Gulli Briem - Earth Affair - Liberté / CD album (2014)
GR-114

"Liberté" is the name of drummer Gulli Briem's new album release, an Indie/World-music/pop project which he calls Earth Affair.

Gulli Briem is a founding member and drummer of the teenage funk-group Mezzoforte, that had major success in the mid-eighties with the album Surprise surprise and the top ten hit single "Garden Party".

Gulli shows a new side to his talents on this record with "film like" ambient, almost orchestral pieces of music that draw you quickly into their sonic world. The songs are indeed surprising and dynamic, where Gulli features South African singer, Vusi Mahlasela as well as using unusual instruments like an Icelandic Stone Harp made by modern artist Páll Guðmundsson from Húsafell, Iceland, as well as Dulcitone & Glockenspiel. British string arranger Simon Hale contributed to the album with two string arrangements performed by a hungarian string ensemble in Budapest.

The Liberté album features eight new compositions written mostly by Gulli Briem & Icelandic poet Jökull Jörgensen. Additional musicians apart from Mahlasela are trumpeters Joo Kraus, Sebastian Studnitzky, percussionist Frank Aarnik, guitarist Arnar Guðjónsson. Gulli's voice, drumming and piano playing make "Liberté" a very unique album of soothing, but at the same time powerful and dynamic pieces of music.

Welcome to the soulful world of Earth affair.

rocktimes.de review

Order

Tracklist:

1. Mother (6,25)
Written by G.Briem
Lyrics by J.Jörgensen

Gulli Briem – Vocals, Drums & Keyboards
 Jökull Jörgensen – Bass
  Arnar Guðjónsson – Guitars
Sebastian Studnitzky – Grand Piano & Keyboards
 Thorvaldur Thor Thorvaldsson – Goatshoes

Strings

1st violin – Rita Gardian
2nd violin – Tunde Banhegyi
Viola – Lilla Ersek
Cello – Monika Andrasi

Johannesburg childrens voices:
“The children from Merlyn Nokwe place”
Icelandic childrens voices:
Katrín Briem, Molly Jökulsdóttir, Erna Jökulsdóttir
Backing vocals: Margrét Eir

Strings arranged by Gulli Briem

2. Jewels up high (7,05)
        Written by G.Briem
Lyrics by J. Jörgensen

Gulli Briem – Vocals, Drums & Keyboards
Sebastian Studnitzky – Grand Piano / Dulcitone & Programming
Jökull Jörgensen – Bass
Frank Aarnink – Glockenspiel

3. The Fugue (5,57)
         Written by G.Briem

Gulli Briem – Vocals, Drums & Keyboards
Vusi Mahlasela – Vocals
Jökull Jörgensen – Bass 
Frank Aarnik –  Icelandic Stoneharp
Sebastian Studnitzky – Piano, Keyboards & Trumpet

4. Mia’s song (4,50)
Written by G.Briem

Gulli Briem – Grand Piano
Simon Hale – Keyboards

Strings

1st violin – Rita Gardian
2nd violin – Tunde Banhegyi
Viola –Lilla Ersek
Cello – Monika Andrasi

Strings arranged by Simon Hale

5. She gave me water (5,40)
         Written by G.Briem / Joo Kraus / S. Johannsson

Gulli Briem – Drums, Grand Piano & Keyboards
Jökull Jörgensen – Bass
Sigtryggur Jóhannsson – Keyboards
Joo Kraus – Trumpet

6. Til Moldar  (4,59)
Music written by G.Briem
Lyrics by J.Jörgensen

Gulli Briem – Vocals, Drums & Keyboards
Þórir Úlfarsson – Piano
Bass – Jökull Jörgensen
Guitars – Arnar Guðjónsson
Guitar – Birkir Rafn Gíslason

7. Hang drum song (4,25)
Written by G.Briem / T.Barabas

Gulli Briem – Hang Drum
Tamás Barabas – Keybords & Bass

 8. Farewell  (4,42)
Written by G.Briem

Gulli Briem – Grand Piano
Simon Hale – Keyboards
Viola –  Lilla Ersek
Cello –  Monika Andrasi

Strings arranged by Simon Hale