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Reanimation (10th Anniversary Edition)

Reanimation (10th Anniversary Edition)

januari 13, 2023

This is the re-release of the 2013 debutalbum by Lights & Motion, featuring all new mixes, remastered, and with two new songs.

“10 years ago, on January 16th 2013, the first Lights & Motion album was released. It was the culmination of a lot of years spent thinking about it, writing and producing it, and in many ways it was one of the most important events of my life.
In 2022 I spent 4-5 months going through my old song projects in preparation for the 10 year anniversary. I got the idea to maybe Remaster the album, but when I started to dive into the old projects I found myself hearing things differently and I decided to remix the songs instead.
This would turn out to be quite the undertaking.
In fact, I actually did a lot more than just re-mix the songs through my studio gear that I own today; some parts I re-recorded completely.
I re-sang some vocal harmonies with better microphones, and for many songs I wrote new string-arrangements that mirrored the original ones, but these new arrangements bloom a bit more.
I really love that first album and how it sounds, it was written, produced & mixed on pure self-taught instinct. But precisely because it was my first album, and I wasn’t as experienced an engineer as I am today, there are some things sonically that I always knew I could improve upon.
So these mixes aren’t supposed to feel night and day to the listener, they should just sound fuller, wider and more hi-fi.
I also finished recording and mixed 2 bonus-tracks that were written during those early years, but for one reason or another never got finished / released back then. They are called ”Gardens” and ”Into The Sky”
This new anniversary release isn’t here to replace the original, but it is to be viewed as an addition to honor and celebrate the record that started it all.
For me, this is the album sonically fully realized.”

‘Reanimation 2023‘ was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Christoffer Franzen at Studio Evelyn in Gothenburg.

Fusion Artwork

juni 17, 2022

Christoffer Franzén has released a new 11 track composer album titled “Fusion: Music For TV & Film”.

Filled with fresh, gritty, head-turning music specifically designed to accompany television, film and video projects, the new album is a go to for filmmakers, cinematographers and videographers who demand that the music connected to their work stands out, gets recognized and is remembered. “Fusion: Music For TV & Film” is a resource for cutting-edge creatives who recognize that music and visuals share the stage equally on screen and understand the power of the right composition to maximize the success of any project.

“After writing more delicate and melodic music for quite some time, my fingers were itching to create something really gritty and percussive, something that could get your blood pumping. I set out to do stuff which I’ve never done before, like the opening guitar-riff on ‘Hurricane’ which sounds like vintage rock, or the pounding drums and wall of guitars in ‘Pursuit’. I thought it was going to be really challenging to write in a completely new and different style to what I have in the past, but once I got the sound under my fingers the songs came in rapid succession. I titled the album ‘Fusion; Music for TV & Film” because I wanted to present a new version of cinematic music, one filled with edge, adrenaline and thumping bass and drums. On this album you will hear everything from clapping hands and electric guitar riffs to distorted baselines and crunchy drums in a contemporary and exciting blend, hopefully providing an inspiring backdrop to filmmakers and creatives looking for new and energetic sounds,” says Franzen.

Released by Deep Elm Records.

The World I Remember

februari 8, 2022

The World I Remember is the sixth full-length album by Lights & Motion.

 

“The writing of this album started off when I decided to get one of my old guitars down from the attic. In a way it was like meeting a very old friend that I had lost touch with, and it just felt really good, like there were songs to be discovered. The very first day with it I wrote ‘The World I Remember’, which eventually became the title track of the album, and the foundation on which everything else was built on. That was in December 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. I found myself reflecting a lot on where I’d come from musically and creatively. I found myself re-discovering the beauty and possibilities of the guitar, and it made me excited and connected with the younger me. Every song on this record (except one) was composed on that electric guitar. In limiting myself to writing on one instrument, a whole world opened up; I was able to spend weeks on creating beautiful guitar-tones and sounds that I’ve never used before. And the songs just started to flow from there. The production and mixing of the album took months and months of not giving up before it sounded just the way I imagined it in my mind. Mixing is just as much of a creative expression as the writing itself. That’s why I’ve never hired an outside producer or mixer for any of my albums, because it would diminish my vision for what I would like an album to be; a constant process of discovery,” says Franzen.

Franzen continues, “There are both light and shade on this album, both uplifting and melancholic. ‘Panic Attack’ is one of the darkest songs I’ve ever written, and at the same time one of the most personal. Songs like ‘Sleeping Giant’ and ‘Touching Sky’ are on the other hand very uplifting and hopefully gets your pulse up. ‘Wilderness’ is almost an acoustic track that has become one of my own favorites of the album featuring the highest vocal I’ve ever attempted. I think it’s poetic that the two singles I am releasing are the first song I wrote for this album (the title track) and the very last one ‘From Dust.’ The album title is in reference to my headspace at the time of writing it; looking at the state of the world and also reflecting on my own life and the passage of time. No matter how much we try to slow it down or hold on to it, it keeps on moving forward…and the world moves along with it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.”

‘The World I Remember‘ was produced, recorded and mixed by Christoffer Franzen at Studio Evelyn in Gothenburg. Mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles (M83, Paramore, Serge Gainsbourg). Additional backing vocals by Adna Kadic. Strings on “The First Day” by Conny Lindgren and Mattias Bylund. Album artwork by Luke Stackpoole. “From Dust” performance video by cinematographer Fredrik Sellergen.

Christoffer Franzen - Endeavour Artwork

maj 21, 2021

Endeavour is the new full-length album from Christoffer Franzén, released on May 21th of 2021. It features an expansive and cinematic sound, weaving in and out of different genres and combinations of instruments, from string-quartets to ambient soundscapes.

“What originally started out as minimalist pandemic piano pieces quickly morphed into something completely different. Throughout all the years of writing music, I have learned not to interfere with creativity and to simply let it go where it wants and not try to control it. I found myself writing expansive arrangements that wove in and out of multiple genres and moods, ranging from full orchestral suites to ethereal synthesizers and electronics. Then I began to incorporate a lot of subtle guitar-work halfway through the writing process. It was around that time and with that combination of colors when I felt it all click together and I could see the entire scope of the album clearly,” says Franzen.

Franzen continues, ” The end result is something I feel very proud of…a widescreen collage of songs that fit together while at the same time are able to stand on their own two feet as individual compositions. There is a red thread that runs through Endeavour, from the opening piano chords of And We Collide Into Nothingness to the final atmospheric swirls of Distorted Dreams. Both the arrangements and the production on this album have been meticulously crafted to the best of my abilities, in order to give the listener an immersive experience that hopefully can quiet the noise of the outside world, at least for a spell. I spent over a year by myself in a room writing and recording this album and I am really looking forward to sharing these new pieces with the world. The album is called Endeavour, because that is exactly what it represented to me.”

Released by Deep Elm Records.

december 28, 2020

Ghost Of You is a mini-album from Christoffer Franzén released in September of 2020. It features a darker, more Scandinavian nostalgic sounds, centered around brooding piano and subtle atmospheres.

Released by Deep Elm Records.

Sea Fever Soundtrack Album Artwork

december 28, 2020

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the movie Sea Fever, composed by Christoffer Franzén.

The film was written and directed by Neasa Hardiman, and premiered at the prestigious 2019 Toronto Film Festival.

“In this eerily timed example of pandemic horror, the crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.”
A science fiction thriller directed by Neasa Hardiman starring Connie Nielsen, Hermione Corfield and Dougray Scott.
A Bright Moving Pictures / Fantastic Films / Gunpowder & Sky production.
Read an in-depth interview with Christoffer about his work on Sea Fever:
https://musiquefantastique.com/further-examinations/it-came-from-beneath-the-irish-sea/
https://www.seafevermovie.com
Official Selection – Toronto Int’l Film Festival
Official Selection – Fantastic Fest
“Need recommends? Sea Fever!” – Stephen King
“A wildly entertaining piece of work.” – Roger Ebert
“A cinematic thrill with purpose.” – /Film
“Harrowing and intelligent.” – Collider

Christoffer Franzén Mountain Artwork

december 28, 2020

Mountain is a full-length album by Christoffer Franzén, mainly centered around felt-piano and gentle strings.

Written and produced by Christoffer Franzén.

Released on Deep Elm Records.

In I Dimman Album Artwork

december 28, 2020

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album for the movie In i Dimman, composed by Christoffer Franzén. 

In I Dimman is a psychological thriller set in the Swedish archipelago. The film was directed by Anders Hazelius and produced by Zentropa, and stars Anastasios Soulis, Freddy Åsblom, Celie Sparre and Anton Lundqvist.

In I Dimman Poster

                                        In I Dimman Poster

december 28, 2020

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album for the film At The End Of The Day, composed by Christoffer Franzén.

The film was directed by Kevin O´Brien.

Phenomenon Artwork

december 22, 2020

Phenomenon is the second solo-album by composer Christoffer Franzén, released in October 2017. On this new 12 track album, Franzen challenged himself by taking things a step further and creating the entire score to an imaginary movie. The album takes you from intimate solo-piano to sweeping orchestral pieces.

Composed, produced and mixed by Christoffer Franzén.

Released by Deep Elm Records.

december 15, 2020

Dreamweaver was released in June of 2015, as a solo-output of cinematic music from Christoffer Franzén. The 18 track long album features a wide range of different musical styles, from subtle and atmospheric guitars to fully orchestral tracks.

Composed, produced and mixed by Christoffer Franzén.

Released by Deep Elm Records.

the-great-wide-open-reimagined-2

(Reimagined)

december 3, 2020

The Great Wide Open (Reimagined)

The Great Wide Open (Reimagined) is a mini-album consisting of brand new versions and arrangements of songs taken from the its predecessor, The Great Wide Open. These songs have been completely reimagined and recorded in such a way that they are very different from the original versions.

“When you’re writing music you go through so many different stages and iterations off a song, before you arrive at what will be the final version that you then present to the world. There are always many layers and versions that only you, as the creator, will ever hear. After I had finished writing and producing my latest album ‘The Great Wide Open’, the songs stayed with me even though the record was released, and I kept hearing the potential of doing completely different arrangements for them. In the following months, I began stripping them down to the bare bones to see If I could re-build them in a new and exciting way. A piece of music can be so many things, and in this re-imagining process I felt very inspired, as if the songs were asking to be looked at in a different light as well. Needless to say, it was fun to create these songs anew, and I’ve therefore decided to call this collection ”The Great Wide Open – Reimagined.” I chose to deconstruct six songs from my most recent full-length album and then focused in on the essence of each song. These are not simply re-mixed; they are brand new recordings. The original recording of ‘Wolves’ is very high energy featuring lots of electric guitars, bass and drums. The new ‘Wolves – Reimagined’ ‘arrangement is almost entirely orchestral and acoustic which has a completely different emotional feel from the original version. ‘Separated Hearts – Reimagined’ is a beautiful ambient piece of music that ebbs-and-flows, going in reverse. ‘A Speck Of Light’ was another big song that I re-recorded with a very intimate piano, a solo-cello and a whole bunch of synthesizers creating ‘A Speck Of Light – Reimagined,” says Christoffer Franzen.

The Great Wide Open (Reimagined) was produced, recorded and mixed by Christoffer Franzen, and released on Deep Elm Records.

The Great Wide Open Artwork

The Great Wide Open

april 19, 2020

The Great Wide Open

The new full-length album from Lights & Motion is called The Great Wide Open. 

“It’s been more then three years since Lights & Motion last released a full-length album. And that’s been on purpose because I felt like I didn’t want to rush this writing process. I wanted to spread it out over a long period of time and really let it bloom organically, allowing myself to see where these songs would take me without putting a deadline on it. I found myself daydreaming about being away at different places, seeing new parts of the world and making up stories in my head…and trying my best to achieve that through music. Good music has always had the ability to transport me to other places, and that is how I have lived much of my inner life. I wanted to build a rich world of sounds, lights and colors that maybe could have that same effect on other people too, as an escape from their everyday life. Very early on in the process I decided that this album would be called ‘The Great Wide Open’ and I tailored my creative process to sit on top of those four words, which for me, have such an imaginative power not only physically, but spiritually too. I was looking for an escape too, and I found refuge in creating these songs that act as snapshots of time and place. As we’ve just left a decade behind us, I look back on it and it’s been such a blur of amazing experiences and creativity. It was the decade where I finally found the courage to write and release the kind of music that I always wanted to create. As well, it’s had its personal highs and lows. It’s therefore fitting that I begin this new decade by releasing an album filled with songs that have becoming very near and dear to me, and that I hope will take on a life of their own now that they’re getting ready to leave the solitude of my studio,” says Franzen.

Franzen continues, “At the end of the day we are all just trying to connect, and that’s really what this record is all about for me. My biggest hope and ambition is that you will listen to this and find yourself discovering new places, even if you’re still lying at home in your bed or taking a walk around your neighborhood. There is a quote from Peter Pan that I keep returning to in periods of self-doubt and that really resonates with me, which goes, ‘The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.’ So take flight, whatever that means to you. The images you receive from music will definitely be different from the ones I receive, and that is a wonderful thing because our experiences are our own. I feel really grateful to have had the chance to write another long-form collection of songs, and now we arrive at the part which I enjoy the most; sharing them with the world.”

The Great Wide Open was produced, recorded and mixed by Christoffer Franzen at Studio Evelyn in Gothenburg. Mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.

While We Dream Album Art

While We Dream

oktober 26, 2018

While We Dream 

This mini-album from Lights & Motion is called While We Dream, and was released on October 26, consisting of 6 songs.

 “I wanted to explore the abstract concept of dreaming, and how that might sound for me. I have always been very interested in what happens when we dream, and this was a very creative way for me to get into that mindset”

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion. Mastered at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.

Bloom Art

Bloom

februari 2, 2018

Bloom

This mini-album from Lights & Motion is called Bloom, and was released on February 2, consisting of 5 songs.

 “I wrote this mainly during two very long and dark Swedish winters, where I found myself really longing for spring and the changing of seasons.”

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion. Mastered at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.

Lights & Motion Dear Avalanche Artwork

Dear Avalanche

februari 15, 2017

Dear Avalanche

The fourth full-length album from Lights & Motion is called Dear Avalanche, and was released on January 20th, 2016, through the American independent label Deep Elm Records. It consists of a total of 14 songs, reaching a runtime of 49 minutes.

 “I would take beautiful strings and then wrangle them through reverbs/delays and saturation to get it to sound like something else entirely. The album will also feature previously unused elements like vintage synthesiser sounds and electronics.”

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion. Mastered at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.

Lights & Motion Chronicle Artwork

Chronicle

februari 15, 2017

Chronicle

The third full-length album from Lights & Motion is called Chronicle, and was released on January 13th, 2015, through american independent label Deep Elm Records. The album features 9 songs, and at the time of its release was considered the bands most cinematic accomplishment to date.

Several songs from Chronicle have been featured in popular TV-Shows such as The Vampire Diaries. A more complete list can be viewed here

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion.

Lights & Motion Save Your Heart Artwork

Save Your Heart

februari 14, 2017

Save Your Heart

The second full-length album from Lights & Motion is called Save Your Heart, and was released on November 12th, 2013, through the american independent Deep Elm Records. It was released later during the same year as the debutalbum Reanimation first came out, explained by the fact that the bands sole member, Christoffer Franzén, “Simply couldn’t stop writing”. 

The artwork for Save Your Heart was designed by graphic designer Elias Klingén. The image, which is visualized through a combination of colours and abstract lines, is a graphical representation of a heart, being connected by two different colors of red and blue, conceptualizing the album.

Christoffer can be heard in several interviews talking about how he can “hear sounds as colors”, and he has stated about the new album;

“I wanted Save Your Heart to have more of a blueish or violet color in terms of sonic identity. In comparison, Reanimation had more of a yellowish tone’

Apple choose to feature the song “We Are Ghosts” in their 2015 iTunes/Academy Awards spot. The same song was used in the trailer for the movie Transcendence, starring Johnny Depp. The albums opening song, “Heartbeats”, was used in the trailer for the Will Smith movie Concussion. A more complete list of TV and Film features can be viewed here

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion.

 

Reanimation Artwork

Reanimation

maj 22, 2016

Reanimation

The debut full-length album from Lights & Motion is called Reanimation, and was released on January 16th, 2013, through Deep Elm Records. It was written and recorded during a two year period prior to its release, when Christoffer battled insomnia, and as a direct result of that spent his nights creating music by himself instead of sleeping.

The artwork for Reanimation was shot and edited by Christoffer Franzén himself, and features blurry lights of different colours spread across a dark blue background.

Since its release, songs from Lights & Motion´s debutalbum have been used in a variety of high-profile contexts; Google featured the song “The March” in their “Film In Review” commercial at the 2013 Academy Awards, seen by several hundred millions worldwide. During the 2015 Super Bowl you could hear “Faded Fluorescence” in the opening of The Fast And The Furious 7  trailer. Additional trailer placements featuring songs from Reanimation consists of Lone Survivor, Collateral Beauty, No Escape and Homefront. The TV-Show Containment used the Lights & Motion song “Home” during its final scene of the series. A more complete list of TV and Film features can be viewed here

Produced and Mixed by Lights & Motion.

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