Secret of Elements is the project of self-taught multi-instrumentalist Johann Paetzold. The artist is currently readying his debut album Chronos for release on April 23rd via InFiné. “Nothing Lost Yet” is the first single from the upcoming effort, and it comes with an intriguing and filmic video made by the artist during his first trek through the mountains of Transylvania.
“Nothing Lost Yet” builds quietly as introspective chords resound through the track’s rarified atmosphere. Eventually, a slowly repeating rhythmic element, like a glacial ice slab dropping into a deep ravine, adds a hypnotic aspect before the song begins to pile soaring layers of melody and rhythm into a dizzying storm of sound. Paetzold reports that “Nothing Lost Yet” was temporarily stalled in its post-production phase due to border closures in Europe during the initial outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, but that it was eventually handed off to Toh Imago’s Thomas Hennebicque for finalization and sound effects.
Johann Paetzold has taken several treks through the snowy mountains of Transylvania. The video for “Nothing Lost Yet” was filmed in 2003 during the musician’s initial trip. Accompanied by two friends, the archival footage switches between sunny mountain valleys and frigid ice-capped peaks as the adventurers slowly make their way through the vast unknown. With the footage slowed to the track’s meditative pace, the video’s staggering and rugged beauty is a perfect accompaniment.
