June 2022 Tonalibus update

This June 2022 Tonalibus update confirms the global release of the new album “Tonalibus D & E”. Further it touches on Tonalibus playlists and the main menu option Sounds. And it presents a few inspiring quotes on harmony and a concluding image.

New album “Tonalibus D & E”

This new album is now globally available on music platforms like Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon, etc. These and further platforms are listed on the page Tonalibus D & E — Album. There are also detailes about its twenty-seven uplifting tracks. Below as sample is “चैतन्य Chaitanya — blues”.

“चैतन्य Chaitanya — blues” — G# Mixolydian with D# TetraNa / A# Norcor inversion — fretted vichitra veena and double 3/4 violin — January 2022 — 9:47 — as loop on a separate tab

Tonalibus playlists and Sounds update

Playlists are now primarily under Sounds. The playlist “Tonalibus F” already features four new recordings, including “Phrygian HU” — a meditative blues (below). All playlist tracks are also available under Sounds by season. Recently Summer 2022 came about, since Spring 2022 is complete.

“Phrygian HU” — Phrygian — multiple 8-string guitar, voice, crotales, tampura — 10:20 — as loop on a separate tab

One, two, three… in harmony and music

“Lao-Tzu, around 600 B.C.E., wrote, ‘One has produced Two, Two has produced Three.’ A commentator explains, ‘These words mean that One has been divided into Yin, the female principle, and Yang, the male principle. These two have joined, and out of their junction has come a third, Harmony. The spirit of Harmony, as it condenses, produces all beings.'”

“Indeed, Pythagoras, who lived in Greece around the same time that Lao-Tzu lived in China, thought that tripling was the only acceptable harmonic principle; consequently, the harmonic system generated by compounding fifths and reducing octaves is called Pythagorean.”

“G lives between C and D … It is a light that goes on inside.”

Harmonic Experience, W. A. Mathieu, pp. 34-36

June 2022 Tonalibus update image

June 2022 Tonalibus update
Dandelion seeds ready to be carried by the wind into the big open world — May 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland

Tonalibus D & E – the album

The global release date for the new album “Tonalibus D & E” is June 11, 2022. On that day, it appears on Spotify, YouTube Music, Deezer, Apple Music / iTunes, Amazon, and on many more music platforms around the world. This album features twenty-seven spontaneous, new improvisations by Ulrico on various instruments, a few also with voice. These pieces span close to two and three quarter hours of diverse original world music. They have a more or less meditative character and at times a touch of blues. Detailed information about this new album you find under Tonalibus D & E — Album in the Fidibus shop.

Tonalibus D & E – the album
High mountains on fire, light, and sound unfolding freedom of sound and harmony

May 2022 Tonalibus update

This brief May 2022 Tonalibus update touches on the new single “Humpbacks breach the surface” released on May 1. It announces the coming global release of the new album “Tonalibus D & E” on June 11. Further it gives a Fidibus shop update on playlists and on the new tonality of the month log. Finally it concludes with a photo in memory of Kalif Moon, the cat.

Global Tonalibus music releases update

May 2022 Tonalibus update

Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon, etc., saw the May 1 release of the single “Humpbacks breach the surface”.

Now on June 11, 2022, Tonalibus globally releases its second extensive album. Soon, detailed information about this new album “Tonalibus D & E” will be available. It features twenty-seven recent recordings by Ulrico on various instruments, a few with voice. Original music, mostly contemplative and meditative, at times with a touch of blues. Below is “Blue HU — a freedom adventure”, the most recent piece.

“Blue HU” — PentaNaMix — 7-string guitar, voice, bass bowl, crotales — May 2022 — 7:19 — as loop on a separate tab

May 2022 Tonalibus’ Fidibus shop update

May 2022 Tonalibus update

The Fidibus shop experienced some changes with playlists and with the new addition of the tonality of the month log.

The playlist “Tonalibus F — So many colors of reality” got reset to hold new pieces moving forward. Its accumulated entries transferred to “Tonalibus E — Freedom of sound and harmony” because they are part of the new album “Tonalibus D & E”. Plus, there is a new playlist “A symphony of life and love”. It offers a selection of recordings from the corresponding 2014 CD.

“Eternal moment” — fretted vichitra veena — summer 2014 — 3:17 — from CD “A symphony of life and love”

Kalif Moon, the cat who saw himself more as a bear

May 2022 Tonalibus update
Bye Kalif Moon, one of two Tonalibus cat assistants — April/May 2022

April 2022 Tonalibus update

This April 2022 Tonalibus update begins with a thought on (im)perfection. Then it announces the May 1 global release of a new Tonalibus single entitled “Humpbacks breach the surface”. Further, it highlights the completion of playlist Tonalibus E and the recent living room concert in Liebefeld. Finally, this update concludes with the announcement of the blog post comment option and an inspiring quote on harmony.

(Im)Perfection — or what matters

“Abandon the idea of being good and just try!” — Charlie Mackesy

It’s not perfection or the lack thereof that counts, but what flows through, what one brings along and passes on. No expression is perfect as such. Though some are closer than others. What matters are the images coming through. That a story comes alive. That one may realize aspects of harmony, how ever flawed their expressions may be. This is what matters. Ever, there is ample need to improve and strive for more clarity in expression. After all, consciousness and life move forward continually. And every one’s invited to come along. Many fight it. Others crawl along on their bellies through the dust. While some enjoy riding the crest of the wave or flying above.

Upcoming single — Humpbacks breach the surface

April 2022 Tonalibus update

On May 1, 2022 this piece will become available as new Tonalibus single by Ulrico (artist) on global music platforms like Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, etc.

“Humpbacks breach the surface” — a dreamscape (below) was conceived as an antidote to the global churn of these days.

TetraNa w/ Norcor inversion, Dorian, PentaMin / PentaEol — 8-string guitar and bass — 9:30 — as loop on a separate tab

April 2022 Tonalibus playlist and album update

April 2022 Tonalibus update

Soon, a new playlist Tonalibus F will start to come about. By now, with 12 pieces and 72 minutes of music, Tonalibus E appears complete after only a few months. It is to be a part of the upcoming double album release Tonalibus D & E in early summer. This includes among other new pieces recorded in Spring 2022 also the piano piece “Wake and ready for a new day” and “Slackline dance” — straight ahead (below).

“Slackline dance” — ReachMin — 8-string guitar, bass, and tanpura — 5:37 — as loop on a separate tab

April 2 living room concert in Bern Liebefeld

Three musicians each presented their talents and contributions to a most receptive audience of almost thirty: Daniela Künzli with gentle protest songs from around the world. Lukas Frutiger with free improvisations including cover songs. Ulrico with anchored harmony in sound, blues, meditation, heart and soul, including “Slackline dance” (above) and “Guggisbärg” (live video excerpt below).

Short 1½ minute video excerpt from “Guggisbärg” at the April 2 living room concert in Bern Liebefeld

Spiritualibus blog and post comments

The Spiritualibus blog has been revised to allow for you to leave comments in response to new blog posts (below each, also below this one). Thus, please feel free to use this new capability. I’d love to hear from you. Some of the comments will become visible to all.

“A shelf of certainty” — April Tonalibus update conclusion

On harmonic purity, the experience of harmony, of tuning into harmonics or primary overtones:

“… it is ultimately a state of resonance — a kind of shelf of certainty — more than it is a sharpening or flattening of pitch that you will come to recognize as the experience of being in tune. It is more a sympathy than a measurement of distance, a quality rather than a quantity. … Blend into the ‘fundamental sound’ almost to the point of disappearing entirely, with no worries about coming back.”

Harmonic Experience, W. A. Mathieu, pp. 28-29

February-March 2022 Tonalibus update

This February-March 2022 Tonalibus update announces the global release of the album Tonalibus Cooperation A. First though, it highlights Tonalibus playlists with new personal sound samples. Thus, the playlist Tonalibus D is now complete. In addition, playlist Tonalibus E experienced a very decisive beginning. Then there is a recap of the February 10 cooperation concert in Basel. Finally, this update concludes with inspiring quotes on harmony and a corresponding comment.

A completed and a new playlist in the Fidibus shop

February-March 2022 Tonalibus update

Completion of playlist Tonalibus D

This playlist High Mountains on fire, light, and sound is now complete with 12 pieces covering 72 minutes of original music. “Courage it takes” and “無為 Wu wei – contemplation” came about from the preparations for the cooperation concert in Basel on February 10, “Blessings may be” and “Guggisbärg-Melodie” from live concert recordings.

Beginning of new playlist Tonalibus E

This rapidly growing playlist Freedom of sound and harmony so far includes already 6 pieces offering 33 minutes of new music. This includes a rhythmic and a calm LydReach sound sample, “Happy birthday, Robin Hood! (for K.)”, “Thundering liberty and freedom”, “Bagisacro blues — let’s dance!”, and “Tagicrosago — W. A. Mathieu’s dark horse” that is offered as sample below.

“Tagicrosago” — PhrygDorian — tanpura, 8-string guitar, crotales, singing saw, gong — March 2022 — 5:45

The here mentioned new titles are available also under Sounds, individually and as loops. The recordings concluding playlist Tonalibus D as well as the two new LydReach samples are under Winter 2021-2022. While further recordings from playlist Tonalibus E are under Spring 2022. And the early 2022 cooperation sound samples mentioned below are under Cooperation 2020-2021.

Release of the album Tonalibus Cooperation A

Christina Braun, voice, & Ulrico, instruments

As announced in a previous blog post, Cooperation A – the album was released on global music platforms on February 22. Details about it you find under Cooperation A — Album in the Fidibus shop. It presents spontaneous improvisations as in playlist Cooperation A, including the new “Starry Sky” and “Heart in Misty Forest”. A sound sample is offered below.

“Cheerful Hey, Hey! — a happy dance” — Mixolydian — voice by Christina Braun — 8-string guitar by Ulrico — 5:18

February 10 cooperation concert — recap

Concert car packed up to and on the roof
Cooperation concert venue in action
Fretted vichitra veena
8-string guitar

In the Happy Garden –
sound & song

Cooperation concert
with Ulrico and
Marcel Haag
QuBa, Basel
February 10, 2022

Concert recap blog post

More concerts in various cooperation configurations are currently being planned. A private living room concert with Ulrico is scheduled for April 2 in Liebefeld, a suburb of Bern.

February-March 2022 Tonalibus update — harmony quotes

“By singing a tone in tune, you tune your room and your family and your neighborhood. It is not otherworldly that this is so. You place the energy of your sound into this world, and this world’s energy does not die; instead, it transforms. And whatever it transforms into carries with it forever the history of your good intentions.”

Harmonic territory, “even if it proves impossible to describe, it is nevertheless your territory and is eminently possible to explore. A true musician knows the inner ground.
Singing is the royal road to this inner land. Once inside, you become the mapmaker. You name the canyons and ranges, the hidden valleys, the underground rivers, the unnameable. The most amazing thing is that your map seems to be more or less identical to mine. (*) That’s why music connects individuals, communities, cultures, maybe someday a global population: We are more the same than different. And yet, vive la différence. Without it, music, like evolution, would be long gone.”

“Treat the naming systems … as if they were true. But we must remember that they are not quite true. It is crucial to understand the limitations of the names we use. The half truth of a construct in the mind can actually close our ears to the truth of a sound in the air. Incomplete or false constructs may lead us away from the subtlety we seek. … From now on we will have been forewarned, and prepared for imminent wobbles and collapses. We will understand and adjust.”

“It is powerful, upon hearing the music of strangers…, to recognize the common threads that connect the harmonic resonances of various peoples. This is not personal authority but the collective power of being human. Whether or not you were musically trained, you would sense the power of the harmonic resonances. But when you yourself can make such sounds, you realize the way in which you are this power.”

“Pure tones can learn to be alive inside your body.”

Harmonic Experience, W. A. Mathieu, pp. 90, 94, 101, 129, and 131

February-March 2022 Tonalibus update — conclusion

(*) — Indeed, W. A. Mathieu’s harmonic mapping appears largely identical in essence to the one of Tonalibus. Although he gives much more weight to and nests also the fifth harmonic or overtone (the major third) besides the third one (the fifth or quint) as basis for his fundamental harmonic mapping. Tonalibus, on the other hand, sticks more closely to the pure Pythagorean approach, i.e., the quint cycle, and gives more weight to the natural sequence of harmonics or overtones. Still, it is most evident that views of harmony are rooted in commonality. As Mathieu put it above: “We are more the same than different. And yet, vive la différence.” After all, there is always so much, much more to explore and experience in harmony, life, and love. 🙂

February-March 2022 Tonalibus update
Shadow profile on snow covered mountain brook boulders — February 2022 — bridge over Kiene, Fulbrunni, Switzerland