A Vision Becomes Reality
The roots of exTra run deep: The name and the fundamental concept for this musical project were conceived as far back as 1990. However, the vision had to remain dormant for over three decades, as the means to realize it simply didn't exist.
exTra is Tom Heinz. For a long time he did not play a traditional instrument himself, yet he never let go of the music in his head. Only today do the tools exist to finally make his ideas audible. From the first idea and the concept to the final mix, it all lies in his hands. And on "Albion" he plays on the recordings himself for the first time.
Artificial intelligence is one of his tools, like the instrument and the studio. It opens up the whole range of music to him: any instrument, any genre, any era. What becomes of it is his decision: concept, story, sound and mix. The music always serves the concept, not the other way around.
exTra makes concept albums, each one built around a single idea, a world, a question. The genre follows from the story. The debut "The Iron Wheel" traced the rise and fall of world civilizations. The second album "Confoederatio" told the story of Switzerland. The third, "Albion", walks the island of Britain from the Roman conquest to the present day. And the next album will take the concept somewhere entirely new.