Straight from the German Magical Forests during Quarantine Lockdown, a New Ambient EP “Hallucinations” Rises...Songwriter Bates Belk has recorded an atmospheric collection of songs inspired by self-isolation around Berlin’s enchanted forests.

BERLIN, Germany – Bates Belk announces his next single release of music from his current album. The new ambient EP “Hallucinations” releases on October 9, 2020.  Because of the necessary German Government mandate to self-isolate due to the COVID-19 coronavirus global crisis pandemic, Bates evacuated alone to the majestic forests around Berlin, resulting in several new ambient compositions.

Says Bates, “When the coronavirus panic struck and threw all of us into pandemonium, all reality shifted for me. It was difficult for me to know what was real and what was fictitious in such a chaotic situation…it gave me much angst. And I am not used to being constrained physically…I’ve always been a bird and I need to fly at all times…existing in a lockdown inside my home in Berlin for an extended period of time was just too much for me. So, I retreated alone to the forests around Berlin. They are truly magical…right out of fairy tales. I found refuge in the kindness of nature…ironically the very nature that is currently being destroyed in the other global crisis we are all facing…the climate crisis. But in the forests, my mind was finally able to relax after the introduction of the corona disease…and suddenly in my new self-isolated world, the gigantic trees became my new friends that I would hang out with, the rolling landscapes became my new playgrounds I would dance in and the supernatural rock formations became the walls to my new self-isolated home to protect me in. The forests helped me imagine a new peaceful world, brought me needed calmness and allowed me to have very freeing dream-like days and nights that were then captured in my music. This music is as organic and pure as I have ever produced. And in our diseased world that is filled with endless strife, fear and mayhem, I felt the need to write music that could help us all relax and live in a fantasy world as I was fortunately able to experience in the forests.”

Track-listing from the “Hallucinations” experience ambient EP is presented in a 4-part curation: https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/album/hallucinations-ep

1. Hallucinations: One (https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/track/hallucinations-one)
2. Hallucinations: Two (https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/track/hallucinations-two)
3. Hallucinations: Three (https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/track/hallucinations-three)
4. Hallucinations: Four (https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/track/hallucinations-four)

Credits:
Written and Produced by Bates Belk in Berlin for BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC (BMI)
Video created and art directed by Roland Lauth in Berlin
Video Performer: Jess Kombu
Music co-produced with Ralf Goldkind at Officer’s Dressing Room Studio Tempelhof Berlin
"Hallucinations: One, Hallucinations: Two and Hallucinations: Three" mixed by Zeno Mainardi in Berlin
"Hallucinations: Four" mixed by Gareth Jones at Strongroom Studios London
"Hallucinations: One, Hallucinations: Two and Hallucinations: Three" mixed by Simon Gibson at Abbey Road Studio in London
"Hallucinations: Four" mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios London
Lead vocals on "Hallucinations: Four" by Anne Elizabeth Sorbara in Berlin
Vocal recording engineer by Kevin Reiter at Kaleidoscope Studios Berlin
s t a r g a z e Orchestral Collective appears courtesy of Transgressive Records
s t a r g a z e Orchestral recording engineer by Sam Jones at Studio Joneski Utrecht
Orchestral arranger and conductor: Aart Strootman
Orchestra recording engineer assistant: Rafael Milia
Viola: Thora Sveinsdóttir
Violin: Jeff Bruinsma
Violin: Isa Goldschmeding
Violin: George Dumitriu
Harp: Liesbeth Vreeburg
_____________________________________________________

“Hallucinations” is the third single to be released from Bates Belk’s début 11 track album, entitled "The Dark Spektrum", that was released on March 6, 2020 which includes the previous single releases “Dancing with Bullets” and “Euphoria”.  The album contains collaborations with over 50 Berlin-based artists and was mixed by acclaimed Depeche Mode, Erasure and Yann Tierson music producer Gareth Jones in London.

Experience "The Dark Spektrum" here: https://www.artconnect.com/projects/bates-belk-presents-the-dark-spektrum

Listen to "The Dark Spektrum" album here: https://bb3dynamics.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-spektrum-album

https://www.batesbelk.com
https://bb3dynamics.com

Copyright 2020 BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC

"Hallucinations" Music Video by Bates Belk

BERLIN, Germany – Bates Belk announces details of his highly anticipated début studio album, released on March 6, 2020 on BB3 Dynamics Records. “The Dark Spektrum” was written and recorded in Berlin with over 50 Berlin-based collaborators including the Stargaze Orchestral collective and was mixed by renowned music producer Gareth Jones at Strongroom London Studios. The album was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios in London. The new album features 11 brand new Bates Belk produced tracks including the singles “Euphoria”, “Dancing with Bullets” and the forthcoming single “Hallucinations”.

The up-tempo and rhythmic album follows a cinematic storyline in a nighttime odyssey from sunset until sunrise. Themes experienced along the voyage of the dark spektrum on the album include danger, horror, power struggles, S&M, criminality, unrequited love, death, narcissism, dreams, illusions, ecstasy and freedom. The 11 songs sequenced on the album take the audience on a journey from “dark” to “light”.

Says Bates, “The word ‘dark’ means many things. ‘Dark’ brings out both negative and positive feelings in people. ‘Dark’ can represent extreme unhappiness, anger and evilness. ‘Dark’ can bring on mysterious actions in people. ‘Dark’ can allow people to be freer, to be exploratory and to solve curiosities in the dark shadows potentially allowing those people to positive lives and experiences. ‘Dark’ can also represent nightfall which traditionally also allows people to experience higher levels of perceptions.”

Track-listing for “The Dark Spektrum”:

1. Dusk: Beware and Be Aware
2. Dancing with Bullets (featuring Coco SaFir)
3. The Pursuit of…
4. The Art of the Deal
5. Clever Criminal (featuring Valeska Rautenberg)
6. Sensational
7. Death Threat
8. Hallucinations (featuring Anne Elizabeth Sorbara)
9. Escapism (featuring Dorrey Lin Lyles)
10. Euphoria
11. Dawn: Revolve and Evolve

https://www.batesbelk.com/the-dark-spektrum-dance-album-from-bates-belk

CREDITS:

Written and Produced by Bates Belk for BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC (BMI) (www.BatesBelk.com)
Mixed by Gareth Jones at Strongroom London Studios
Mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios London

Recorded at Kaleidoscope Studios Berlin, K5 Studio Berlin, Neon Nursery Studios Berlin, Officer’s Dressing Room Studio Tempelhof Berlin, SoundCloud Studios Berlin, Studio Joneski Utrecht, TRIXX Studios Berlin and Zeno Mainardi Studio Berlin.

Recording producers and engineers: Damian Press, David Jones, Kevin Reiter, Marcel Dadalto, Rafael Milia, Ralf Goldkind, Sam Jones and Zeno Mainardi

Synthesizers used on this album: Roland Jupiter-4, Roland SH-3A, Roland SH-09, Roland JV-1080, Roland MKS-50 & PG-300, Roland MKS-70, Dave Smith Instruments Tetra and Mopho, Waldorf Blofeld, Waldorf Streichfett, MFB Nanozwerg, MAM MB-33, Moog Little Phatty Stage II, Yamaha CS-15, Yamaha Reface DX, Korg MS-20 [mini], Serge Modular System, Synton Fenix II and III, Oberheim Xpander, Cwejman S1 mk2, Cyclone TT-303, Korg Polysix, Yamaha FS1R, Nord Modular G2

stargaze Orchestral appears courtesy of Transgressive Records.

Album artwork: Bates Belk, Angela Liuzzi and Joanna Smolonska
Album photography: Nathan Wynn
Press photography: Sebastian Runge
Commercial medley video created by: Ainissa Valet

www.batesbelk.com
www.bb3dynamics.com

Copyright 2020 BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC

Bates Belk Presents "The Dark Spektrum"

Written in Berlin, Bates Belk has brought together gender and sexually fluid Berlin-based artists creating a positive and in-your-face message for freedom.  With a classic high-energy acid house vibe, "Euphoria" salutes all the people in the world whom stand for the resisting of gender and sexual oppression and whom represent sex positivity.  Taking recorded field sound samples of euphoric voices of gender-bending clubgoers and acclaimed free-thinking Berlin-based performance artists at such legendary Berlin alternative cult parties like the Gegen Party at KitKatKlub, the CockTail d’Amore Party at Griessmuehle Club, the Buttons Party at ://about blank Club and the Pornceptual Party at Alte Münze Club, Bates created lively and anthemic energy for “Euphoria”…taking inspiration from all the unique people that performed on the song. "Euphoria" is the first single taken from the Bates Belk studio album "The Dark Spektrum".

Written and Produced by Bates Belk in Berlin (www.BatesBelk.com)
Video Animation and Motion Graphics by Romain Fabre of Fry Visuals Berlin
Music Co-produced with Zeno Mainardi at Zeno Mainardi Studio Berlin
Music Mixed by Gareth Jones at Strongroom Studios London
Music Mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios London
Music Engineering and Sound Design Assistance by Marcel Dadalto
Music Mixing Assistance by David Jones
Vocals and Euphoric Energy Provided by Berlin Shapeshifters Mad Kate, La Rubinia, Pina Brutal, Butch Courage, Mixx Lola Rouge and Pink Galore

Copyright 2019 BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC (www.bb3dynamics.com)

Euphoria: A celebration of Gender and Sexual Fluidity

Violence breeds violence. What happened to George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the USA where, after an altercation with the Minneapolis police force, George ended up being horribly killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin...all caught on video by a mobile phone and then posted on "social media" and then "mainstream media". When will this madness end? More negativity. More violence. More racism. More discrimination. More hate. More hate. More hate. It just continues over and over and over again. It never ends. History repeats itself in the 2020 modern technological age. There is so much hate in this world. Stop the madness.

Original version of “Death Threat” appears on the Bates Belk album “The Dark Spektrum”.

Written and Produced by Bates Belk for BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC (BMI) in Berlin (www.batesbelk.com)

Mixed by Gareth Jones at Strongroom Studios London
Mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios London
Pre-production, engineering and sound design: Damian Press
Additional engineering and sound design: Zeno Mainardi
s t a r g a z e Orchestral appears courtesy of Transgressive Records
s t a r g a z e Orchestral recording engineer: Sam Jones
Orchestral arranger and conductor: Aart Strootman
Orchestra recording engineer assistant: Rafael Milia
Viola: Thora Sveinsdóttir
Cello: Alistair Sung
Violin: Jeff Bruinsma
Violin: Isa Goldschmeding
Violin: George Dumitriu
Flute: Maaike van der Linde
Oboe: Marlies van Gangelen

Photos courtesy of witness video footage.

Copyright 2020 BB3 Dynamics Records, LLC (www.bb3dynamics.com)

I CAN'T BREATHE

Says Bates Belk, “It wasn’t until I left the USA and relocated to Europe that I finally became aware of how horrible and unacceptable the oppressive gun problem is in the USA. It's filled with hate, racism, discrimination and endless violence meant to control. As an American citizen, I was always taught that the USA was the ‘land of the free’. I was lied to along with everyone else. The USA has supposedly over 393 million guns…the most of any country in the world…and year after year thousands of citizens and visitors continue to be murdered by guns at both the hands of the police and its citizens. It's a disease. No human being can truly be free in a gun culture. And as a gay man, I find solace and freedom on dance floors of gay clubs. So, to see my LGBTQI+ community be horrendously targeted with hate and guns at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, USA on June 12, 2016 where club-goers just wanted to dance to music on the dance floor, to be free, to resist oppression and to have fun, that really hit home for me.”

Lyrics:

We’ve been warned
History
Has demonstrated our need to be free
Enemies of yesterday
We’re ready come what may
Dancing with bullets
Evasion to the fullest
Act now
No time to waste
Far too short to not have the taste
We need to survive
Can we say what it’s like to feel alive?
We should all feel alive…
The end Is a mystery
We chase our destiny
Who knows the real outcome
As we now dance in this dark spektrum
Dancing with bullets
Evasion to the fullest

Credits:
"Dancing with Bullets (featuring Coco SaFir)"
--Written and Produced by Bates Belk in Berlin
--Music Co-produced with Damian Press at Neon Nursery Studios Berlin
--Lead Vocals by Coco SaFir in Berlin
--Music Mixed by Gareth Jones at Strongroom Studios London
--Music Mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios London
--Music Mixing Assistance by David Jones
--Video directed by Bates Belk and animated by Roland Lauth