In this release, Hoff and yours truly, have used the rise and fall of the Roman empire as a metaphor and link to todays events. We’re starting with the uprising of hostility and fearmongering, where freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of gatherings, even rights to decide over our own body, all taken away in a higher speed than ever in the history of our civilization. If you follow the tracks and titles from start to end, this recording has a curve of starting with the tune, “Turn the tide”. It has an uneasy A section which gives the feeling of something worrying in the air, but when the very optimistic B part comes the fear and anxiety disappears. It tells us that everything is fine but actually is a cover-up for what’s coming. Then we are performing our way through the times of war with battles, but also having quieter moments knowing that the sun comes up every day, even in the most devastating periods. We are of course optimistic by nature so we end with peace, love and “Good News”, believing that those virtues once again will prevail, we just don’t see it in the horizon yet when these words are written, July 25th, 2021. Yours truly, Per Mathisen July 2021 Per Mathisen plays EBS amps, speakers and effect pedals, Elixir strings, Dilian Obretenov fretless and fretted electric basses, N-audio electronics, Yamaha electric upright bass on track 3, 4, 8 Jan Gunnar Hoff plays Steinway pianos, Rhodes electric piano, Minimoog Voyager, Prophet-6 and Oberheim Xpander Gary Novak plays Gretsch drums Recorded October 2019 and mixed June 2021 by Tony Waade & Kriss Kristensen at Lydhagen Studios, Verdal, Norway Mastered August 5, 2021 by Morten Lund at Lund’s lyd, Oslo, Norway Produced by Per Mathisen & Jan Gunnar Hoff Front cover photo by Kjersti Holst