In an in-depth interview with the show’s host, Alexander Bunkowitz, we talked about the band’s history and explained what makes IVOTION so different and special. Among other things, we talked about our extraordinary glacier video and about our musical unique selling point, the Nyx. After all, Thomas Foster’s invention was already around when iPads and their touchscreens weren’t in (almost) everyone’s hands. And even today, the multitouchscreen instrument remains unique. Only IVOTION has the Nyx, which is why Alexander Bunkowitz dedicated an entire segment of the show to it. Since you are reading this in English and the interview was in German, it wouldn’t make much sense to post the video here. So we’ll skip right to the part you can enjoy.

No live show with IVOTION as a guest would be complete if we didn’t perform. We really enjoyed the fact that we got to perform not one but two songs. Just like we loved the commitment of the NRW Live team, who mixed an amazing live sound, both in the studio and for the viewers at home. Much respect! As musicians, we know that this isn’t always the case. That’s why the great people at NRW TV – in front of the camera and behind the scenes – have earned our special thanks. Talking about music is one thing. Being able to present it to the audience in such a brilliant quality is still something different. And this is how it sounded: First up, Lonely, our current single …

… followed by a special version of our song I wanna cry. This performance was also instrumental (no pun intended) in offering I wanna cry – in the album version from Out Of The Pixeldust – as a free download a few days later. The entire time, the team of NRW TV didn’t just prove to be very nice and relaxed hosts. They supported us in a big way, to push the free download, airing the episode a second time on 23 November and making the videos you’re seeing here available. Including the live version of I wanna cry, of course:

So, once more with feeling: A big thank you to Alexander Bunkowitz and the entire NRW Live team, both for a great show and for their support.

Best,
IVOTION

At the same time, we decided to give away the song (first released on our debut album in 2013) for free. We simply want to give people something that is important to us and which helps us – and hopefully others as well – to express our feelings. Because in times like these, when faced with these kinds of daunting challenges, it is equally important to be able to cry and to find hope. No one wants to face a challenge like the one we are facing right now, as individual humans and as humanity as a whole. But we have to face them. We have to take them on. And we can only overcome them together.

The free download of I wanna cry is something that comes straight from our hearts. And it is a gesture with which we – as a band and as individuals – simply want to ask people to listen.

Ariane Roth, Tom Huber, Thomas Foster

ps: Later this week we will post the emotional live performance of I wanna cry that NRW.TV that helped sparkt he idea of making the song available for free.

We already got some proof that people love Lonely. Even before the release, the song made it into the top 10 listener charts of the Majorcan radio station Das Inselradio. It entered in the top 20 and just kept climbing, thanks to the listeners who could not get enough of Lonely! In addition, we premiered Lonely live in front of an audience at the station’s House Clubbing Party at the popular beach club Animabeach – right after our video shoot. And what better test for a song than a live audience? After a soundcheck right next to the sun worshippers, we played mere feet away from the water. The atmosphere was perfect: a great team, a cool club, delicious food, and a hot audience that was all up to party. This kind of positive feedback is amazing motivation. But of course now we are curious what you will think.

The name of the song might sound sentimental at first, but the vibe and message are the exact opposite. Lonely is a 100% positive dance number. Who doesn’t know the feeling: Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media connect us with people all over the world – yet you often feel pretty alone in the sheer flood of people. But IVOTION has the remedy: Together we can do better. And with Lonely, that includes the dance floor.

In our post about our video shoot for Lonely, you could already read about how important it is for us to work with the right team. And now we can finally present the finished video to you, created with great people and massive support by Das Inselradio. Sunshine and positive vibes included.

You can watch the video right here. And you can download the single from iTunes or Amazon – and if you want to hold Lonely in your hands, you can get in touch with us through our contact form. We hope you enjoy Lonely and we’re looking forward to hearing from you. And don’t forget to share the video on social media.

Best,
IVOTION

The entire video shoot was only possible thanks to Das Inselradio (inselradio.com), who invited us to the island, gave us rooms at the Hotel Meliá de Mar, and helped us organise not one but two amazing locations for the shoot. But it wasn’t just the great support from our friends at our favourite radio station on Majorca that helped us create a great new video. The entire team was once again on point. That started with Dagmar Düh, who tailored one of Ariane’s outfits very last minute (literally over night), yet with a very stylish result (the other dress used during the shoot came from German fashion designer Hannes Roether). In addition, we had support from photographer Katerina Kepka – who snapped all the pics you can check out in the gallery – and the videographer we love and trust, Lee Esposito (rabbitfire.de). We had worked with both of them in the past, so it wasn’t even a question that we’d want them on board for the video shoot for Lonely as well. A new addition to team, however, was visual artist Alberto Calahorro from Barcelona (palnoise.org), who had agreed to work with us on a whim, instantly proving that he has the IVOTION spirit – something you need for a shoot like this.

After Thomas and Tom scouted the locations on day 1 and prepared everything – together with the Daniel Vulic, the boss at Das Inselradion, and the remaining crew members – the video shoot on Majorca could begin on day 2, when Ariane joined the others. The first location could hardly have been more beautiful: Pueblo Español – a stunning architectural museum, where we would have never received permission to shoot, had it not been for Daniel Vulic. The special charm of the buildings created a wonderful backdrop for the first part of the shoot. When we had made the most of it after several hours of shooting, it was back to the Meliá de Mar. And when you are on the way from one location to the next and you hear the very song on the radio for which you are there shooting a video, even a taxi drive becomes very special. Which station was playing Lonely? Das Inselradio, of course.

After a brief pause during dinner under Majorca’s summer sky with the entire team, we were ready to tackle round 2. The second location for the shoot was the beach of the Meliá de Mar itself. Here, the visuals by Alberto Calahorro added a very special touch to the look and feel of the video. And so the shooting continued until 2 in the morning. Sounds exhausting? Well, it was, but with a team like the one supporting us that’s quite alright. If you are working with people who show the right type of spirit, even the longest day of shooting doesn’t feel like work. Which is why we want to thank the entire team, the Meliá de Mar, and of course Daniel Vulic and everyone at Das Inselradio for their help.

The result? You will be able to see it here shortly. For now, you can check out a gallery with impressions from the shoot, with pictures created by Katerina Kepka (katerina-kepka.com).

Best,
IVOTION

From the freezing temperatures on the glacier to the blistering heat in a quarry. In a different way, the second video shoot of IVOTION and Mar-K.os was yet another extreme experience for us as a band. The result is similar: impressive live music meets breathtaking visuals.

For IVOTION, the day started without Mar-K.os and without our featured musicians – but with a lot of sweat. We used the unusual location for a photo shoot with Johannes Hepp. Under the burning sun, at 35 degrees Celsius, and far away from any cooling shadows. And the futuristic stage outfits that had been finished by Dagmar Düh just the night before were anything but breezy. So we had to smile and sweat for the photos. That alone would have been enough for one day, but of course we had more plans. Which is why sweating in front of the camera was then substituted by sweating while setting up the video shoot. More than once even. Because shortly after he arrived at the location, Mar-K.os got on his quad, despite his freshly broken foot (the operation was scheduled for the next morning – but he insisted on going forward with our art project) and scouted the surrounding area. The result: He found a place that was suited even better for his projections and the video shoot. And so we quickly started taking down the sound equipment and cameras, transported to the new place, and set up again. It all had to go very quickly, because we wanted to use the ideal light situation for the projected visuals. The last minute change only was possible thanks to everyone’s help, especially Christof Kosel and Paul Huber, who had travelled with us and were helping in their spare time.

But then came the moment that had everyone’s nerves on edge. We got word that the part of the quarry, where we had just set up all of the equipment again, did not belong to the people who had granted us the initial permission to film. Did that mean we had to break down the equipment again? Move back? Set everything up once more? That would hardly have been possible – not if we wanted to catch the perfect light. The spontaneous decision for a different spot suddenly was putting the entire shoot at risk. We were having flashbacks to the equally spontaneous glacier shoot, where we suddenly faced a close barrier as we were on our way to the location. But, just like back then, we were lucky on that day as well. Our contact knew the owner of the quarry we had set up in the second time. After a call and a detailed description of our plans we got the okay for the video shoot. Now nothing was in the way of our live performance of the song Mrs. Perfect – which you can also hear on our new album Out Of The Pixeldust – together with the two members of the drumming sensation Power Percussion, as well as the fascinating visual effects by Mar-K.os. The LED and water drums from Power Percussion really rounded of the unusual picture of IVOTION in the middle of the quarry, surrounded by the extraordinary light projections.

The entire scene was captured perfectly by Dieter Wachs (Pixelcompany) and Peter Bodingbauer (bodis.TV), with Peter returning again after already working with us for the glacier video. Just like Katerina Huber was once again capturing the behind-the-scenes photos with her camera. And for the right sound we got the support from our soundman Robert „Justa“ Schuster, who is also the sound engineer for the Philharmonie in Munich. Because, just like back on the glacier, the performance you hear in the video is indeed a pure live performance, which we were able to record at such a high quality thanks to Justa. After hi-tech int he snow, it now was hi-tech in an environment that looks like the surface of the moon. We think, it is a worthy follow-up to the glacier video. And we hope, you will like it just as much. It certainly won’t be the last art performance we’ll be tackling.

All the best,
IVOTION

When artists publish a project, they need help in getting the word out – whether it’s word to mouth among friends, sharing the link on Facebook, Twitter, etc, print and online media writing about the project, radio or TV stations. With our release of Out Of The Pixeldust, that is a particular hot topic for us at the moment.

And of course those who get involved early on are even more special. As was the case with filming a feature for KIKA.LIVE (on air on July 13th). The KIKA team and host Ben were the first to get on touch with us in order to talk about Out Of The Pixeldust. Filming became even more special for us since we sort of came full circle: the filming location – the Wiede-Fabrik in Munich, where a number of painters and other artists work – has also been the location for the first IVOTION video (for the song Cherrypie), as well as for our first open air gig at midnight under a beautiful summer night sky three years ago, which we still love thinking back to.

Accordingly, the atmosphere was very relaxed. From the start, we knew we were among likeminded people. The painter Milan Mihajlovic was kind enough to let us into his studio, where we could use his fantastic artworks as the backdrop for filming the feature. Host Ben – also known as a singer, e.g. with the hit single Engel – showed us his favourite music app on his phone. And those who know us won’t be surprised that Thomas has a number of music apps on his phone as well. So he called up a digital drums app and started accompanying Ben. With his acoustic guitar at the ready, Tom joined in, and Ariane completed the spontaneous jam session with her improvised vocals. The very essence of IVOTION couldn’t possibly have been captured in a better way. And during it all, we didn’t even know that the camera was already running. With his interview questions, Ben then explained the music of IVOTION to the young audience of KIKA.LIVE.

In the interview, we didn’t just talk about the band and the new album. Thomas also showed how the Nyx works, which led to a real premiere. Together with Ben, Thomas played the Nyx with four hands for the first time ever, which was just as much fun as the little IVOTION + Ben Jam at the beginning. What didn’t work quite as well was when we tried to show off the cyber glove. On that day, the instrument didn’t quite work as it usually does on stage. But that is part of being a live band. Just like the unplanned jam session, this little mishap only helped to show that IVOTION makes true and honest live music.

We want to thank Ben and the KIKA team for an amazing afternoon and for the opportunity to introduce our music to the KIKA audience.

So, tune in to KIKA.LIVE on July 13th, at 8p.m. – it’s not just for the little ones ; )

All the best,
IVOTION

ps: You can find a few impressions in this gallery.

And we’re almost bursting from joy and excitement! After four years of work, it finally is time to share the finished album with the world – meaning you! We may already have shed a few tears of joy these past couple of days, but now it is official: Out Of The Pixeldust is now available for download (e.g. on iTunes)! We hope you enjoy listening to the album as much as we enjoyed making it!

Of course there are good reasons for the four years it took us to create Out Of The Pixeldust. It is an album that has grown. It’s origin lies in a jam session, during which the three of us had no idea that we’d keep making music as a band like this, much less record an album together. But the energy was just right from the very beginning. And so there soon were more meetings and even gigs, during which we developed the vision for IVOTION – a unique sound that merges acoustic and digital music elements in a completely new way. Including the development of a completely new instrument that embodies the sound and style of IVOTION – the Nyx.

Where you have a steadily growing number of gigs, you also need more material to play. That is why the first songs weren’t written in order to publish an album. But the approach has always been the same. As IVOTION we’re first and foremost artists. Commercial thoughts didn’t play a role in creating the album. Instead, it was all about the love for our music. Which is why we created all that IVOTION is at our own expenses: That means: In our own free time, as sparse as it often was. With our own ideas and our own resources. And sometimes even at the expense of our families, when we once again met on a weekend to jam, rehearse or write songs.

It wasn’t always easy. In four years as a band, and with that four years of working on the album, we needed a lot of energy. You simply don’t come up with a new musical concept like IVOTION just like that. Especially if you are not willing to make artistic compromises. We had to find our way, come up with ideas, throw some of them away again and further develop others, and sometimes fight with each other in the name of creativity. In doing so, we long stopped counting the times Tom and Ariane were in the car from Munich to Salzburg to Thomas, or the other way round when Thomas drove from Salzburg to Munich, in order to spend yet another weekend writing another page in the history of IVOTION. We’re very lucky to have two recording studios we could always use to work in whenever we found the time for it. And we are just as lucky and happy to have the support of our families and friends, who supported IVOTION from the very start. This is the only way that we could achieve what we were aiming for. Out Of The Pixeldust is an artistic statement behind which all three band members stand 100%.

Now the album is done. You can find it for download on 15 different platforms – iTunes, Amazon, Google play, Spotify, Musicload, etc – and what you’ll hear is the unique sound of IVOTION. On almost every one of the 14 tracks, you can hear the distinctive sound of the Tenori.on. It is joined by the Nyx, the acoustic guitars (baritone, 12 string, etc), cello, Ariane’s voice and more. Ariane even accompanied herself vocally on the album, by creating the choir parts herself, with up to 80 vocal tracks. But both Thomas and Tom left their vocal mark on some tracks as well. And with the song I Wanna Cry we even fulfilled a special wish for ourselves by having the song recorded live by a complete orchestra.

Exactly because so much work and passion, such a grand vision and so much love for details went into Out Of The Pixeldust, we are happier than we could ever express in words to finally share the album with the world. We are really looking forward to your feedback and reactions on Facebook!

And since we’ve been itching to share the album for so long, we have a special surprise for you. The first 20 people, who post a screenshot on our Facebook wall that shows us that they have already downloaded the album will get a physical copy of Out Of The Pixeldust – of course signed by all three members of IVOTION – as a very special ‘thank you’. After all, the physical edition of the album is not yet on sale. Naturally, we’ll keep you posted when that happens, too.

All the best,
IVOTION

Special Thanks to:

Markos Kern, Peter Bodingbauer, Paul Huber, Justa Robert Schuster, Ivonne Beck, Robert Honeck, Dagmar Düh, Uwe Wombacher, Thomas Aberle & Tanja Aberle & Claudia Linder of Albus Media, Johannes Hepp, Deva.

All songs written by Ariane Roth, Thomas Foster and Tom Huber.

Photography: Katerina Kepka
Cover Art: Thilo Streit
Mastering: Christoph Stickel (MSM)

As you know, our debut album will be released soon. However, It’s “almost done“ status means exactly that – the album is almost done. Which means that there is still time for changes. And those can be quite significant.

The ideas for changes can even come up when a band sits down for what is supposed to be the final listening session. When we did that, all three members of IVOTION were more than happy with the supposed final status. And without Ariane’s experience with classical music we might not have started the conversation that eventually led to one last change. For a long time, we had plans to perform the music of IVOTION live with a classical orchestra. During the listening session, we decided that we didn’t want to wait and have at least one track represent that idea – recorded by an orchestra, rather than with samples from the computer. Sure, it would have been much more practicable to leave the version of I Wanna Cry as it was. But since the music of IVOTION has nothing to do with “being practicable” and has everything to be with emotionality, we just had to realise the idea.
Due to Thomas’ work, we quickly had the right partner for it, too: the Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, a movie and music orchestra from Skopje, which has recorded, among others, for Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and HBO.

The orchestra being located in Macedonia wasn’t a problem either. On the contrary, the recording process was a perfect fit for our love of technology and unusual projects. Because instead of joining the orchestra in their studio in Skopje, as is usually the case, we took advantage of the orchestra’s special Shared Session System.The three IVOTION members were sitting in two different studios in two different cities and actually two different countries – Tom and Ariane in Tom’s Studio in Munich, Thomas in his Studio in Salzburg – and watched the 130 musicians strong orchestra, under the direction of Oleg Kondratenko, record our music in Skopje. Of course the sound itself wasn’t delivered via the webcam, but came crystal clear through a dedicated channel to the respective studio loudspeakers in Germany and Austria. Despite the distance of more than 1000 kilometers, it sounded and felt like we were sitting right next to the musicians in their Studio M1. And that is how Ariane could re-record her vocal part in Tom’s Studio right as the F.A.M.E.’S Orchestra was playing, without us having to go to Skopje together or have the entire orchestra come to Munich.

So, once again it was modern technology that allowed us to have a very special experience. Because no matter how well we know I Wanna Cry, no matter how many times we have rehearsed and played the song – as we were listening to an entire orchestra playing it live, all three of us had goosebumps. And that’s when we knew that the additional effort was well worth it. After all, this is what it’s all about: make the best possible music, go unusual ways, and create goosebumps among the audience.

We hope you’ll be sharing this feeling and we’re looking forward to your comments – here on the website, on Facebook and also on Twitter.

All the best,
IVOTION

A performance on a glacier is the hardest that we have done as a band so far. With the finished video of this, we can now finally let you relive this incredible and unique experience.

The difference hardly could have been any bigger. During the rehearsal, we were still standing at the grill. A day later, we had to endure freezing temperatures on a glacier. As spontaneous and informal as the art project with the visual artists Mar-K.os was, as challenging and exhausting was it. In any case, it paid off. Even if, just one day earlier, we could not have guessed what kind of an adventure it would turn out to be. We knew that we’d go into the mountains and into the snow, where we would combine visuals and music in a completely new way. After all, that is the idea behind “MMOVE meets IVOTION”. We find unusual places and allow music and art to be born out of the moment.
The final destination for that day, the Rettenbach glacier on 3,000 meters, was only picked at the last minute, though, when we were already in Austria, with our cars full of equipment, a pickup with a quad on the bed, and of course the MMOVE – a former rocket launching truck that Mar-K.os customised to be his mobile projection vehicle.

Since everything was so spontaneous, we soon faced our first problem. On the way to the glacier, we stood in front of a closed barrier. According to the men guarding that barrier “no one is going up there today“. Luckily, Mar-K.os isn’t just creative when it comes to visuals. There is a reason why his personal slogan is “impossible is just the beginning“. On the way up, we had already seen posters for an upcoming Red Bull event with David Guetta. And after a little conversation with Mar-K.os, the men behind the barrier were suddenly convinced that this 10-man team with their unusual truck belong to Red Bull and absolutely have to get up to the glacier. So the barrier was opened, and we could go on. “Go on” soon also meant “right into very deep snow”. During a turning manoeuvre, the MMOVE got stuck. Good thing that we now had the men from the barrier on our side. Not only did they come to our aid and pull the MMOVE from the deep snow with their snow crawler, they also moved around some snow so that we’d have enough space for our setup.

After that, we had to be fast. The perfect time for what we had planned was the blue hour – that moment between day and night, when the light is perfect for the projections Mar-K.os had in mind. Unfortunately, that’s also a very cold time of the day. When we were ready to play, the thermometer had dropped to -10 degrees Celsius. We couldn’t even be sure that all our equipment would work under these conditions. We were especially worried about the Nyx because we had never tried using it under conditions that were even remotely similar. But in the end it wasn’t the Nyx that refused its service. In the middle of our performance, a part of the mixing board failed, which meant that the sound came out extremely distorted. To the human ear, IVOTION suddenly sounded like punk metal. However, the signal that went into the computer was clean. And so the recording was not affected.
The equipment wasn’t the only thing that was suffering from the temperatures, though. Thomas had been afraid all along that he’d freeze his fingers off when using the touch screen of the Nyx. Only when we were on the glacier and it was time to play did he find out that, unlike the touch screens of smart phones or iPads, the Nyx can very well be played while wearing gloves. Tom and Ariane weren’t quite so lucky. There is no way for Tom to play his guitar with gloves. Which, on that day, meant that he had to tough it out and suffer the pain of playing the freezing steel strings with his bare fingers. And Ariane did not have anything to protect her vocal chords either when she sang. But although every deep breath – so essential for a powerful vocal performance – hurt, her delivery was flawless. Everything you hear in the video has been recorded live on the glacier.

The challenge was still bigger than we could have imagined. The plan was to play Gonna Go Now three times. In the end, the extreme circumstances dictated that one time had to be enough to capture this amazing event on video – in part because Ariane was struck by a sudden case of altitude sickness. Shortness of breath and severe headaches made any additional singing impossible. But it was also the point where Tom’s Himalaya experience paid off. He quickly put Ariane into one of the cars and drove her down into the valley, where all symptoms where gone even before everyone’s hot dinner was on the table.

Technical problems, altitude sickness, aching fingers, freezing temperatures and other problems are forgotten pretty quickly anyway when we look at the result. The day on the glacier was an unforgettable experience – a one-of-a-kind art happening. It was exactly what we, together with Mar-K.os, wanted to achieve. Spontaneous. Extraordinary. And even with the risk that not everything runs as smoothly as you would like it to. But we were happy to pay that price. It was the only way to do on the glacier what gives us so much joy: The first half of our musical performance was completely improvised, just as Mar-K.os improvised his incredible projections. “MMOVE meets ivtion” on the glacier – it was a unique moment for us, that simply can’t be replicated. But we can promise that the outdoor events will continue. For now, enjoy the video. We’re looking forward to your comments – here on the website, on Facebook and also on Twitter.

All the best,
IVOTION

To do that, Tom and Ariane once again got into a car full of acoustic guitars and Ariane’s lyrics – both on the iPad and on paper – and drove from Munich to Salzburg, to meet up with Thomas and lock themselves up in the Foster-Kent studios. It’s the location that has served as a workspace and as inspiration for the band throughout the entire album production. It’s more than just a soundboard, a few computers, headphones, microphones and miles of cables. It has become our second home. Not just because it is Thomas’ studio, but also because it where we laid the groundwork for the whole IVOTION project. Which isn’t surprising. After all, the studio is where everything comes together that defines IVOTION. Thomas doing his magic with Nyx, Tenori and at the computer. Ariane’s incomparable voice. Tom’s virtuous guitar play – once he decides which of his many treasures he’ll use for a specific track. Of course all of this has to work on stage as well, but the studio is where the pieces first come together and create something new and unique. Also, there is no other place where IVOTION has spent more time than in the studio. That’s why the feel-good factor is so important. Luckily there is plenty of it – inside and outside of the studio. Because in the long breaks we take – the three of us or joined by our families – to recharge our batteries and talk about the next steps, we love to spend in the charming historic centre of Salzburg.

In the latest studio session, Ariane’s cello was allowed to stay at home. Her golden voice, however, really came into play once again. Every change in the lyrics we came up with – and that we could agree on – had to be recorded of course. And when three musical perfectionists come together, it can take a while until everyone is 100% happy with the results. But the time it takes is absolutely worth it. And the boys weren’t allowed to just rest either. Both had to work the strings and keys of their respective instruments hard, to improve the already great tracks even more. We especially spent time on the songs Time and Miss Perfect of the upcoming album and we simply loved working on the details. The good thing is that by now we are so much in tune with each other that even long hours of hard work in the studio never stop to be fun. And IVOTION studio sessions tend to be very long. In the end, we know we got a good deal closer to the finished product, though. Which is what it’s all about. Despite our love for the details, the album has to be done at some point. So here is our promise: We won’t be in the studio much anymore until our debut album is ready.

You can find more impressions from our time in the studio in this gallery.

All the best,
IVOTION