Album

Content: 14 songs of the Maier Project´s history, 3 unreleased songs, and 2 new songs.

The very beginning of The Maier Project contained songs which were nearly completely made out of loops, put together and alienated by the use of various instruments.
" My Life in an Elven World", 2006.
Excerpt:
1. Elven Bread
(instrumental)

All instruments by Hans Maier. Composed and arranged by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

"Four" and "Sweetest Fruit", both released in 2007, followed, starting our own compositions, but they were still strictly instrumental.
As an example:
2. Sun of My Days, Moon of My Nights
(instrumental)

All instruments by Hans Maier. Composed and arranged by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

The first release with lyrics was "A Gallery of Dreams" in 2008, comprising sixteen dream songs. Three songs were chosen for this compilation:
3. The Clock

4. When Children Dream

We board a telescope to watch strange creatures on the moon
We use a Persian carpet to play tags with the elves
We have a picnic with gnomes
And avoid witches and ghosts

In this parallel universe I love to remain
I explore all mysteries and wonders that I see
I take fright at weird places
Where I need your arms to be

Don´t forsake me in my fancies
Draw me back to the earth
And guide me out of sleep
Be the haven for me

5. Dreaming in Colours

I dream of crabs
That creep out of labs
They dance on their pincers down the street
And pursue dogs to get their juicy meat
I dream of hares in uniforms
Hopping crisscross hunting ugly worms
They ask me for my silly hat
And laugh out loud calling me a rat
Tiny globules keep on falling from on high
My umbrella will serve me as a boat
To cross the spherics forming the sea
To reach far-away shores to be
We search the jungle for lions and apes
And live on berries and grapes
Alien creatures
With very strange features
Check out my heart
And fold me apart
My flesh forms two wings
What reminds me of two things
Flying on a jet plane round the planet
And angels painting colours in the sky
Clouds
Stars
Moon
Sun
Rain
Snow
Ice
Fog
The sea
Lake
Mountain
Street
Fueling station
A bridge
Your face
Your arms
Your lips
And the colours explode

All instruments and lyrics by Hans Maier. Composed and arranged by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

The first turning point in our work was the album "Dragons", released in 2010. The song "Rush Hour" was published as a video clip and appeared in US indie charts. It was the first CD to be sent to the stores, where it can still be found.

6. Dragons

In earlier times the old bards played
On their lutes and sang about a maiden
Raped and carried off to darkest caves
By a dragon wild and dangerous
Never defeated by a mortal´s sword
Centuries had passed there are modern bards
With electric guitars they sing about a hero
Who fought the beast and speared its heart
He rescued the lady and brought her back home
They endowed her to him as a wife for life
So hundreds of brave young men had died
Until the first one succeeded and became a star
But this is not the end, it is the century of dragons
The story starts anew to be sung by future bards

7. The Small Cafe

I remember the small cafe
Where we met
Where we sat
Where we held our hands
And we talked about future days
And argued over coffee and cake

I remember the questions in your eyes
Hear you talk about our love
I see that you had waited
Waited long enough for me
To show you my colours
And declare to stand by you

I remember the small cafe
Where we met
Where we sat
Where we held our hands
And I knew that you were right
I was just about to do all wrong
And to lose you like sand between my hands

You left behind that gaping void
Deep in my heart
Near to fall apart
How I long for the moments
When we talked about future days
And argued over coffee and cake

All instruments and lyrics by Hans Maier. Composed and arranged by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

"States of Aggregation" (2011) surprised us as our first little commercial success. The single "Crimson Secret" again climbed up in indie charts of the USA. From now on, the virtual band appeared with given names.

8. Crimson Secret

There is a little secret
I keep since I was young
I found it hidden under fern leaves
Between the roots of ancient trunks
Deeply hidden in my hand
I hold this smooth round stone
Of blue and green
I watch it change to orange
When darkness comes
I hold it up to the stars and see it glow
I look through it
And see things get clear and sharp
I lay it upon my heart
And feel you are a part of me

The only human
I ever let this know was you
We sat under a sea of stars
And I freed it from my pocket deep
The stone in my hand shed crimson light
And covered us with silvery sparkling flour

These are the moments
Which only we both can share
Nobody else understands
What is the secret
Behind our love
Which links us together
Maybe forever

9. Not the Devil

Some say I am cruel
Iniquitous and vicious
Some say I want to harm them
And sadistically tease them
All not true

Some say I want to take them out
To foil their future plans
To impede their career
They say I am the Devil
All not true

As if I wear horns
As if I am covered with hairs
As if I have a tail with tassle
As if I reek of brimstone
Nooo

I am not the devil
I am not the devil
I am not the devil
I am worse than the devil
I am the evil incarnate
I am the Joker

I do not understand
Why people do not like me
I do not understand
Why people fear my smile

Hans Maier - vocals, guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitar, backing vocals, Willy Monk - electric guitars, backing vocals, Ludwig Sander - bass, backing vocals, Arthus Belovic - drums and percussion, Paul Wallner - keyboards, organ, piano.
Words, music and arrangement by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

In 2013, "Crossroads" was finished. It made well, but could not repeat the preceding success of "States". It was created in a turbulent private phase. "Passing Through" was composed when my mother deceased in April, two months before our move from Austria to Germany.

10. Passing Through

On our way on this planet
We encounter crossroads of life
Twists of fate are the switches
Which give our passage the jive
Our dreams try to fool us
Sometimes we don´t know what´s real and fake
A wise man said life´s a dream
And death its interpretation
Maybe we go on a journey
And on earth we´re just passing through
We search the door to next level
Although we don´t know what´s waiting behind
When we draw our last breath
Our shell is left by spirit and mind
When transformed they are unseen
And are received by new dimensions
We are just passing through to new dimensions
We are just passing through to new dimensions

Hans Maier - vocals, guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitars, backing vocals, Willy Monk - electric guitars and backing vocals, Ludwig Sander - bass and backing vocals, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion, Paul Wallner - piano.
Music and lyrics by Hans Maier. Remastered 2021.

Some kind of a breakthrough was "Paris" in 2015. Partly initiated by the tragedy at "Charlie Hebdo", these songs had fine critics and were much better accepted than the CDs before.

11. Charlie

Satire is art
A mirror which contorts
What it presents might be
Offending and keen
Mature democracy
Stands for its critics
Freedom is precious
Worth to be pled

Paris is grey
In mourning today
Our values assaulted
Lives blown away
Mutual tolerance
Is in demand
Dissensions of religions
Justify no blood
One pencil is cracked in twain
So sharpen both pieces
One pencil, now they are two
Both will draw anew

Hans Maier - electric guitars, vocals, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.

12. Paint Them Pink

I met you on the street
All at once I found my feet
You smiled at me and warmed my heart
And I knew that nothing will tear us apart
Let us share words and senses
Let´s explore the skies of love
You´ll be free, there are no fences
Even so there´s none above
Let us speculate what life is
Tell me what you mean and think
If dark clouds mask your forehead
Let me paint them pink

Years have passed, kids have come
Went to nursery, entered school
So we try to guide them through
The madness of old-fashioned pedagogy
A balancing act is education
We seek to even where school goes wrong
Drama queens want to be tamed
But they need space to fool around
So bright days follow shadows
Life is swinging up and down
If dark clouds mask their foreheads
Let us paint them pink

Hans Maier - electric guitars, vocals, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.

13. Train

We speed upon the track
We hear the even swoosh
Nearby trees flash by
Villages emerge and disappear

We speed upon the track
We zoom past railway stations
We parallel the highway
And overtake all cars

We rapidly approach
The longed for aim of our journey

We speed upon he track
Towards the golden city
Which gives warmth to our hearts
Where we feel at home

Hans Maier - electric guitars, vocals, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, keyboards, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion, Gael Hemmings - celtic harp.
Music and lyrics by Hans Maier. Arranged by Hans Maier.

In 2017, The Maier Project created a single as a private celebration of the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in Innsbruck. This instrumental piece is added to this collection of songs.
14. New Place for Rock´n´Roll
(instrumental)
Hans Maier - electric guitars, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, keyboards, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.
Music composed and arranged by Hans Maier.

15. A Waltz for Walter
(instrumental)
Unreleased instrumental song, composed for a close friend who unexpectedly passed away in spring 2017, shortly before we moved back to Innsbruck/Austria.
Hans Maier - electric guitars, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, keyboards, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion. Composed and arranged by Hans Maier.

A new release was planned in 2019, but some events - including my father´s death - prevented its completion. The CD was thought to be named after this song. Two songs are enclosed here.

16. Part of It
Blue planet drifting through the space
there is a shadow on the illuminated side
blue turns into green, green turns into grey
white clouds form in whirls and maelstroms
astronauts see this from above, satellites send photographs
Danger signals proliferate and still are ignored
but we must realize that our ship is Mother Earth, and we all are part of it

Thunderstorms grow heavier, landslides get more  frequent
thousands of species are threatened with extinction,
Drought and hot spells injure the earth, they make shrink the ice
oceans raise and flood the coasts, harbors and cities
we need more renewable resources, reduce the carbon output  
we have to work to protect our only Mother Earth from us
we have to struggle because we are part of it, we are part of it all

Hans Maier - acoustic guitar, vocals, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, keyboards, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.
Music and lyrics by Hans Maier. Arranged by Hans Maier.

17. Sunrise at the Serles
(instrumental)
The Serles is a 2717m high mountain near Innsbruck. Looking South, the Serles presents itself with a distinctive silhouette which gives the Innsbruck panorama - when looking from the city or the Nordkette - its omnipresent characteristic shape.
Hans Maier - electric guitar, Harold Miller - electric guitar, Peter Monk - electric guitar, Ludwig Sander - bass, Carl van der Keulen - piano, keyboards, Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.
Music and arrangement by Hans Maier.

Two songs, created in 2020, reflect the actual work of The Maier Project. They did not make their way to the forthcoming release with completely new songs, temporarily called "Pandemic City".

18. The Drunkard Disaster and Other Weird Stories

I met the guys in a downtown bar
Peter, Flinn and a long forgotten star
they called him King, but I don’t think, I realized who they are
so I won’t care because we don’t share the same kind of wit
they drank whiskey mixed with red bull I knew this could not fit
this annoying trio unthinkable for me to join
I left the place, I won the race, they never saw my face.

One hundred-twenty-seven bottles were ready to be drunk
Fred sent an S.O.S, his liver already hard and shrunk
His message said, please help me, please help me to survive
so they can rank me for transplantation come on and give me five
all his friends came, the night went by,
the last bottle empty when the sun stood high
years later they talked about the drunkard disaster
the hospitals crammed, no bed for fractures and fever

I go to the big store and take the moving stairs
roll down to the basement, roll up to the first floor
I could do this all day long
rolling up rolling down rolling up rolling down
I roll up to the third floor and look for some new jeans
I roll up to the fourth floor and search some climbing boots
I could do this all day long
rolling up rolling down rolling up rolling down
I roll up to the fifth floor I need a new device
I roll down to the basement for vegetables and some fruit
I could do this all day long
rolling up rolling down rolling up rolling down

Hans Maier - electric guitar; Peter Monk - electric guitar; Willy Monk - electric guitar; Ludwig Sander - bass; Alessandro Lucchiarini - piano, keyboards; Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.
Music and lyrics by Hans Maier.

19. Testing
(instrumental)

Some sort of leisure activity of all unvaccinated people.
Hans Maier - electric guitar; Peter Monk - electric guitar; Willy Monk - electric guitar; Ludwig Sander - bass; Alessandro Lucchiarini - piano, keyboards; Arthur Belovic - drums and percussion.
Composed and arranged by Hans Maier.

© 2021 by The Maier Project