“Laocoön sprouted from our crazy souls and lay, undisturbed, for two decades. I love that we forgot, because now we can remember. Memory and Inspiration are connected in mythology, as Mnemosyne (Goddess of Memory) is Mother of the Muses. Happy remembering!”
“Many thanks to everyone involved here and ‘down under’. Worldwide musical co-operation across all borders cannot be valued highly enough in these difficult times. Thanks to all the good spirits behind this album. This music touches ... Let’s allow it, let’s change the world. Thank you !”
Laocoön
Laocoön is a collaborative album alluding to Graeco-Roman myth. On another level, it explores themes of intimacy, identity and integration.
Genres: Art pop, dreamrock, mystery pop, ethereal dance, space-ambient folk, gothic trip-hop, trance.
In ancient epic poetry, Apollo’s priest Laocoön incurs Athena’s wrath, by warning the Trojans about the Achaeans. So Athena sends sea-serpents onto Laocoön and his sons. Within the album booklet art, Louisa has set their statues with Asian dragons, expressing Australia’s place in Asia, where serpents often signify life and luck.
Recorded mostly during the naughties, the music features Louisa John-Krol, Mathias Grassow, Dirk Schlömer, Carsten Agthe and Rüdiger Gleisberg, with guests Mark Krol, Brett Taylor, Andrew Persi, Nicholas Albanis and Trevor Petrie.
Cover photograph, an aerial view, Coastline on Yawuru country near Broome, Western Australia, is by pilot-photographer Andy Kube. The lush 6-panel eco-digipak includes Lyrics, a CD in a cardboard sleeve (no plastic) and art by Rachael Hammond, co-designed with Louisa John-Krol. On the CD disc itself is the Norse ouroboros: a serpent eating its own tail, symbolising transmigration and renewal.
Tracks & Lyrics
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Eight of these ten songs feature lyrics by Louisa and/or Mark. Dirk wrote the lyrics for #3 ‘Looking For Gold’ and #8 ‘I Lost Control’, among his many other contributions (as per Credits).
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Lyrics
When will you come,
will loving come home soon?
what will we do –
how will we sign this room?
under the eyes of older gods
who play with pentacles of time,
when all our birds under the stone
are shadows in the sky!
When will I fly –
when will I run to you?
what will you do –if I arrive in blue?
and if we fly, and if we fall,
and if I stumble in my tune,
will he who waits alone be mine
and keep alive the fires of June?
I will come home soon
(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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Little yellow baskets are made to last
As for your lemon, I didn’t have to ask!
There’s one thing that would give me a blast
A little red car made of glass
Third Ear serenaded Macbeth
Third Eye jumped at the knock of Death –
I don’t need a break, just give me your breath
In a little red car made of glass
Mad Man Puck got a pick-up truck,
Polly had a dolly who was way out of luck
I won’t be happy till I get stuck
In a little red car made of glass
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
Had one daughter but she had to go!
Could’ve got clear of the guillotine blow
With a little red car made of glass
(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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Deep in our hearts
Deep in our minds
Deep in our souls
Looking for gold – that story so old
Cause we’re all looking for gold
Yes we’re all looking for gold
Ain’t we all looking for gold
No time for running, stand with the blind
when all keep on running, to the claims
waiting and drowning
trying to find an inner light
find that little white light
that the seer prophet has seen
Cause we’re all looking for gold
Yes we’re all looking for gold
Ain’t we all looking for gold
Claim’s for the seekers for the restless in mind
poverty’s always a reason to find
(lyrics by Dirk Schlömer)
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wild white wide mile
(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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The Moon hides rays from the Winter Sun
Faint tears bemoan skies of rain –
Step here to the home of the Winter Sun
Sham fear removes the stain of pain
The turning opens:
return the key!
The masks of angels demand a fee
In here there’s a room for the Winter Sun
Faint tears bemoan skies of rain –
Step here to the home of the Winter Sun
Sham fear removes the stain of pain
The journey’s over:
your candle’s burned!
We’re waiting for you behind the Moon
(lyrics by Mark Krol)
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Walking Round Days
Knocking Sound Lace
Breaking Crown Plays
Talking Down Space
(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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Steel Sirens
Redback Spider on a Silver Screen
Calling Steel Sirens
Lovesack Glider in a Diva DreamScale the Rim
When you feel compulsive, Bliss your Skin
Who you Are
When you feel like buying, Break the Bid
Scan behind the Stars
When the Sense Box opens, Kiss the LidThey hang Harlequins
Where the Factory Chains Slam the Wind
They tie Tentacles
Where the Ocean Manes Ram the Grid(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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Where is my answers I lost control
Where is my answers I walk alone
Where is my peace of mind
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
And I see my life in circles
And I see my life in circles
(lyrics by Dirk Schlömer)
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One fine morning when the snails were squealing
through my window pane,
you fell in your astro suit
crashing through the ceiling
with your digit pointing at me:
So we’re gonna play a thousand questions
smash the reel, zoom the cat and zap!
Why did you fly to the moon?
Why did you try to bend my tune?
Why did I let my mother eat the jam?
Why did I let my cat sing bam bam?
So we’re gonna play …
Why did you want to squeeze my name?
Why did I drive your car into a lake?
So we’re gonna play …
Why did you wind your clock into tomorrow?
Why did you shake the snake and bake?
Why did you let the egg swing and borrow?
Why did you take the drake and quake?
So we’re gonna play …
Why did the gravity eat the rainbow?
Why did your eyes turn pink?
Why did I ask for your opinion?
Why won’t you let me think?
So we’re gonna play …
Why is the sky a blue medallion?
Why is that coin so blue?
Why does it show a thousand faces?
Why does it smile like you?
(lyrics by Mark Krol)
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Are you inside me?
Or am I inside you?
Laocoön, Laocoön
Wrap yourself around me!
Be yourself inside me
Is it my self waking in you?
Contemplating love – Terrifying love!
Is this me thinking or is it you, you?
Swimming with the River
Sinking in my armour
Do I embrace this change or do I falter?
Laocoön my python,
When will you let me go?
How do I find a way through this tangle?
Are you inside me?
Or am I inside you?
Is it me thinking of you?
But wait, you are me!
Hey, wait, I am through wrestling with you,
Being you, Laocoön
(lyrics by Louisa John-Krol)
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Fires Of June
Flight, reverie, arrival, whimsy, caprice: as we are from northern and southern hemispheres, it is ambiguous whether we conjure winter hearths or summer wildfires. A mystery, too, whether the one ‘who waits alone’ is abroad, or at home awaiting reunion.
Little Red Car Made Of Glass
A carload of eccentric misfits, with little in common, take a trip. Who is the driver? Are they taking turns? Or sharing the wheel, all hands on the circle?
Looking For Gold
Pausing the ride, we all tumble from the car. One adventurer sets out on foot with a heavy heart, wondering if ambition is worthwhile. Perhaps the alchemist’s deeper reward is intangible?
Wild White Wide Mile
Fly through the clouds, dreaming.
Winter Sun
Assorted goths, mods, new wavers, psychedelic rockers, hipsters, carnies, punks, pre-Raphaelites, witches, sonic alchemists and other indies are heading downstairs into a subterranean chamber. It could be a liminal realm, like Dante’s Limbo; or Hades’ underworld, where Orpheus seeks Eurydice who has died of snakebite; or the Elysium Fields, Welsh Annwfyn, Irish Mag Mell, Norse Niflheim, or the Sufis’ Alam Mithal, just to name a few.
Talking Down Space
Sometimes death seems certain, yet changes course. Myths and fairytales are full of such turnings. In ancient Sumer, Goddess Inanna returns from the dead after confronting her sister Ereshkigal, who (by esoterica) could be her other self, her shadow twin.
Steel Sirens
Strength, in the form of a redback spider, lovesack glider, moves across a dance floor.
I Lost Control
Part of our humanity is to accept that we - and others - seldom attain ideals. Struggle, remorse and humility are integral to life’s quest.
A Thousand Questions
An alien - or a lover? - of amorphous origin, gender, orientation, age or creed, crashes through a ceiling, digit pointing, ready to ask: Why?
Laocoön
Come then, integration! What is this transformation? Is it alchemy, transmigration, mutation or another mystery? Perhaps, like peace, it means different things to us all?
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Label
2025 Blue Tree, Australia
Recorded two decades ago, during the naughties (2000s), the album lay like a serpent’s egg in shadow.
Composition
Mathias Grassow / Dirk Schlömer, with Keyboard parts by Rüdiger Gleisberg & Percussive arrangements by Carsten Agthe, except #5 ‘Winter Sun’ by Louisa John-Krol/ Mark Krol based on a 90s cassette demo by Andrew Persi, remade with Brett Taylor
Melodies & Lyrics
Mark Krol & Louisa John-Krol (eight of ten tracks) except for #3 ‘Looking For Gold’ and #8 ‘I Lost Control’ by Dirk Schlömer
Soundscape, Instrumentation
Piano, Keyboards: Rüdiger Gleisberg & Dirk Schlömer, except #5 ‘Winter Sun’ played by Brett Taylor
Percussion, Drumming: Carsten Agthe
Guitars, including Acoustic & Bass: Dirk Schlömer , except for #5 ‘Winter Sun’, played by Brett Taylor (based on riffs by Andrew Persi). #9 ‘A Thousand Questions’ features additional guest guitarist Nicholas Albanis
Loops, Drones, Samples, Effects, Riffs, overall Ambience: Mathias Grassow, Dirk Schlömer (Laocoön Loops)
Singing
Eight of ten songs feature vocals of Louisa John-Krol, recorded in Australia mid 2000s by Brett Taylor. Dirk Schlömer sang the two songs that he wrote, #3 ‘Looking For Gold’ and #8 ‘I Lost Control’
Production
Dirk Schlömer engineered most of the album, including mixing, at AmygdalaLand Studio, Berlin36, Berlin, except #5 ‘Winter Sun’ produced by Brett Taylor at Pilgrim Arts, Adelaide Hills, South Australia; Brett also recorded all of Louisa’s vocals, which Dirk mixed. Trevor Petrie edited and remixed #9 ‘A Thousand Questions’ at Golden City Sound, Bendigo, Australia
Visual Art
Front CD cover photo: aerial view, Coastline of Yawuru country near Broome, Western Australia, by pilot-photographer Andy Kube
Red-bellied snake painting, disc Ouroboros design & Athena’s spear serpent: Rachael Hammond
Mythological conception & design draft: Louisa, polished by Rachael Hammond of Fantastical Fae Art
More about our collaboration - how we all met, and what brought the album into being:
Friendship between Mathias and Louisa was initiated by their mutual friend Carsten, while Lou’s co-songwriter Mark was a Mathias Grassow fan. Louisa and Dirk were label mates on Hyperium before joining other labels. Created over 20 years ago, refined by Dirk Schlömer (ex-Ton, Steine, Scherben, Stella Maris, Das Zeichen and now ORNAH-MENTAL), this album drew soundtrack maestro Rüdiger Gleisberg (who collaborated with Louisa elsewhere) and Carsten Agthe (Nostalgia, KarmaCosmic).
Contacts & Links
Dirk Schlömer’s Homepage: AmygdaLand Music
Dirk’s Iapetus portal: Bandcamp
Mathias Grassow: Website
Mat’s Bandcamp
Rüdiger Gleisberg: Website, Soundtracks
Carsten Agthe: Bandcamp
Louisa John-Krol / Mark Krol: Website, Faerie Bard
Lou’s Bandcamp
Louisa John-Krol, Australia:
You are already here (hello!)
http://www.louisajohn-krol.com/
