Category Archives: Music

“Tit Augmented” is out!

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The new album – or, more precisely, the radically renovated 10th-anniversary edition of Cynicism Management’s first album, “Tit” – is out. You can grab it on Bandcamp (free / pay what you want), in most digital stores, or hear it on your favourite streaming service.

ALBUM CREDITS:

Monika Fritz: vocals
Jan Urbanc: guitar
Borut Praper: drums, keyboards, programming, bass, guitar
Aljaž Tulimirović: guitar and bass on Iniquity; guitar on Herbal Haze; guitar, e-bow guitar and kazoo on The End of the Vilewood Road
Stojan Kralj: guitar on Herbal Haze
Jure Praper: lead guitar on Four-Circle Penile Substitute

All tracks written and arranged by Borut Praper, except Iniquity co-written by Aljaž Tulimirović. All lyrics by Borut Praper. Recorded, produced, and mixed by Borut Praper. Vocals co-arranged by Monika Fritz. Mastering by Andrej Hrvatin.

Cover artwork adapted from the mixed-media artwork “Kraljica noči” by Rok Predin © 2008. Used with the permission of the artist. Track artwork by Matej Peklar, except “Tit Augmented” by Matevž Praper. Back artwork by Matevž Praper.

Thanks: Jan Baruca, Andrej Hrvatin, Stojan Kralj, Sebastjan Roškarič, Aljoša Mislej for lending an ear, Sunčan Stone for checking the lyrics.

CLICK HERE for more detailed information about the project.

A tangible, paper version of Cynicism Management has just been published!

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To expand on last week’s short notice a bit…

My first novel Cynicism Management, a rather politically incorrect satire with sci-fi elements, has just been published in Slovenia in a tangible, paper form as a part of the independent imprint called corona/samizdat. The eye-popping and relatively thick pocket-sized paperback only costs a measly 12 euros plus postage, so if you feel like supporting the entire “cause”, it won’t cost you much. Even if you’re not interested in my book at all, please do consider taking a look at the complete catalogue. You may find something else of interest, as this fine collection of titles, carefully curated by the US American expatriate to Slovenia, writer and unwavering literary activist Rick Harsch, already includes many fascinating works and will certainly keep growing in the coming months – especially if readers keep supporting it. To order, send an e-mail to rick.harsch@gmail.com and let Rick know which books and how many you would like (combined shipping is cheaper), along with your mailing address.

As many of you already know, the novel Cynicism Management contains links to music (allegedly) recorded by the fictional musicians appearing in the story. As this original soundtrack for the book is, just like the novel itself, now more than ten years old, I’ve recently released the so-called “augmented” versions of the tracks in honour of the novel’s corona/samizdat edition (in Slovenia) and the upcoming River Boat Books edition (in the United States). These are not remixes or remasters, but in fact thoroughly reworked versions of the songs – click here for more detailed information on the project. All of the “rejuvenated” songs will be published about a year from now, on the official 10th anniversary of the original Tit, as a new music album titled Tit Augmented. However, the entire “renovated” soundtrack can already be streamed from our SoundCloud page. You can also download it in its entirety for free right here:

……or stream it from SoundCloud:

“Cynicism Management” (the novel) is out!

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A tangible, paper edition of my first novel “Cynicism Management“, now already a ten-year-old satire with sci-fi elements, has just been released in Slovenia by Rick Harsch‘s independent press corona/samizdat. The pocket-sized paperback is available from https://coronasamizdat.com for a measly 12 € plus postage.

The novel contains links to music (allegedly) recorded by the fictional musicians appearing in the story – to the actual soundtrack for this literary work. You can download it in its entirety for free right here:

……or stream it from SoundCloud:

Cynicism Management – Original Soundtrack updated

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The original soundtrack for the novel Cynicism Management: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable has just been updated with new versions of songs.

The original music for the novel is now more than ten years old and my technical capabilities as well as expertise in music production have improved quite a bit during the last decade. About a year ago, I therefore started releasing the so-called “augmented” versions of the relevant tracks (not remixes, but thoroughly reworked versions of songs – click here for more detailed information about the project) in honour of the upcoming River Boat Books (United States) and corona/samizdat (Slovenia) editions of the novel. All of the “rejuvenated” songs will be published about a year from now, on the official 10th anniversary of the original Tit, as a new music album titled Tit Augmented. However, the new versions of all the songs are already available to stream from our SoundCloud page as well as to download for free and/or stream from the very post you’re just reading or from this page on my official website. So if you’d like to be among the first to hear them, this is the place to be.

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CYNICISM MANAGEMENT – ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

The Cynicism Management novel contains references to songs, recorded specifically as a soundtrack for the story. The music is in no way crucial for following the plot, so you will miss nothing if you cannot or will not listen to it. Besides, it is always possible that you might like the writing but hate the soundtrack… or vice versa. The novel as a purely literary work is my top priority, and therefore I by no means wish to force my musical escapades on you.

However, if the idea of songs enhancing the story’s atmosphere appeals to you, feel free to use the relevant links in the novel or the dedicated SoundCloud player below to have a listen.

Should you wish to download the complete collection of tracks mentioned in the book, you can do so here. I apologise for restricting the download to subscribers, but it is crucial for me to be able to inform you of any new literary and music releases.

Note that the tracks from the 2011 Cynicism Management debut “Tit” have recently been reworked (or “augmented”) in honour of the 2020 River Boat Books (United States) and corona/samizdat (Slovenia) publications of actual paper books. Next year, on the “official” tenth anniversary of the aforementioned debut, the modernised versions of songs will be released as a standalone album. Until then, the free download of these tracks is only available from right here.

Another Place Another Time (Augmented)

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Another Place Another Time (Augmented), the twelfth (and final) track for the upcoming Cynicism Management release Tit Augmented, planned for about a year from now, has just been published on SoundCloud. Incidentally, this happens to be my absolute favourite on the ten-year-old debut album Tit by Cynicism Management.

This wraps up the project of “radically renovating” the songs in time for the publication of my first novel, which the music was actually written for: as it happens, after all this time, Cynicism Management (the novel) will be released this autumn both in the United States (by River Boat Books) as well as in Slovenia (as a part of Rick Harsch’s corona/samizdat, an independent imprint of Amalietti&Amalietti). For this occasion, I decided to thoroughly rework or “modernise” the old tracks – simply to do them justice, as the original songs had been produced well over a decade ago in much less than ideal circumstances. Next year, on the “official” tenth anniversary of the aforementioned debut, the new versions will be published as a standalone release.

Should you want to know more about this project, click here.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Monika Fritz – vocals
Jan Urbanc – guitar
Borut Praper – drums, keyboards, bass & additional guitar

Music by Borut Praper
Lyrics by Borut Praper
Recorded, produced & mixed by Borut Praper
Vocals co-arranged by Monika Fritz
Mastered by Andrej Hrvatin

Track artwork by Matej Peklar
(Upcoming) album artwork by Matevž Praper

 


ANOTHER PLACE ANOTHER TIME
Incomplete
A fading vision
I still roam this darkened city
Altered and disguised
Stranger streets
With every season
As I sit there unperceived
And ponder our demise

Turned the tides
And wasted many months of
Slipping grips on what we thought
That some day might become
Something has gone
And hastened by while I
Returned time after time
To glimpse the things undone

Another place another time
Oh we used to be whole

All those long lost
Trains of thought end up
Derailed as I blend finally
With shadows you can’t see
There I remain
A distant grain of memory
An epitaph a footnote
Signed yours respectfully

Herbal Haze (Augmented)

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Herbal Haze (Augmented), the eleventh (and penultimate) track for the upcoming Cynicism Management release Tit Augmented, planned for about a year from now, has just been released on SoundCloud. Should you want to know more about this project, click here.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Monika Fritz – vocals
Jan Urbanc – guitar
Aljaž Tulimirović – guitar
Stojan Kralj – guitar
Borut Praper – drums, keyboards, bass & additional guitar

Music by Borut Praper
Lyrics by Borut Praper
Recorded, produced & mixed by Borut Praper
Vocals co-arranged by Monika Fritz
Mastered by Andrej Hrvatin

Track artwork by Matej Peklar
(Upcoming) album artwork by Matevž Praper

 


HERBAL HAZE
Welcome dear tainted dawn
Are you to stay here long?
I plan to stay away
From your big brother day

Hello my trusted friend
Ready to make amends?
I’m yearning for your touch
Why cope with drudgery much?

And while I listen to them breathing
I want to see them fast receding
Longing for its touch
I know I don’t want too much

Lead the day
And get sick get sick of it
Speed the day
There’s much so much of it
Free the day
Roll it up and shrug it off
Heed your way
Feel it calling

Herbal haze became my face

TV Turns On You (Augmented)

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TV Turns On You (Augmented), the tenth track for the upcoming Cynicism Management release Tit Augmented, planned for about a year from now, has just come back from mastering. Should you want to know more about this project, click here.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Monika Fritz – vocals
Jan Urbanc – guitar
Borut Praper – drums, keyboards, bass & additional guitar

Music by Borut Praper
Lyrics by Borut Praper
Recorded, produced & mixed by Borut Praper
Vocals co-arranged by Monika Fritz
Mastered by Andrej Hrvatin

Track artwork by Matej Peklar
(Upcoming) album artwork by Matevž Praper

 


TV TURNS ON YOU
I can’t wait to flush my face
In flickers of the human race
All of this I may despise
But it sustains my dreary life
Need some genuine heartfelt screams
To liven up my stillborn dreams
I need some blood I need some pain
I need to think that I’m still sane

I’m so bored, I want more
Need some gore, need some gore

TV turned on me
I can almost see now

I turn it on
‘Cause it turns me off
As I cease to be
It turns on me

Madness greed blood screeching tearing
Never subside no retreat no
Shelter inside all because of
Hatred fear wrath I’ve seen all the
Liars tell lies sold out assholes
Anger bursts out misdirected
Preachers spread blight murder all the
Sense that we might have left out there

Omens portend we are failing
Massacred and entrails trailing
Final dead end we are nearing
Pestilence dread disappearing
Poisoned this place killed bystanders
Utter disgrace parasitic
Malice! We waste good intentions
Straying so far from redemption
Doomed

Anger bursts out misdirected
Preachers spread blight unsuspected
Omens portend we are failing
Utter disgrace parasitic
Liars tell lies sold out assholes
Sense that we might have things left there
Malice! We waste good intentions
Straying so far from redemption
What a relief this can’t happen
Ever to me, I just watch some
TV

Bad Bad Boy (Augmented)

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We’ve just finished Bad Bad Boy (Augmented), yet another track for the upcoming Cynicism Management release Tit Augmented, planned for about a year from now. Should you want to know more about this project, click here.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Monika Fritz – vocals
Jan Urbanc – guitar
Borut Praper – drums, keyboards, bass & additional guitar

Music by Borut Praper
Lyrics by Borut Praper
Recorded, produced & mixed by Borut Praper
Vocals co-arranged by Monika Fritz
Mastered by Andrej Hrvatin

Track artwork by Matej Peklar
(Upcoming) album artwork by Matevž Praper

 


BAD BAD BOY
I’ve been a bad bad boy

All the wants that I may have
Tremble at my mother’s stare
I implore her to desist
This thing she does

I’ve been watching her grow old
Never penetrated, cold
I have never even grasped
The sin

I’ve been a bad bad boy
Got little hamster legs in my secret drawer
Therefore I hide till I can hide no more
I’ve been a bad bad boy
I have her visit my mind
Make her my own whore
Therefore I loathe
Till I can loathe no more

I grow older she grows old
I’ve been hiding things untold
It’s been years and I am
Unrepentant

But she steals the cellar key
I make her stay eternally
Now I love her quietly
She’s watching

I’ve been a bad bad boy
My little hamster legs I carry in my pockets
I no longer run ’cause I can run no more
I’ve been a bad bad boy
Those children’s shoes
In my cellar locker
They’re all just for you
So you can love me too

Bad bad boy