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ESCHATON
Conceptual album (1999-2019). Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - music by, electronic keyboards, synthesizers, samplers, pianos, digital technologies, field recordings, spoken word; Martina Sanollová - vocals, Tom Saivon - manager and lyricist, Marianna Auster - video artist, artwork.
The album continues its outline in the traditional style of formation but in a more electronic form. A simply structured but emotionally tense
atmosphere is created in which instrumentation plays the role of inner structure, industrialized sound that of the chaotic and the vocals
a passionate element, significantly potentiated by fiery existential lyrics.
It is exceptional for the band, because it is completely sung in Czech.
APOSTASY
Complete remake and remaster of the albums "Heretical Antiphony" (originally created 1997, tracks nos.1-9) and "The Fall Verified" (originally 1998, tracks nos.10-18) in one. Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - composition,
synthesizers, digital techniques, vocals, production, Martina Sanollová - vocals, effects, lyrics, Tom Saivon - lyrics, sound cooperation.
LIVE
Minialbum of live recordings from shows in years 2011-2012 (Prague, Lodž, Wroclaw, Dresden). Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - composition,
synthesizers, digital techniques, vocals, production, Martina Sanollová - vocals, effects, lyrics, Tom Saivon - lyrics, sound cooperation.
The collection content newly arranged versions of already released tracks from albums "Insomnia Dei" (2 a 4), "Dances and Marches for the Orphan Age"(3) and "New Laws / New Orders"(1).
NEW LAWS / NEW ORDERS
Conceptual album. 2000-2008. Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - synthesizers, digital technique, mix, vocal, Martina Sanollová - vocal, Tom Saivon - lyrics, production.
Originally instrumental album, re-worked as fully conceptual title of the band. Project eclectically closes the whole work of Skrol, revisiting
original tracks of instrumental version and also presents some of unreleased or previously unfinished compositions in new versions. The album
represents action potential of the band, oscilating between modern classical music, ritual and martial industrial. It is fully mature,
thematically and compositionally compact and the sound is influenced by contemporary solo works of Vladimír Hirsch.
DANCES & MARCHES FOR THE ORPHAN AGE
Album of compositions for integrated ensemble. 1998 - 2005. Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - synthesizers, organ, pianos, drums, samples, vocals, mix, Martina Sanollová - vocal, lyrics,
Tom Saivon - noise generator, samples, lyrics The album DANCES AND MARCHES (the basic version dates from June 1997) can “boast” the longest deferment of studio adaptation. This project again has the character of a suite, yet not of epic principle. The dominant theme is one of abandonment of a socially unacceptable individual, who seeks the raison d’etre of his existence and of the world, where he is forced to live, its premises, theorems, their impeachment and yearning for catharsis. The compositions often emanate from a sort of gaping void, akin to an open chasm. Yet it is not a void in the proper sense of the word, since within we feel the presence of something beyond our rationality. It gives the impression of a broad respiring depth (the ambient musical layer), whose dark mouth is surrounded by human mass (instrumental bases), where truly specific, emotionally wrought faces surface from anonymity (the actual musical statement, vocals, non-invasive noise samples). The individual visions of the differing inclinations of SKROL’s individual members are projected here over a matrix of a unifying philosophical substratum of the ever-present existential theme. Be it Hirsh’s catholic model of expectations and fear of the unknowable, yet still indubitable mystical content of the abyss in the sense of salvation and damnation, or Sanoll’s pantheistic celebration of space, never claiming an answer or hope, as well as Saivon’s obstinate search for contiguity in graspable structures surrounding him – all this intensely stirs the stereotypes of thought and feeling. At the same time it condemns this music into the role of the uncomfortable, socially unacceptable artefact. This disqualification especially pertains to its presumed misinterpretation as a basically negative (since it is alarming) message, which it is not in the least. Typically, in some cases the compositions’ basic structure is the ostinata, the preference of uneven or incomplete rhythms is obvious. As a novelty, though only fractionally used, is Hirsch’s practical application of the musical parallel of the so-called fractal geometry; while still following the vocal thesis-antithesis principle, the dominant female vocal pole assumes
a sometimes distinctly sorrowful melodic, sometimes non-verbal, transcendental aspect, and the most important instrument here,
not by its predominance, but by its content, is the organ, whose sound is like a raised finger, as if in warning.
Released CD is remixed and remastered version by Vladimír Hirsch (2001).
INSOMNIA DEI
Album of compositions for integrated ensemble. 1998.
Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - composition, synthesizers, pianos, samplers, vocals, mix, Martina Sanollová - vocals, Tom Saivon - samples, lyrics, production.
Likewise the strictly conceptual INSOMNIA DEI, an album achieving, at least in outline, the strived for organic integration of instrumentation,
harmonisation and composition principles on one hand with a raw, dense and destructive sound, in which everything is submerged, on the other.
The album is, in Hirsch’s words, “a belly-full”, where intensity and structurality of the sound masses has the effect of overbrimming fullness.
The principles of tonal richness typical for SKROL, developed with an obvious affinity to their inter-linking with typical forms of the Slavic modus,
unite all seven compositions into one complex. The contrast between the aggressive substratum of the music and the melodies overlapping it,
along with the emotionally contrasting characteristics of both vocals creates an impressive dialectic of statements in the sense of the eternal
effervescence between idea and reality. The ensemble attains a similar effect through confrontations of various expressive characteristics
within their own instrumentation. The ultimate idea of the project traditionally hosts the theme of permanent doubt on the road to eternity or ruin,
as well as the materialisation of the fear of inevitable global annihilation due to the collapse of values.
The full album first came out as a limited (100 pcs) MC private edition, the songs Soaking, Movie Martyr, Insomnia and Dei irae came out as a 10´ LP called MARTYRIA
on the LOKI Foundation label in August 1998. The full CD came out twice: June 2001 by Chromozome Records/RRR Records (mastered by Phil Easter) in U.S. and May 2003 again on the German M.D.Propaganda Records label.
HERETICAL ANTIPHONY
Conceptual album. 1997. Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - composition, organ, synths, piano, sampler, drums, vocal,
Martina Sanollová - vocal, Tom Saivon - samples, lyrics. The album was created on the base of Vladimír Hirsch suite SIMPLICITY OF HERESY (1995-6).
This is a composition of epic character, centred on the religious and seemingly obsolete theme of heresy,
which nonetheless functions as a mere symbolic expanse for the central idea.
While making use to a great extent of unique synthesised sounds of string instruments, brass, classical organ,
densely enhanced piano, drums and combinations of these, the atmosphere mentioned above serves here,
contrary to other works by SKROL, only as a sort of hardly identifiable background.
The conceptual affinity to model composers is evident in a few songs, but does not surpass the scope of respect.
Severe militant rhythms enhance the relentless music, along with a basis of instrumental loops.
Their obstinate character should serve as a counterpoint to the melodic themes developed upon them.
These themes recur occasionally, in altered form, to their beginnings, as if in doubt over the expressed judgement.
This principle is evident especially in the last composition "Exsanguis", which should be expressing exhaustion, fatigue, uncertainty;
disappointment by one’s self and an admission of a true motive.
One of the excluded songs (Eternity Ltd.), is the component of compilation album THORAK, which came out on WAVS 203 in September 1998 in Duisburg
under the name "Ewigkeit".
THE FALL VERIFIED
The remake of Der Marabu album "All
Of Us Will Fall Away" 1998. Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch - synthesizers, CD recordings, samples, vocals, Martina Sanollová - vocals, Tom Saivon: mix, samples.
THE FALL VERIFIED is the final name of an assembly of remixes from the album ALL OF US WILL FALL AWAY,
originally called DE(r) MARABU (Verifi)ED. It is a sort of “skrolified” version of this DER MARABU project.
The compositions employ loops of rhythmically altered sequences from select parts of individual compositions,
further processed by the authors in the spirit of contemporary projects, though with a bit hyperbolically.
The remix was partially initiated by the disappointment in the studio adaptation of the original material,
partially it was part of a bigger plan to similarly process most of the key production of DER MARABU,
eventually limited only to the last album. The studio adaptation of the song Fall A Prey, which came out as part of a voluminous compilation
on the Russian label AchtungBaby with the name Behind The Iron Curtain/Ten Years Of Madness (2000).
AEGIS 2 compositions for integrated ensemble. 1999.
Musicians: Vladimír Hirsch: synthesizers, drums and percussion, samples, vocal, Martina Sanollová: vocal, Tom Saivon: samples, lyrics.
Initially, composition planned for one of offered compilations, but because of its lenght used as separate material.
Another reason for it is eclectic style of composition with emphasis on rock background, partially out of integrated musical form.
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