BERLIN RECORDING SESSION
The Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg has worked with some of the top names in rock music, including Sting, Bryan Adams, and Rammstein. And now with TEST. The composer of TEST, Jakob Vinje, along with TEST conductor Clemens Bötel, recorded the backing orchestration for several demo versions of TEST songs in the Babelsberg Berlin studios on April 8.
The 55-member orchestra has a long pedigree going back to 1918, when it was known as the UFA Symphonieorchester for Universum-Film AG (UFA). It provided the musical background for legendary silent movies such as Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” and Carl Mayer’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”
When you listen to the TEST demo songs, your ear will tell you that Jakob is a classically trained composer. He has written memorable melodies for TEST that will stick with you long after the show is over. The intricate vocal harmonies, mixed with the tough spine of rock and the sophisticated core of an orchestra, will remind you of something you’ve heard in music before – say, Queen? Yes, the tight harmonies in TEST hark back to the original opera rockers.
That said, Jakob has built out a unique TEST sound with the Babelsberg orchestra. When you hear it, you’ll know exactly where it comes from. This is TEST and nothing else. His stellar compositions are an exhilarating combination of raunchy rock and smooth classical.
Our video camerman Caspar Hees was also on hand to record this important milestone in the creation of the rock opera TEST.