The Maier Project (MP) was founded in February 2006 by Hans Maier.
The Project
The musical history of the MP started with groups like Yes, Peter Gabriel´s Genesis, King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator and Peter Hammill. Nowadays Steven Wilson´s Porcupine Tree is one preferred source of recreation.
Other favourites have been John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, the English (Henry Purcell) and French (Jean Philippe Rameau) Baroque ballet operas, Keith Jarett´s piano solos, Carla Bley, Jean Sibelius, Frank Zappa, and John Cage, to list up only a fractional amount.
The MP released three instrumental albums in 2006 (My Life in an Elven World), spring 2007 (Four), winter 2007 (Sweetest Fruit), and an EP in 2008 (The Queen Goes for a Walk Incognito). The first album with lyrics was released in winter 2008: "A Gallery of Dreams". With this step, The Maier Project changed to a semi-virtual group with most musicians not really existing: still all instruments were played by the MP founder Hans Maier, and for photographs and videoclips he assumes the role of the respective musician with the appropriate costume.
The songs on the "Dreams" album appeared to be not good enough for an international presentation, so up today this album, like the instrumentals, is available only locally in hard copy, but has not been given to the big stores. Some songs, however, have been recorded and sung anew and appear on later CDs.
The second album with lyrics was "Dragons". It has been released in December 2010 and has been the first one to be available commercially as mp3 downloads and/or as hard copy. Dragons contained the song "Rush Hour" which entered independent U.S. charts. In Winter 2011, "States of Aggregation" followed and was a big success. "Crimson Secret" followed "Rush Hour" into the charts. Videos of both songs were placed on YouTube, and the third video, "Unhealthy Addiction", caused some trouble, but is the most recommended MP video so far.
2013 is the year of "Crossroads". Listeners find on it such strong songs as the powerful title song "Crossroads", the rocking "Passing Through", and the fine remakes of "Gate of Heaven" and "Once I Knew a Proud Young Beauty".
"Paris" of 2015 is the first one without instrumental pieces. Seventeen songs fill the album, and its release was delayed by Hans when the assassination of the editorial crew of the French satire journal "Charlie Hebdo" shocked the world. Three additional songs ("Charlie", "Paris 2015", and "Narcissists") were added, and additionally two songs complaining the careless and sometimes criminal handling of our environment ("Poison Over Endless Fields", "Look At The Mess").
Hans Maier, in July 2015
2021: The 15th anniversary of the group is celebrated with a compilation including songs from the very beginning which were never released to a bigger audience, the best songs until 2015, and some new songs composed in 2021.
The next album „Before And After Viral Life“ with completely new songs appears in the stores early in 2023. The virtual group is built nearly by the original formation except a new musician on piano and keyboards. The song „Kisses In The Snow“ appears first as a single.