In 1997, we had just finished recording our second full-length album, ”Valium”, but due to a flood, our basement studio suddenly had 30 cm of water in it, destroying all DAT-tapes, discs, CD sound archives and our main computer. All of it was stored on the floor, and only our synths and mixing desk survived. On top of this, Preben also lost his entire vinyl collection, so it was a huge loss indeed.
We had no guts to start recording the album over again, and we decided it was better to forget it all and move on, and so we did, and it should take 15 years until we again recorded new material, then for our comeback album “Titans Remain!”. “Valium” was recorded as a project, trying to make people use music instead of medication to find the peace they needed and a calm harbor in the storm. Did we succeed? We have no idea, as we never got to play it to anybody else! We thought the album was lost forever!
Autumn 2014, Per Aksel found a box of old t-shirts in his basement, a box that had been in his mother’s basement for many years before that, and not opened. In there with all the t-shirts, there were 3 different DAT-tapes, and one of them had one word written on it, “VALIUM”. It couldn’t be?
A DAT-player was located, and with the help of Roy Julian Digre a.k.a. Technomancer, we digitized it, and on it we found the full album with all 7 tracks! We immediately contacted Emmo.Biz Records and they jumped at it and it all resulted in this release here.
Since “Valium” is without the “classic” vocal-samples/chanting that we have used so often, it might sound a bit different to you, but the true spirit of Cronos Titan is in there for sure, and hearing it today, 18 years after it was recorded, the industrial darkwave sound we went for all along is ever present.
We were heavily inspired by Chris & Cosey, Para, X10, The Klinik, Die Form, Clock DVA and the early albums of Delerium back then, and this obviously rings through, but we’re sure you’ll recognize that true Cronos Titan sound you know from our other recordings.
We are grateful that the album finally will be released, and while this release is being planned, we are working on a brand new album that hopefully will be our 4th full-length release.
Per Aksel Lundgreen – Sarpsborg 12th. January, 2015
