An epilogue to the human race. Why do we so firmly believe that our species will survive? Over 99% of species that roamed the earth in the course of the past 4 billion years have vanished again. We only know of them, when we examine the fossile record. So, chances are (unfortunately) very high, that also we will become extinct some time and our memories are only preserved in the depths of the earth. 
Also, the Fermi Paradox (see, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhhvQGsMEc) leaves us puzzled why we see no other forms of life in the universe. 
Let us not get extinct! (and, on a personal note, I think, the  travelling to Mars is not exactly the solution to ensure the survival of our species. Rather, it is, not ruining our wonderful home planet)
A lyrics version will come out soon.

Compositionwise, the piece is structured in four parts. 
Part 1, introduces the lamenting theme, first in a very basic relaxed fashion with slow accompaniment and then becoming a tad more agitated. The chromatically descending accompaniment underlines the mournful mood. The second half of the part starting @0:24 is a bit more consoling but keeps the overall spirit. The other three parts (starting @ 0:48, 1:31, 2:15) are variations of the main theme with the last part leading @2:40 into the end that leaves more questions than answers)

The VST piano used for this recording was the Nils Frahm Noire (not the felt version) which I slightly brightened up to have more of the singing overtones.

Fossiles in the Making (Piano Miniature)

hope

https://soundcloud.com/negative-headphone: many keyboards, drums, percussion, mix, production, artwork.
https://soundcloud.com/ruizzoidman21centurions: original theme, composition, bass, rhythm guitar, drums.

Intimate jam got me this bass theme, which I developed with geometrical tones and fractal rhythmic, and offered to my old friend Negative Headphone. You should know his fabulous response on any musical style, and here is a proof of it. Enjoy!

Fractal Shenanigans (with Negative Headphone)

Anxious Chill

Basic track mix - straight off my Zoom R24. Leaving it alone for a while..(earworm!) 
Synth bass with multi-clarinet riffs / alto flutes/oboe sections with tenor sax on bass pedal. Flute solos with synth middle sections.
Final mix:
https://soundcloud.com/windscaleblues/vanessa-atalanta-red-admiral-final-mix?si=ca265eebd9c240529c76df65d8ce284a&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Picture by Cathy Alexandre (c/o Pinterest)

RED ADMIRAL [CLA158M2 early mix]

Box Blues

Les dés perdants       (Translated after the French text )

Vidéo: https://youtu.be/40uf8PC8Q0I

Texte et chant : Muette
Guitare :              Strataddict
Musique:            Alain Illos

Le père :
On dit qu'les mères en amour ont neuf mois d'avance,
Qu'on ne vous porte pas, et que nous : c'est la loi.
On dit même qu'on vous fabrique par inadvertance.
Mais ma tendresse est un lait qui ne se tarit pas.

Le fils :
Si tu peux tout cela,                 
Rassasier l'affamé,
Pourquoi ces terres brûlées,
Ce vide en moi, papa ?

La mère:
Tu es quelqu'un de bien. Tu es quelqu'un de rare.   
Celui qui te trahit, celui qui te salit,
Qu'il change de trottoir : je lui lav'rai la bouche
Avec du savon noir. Je veux pas qu'on te touche.

Le fils:
Tous tes regards sont teints                    
De ton amour pour moi.
C'est mon pain quotidien,
J'en connais trop le goût. 

La mère:
Blé noir qui se morfond et ne veut pas lever,       
Tu cherches des soleils pour croire et espérer.
Les plafonds sont trop bas, les idéaux s'effondrent
Et la triche est partout, le monde est à refondre.
Tu ne peux plus mettre dans les miens tes pas.

Le fils :
Si tu sais tout cela,                
Sur le tapis vert,
Pourquoi tes mains jetèrent
Les dés perdants, maman ?   

La mère et le père
Les dés seront gagnants si tu changes les règles. 
Hier, j'ai vu un lièvre emporté par un aigle.
Et j'ai pensé : Merveille, les lièvres volent !

Le fils:
Et moi je n’arrive plus à marcher jusqu’à l’école .

The losing dice,

The father:
They say that mothers in love have a nine-month head start,
That we don't carry you, and that we: it's the law.
They even say that we make you inadvertently.
But my tenderness is milk that never runs dry.

The son:
If you can do all that, 
Rassasier l'affamé,
Why these burnt lands,
This emptiness in me, dad?

Mother:
You're a good person. You're a rare one.   
The one who betrays you, the one who dirties you,
Let him change sidewalk: I'll wash his mouth
With black soap. I don't want anyone to touch you.

The son:
All your looks are tinged 
With your love for me.
It's my daily bread,
I know the taste too well.

The mother:
Black wheat that mopes and won't rise, 
You're looking for suns to believe and hope.
Ceilings are too low, ideals are collapsing
And cheating is everywhere, the world needs to be remade.
You can no longer follow in my footsteps.

Son:
If you know all this, 
On the green carpet,
Why did your hands throw
The losing dice, Mom?

Mother and father
The dice will win if you change the rules. 
Yesterday, I saw a hare carried off by an eagle.
And I thought: Wonder, hares can fly!
Son:
And I can't walk to school.

Les dés perdants  avec Muette

Golden Sword (2025)

Well hello… A new song, with a new instrument. A pawnshop Ukulele. Ha. What a fun instrument to play. Just had to. A few simple Uke chords, some acoustic guitar soloing, and a tale of sailing the ocean as a metaphor for life. And yes, lyrically I was talking with a seagull. And just so you know I have gotten really good at ‘talking’ with birds. I can click talk like a grackle, whisper whistle like a robin, whistle talk a curious melody like a chickadee, among others. Still working on my duck call. Ha… Years ago, I remember annoying some people at a party with this wooden duck call my buddy had. So maybe a future song about birds? And right outside my door there are some interesting avian dynamics between the grackles and robins nesting in the spruce trees. They argue every day, about territory and invasion of their personal space, but when danger appears, like a hawk or cat, they come together in unison to fend off the threat. In the natural biology of things, humans haven’t fallen too far from that spruce tree. Anyway, robins do not like the dark. They anxiously chatter with loud worry chirping amongst themselves at dusk, and create a chorus melody of happy song at dawn. With me being a late sleeper, their morning serenades can be quite bothersome at 4:30AM. A lesson for me though, as at times I am not so welcoming as I wakeup to another frenetic global morning. Anyway, birds and their enthusiastic singing far outpaces my own. Ha. There are many other birds here, but I will save that for another time. Hope you are well. Thanks for dropping by, Mark

Uke Chantey

A reworking of Träumerei, "Kinderszenen" No. 7, Scenes from Childhood , in dedication to Sonni Quick who is bravely fighting ALS.  My prayers are with you, Sonni.  Sonni has dedicated her life to the art of improvisation and helping others along the way.  I hope you will avail yourself of her beautiful music.  @sonni-quick

Sincere thanks to David Dunham for his faithful help in mastering my tracks.
@david-dunhamuser589535203

Robert's Dream : Träumerei revisited and dedicated to Sonni Quick

Monday afternoon. Late summer 2025. A new spontaneous improvisation. Pretty emotional and a slow and intense build- up. Please enjoy and don't forget to comment and to follow. 

Improvisation_080925_Monday Afternoon

The piano is not just an instrument; it is a storyteller. My lifelong companion. Each piece holds the memory of a moment in time, of a period in life. Here, I share my personal journey—one miniature, one experiment, one story at a time.

I’m Konrad Spittelberg, 52 years old. Though I’ve always called Vienna my home, I have pursued various interests, building an interdisciplinary background that spans education in Latin and Greek, studies of Mathematics, Physics and Economics and a carreer in Consulting and Risk Management. Sometimes, you might also find me immersed in games of Go, Chess or D&D. 

But only when I’m not making music. Of course. Still then, all of my interests have shaped the way I think — and, in turn, the way I compose.

The instrument of my life is the piano. I play it since the age of six, the first 16 in music school with my dedicated teacher Margarete Gerlach (and also thanks to the city of Vienna to the incredible publicly funded music schools!). My piano playing saw multiyear interruptions due to travel and workload. But in recent years I’ve found the time to pursue my passion again—with renewed joy. I devote many of my evenings to developing, refining and rehearsing my piano miniatures. 

I inhale music wherever I find it. In the echoes of Renaissance motets or contemporary cluster music with my local choir, which I joined 30 years ago. In music running in the background of a fashion store which I Shazaam for later enjoyment. Or live concerts - there are so many gifted artists in the world! 

My music is a dialogue between tradition and exploration. Rooted in classical and romantic traditions, it ventures into jazz, rock, and pop.  I love to experiment—playing with unexpected tonalities, syncopated rhythms, and dynamic contrasts. My compositions often evolve through shifts in tension, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic modulations, sometimes venturing across the circle of fifths. I’m also diving deeper into the art of mastering, an area where I still have much to explore.

If my music speaks to you, I’d love for you to follow my journey. Follow along, share your thoughts—whether in appreciation or in challenge. Music, after all, is meant to be a conversation—and I’d love to hear your voice in it.
Enjoy your time with my music! 
Contact: konrad.spittelberg@gmail.com
Spotify and Youtube: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co