Johannes Schult

Today, I recorded the last missing piece for my upcoming solo album Heteroscedasticity. I still have to assemble the individual tracks to a coherent unit (tough job) and create some kind of artwork. It is going to be a download-only album, available for free, licensed Creative Commons by-nc; so you can create your own physical album if you care. Right now, the song order in the music section does not correspond to the initial title numbers. I will fix that once all tracks are there. Please be patient – and re-download everything after the album release for maximum correctness.

I had planned to make a video of me playing some songs live to a non-existent audience. I’ve already compiled a setlist: some songs from the album, a couple of other tracks, and a cover version. I’m not sure when/if I find the time for this, but the idea is to have some moving pictures to go along with the album.

I don’t have the time to do more promotional activities and for the time being everything is strictly non-commercial. I’ll just see where it goes from there – probably nowhere. And that would be okay with me. But at least I can point back at something specific whenever someone learns that I used to make music while I was studying. This being said, I’m not going to burn my drums. But we (my drums and I) are going to live apart and I’ll be busy with other (non-musical) things, anyway.

This is a song about statistics, more specifically analysis of variance (ANOVA) and its possible romantic implications. I enjoy data analysis and dread the day the lyrics become autobiographical. A former fellow student inspired me to the chorus when I visited him early in August 2008. I wrote the lyrics on the train home and wrote and recorded everything a couple of days later. There’s drums, guitars (acoustic and electric ones), keyboards (bass and piano), vocals (lead and harmony!), a few recorder notes, and even hand claps!

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

Sie denkt an die Sonne. Sie träumt von der Welt.
Sie kämmt ihre Haare, wie ihr es gefällt.
Sie lacht mit den Kindern. Sie füttert den Hund.
Sie geht gerne joggen und bleibt so gesund.

Sie mag die Bretagne. Sie spielt gerne Skat.
Sie pflanzt viele Blumen und fährt häufig Rad.
Sie kocht Marmelade. Sie schreibt ein Gedicht.
Sie sieht in den Wolken ein weißes Gesicht.

Ihn kümmert das alles nicht,
Denn jetzt gerade denkt er sich:
ANOVA mit gerichteten Kontrasten.
Voll Euphorie haut er die Syntax in die Tasten.
ANOVA und dazu dann noch ein Schaubild.
Die Glückshormone tanzen wild in seinem Kopf.

Sie liegt auf der Wiese. Sie badet im Meer.
Sie ist nicht mehr 18, doch nimmt’s nicht so schwer.
Sie liebt Schokolade. Sie ist stets auf Zack.
Sie bäckt einen Kuchen mit Kokosgeschmack.

Ihn kümmert das alles nicht,
Denn jetzt gerade denkt er sich:
ANOVA mit gerichteten Kontrasten.
Voll Euphorie haut er die Syntax in die Tasten.
ANOVA und dazu dann noch ein Schaubild.
Ein Nudelholz trifft ihn von hinten auf den Kopf.

Benommen schaut er in das Licht.
Er traut seinen Augen nicht.
ANOVA mit gerichteten Kontrasten.
Mit voller Wucht fällt sein Schädel auf die Tasten.
ANOVA mit unendlich vielen Sternchen.
Die Engel singen im Chor in seinem Kopf.

ANOVA mit gerichteten Kontrasten.
Mit voller Wucht fällt sein Schädel auf die Tasten.
ANOVA mit unendlich vielen Sternchen.
Der Rhythmus schlägt von innen gegen seinen Kopf.

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

This little number was (obviously) inspired by LEN TV (and the madness that ensued). Please note that it is actually 25 seconds long. The song was written and recorded on Wednesday, 27th August 2008, while I was packing my suitcase. (Yep, I spent the last week in Bellingham, WA.) There’s drums, electric guitars, an acoustic guitar, a bass courtesy of my keyboard, and my obnoxious vocals on it. (I also tried it with ukulele only, but I don’t think that version is going to be released until someone compiles Jutze archive anthologies.)

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

What’s the baby using?
What’s the baby using?
What’s the baby using?
It’s using 25.
It’s using 25.
It’s using 25.

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

This one was inspired by another friend of mine – or rather by the Michael Owen poster above her bed. It’s basically a song about fandom and its possibly lethal side effects. I pirated the main melody from an old song of mine called “Victualia”. The lyrics came out quite effortless and influenced the arrangement a lot. I recorded the song on the 27th June 2002. All instruments appear courtesy of my keyboard. For the first time I double-tracked the vocals one octave higher, which came out pretty nice considering my total lack of singing talent.

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the stadium’s gate
She’s his fan, owns a thousand pictures
He’s in her dreams at night
Watching him play makes her heart go boom
Yeah, he makes her feel alright
Yeah, he makes her feel alright
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the stadium’s gate
She attends every match and afterwards
She’s waiting at the stadium’s gate
Hoping that someday she will meet him there
To tell him “You’re so great!”
To tell him “You’re so great!”
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Stalking him at the stadium’s gate
Then one day, as if in a dream
She really met him there
He said: “Hi, I’m Michael! How are you?”
It made her grasp for air
It made her grasp for air
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Meeting him at the stadium’s gate
She was so excited, her heart stood still
She was happy as can be
But without her heart-beat she couldn’t live
So she died there instantly
She died there instantly
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the heaven’s gate

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

This is a song about graveyard tourism. It was inspired by a friend of mine, who thankfully isn’t as obsessed as the person in the song; but she does have the habit of visiting the graves of famous people. Tom Waits was a huge inspiration regarding the music and the vocals of this track. Who would have thought that? I made up the chords and melodies as I went along. I started out with the main rhythm and some minor chords on the acoustic guitar. The modulation after the first chorus is a homage to “Theme from Rawhide” by the legendary Blues Brothers. The initial song structure sounded way too nice, so I added lots of chromatic runs, all played on my keyboard. I do love the Wannabe-Mellotron-flute moment during the last chorus. The recording took place on the 5th and 6th October 2003. The second day was dominated by the vocals, which took forever. It also happened to be the day a new neighbour was moving in. It must have been rather confusing to hear my voice through the door. Anyway, the lesson learned during the making of “Graveyard Girl” was: there is no such thing as overdoing weird, noisy overdubs.

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

I saw her on the graveyard
Dressed in black
There between the tombstones
She was talking to the dead
Kurt Cobain, George Harrison
Mozart and Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As long as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
Yes she is

I saw her at the grave of Freddie Mercury
I saw her at the grave of J.R.R. Tolkien
J.F.K., George Harrison
Beethoven, Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As long as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is

And then one day she realized that she’s been to every graveyard on earth. Still, she couldn’t get enough. So she bought a gun and went…
Johnny Cash, George Harrison
John Lennon and Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As soon as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

This one was inspired by a friend of mine. And one of his friends. And the boy-friend of that person. I’m still amazed how good this song turned out. The writing process had been a mess and it wasn’t until the actual recording that I figured out what to do with the chorus. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to come up with places to go which would rhyme. As you can see below, I kind of failed. The song was recorded on the 15th and 16th January 2005, a few days after I had written the lyrics and assembled the basic chord structure. I forced myself to play this song as fast as possible, starting out with the drums. Playing the acoustic guitar parts was a nightmare due to the modulation from C to C# halfway through the song. I tend to record too many layers of everything. I didn’t think this particular song was going anywhere, so I refrained from extensive double-tracking. Basically, it’s two acoustic guitars (plus some licks during the last refrain), a couple of keyboard tracks (bass and organ), and, of course, the vocals. In the end, everything fell in place and before I knew it, I had the song finished.

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

I’m really happy I have you in my life
I’m really glad you’re there
You’re really someone who makes me come alive
You really show you care

I’m really happy you spend your time with me
It always makes my day
But there is something that’s making my heart bleed
One thing that’s not okay
When we go to the cinema it’s always you and me – and your boy-friend
When we go to the opera it’s always you and me – and your boy-friend

I want to be the one you need
It’s driving me insane
I’m smart and nice, but I’m not him
So all my love is in vain

I’m really happy you’ve found a loving man
But how come it’s not me?
It really kills me, oh can’t you understand
That you’re the one for me?
When we go to the cinema it’s always you and me – and your boy-friend
When we go to the opera it’s always you and me – and your boy-friend
When we go to the theater it’s always you and me and your boy-friend
When we go to the countryside it’s always you and me and your boy-friend
When we go to the local mall it’s always you and me and your boy-friend
When we go to the concert hall it’s always you and me and your boy-friend
When we dive in the swimming pool it’s always you and me and your boy-friend
When we go to the Brandos show it’s always you and me and your boy-friend

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

This is (going to be) the opener of my solo album “Heteroscedasticity”. It’s basically a drinking song. I came up with the music first while I was toying around with the signature chords of “End of the Line” by the Traveling Wilburys. Before I knew I had a two chord country song. I wrote most of the lyrics on a beautiful day at the Bodanplatz in Konstanz. The recordings took place on the 28th and 29th August 2002, shortly after I had written the song. As you can hear, there’s mainly my keyboard’s auto-accompaniment and a bunch of acoustic guitars. I added some further keyboard tracks (bass and banjo, piano and percussion) and, of course, the vocals.

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

Deep down in Texas there’s a pub without a name
It belongs to Harold’s mother, Judy Mary Jane
All those who’ve seen it, oh I’m sure they won’t forget
People spilling alcohol until the floor is wet
And they sing:
Hey, hey, mama, fill my tankard one more time
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane
Oh, hey, hey, mama, swing your body next to mine
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane

At night the house is packed, people laugh and sing
Everybody’s getting drunk with whisky scotch and gin
Mike strums the banjo and Harold sings along
Old Dave plays the fiddle and so they sing their song
And it goes:
Hey, hey, mama, fill my tankard one more time
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane
Oh, hey, hey, mama, swing your body next to mine
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane

Oh, hey, hey, mama, swing your body next to mine
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane

And when the morning comes, everybody’s gone
And they won’t be back until the setting of the sun
Then Mary takes a nap and rests her weary head
Thinking of the glorious and joyful times she had
And I sing:
Hey, hey, mama, fill my tankard one more time
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane
Oh, hey, hey, mama, swing your body next to mine
Hey, hey, mama Judy Mary Jane

(words and music by Johannes Schult)