Lesiëm

Lesiëm is a German musical project created in 1999 by the producers Sven Meisel and Alex Wende and active until 2005. The project's music combines elements of rock, pop, electronica, new age, enigmatic and ambient music, as well as Gregorian chant and other choral music. It is frequently compared to French project Era, German musical project Enigma and the Norwegian artist Amethystium.[1] Lesiëm's website makes extensive reference to the group's mystical and spiritual influences.[1][2]

Lesiëm
Background information
OriginGermany
GenresNew Age
Years active1999–2005
LabelsEpic/Sony, Monopol Records, Koch, Intentcity Records
MembersSven Meisel
Alex Wende

Lesiëm released its debut album, Mystic Spirit Voices, in 2000. When the album was released in the United States in 2002, it climbed to no. 10 at the U.S. New Age Albums Billboard chart.[3] Lesiëm's second album, Chapter 2, was released in 2001 in Europe, and in the United States in 2003 under the title Illumination, where it reached no. 7. at the New Age Albums Billboard chart.[2]

The first two albums were some sort of prelude for the pop-opera Times, which was Lesiëm's third album (released as Auracle in the United States in 2004).[4] The musicians started their work in March 2002 and finished it in the end of July. The single "Caritas" (featuring Scottish singer Maggie Reilly and Deutsche Oper Berlin) was presented in December 2002 on the philanthropic TV-show of José Carreras, Carreras Gala.[1] In 2005, Lesiëm released its latest songs for a new version of Times, "Morgain" and "Morgause", both also collaborations with Maggie Reilly.[5]

History

Lesiëm was created in Germany by producers Sven Meisel and Alex Wende in 1999 as an eclectic combination of Gregorian chants and choral music with modern genres and soundscapes, especially rock, pop and electronic music. The lyrics in Latin are written by Thomas Pflanz and sung by the all-male Carl Maria von Weber choir in the first two albums and the Deutsche Oper Berlin in the third.[1]

Its first album, Mystic Spirit Voices, was released in January 2000 in Germany and 2002 in the United States, where it reached the number 10 at the Billboard New Age Albums chart.[1][3]

Lesiëm's second album, Chapter 2, was released in 2001 in Germany and 2003 in the United States under the title "Illumination", ranking at number 7 at the Billboard New Age albums chart.[6] It presented strong ethnic influences with its use of instruments like the duduk, the bagpipe and a second collaboration with South-African singer Lawrence Sihlabeni (following Indalo from the first album) in the track Africa.[1]

Times, Lesiëm's latest work, was released in 2003 in Germany (with a reissue in 2005 featuring two new songs, Morgain and Morgause) and 2004 in the United States under the title "Auracle". It is the only album to feature a mixed-gender choir.

Discography

Albums
  • Mystic Spirit Voices, Monopol Records, January 31, 2000 (US-release: Mystic. Spirit. Voices; Intentcity Records, 2002)[7]
  1. "Lesiem" (5:05) - Wende, A. / Westland, H. / Pflanz, T.
  2. "Occultum" (3:50) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, Thomas
  3. "Fundamentum" (4:46) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, Thomas
  4. "Vivere" (4:02) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, Thomas
  5. "Open Your Eyes" (4:12) - Wende, A. / Pflanz, T. / Beyers, B.
  6. "Indalo" (3:54) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, T. / Sihlabeni, L.
  7. "Liberta" (4:26) - Wende, Alex / Planz, T. / Härtl, M.
  8. "Miracle Eyes" (4:02) - Westland, Henning / Pflanz, T. / Pabst, D.
  9. "Una Terra" (4:12) - Westland, Henning / Pflanz, Thomas
  10. "Mater Gloria" (3:52) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, Thomas
  11. "Veni Creator Spiritus" (4:46) - Härtl, Matthias
  12. "Lacrimosa" (4:34) - Härtl, Matthias
  13. "Floreat" (5:08) - Westland, Henning / Pflanz, T. / Arison, M.
  14. "In Taberna Mori" (4:00) - Härtl, Matthias
  15. "Ave Fortuna" (5:08) - Wende, Alex / Pflanz, Thomas
  16. "Liberta" (Choir version) (4:27) - Wende, Alex / Planz, T. / Härtl, M.
  • Chapter 2, Monopol Records, Koch, April 12, 2001 (US-release: Illumination; Intentcity Records, 2003)
  1. "Agnus Dei" (00:53)
  2. "Pater Patriae" (04:07)
  3. "Navigator" (03:48)
  4. "Africa" (04:08)
  5. "Roma" (04:07)
  6. "Diva" (03:58)
  7. "Aureus" (04:07)
  8. "Coloris" (03:28)
  9. "Paradisus" (03:27)
  10. "Poeta" (04:39)
  11. "La Rose" (05:08)
  12. "Britannia" (03:58)
  13. "Agnus Dei" (00:38)
  • Times, Monopol Records, Epic/Sony, April 4, 2003 (US-release: Auracle; Intentcity Records, April 28, 2004)
  1. "Humilitas" (4:05)
  2. "Temperantia" (4:01)
  3. "Caritas" (4:23)
  4. "Fides" (5:25)
  5. "Justitia" (4:21)
  6. "Patientia" (4:17)
  7. "Spes" (3:49)
  8. "Prudentia" (4:47)
  9. "Times" (4:24)
  10. "Invidia" (4:00)
  11. "Vanitas" (4:41)
  12. "Fortitudo" (4:33)
  13. "Bonitas" (5:53)

Singles
  • Fundamentum, Monopol Records, January 10, 2000
  • Indalo, Monopol Records, June 5, 2000
  • Liberta, Monopol Records, 2000;
  • Africa, Monopol Records, March 21, 2000
  • Navigator, Monopol Records, 2001;
  • Caritas, Epic/Sony, December 16, 2002

Audiobooks
  • Der steinige Weg, Monopol Records, October 21, 2005

See also

References
  1. "Lesiëm's biography on Last.FM. Last.FM. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. "Illumination review on AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  3. "Mystic Spirit Voices chart on Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  4. "Auracle review on AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  5. "Times on Amazon.de". Amazon. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. "Lesiëm charts on Billboard.com". Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  7. http://www.lesiem.nm.ru/msv.htm
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