Queue the strings …

As the year draws to an end, I reminisce about all the wonderful things that actually happened during it. I spent the first half in Berlin – the city that turned out to be so spellbinding that my little family have decided to move there permanently, come summer of next year. And as of now, my family has a new member – Bess. This means a lot of loose hair everywhere, early mornings, frustration, responsibility, less clubbing, buying nasty shit like pig ears and dried up tendons. But most of all it means having a kool as ice companion who treats you in the exact way that you deserve. Be good to her, and she'll be good to you. For a real long time. She's mighty big by now but still has a long way to grow until she reaches her full size. Imagine a mix 'tween a wolf and a panther and you've got Bess!

I also managed to finally start recording my new album. The process is ongoing and have ended up stealing more of my time than I anticipated. Seven songs are done … three or more to go and a few lyrics to write. All and all it's been a great journey so far. It's always weird as hell locking yourself up inside a studio, or your own head – trying to cram out whatever leftover creativity you might still have. I feel as if I'm not making an updated version of my previous work, but rather creating something new and unique – from my point of view anyway. And it's with great enthusiasm I think about the day when everything is finally done – according to my mental schedule, sometime in February. So stay tuned for further updates …

As a small Christmas-gift, I can hereby confirm that my last album 'The Loyal' have been picked up for US release by way of the kind people at Eyeball Records. It features a sort of new cover, plus the song 'Pilots', which is a replacement track for 'All I Have'. There's a simple thought behind this – 'All I Have' is a track that should not have been on the album in the first place. I wrote it right after the first album and it's whole persona is unfitting for an album as 'The Loyal'. So, when one is given the opportunity to correct ones past mistakes – one should embrace that opportunity to the fullest. And as far as adding 'Pilots' goes, it's a great song that I really like. No more, no less. So to the all good people in the US of A … stayed tuned for 'The Loyal' hitting stores in February 2008.

Bess is waking up which means we're heading straight for the darkest of woods, for the longest of walks, as the cold winter sun sets behind us, leaving us lost and confused as we search for a way out the twig maze. I wish you the warmest of holidays, the best of times and a new year that makes the last one look like a pile of dog poo!

Hugs // R.

Here are two small lists of items I enjoyed during the year …

Top 5 movies of 2007

1. Darren Arronovsky 'The Fountain'
2. Brad Bird 'Ratatouille'
3. David Fincher 'Zodiac'
4. Roy Andersson 'You, The Living'
5. Robert Rodriguez 'Planet Terror'

Top 5 records of 2007

1. Clint Mansell 'The Fountain'
2. Burial 'Untrue'
3. The National 'Boxer'
4. Marilyn Manson 'Eat Me, Drink Me'
5. Blonde Redhead '23'