time, I envisioned 3 works as the theme of the new work: past, present, and future.
(24) is the theme of 'the past'.
(25) is the theme of 'the future'.
(26) At that time, I couldn't make music as 'the present' theme. But now (2022/2023), Music dedicated to Peter Frohmader, who passed away in May 2022, and this 3D remix music, positioned as 'present', was added as a bonus track.

Both (24) and (25) have different parts from the official release.
In particular, (24) the last bouzouki part was played by me, and the official release was played by Ohta.
As for (25), the official release has evolved into a band sound as other players played it.

(26) is exactly the same as the music, track 56 of 'Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader (1998)'.

For the further explanation in each tracks, please refer to my commentary in each official release individually.




about 5. Yayoi Dream


this music let you open your mind doors into the subconscious realm.

Yayoi Meests Infortecture

We had been walking for around 15 minutes in the humid summer heat in an unfamiliar area of Kyoto when we finally arrived.

Passing through corridor after corridor of anonymous doors we at last found the one we were looking for and were bidden by our host to enter.

The small room was crammed with machinery, computers, device racks, instruments and recordig devices. There wasn't much room for anything else. No one had been here of some time. With a genial smile our host, Mr Kawahara welcomed us to Atelier Infortecture.

Hiro Kawahara and his group Heretic are one of the most neglected and underated of 80's Japanese Progressives.
Unlike many of their peers, they were not a cute symphonic rock clone. Their two LP's take as their starting point the prime territory of Euro-Rock: King Crimson, Heldon, Ashra, on which to build their own strangely familiar compositions.

Heretic are an example of how the Japanese learn from the West and then attempt to adapt, and if possible, improve it.
Yet after years in limbo the heretical ghost still persists, and has been evolving into something new.

A Largely digital form as demonstrated on Heretics new audio CD/CD-ROM Yayoi Dream.

The audio part contains only one long track, which was originally recorded for a demo CD-R directly to DAT on that August afternoon in 1995 at Atelier Infortecture. Hiro had painstakingly set everything up ready and took on the task of controlling a live set - using MIDI, guitar, synths, modules, etc, like a pilot preparing for take off.

At around 35 minutes, 'Yayoi Dream' is his biggest creative leap. A vast, restless sound tapestry of sampled, ethnic and synthetic components, that evoke, as Peter Thelen of the American Prog journal Expose pointed out, 'open doors into the subconscious realm.'

Each door takes us to a different musical environment; Gamelan-like dreamscapes; forests of near abstract electronic patters; quirky, sparkling interludes reminiscent of Vangelis on Beaubourg or Invisible Connections,
but thanks to excellent percussive and flute samples, and a tight reign on the use automation, manages a to produce a unique Asian perspective to music tech.

The latest version of Yayoi Dream on this CD is more elaborate and impressive than the demo. Stalwart Heretic members include Robbin Lloyd on electric percussion, and Tohru Ohta (of Fromage and Cinema) on bouzouki, whose contributions lend the music an ancient, earthy power that counter balances the high-tech elements. Indeed, Hiro himself said that this composition was inspired by a Silk Road Exhibition in Nara during 1988.

With 'Yayoi Dream', Hiro is breaking free of his progressive rock influences. His term, Infortecture, not only implies building musical structures via info-tech, it also hints at the monolithic size and complexity of these new compositions. While the word 'Yayoi' hints at Japan's remote past before the 10th century where history merges with legend.

New technology brings new opportunities, yet few musicians have the imagination to make the most of it. Hiro Kawahara is, I feel, one of those at the cutting edge, exploiting it to the full. But despite all this emphasis on technology in music, it is essential to recall as Hiro says, 'that technology is the tool, not the purpose,' and
that the 'exploration of new sound is dependent on one's creativity, not technology.'

- Nigel Harris 28 August 1996 in CD liner notes.


about 6. Drugging For M


A post-apocalyptic future using a couple of interactive control MIDI softwares.
This is a work originally released with a CD-ROM in 1997 by Japanese record label. had remastered this music.

(29) I played this music as studio live several times in front of my friends since 1995, gradually developped the final form.
I used Jam Factory (Macintosh's software) for the ethnic percussion sequence, and I also used software called 'M' for the other parts, which is also Macintosh's MIDI software.
and as 3D sound processing, I used Berringer's EDISON (Hardware 3D sound processor) for this recording.

My guitar solo from 11-16 minutes uses a delay loop in real time playing as backing, then played the guitar solo.
This solo was an improvisation with a very Japanese feeling that could be called 'Zen Electronics'.
I think it's the final goal of my guitar playing.

The 2-chord rock format part that starts at 19 minutes is originally 'Astral Tempel : Shadow Illusion'.
You can listen to this live performance in 'Astral Tempel - Live' in Requiem's bonus track (tr 42).
Also, we played in 'Do Heretick Session (1987-10-18)' of 'Escape Sequence' bonus track (tr 12),
Here, I was in charge of a short effective solo part and a mellotron performance in the middle, and most of the guitar solo was played by a guest.
At final part, the Theremin sound and the mysterias sounds made with 'M' (Macintosh's MIDI software) continues to the end.

Overall, I think this music was one of Heretic's final goals for me.

You may not be able to understand it from the music itself, but at that time, the performance of composing as real time/interactively using Macintosh computer was a very interesting experience for me.

Furthermore, in the liner notes of the CD at the time, Nigel Harris wrote:
'Their paradoxical fusion of clinical detachment and emotive unbalance makes DFM stand apart from the mediocre, soporific mainstream of generic synth music. DFM is not nihilistic like 'Japanoise', but is more profound. DFM seems to reflect the disquiet of a post-cold-war world fearful of an uncertain future filled with unknown dangers, real and imagined.'
I would like to modestly say that the toyal image of this work, including the jacket design, was a premonition of the COVID-19 global pandemic that began several years ago.

(30) is a record of Jam Session with Robbin.



about 7. Requiem 2022 Extended Version


- Dedicated to my friend Mauel Gottsching, and also to the many effected Japanese in the big Tsunami on March 11, 2011.


As a basic stance of this remaster work, all tracks emphasize the bass sound. In addition, a reverb effect is also partially added. If you can feel the rumbling of the ground in the first track,'Spiral', you will understand my basic style of sound creation.

In this track order, we can travel back in time, allowing us to relive my musical journey all the way back to my first project in 1980, OSIRIS and the Live group, Astral Tempel.
When I myself listen to these tracks in this order again, I remember many memories I had forgotten at the time.

I don't think I'm particularly excellent guitar player, but I think the best performance was the improvisation guitar solo and backing guitar loop's combination in 'Drugging For M' (tr 32), in which, I'd like to you to feel Japan's 'Wabi-sabi' which means the beauty of the simple and the rustic. in 'Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader'. my guitar solo and synthesizers on 'Sphinx Touch' (tr 57), and also my performance on Mellotron is very wonderful, I believe it. In terms of my past performance, I consider myself to have reached my musical goal in these tracks.


31, 36, 37 and 38 were originally contained in audio parts on Eurock's 'The Golden Age (2000) CD-ROM'.

From 37 onwards, I added my Pre-Heretic projects (OSIRIS, Astral Tempel). Almost tracks are selected from the cassette versions.

37, 38, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 are taken from my first LP 'OSIRIS - In the mist of time (1980)'.

42 is dedicated to my German friend, Manuel Gottsching who passed away December 2022. It's a rare live performance at that time, and after the drum solo, it's an improvisation.

If you listen to these recordings, you can understand the transition of my music.

In addition, the next year after this original 'Requiem' CD was released, there was a big earthquake in Japan, a tsunami that killed many people, and a nuclear power plant meltdown in Fukushima.....

The meaning of the title when it was released was my music memoir, but after that terrible March 11, 2011, the meaning of the title changed.....

Hiro Kawahara 2023

----------------

During the golden era of the late 1970s-1980s Japan had many provocative artists and bands experimenting with electronic, symphonic, and new wave music. Hiro Kawahara was one of the original pioneers of the genre, fusing synthesizer with celestial guitar excursions.
He produced his first LP as Osiris in 1980. Then in 1985, he formed Heretic with Tohru Ohta, Suguru Mori and Robbin Lloyd (joining for the second album) and his musical conception grew to explore dimensions that were even more expansive.
Over the next 20 years he released some of the most deeply beautiful, diverse and powerfully strange music on the Japanese indie scene. Heretic's music was relatively unknown during its creative period. Now with the reevaluation of all that came before musically in full swing, upon a second listening it more than stands up to the test of time. Some artists gained more recognition back then, but little of the music made displayed the vast range of sonic diversity and creative imagination contained in Hiro's extensive catalog. Recently, I asked him to create an anthology of music he felt encapsulated the essence of his work.
The Requiem CD is an anthology of music he felt encapsulated the essence of his work. It offers a magical trip back to a time when people created music from the heart and soul. In its most inspired moments of inspiration it affirms the ability of music to evoke powerful emotions by offering an alchemical fusion that literally can take a listeners breathe away.
- (CD Liner by Archie Patterson )

-------------------
Interviw with Eurock 2010
www.eurock.com/Display.aspx?Content=HiroKawaharaInterview.aspx



about 8. Live - Kyoto'85 and Tokyo'88


Heretic's few live recordings and rehearsals that were unreleased.

(53) with Robbin Loyd (ac-per) and Thoru Ohta (g, drum machine, guitar-sysnthezer) played live that develops 'Do Heretick'.
The original souce was taken from audio part of analog video, and sound was mono, and there was a lot of hiss noise, but I tried to eliminate it as much as possible and listen to it as music. and expanded stereo (L/R) image with wonderful mastering tools.

4 days before this live, I have prepared a studio live recording that I rehearsed by myself alone as a bonus track, 'Do Heretick Original Version (1985-11-01)' for 'Escape Sequence' (tr 10).
If you listen and compare, you can see that the improvisation part has changed because of the members' participation.

Robbin's solo was played first, then Ohta joined as guitar, after that I played and record phrases from the guitar sound into a Korg SDD-1000 delay machine, sampling/loop in specific phrases, and play backing tracks in real time.
If you listen carefully, the loop phrase will gradually change from the middle.
With this guitar loop sound in the background, I played solo parts Roland Guitar Synthesizer (GR-500) and violin, and electric guitar.
Of course, Ohta and Robbin are also improvising in response to real-time sounds.
Also, in this version, the bolero rhythm that Ohta pre-programmed into the drum machine is added, bringing it closer to the form of the 2nd release.
In the last part, a sequence phrase using an analog synthesizer + analog sequencer (Korg MS-20 + SQ-10) is also played in the background.


(54) This is a one-time overall rehearsal for the Tokyo live. All sounds were passed through the mixing console and recorded to a recorder, so the sound is very clear.
as the difficult to reproduce the sound of Do Heretick's guitar loop live and other guitar loop same time in live, so I looped the basic sound on a sampled keyboard instead of guitar play.
Each member used a sampling keyboard (Korg DSS-1) to change the tone for each part, but the sampling data at that time was recorded on a floppy disk, and took long time for loading.
Therefore, loading the data was complicated, and I, Ohta, and Takeuchi shared the roles of changing the sound in real time.
due to some reason, I compiled all the performances in one track. Do Heretick's next music is Robbin's tune and he also played piano.
The last part was improvised session.


(55) in this Tokyo live, we appeared in front of Tokyo's audience as first time, after the 2nd LP had already been released.
this is a track recorded by the original source on an open reel 38cm/2tr with line input from the mixing console at the live house, with no additional dubbing.

The recorded sound on the open reel tape recorder had various problems, so until last year (2022) it was in an untouched status, without any editing.
although after editing, the volume balance of each instrument is still not good, but Chihiro S. (Katra Turana, LACRYMOSA and Golden Avangarde) joined us on bass at that live, so it's worth listening to.

In addition, Heretic's live has been carried out only 5 times in total. Therefore, I think that this live work is a rare recording.

1985-03-03: Doushisya University, Kyoto
1985-11-04: Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto
1986-06-22: Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto
1987-09-14: Egg Plant, Osaka as back band of DUPPI
1988-03-19: Meguro Live Station,Tokyo


about 9 - Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader


- Dedicated to the late Peter Frohmader.

I liked Peter's first solo work, 'Musik Aus Dem Schattenreich (1979)'. I also liked some of his other works, so if the opportunity arose, I hoped to collaborate with him.
In 1997, the Internet was not yet widespread, so my first contact (November 1997) was by air-mail, and after that we used by FAX.
When I first contacted him, I also sent him my CDs, and he liked them, so this collaboration was decided.
At that time he had just finished collaboration work with Richard Pinhas.

At that time, he didn't use Apple computer yet, he was making music with Atari computer and ADAT multi-track recorder.
As for our collaboration method, I used the basic tracks from his CD-R sent to me.
I copied each track to an analog 16tr, then over-dubbed my guitar and synthesizer sound on another track, and mixed down in my studio.

'Sphinx Touch' had already been recorded separately in his side and was planned to be released as a Book+DVD, but he sent me another version of this basic track.
we can find his version in 'Compilation I 1988-2007 (DVD)' or 'VA - Music From The Edge Vol. 04 (2001)'.
also found in Youtube video; www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3aIsWK7f0M
This drums player is unknown because was not specified for sent to me package.

His feedback about the rough mix of some tracks 1998 version; 'I really like this version - will be a strong CD, I think.'
After that, I was looking for record company to release this CD, but due to my work, my family and I moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1999.
After that, I was so overwhelmed with work that my musical activities practically stopped.
It was last year (2022) when I finally got away from work and had some free time. In the meantime, I completely forgot about Heretic's music and our collaboration work......

From repeated e-mail conversations with enthusiastic fan in Eastern Europe, in last year (2022) I began to remaster all of my past music, and took time to complete the remastering of all works.
Among them was this collaboration with Peter, so when I tried to contact him last year (passing 24 years), I was stunned to learn that he died suddenly on May 2, 2022... ..
Of course he didn't listen to this 2022 remaster version, so for me, it's a very very pity.

Unlike the remastered version, the original version (1998) I sent to him was not processed with compressor. Although the dynamic range is wide, but the whole volume balance is uneven. Mastering was impossible at that time in my side.
I would like to dedicate these works to him as mourning for his death, although I never met him in person until the end.

(56) At the end of 2022 ,I made remix several past materials of me and him remix work as a memorial to him.
Also, as sound processing, I use 3D processing software made in Japan, so please listen to this song with headphones. Synthesizer sounds swirled around your head, and my analog synthesizer sound with sequencer (1982 recording) located in the center.
I designed it assuming the feeling of entering a world of nothingness. Please refer this album cover as my image.
This remixed sounds mixed in different countries's and different time's recording.
I deliberately chose the same title as my first LP (OSIRIS - In the mist of Time 1980), with the meaning that the recording date and time and the recording place are mixed.

(57) I am proud that the overall my sound engineering design of my guitar and SE that I overdubbed here is the pinnacle of the music that I aimed for.
All my guitars use the ZOOM 9150 amp simulator, and I play in a variety of styles in each sections.
Mellotron was played with a MIDI module called Vintage Keys Plus and the synthesizer's sound effect by Korg M3R.

You can listen / feel the ultra bass sound only through good speakers or headphone.
If possible, I recommend to listen it as loud on B&W(Bowers & Wilkins) products. I am proud that this track is very impressive not only in performance but also in terms of audio itself.

(58) The reverb sound of my guitar in the first part of this track should be heard outside the speakers if played through the speakers as the sound location.
I use 3D hardware processing for this guitar sound, the natural tone guitar sound was added reverb in the mix-down in 1998, just before returning to the Mixer, it was passed through a 3D processor called 'Berringer/EDISON EX1' (tape(guitar track)->reverb->EX1->Mixer).
Thanks to this processor, the location of the sound has expanded significantly to outside of left and right.
Currently, this processor has been discontinued, and the used price is very cheap, but I think that it was not popular because it was not effective even if it was used for sound processing directly with this processor.
Only sound route I used (Sound-->Reverb-->EX1) allow us to get great 3D effect.
I use 2 amp simulators (SansAmp PSA-1 and ZOOM 9150) in first half and second half of my guitar. My guitar playing in the first half is an homage to Terje Rypdal in ECM label.

(59) Basically, this track is recorded by Peter Fromader alone. In my remix, I remixed a sequencer samples and focused on sound processing.
If you listen to it using speakers, the super bass should resonate with your body.

(60) The meanin of '9-13' is the voicing interval of my guitar against with the root note.
I think this kind of sound selection is more like a Jazz voicing. The voicing of (2) is also the same.

In my 1998 recordings and mix from (57) to (60), a 3D processor (Berringer/EDISON EX1) was able to only extend the location of the sound outside the speakers, but perfect 3D sound was not possible at that time.
As for (56), the software's and CPU's evolution has made it possible for individuals to design stereophonic sound. However, the control of the vertical (altitude) position cannot be recognized with general-purpose headphones, so unfortunately, I think that (56) is the limit of 3D sound that can be controlled at the moment.



About the last 2 bonus tracks

A special bonus track remixed only for this 'Complete Works'!

'Astral Tempel Sequence' is a studio recording from 1980-1982 era.
'Heretic 1984-1998 Sequence' has been excerpted from 1983-98 and remixed as 1 track medley.

even these 2 songs are over 50 minutes long.
All my music is provided at 48kHz/32bit. so, Please listen with good quality speakers or headphones if possible. (I recommend B&W.)
I hope you will enjoy all my music.

Hiro Kawahara 2023