CLEEMANN

CLEEMANN - 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring CD (12 tracks)

www.myspace.com/cleemann (artist page)

Key songs are: Ambitious, Romantic, Righteous, Optimistic; All songs from this CD are FCC clean.

Recommended if you like any of the following: Nick Drake, Radiohead, Sondre Lerche, Josh Rouse, Elliott Smith, The Notwist, Lali Puna, Low, David Lynch, Spoon, Conor Oberst, Jeff Buckley, vintage instruments;

Points of interest and information on CLEEMANN: is a Danish one-man project centered around singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Gunnar Cleemann. His song cycle titled "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring" is co-produced with Mario Thaler (The Notwist, Lali Puna, Jaga Jazzist, The Go-Betweens). Other notable participants on the album include Mick Groendal (Jeff Buckley) and Christoph Brandner (Lali Puna) among other acclaimed musicians."Simply explained, Cleemann's music is about as unique and interesting as pop music comes. However you wish to classify the mystery that is Cleemann, it's hard to deny that there's something genius about his work."

2010 USA APPEARANCES
DARE TO CARE Tour September – October 2010 stopped by:
Jercy City NJ, Omaha NE, Lincoln NE, Des Moines IA, Kansas City, New York City, NY, Chicago IL, Milwaukee WI, Bloomington IN, Greenville KY, Birmingham AL, Athens GA, Chattanooga TN, Atlanta GA, Greenville NC, Queens, NY, Philadelphia PA, Brooklyn NY

2010 USA APPEARANCES
DARE TO CARE Tour April 2010 stopped by:
Jersey City NJ, New York City, NY, Chicago IL, Minneapolis MN, Seattle WA, Olympia WA, Omaha NE, Lincoln NE, Des Moines IA & Colorado Springs.

2009 USA APPEARANCES
DARE TO CARE Tour 2009 started with his appearance at Nebraska Pop Festival on August 29th, and continued with a handful of shows including appearances in Chicago, New Haven, Des Moines, Omaha, Wichita, Lincoln, Ames, and more places.

Andy Butler (keys): beside "Butler and the Geentlemen" is known for his many Lincoln based projects.
Dereck Higgins (bass): is known most for his recent work in Saddle Creeks Son Ambulance and also for his collaborations with members of Mew and Sebadoh.
Gary Foster (drummer): is known most for his work with jazz great Preston Love.
- Christopher B.

FensePost
Cleemann: Ambitious (Spejderrobot Remix) [mp3 review]
24 August 2010 Written by Ron Trembath

When Cleemann, a Danish folk experimentalist of immense and uncontested talent, released last year’s 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring, everyone who heard it instantly fell in love with the highlight cut “Ambitious”. It was a track that everyone could relate to, feel for, and become entranced in its mesmerizing and simple complicity. And over a year later, it is still receiving daily praise. And one of the highest of praises had to be when Danish artist Spejerrobot (a clever combination of “Boy Scout” and “Robot”), a.k.a. Mikael Elkjaer, got his hands on it. This self taught audio mangler puts a new electronic spin on Cleemann’s already eccentric track.

Spejderrobot’s remix can be found on the Official Nebraska Pop Festival Mixtape, which can be yours absolutely for the great price of…free! The mixtape also features the likes of Electric Needle Room, Mammoth Life, and many more. For more information, check out their Myspace Page. And if you happen to find yourself in Omaha, Nebraska on September 15th, you should join Cleemann and pals for the kick off of this 5 day festival loaded with artists from all over the region, country, and world.

Yes, the hometown of Saddle Creek Records will most definitely show you that there is more to their portion of this earth than sadness, Cursive, and Midwest desperation. There’s also a glorious celebration of Pop music for all to enjoy!

LINK
http://www.fensepost.com/main/2010/08/24/cleemann-ambitious-spejderrobot-remix-mp3-review/

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Russell's Reviews/ GB, August 16th 2010
LINK
http://russellsmusicreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/cleemann-45-minutes-mostly-about-caring.html

Album review/ Cleemann - 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring
Cleemann is the project of Copenhagen based musician Gunnar Cleemann and 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring is the first album of a trilogy. Lead track Ambitious is sumptuous and delicate. It’s a slow motion groove with some dreamy European inflected sighed vocals. Righteous is a bit like Antony (of The Johnsons fame) vocally. Most of the songs on here are generally brooding parting of stormcloud moments, when the beauty reappears. Then you get Repairman, which is a bit Richard Hawley. Passing by the loveliness of both parts of Absent, we get the sublime Edwyn Collins silkiness of Collide. Optimist is gossamer light and entirely beautiful, mainly due to the voice which has a dream like quality. It sounds like this should soundtrack some artistic work by Michel Gondry. A delightful album from another plane in a dream world.

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www.furoreiharare.com
Album Review by Erick Ellectrick , 5. april 2010

LINK
http://www.furoreiharare.com/article.php?article_id=910

A NORWEGIAN REVIEW

Ofte er det best å ikke vite noe som helst.

>>Danske Gunnar Cleemann har jeg aldri hørt om. Om jeg skulle ønske jeg hadde gjort det får være en annen sak. Likevel har han laget en skive som vekker følelser i meg som jeg trodde var glemt og begravet på begynnelsen av 2000-tallet. Men ikke tro at dette er noe negativt. Dette er en skive spekket av spor som ikke gir deg noen glade følelser, men heller de følelsen du burde kjenne litt oftere på. De du hadde når du var en ung mann full av følelser. Spesielt etter en ferie der altfor mange nordmenn har festet bort sine lønninger på Jäger, pils og heiskort.
Cleemann befinner seg innen den ikke alt for ofte velkomne sjangeren singer/songwriter. Men det som skiller han ut fra resten er at han eier en røst som er så utilgivelig vakker. Tenk deg en krysning av Antony Hegarty og Damien Rice (på en god dag vel og merke) så er vi ganske nære. Tekstene er ikke av det oppløftende slaget, men likevel er dette en plate som stadig kan overraske deg. Det du gjorde i går, blir ti ganger værre nå liksom. Om du lurer på hva Gunnar Cleemann har gjort riktig, sjekk ut: "Righteous", "Emphatic", "Progressionist" og "Optimist".
Påsken har aldri vært mer ensom enn nå og heldigvis er den snart slutt, men 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring er en plate som på de rette dagene er perfekt.<<

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Fensepost
Album Review by Ron Trembath, February 16th, 2010
Cleemann: 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring
LINK
http://www.fensepost.com/main/2010/02/16/cleemann-45-minutes-mostly-about-caring-album-review/

>>The great land of Copenhagen has a real DIY prodigy under its city lights. Gunnar Cleemann is one of the most well rounded musicians you will ever come across. He writes, plays, directs, breathes music. His lyrics are philosophical, but simple enough to refrain from being too pretentious (suck on that Oberst!) And we can�t forget his wonderful vocals, reminiscent of early solo Clapton. 45 Minutes Mostly About Caring is so much more than the title would insist. It is a triumphant display of one man conquering all aspects of the art of musicianship.

Cle - 11 reviews Dec 2008 - August 26th 2010

A unique sound – definitely not the same old same old. Out of 4 stars I give a 3 to 3 1/2! New York, August 30, 2008 - Musicologist and professor Mike Pell

>>Jeep rise above the mass of more or less anonymous debutantes mainly through Cleemann's unusual and highly personal voice – unlike anything else to be heard in Denmark or abroad – and then there is the solid hold on the noble and difficult art of song-writing.<<

Klaus Lynggaard, Information


>>Sweet, strange, beautiful music – particularly thanks to singer and guitarist Gunnar Cleemann – whose voice has a wondrous way of grabbing hold of you. There's something about Cleemann's voice that you just can't shake off. Excellent tunes. This reviewer can't wait to hear what they come up with next.<<

Lars B. Jørgensen, Berlingske Tidende


>>Gunnar Cleemann, till now mainly known for a 30-second part in the Danish film "Pusher", is a singer whose special voice seeps into the atmosphere like soothing cigarette-smoke – slow and sophisticated – truly convincing talent.<<

Finn P. Madsen, Gaffa


>>Right from the first, quivering, melancholy note Jeep's sound is all their own. Cleemann's light, filtering voice adds ambiguous character to their neo-psychedelic pop music. Great talent.<<

Kim Skotte, Politiken


>>Cracks is packed with the kind of sweet, playful ballads that keep you warm on a cold winter's night. Great arrangements ...<<

Four stars
Andé Devantier, Zoo Magazine


>>The band delivers light, delicate rock music – floating and fragile – comprised of familiar rock-elements but permeated by a laid-back sound that sets this apart from most things on the Danish scene. <<

Four stars
Uffe Christensen, Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten
- Danish reviews: Information/ Berlingske/ Gaffa/ Politiken/ Zoo/ Jyllands-Posten

Music Recommendation: Cleemann, written by Series Two Records

Gunnar Cleemann is known as “Cleemann”. He is from Copenhagen, Denmark. In mid 2009 he released “45 Minutes Mostly about Caring”, his most recent offering. Cleemann’s album contains a wide range of songs with interesting titles commonly limited to one word only, which I do think is a rare characteristic. Upon hearing the work of Cleemann, it is common to hear others classify him as a singer/songwriter, which is a fair assumption to make, though Cleemann possesses much more than what would be considered as the average singer/songwriter.

Cleemann’s ability to express his lyrics clearly and to go beyond the feeling through them is remarkable; especially considering English is a 2nd language to most Dane’s. Also another important characteristic to note is the uniqueness that is “Cleemann”. Some of the uniqueness comes from the help of open-minded/overly-talented musicians from around the world that stand by the work of “Cleemann” and proudly collaborate with him. E.G. on Cleemann’s “45 Minutes Mostly about Caring” it contained collaborations from many talented musicians, to name a few, Mick Groendal (Jeff Buckley), Christoph Brandner (Lali Puna), and producer Mario Thaler (the Notwist, Jaga Jazzist, Lali Puna, The Go-Betweens).

I highly recommend the artist known as “Cleemann” to any music lovers that truly appreciate excellent musicianship and songs with true “Mostly about Caring” meanings, and most particularly to fans with a great appreciation for artists such as Nick Drake, Lali Puna, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Sondre Lerche, and many talented others would be truly capable of having a great appreciation for Cleemann’s music also.

Cleemann has plans to travel and share his “Mostly about Caring” with people from around the world in 2010 and beyond. - GAFFApedia

Most people associate Pop music with a throwaway mentality. The entire process of creating Cleemann's debut album "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring", however, belies this view. The result of an assiduous songwriting phase and a minute studio production, which involved members of the Notwist, a former sidekick to Jeff Buckley and several cream of the crop guests from the Danish music scene, it is to be the first part of a trilogy dealing with universal issues in a very personal way. And unlike Britney Spear's claim that "there's only two types of people in the world - those that entertain and the ones that observe", it took some time for Cleemann to deal with the nakedness of his voice against the soft backdrop of his sensual songs. When listening to the pieces on "45 Minutes", it is easy to tell why he felt intimated: Quite unlike most contemporary radio jingles, the album doesn't grab for your attention with brute force. Its arrangements are discreet, airy and sparse, establishing a brittle balance between delicate electronics and acoustic instruments. And vocals are left almost unprocessed and in all their natural fragility - as an audience it sometimes feels like you're eavesdropping on something extremely intimate. Let there be no doubt: This is still as catchy and approachable as Pop goes. But you certainly wouldn't want to throw these tracks away anytime soon.
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You just had a strategy meeting with the folks at Artiscope. How did things go?
The stategy meeting with the folks at Artiscope went very well. It is an energetic and idealistic bunch of people, and I feel very fortunate to be represented by Nicolaj Hyltén-Cavallius who is deeply rooted within the danish music industry. There is a lot of optimism right now. People from all over the world shows interest in my project. It seems that the time is right for music that focuses on content rather than just sound. It's kind of ironic that the world economic crises might be an advantage for me, since it seems to make people think more about moral and existential issues, which are also themes that I try to address in my music.

Is there any news on the official release date for "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring"? You must be eager to finally get it out!
The official release date for "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring" will in the USA be late may - early june and in Denmark primo september. I look forward to get it out there and right now I am ready with ten more songs to take to Bavaria!


A lot of different musicians from the scene around The Notwist and Lali Puna among others have co-produced the album. How would you characterise their involvement?
Mario Thaler did a great job in producing the album together with me. I am always overflowing with ideas, and sometimes have a hard time knowing when to stop. Before Mario came into the project, I tried to produce the record by myself in Copenhagen. But before I was able to decide on finishing anything completely, new ideas on how to play and arrange the songs popped up, or a new song passed by, that I felt was far more important to record! Mario told me when to stop and focus on decisions how to finish the songs, to tighten up the sound-scapes and to get on with the next song. You can say that if I was the one who came up with all the places we could go, then Mario was the one who made sure we got there, and not only arriving but in a nice BMW! Cristoph Brandner did the drumming, which was a great part of moving the expression away from too much of a retro feel. Both of them are also very nice people, who's encouragement meant a lot to my confidence in the production state of the album.


Despite the carefully designed arrangements, your voice is very much exposed in your songs. How comfortable were you with being this naked in front of your audience?
It took all the courage I have! But I strongly believe that it is important that more people have the strength to show their weaknesses. This might sound like a paradox, but the thought is, that when people experience others that show their weaknesses and vulnerable sides without fear, they themselves are less inclined to fear. Fear being the root of many of the conflicts of both our day-to-day living and the major political conflicts of our world. So basicly it is me saying: look I'm human; With human faults and soft-spots; But I will not fear or feel shame about it; I will acknowledge these vulnerable sides; And transform as much as it is possible for me; Not comparing to what progress others may do; But letting myself be inspired by their progress.

Your MySpace page mentions Kafka and Monty Python as influences. Which of the two was more important on the sound of "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring"?
Both Kafka and Monty Python deals with 'the absurd' in their art. Their way of doing so may differ but not the subject. I've contemplated the absurd trying to communicate the idea. Amongst others you'll find several references to their work - Tokafi, Tobias Fischer, February 5th 2009, review and interview

Songwriter Uses Monty Python and Greek Mythology to Unearth Life's Delicate Mysteries

Calling those that find solace in Thom Yorke's beautifully blinding angst and songwriter types that can't quite put their finger on what they cherish about sad-eyed English crooner Nick Drake-- you have been warned. Cleemann, like a hypnotic distant traveler from a land far away, will soon come to your home, light a warm candle and wrap your soul in mystic fire as he casts a spell; mostly by being brilliant and nonchalant.



Gunnar Cleemann is a pilgrim in the acoustic/electronic genre. The Denmark-based songwriter's solo album ”45 Minutes Mostly About Caring” offers investigations into character traits (which double as song titles like Ambitious, Optimistic, Romantic, and Emphatic).



Originally attempting to integrate everything he stood for into each song, he decided to recognize different aspects of himself in each song. Careful observations are tinged with tingles of transcendence, which says a lot for the four-minute pop songs they are contained in.



In live shows, he adapts musicians and delivery depending on the situation in order to be true to the moment, which is ”interesting and challenging.” The audience picks up on the excitement that this is a one-of-a-kind performance that can't be recreated.



The haiku-like lyrics are understated and likable, peppered with literary references including Franz Kafka, Monty Python, Khalil Gibran, Winston Churchill, Greek Mythology, Lao Tzu (“the Father of Taoism”), Albert Camus, Allen Ginsberg and George Orwell. The airy, aurally-rich universes are born out of personal experiences, with references added for depth as he explores life's delicate mysteries.



Poet Allen Ginsberg's opening line of ”Howl”: ”I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness” fuels inspiration for ”Ambitious” where Cleemann also intones the Greek myth of Pygmalion, the story of a sculptor who creates a sculpture of what he thinks is the perfect woman. The Gods give the statue life and Pygmalion has to confront his ideas and dreams in that respect which is also very fascinating, says Cleemann.



The “Bicycle Repairman” sketch by Monty Python (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxfzm9dfqBw)

directly reads into his song ”Repairman.” His chorus, ”We are repairmen, we will repair, that is all,” moves beyond the humor of the sketch in Cleemann's hands toward a universal soundtrack for people to repair each other.



It should be noted that holding this sonic universe together like gravity is Cleemann's singing voice: humble, human, gentle, intimate and full of care. Likable with seriousness that becomes a caricature of seriousness, we can liken it to a voice that delivers tunes like a milkman during an apocalypse. Full of duty and care, it holds a world of thunderous realizations within its quiet, steadfast birth. It's the aural equal of a time-delay movie of a flower opening in front of the rubble of a civilization.



Satisfied when his lyrics and music pull in different directions, he likens this to pulling the walls in a room further apart to make it bigger. Playing with contradictions, as well as musical tools ranging from keyboard, guitar and vintage instruments, Cleemann builds controlled soundscapes with negative space that gives room for the listener to enter and take a look around at themselves, others and something greater. This “zooming out” is the topic of Cleemann's pending trilogy of albums; ”45 Minutes Mostly About Caring” being the first in line.



The album was molded with the helpful hand of German master producer Mario Thaler. The pair worked together with trust and constructive sharing of ideas. ” I guess that a big part of my great love for production is that there are no rules that can not be bent or broken if it can help the end result,” says Cleemann, ”What it comes down to is: trial and error, intuition, experience and luck.”



Underpinning the music is the message is caring. ”When confronted with aspects of your personality that are often seen as non-constructive, care is for me the way to react. You lose too much if you try to repress a part of yourself, but through care you can turn issues that seem negative into tools for the positive. Care is, unlike love, a choice that you can make,” says Cleemann.



While playing in Berlin, the audience had two very different takes on one of his songs-- some laughing out loud and others actually crying, with tears running down their faces. ”They listened to the same music [and] had completely different reactions to it. The people that laughed came up afterward and said, 'was that alright [that we were laughing] because we thought your lyrics were funny but still...moving'.



Cleemann says ”he likes humor just as much as the next guy” but that there is a time for laughing and not, yet it would be insincere of him to leave humor completely out of his music. His - Chicago Acoustic Underground

Mike Pinder -
the Judges, and staff at SONGWARS

has selected my two songs >>Ambitious<< and >>Righteous<< and dedicate an Honorable Mention - meaning that they find theese songs being notable and deserving of praise!

Also Mike extends his best wishes for me and my promising music career

Mike has a strong sense of artistic responsibility to support the development of music from one generation to the next. He has a desire to help new talent refine their art and be validated through that process. This songwriter�s competition is the result of his vision and passion.

www.songwars.net
www.myspace.com/mikepindersongwars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pinder - Songwars Januar 2009

LINK
http://beat1.jp.dk/artikel/2749477.html

interview with Gunnar Cleemann
arranger and chapel master of the memorial concert for John Lennon, december 2000.

participating artists:
Mew
Nikolaj Nørlund
Rune T. Kidde
Thomas Troelsen
Dicte
Thomas Negrain
Claus Hempler
Søs Fenger
Gunnar Cleemann

- Jyllandsposten, Katrine Munk

>>Cleemann was a trio led by Danish singer/songwriter/guitarist Gunnar Cleemann with local genius Dereck Higgins on bass and former Preston Love sideman Gary Foster on drums. I heard someone compare him and his voice to Nick Drake, but I didn't hear it, picking up more Lloyd Cole in the phrasing (but I'm always looking for Lloyd Cole). I liked his voice, and I liked his songs which had nuanced depth that lingered beneath the pop. If you listened to Cleemann's Myspace page you were probably wondering who this guy was, because the music sounded completely different. Higgins and Foster have had a thorough effect on his sound. You can barely hear the bass on myspace, whereas the bass led the way on a number of songs last night. Higgins told me afterward that Cleemann worked closely with the rest of the trio on the arrangements, capitalizing on the talent he was working with. Smart.
For those who have never seen Dereck Higgins -- no one plays bass with his level of dynamics, his impeccable touch, his awareness of where the songs are going. He knew when to be in the fray, when to lead, and when to pull back and get out of the way. That's something I rarely (if ever) noticed from other bass players. If you get a chance to check him out, you really should. Actually, you have a chance tonight (if you're not reading this too late) as Cleemann and the band are playing at the Clawfoot House in Lincoln tonight.<<

LINK
http://www.timmcmahan.com/2010/04/live-review-cleemann-paris-when-it.html - Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com, April 1st 2010