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Nine by One

by Christian Leuenberg

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1.
The Working Men 01:04
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We're the working men. We're here to serve. Stone by stone we build these walls. The goal in sight and blood in our hands. Stone by stone we build these walls. Comrades! Comrades! Unity! Unity! Unity!
2.
The Rulers 01:01
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We are the rulers. Almighty rulers. Popular rulers. We are the rulers. Sacred rulers. Elected rulers. We are the rulers. You wanted rulers. You voted rulers. We are the rulers. Trustworthy rulers. Democratic rulers. We will give you food and you call us saints. If you don't agree throw your vote into the ballot box. But: We make the rules!
3.
Impersonal Number 01:02
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All my life I was drilled to become a working man. Hey, this is me now … … following orders for a better world. My name was defined as an impersonal nine digit number. Hey, this is me now … … following orders for a safer world. For the common good. Hail to the people! Hail to the party! Hail to the rulers! For the rest of my life!
4.
The Dream 01:07
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I fall asleep but it feels so real after a long day working for the people, no time for day-dreaming. You're here and you seem to be so real. No words to say, pictures get so clear. And, oh … my discomfort! Oh … my unconsciousness! What do I do now? You plant pictures in my head of man and wife, love and life. I feel for the first time and you move on saying: "Democracy is arrest, taxation is theft." And, oh … my discomfort! Oh … my unconsciousness! Oh … my powerlessness! Oh … my unheartedness! What do I do now? What do I do now? What do I do now?
5.
All Eyes on Me 01:04
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I saw you standing there with your eyes on me. Staring at me. I saw you standing there with your eyes on me. Looking at me. Yeah, you're looking at me. Yeah, you fear me. I'm just a working man but my heart beats loud and my ego is fading. You may keep staring at me. Getting used to it 'cause my ego is fading …
6.
Lack of Love 01:05
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I lack too much life, love, you. Life, love, you. I lack too much …
7.
Breaking the Cycle 01:04
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I learned today that we are only the slaves to ourselves and blindly obey. I've decided to break this cycle and listen to my discomfort and … Rebel! Rebel! Rebel! Rebel!
8.
The Rebel 01:04
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I'm the rebel, I'm here to disturb. Stone by stone I'll tear down your walls! The goal in sight as love is my command. Stone by stone I'll tear down your walls. Liberty! [Due to rebellious activity and too much emotion, number nine-by-one has been eliminated. You can now continue to work safely. Hail to the people! Hail to the party! Hail to the rulers!]
9.
Epilogue 01:04
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"Nine by one", it's me! The voice from your dream. No more fear. Love is here. Choices appear … [Will you go back?] My soul plan is not completed. [Will you go back?] Yes, I will go!

about

"Nine By One" by Christian Leuenberg is a concept album about life in a centralist superstate. The main character, who has no name but is only a number, belongs to the working class and lives a life determined by the common good. In a strange dream, however, he is made aware of his suppressed emotional world by a being. Irritated and visibly carried away, he is henceforth excluded from the other workers. The protagonist makes the decision to admit his feelings and break the eternal cycle of subservience: He becomes a rebel against the system and the rulers, which ultimately costs him his life. In the epilogue, the being from his dream reappears and offers him the opportunity to be reborn in order to fulfill his soul plan.

The album title "Nine By One" refers to the number of the protagonist (“111 111 111”). Furthermore, it also alludes to the amount as well as the duration of the individual album tracks: Nine songs at one minute each. This unusual format was chosen by the artist to be able to publish the album song by song on Instagram. On Instagram, the runtime is limited to 1 minute per posting. So "Nine By One" is probably one of the (or even the) shortest concept albums in rock music history.

The album will premiere on my Instagram account by releasing one song per day, starting on November, 19th 2020. On the last day (Nov., 27th) the album will be available on Bandcamp and all major platforms. To be part of this experimental type of album release, please follow me on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/nebulous/

credits

released November 27, 2020

The entire album has been recorded during Sept./Oct. 2020 analogue at Christian’s home onto a Tascam 688.
Instruments tuned A = 432Hz, no click track, no auto tuning.
Almost all instruments and vocals recorded with a single AKG D190 microphone.

Written, performed, engineered and recorded by Christian Leuenberg.

Female voice on track 8 by Leonie Schliesing.
soundcloud.com/leonie-schliesing

Cover artwork by Andriy Boyar.
www.instagram.com/boyar_art/

Mixed and mastered by Christian Knauer at Busch Studio.
busch-studio.de

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Christian Leuenberg Altenkirchen, Germany

1981 | Rock/Alternative/Indie/Acoustic | Analog | Tape

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