| $20.16
back in stock as of
june 9th, 2011
first in stock on
march 31st, 2011
threads:
1970s-electronic
analogue-synth
machine-music
psych-prog
live-electronic
minimalism-drones
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| | | rvng intl. (usa) #rervng01/01.5 lp harald grosskopf “synthesist • re-synthesist” long playing record and compact disc set - so weit, so gut
- b. aldrian
- emphasis
- synthesist
- 1847-earth
- trauma
- transcendental overdrive
- tai ki
- bronze - so weit, so gut
- cfcf - b. aldrian
- jar moff - b. aldrian
- arp - emphasis
- jd twitch - emphasize
- blondes - synthesist
- snoretex - synthesist
- stellar om source - 1847 - earth
- oneohtrix point never - trauma 2010
- keyhole voyeur (aka james ferraro) - wishmaster (transcendental overdrive zone)
- pink skull - tai ki
| february 2011 release ; sparkling new issue of this oft overlooked late-berlin-school chestnut, forged by ash ra tempel drummer harald großkopf during a getaway late in 1979 ...
... notable for harald’s killer motorik drumming throughout (easy to see why he was the “go to” session drummer for so many of the original krautrock era’s elite ; just listen to the propulsive, nimble figures underscoring the myriad sequences via the bit in sound-sample to your left) & anthemic “end of the night” klassische (such as the title cut) it’s obvious why this was a choice target for the inaugural reissue program on the fledgeling 5-boroughs imprint rvng intl. (whose “frkwys” campaign has done a bang-up job bringing non-denominational acts like excepter & psychic ills in direct contact with folks like juan atkins, faust’s joachim irmler, gibby haynes, chris & cosey, and jim thirwell) ; with the aid of distance, both geographically & temporally, it’s now easy to see this as the missing link between the moe / roe-isms of years prior (certainly the light melodic touches do remind of later cluster) , the looming italo-disco of moroder, and the whole “minimal-synth” wave that followed in its wake ...
... comes in a gorgeous, reversed “vg-kids” type lp jacket, printed in glorious silver, with a 4-panel fold-out insert with tons of photos (one side) & liner notes (the other) in german & english ... oh, and i almost forgot, there’s a gratis disc in it’s own sleeve w/ reworkings by rvng-relatable artists (i get dan lopatin’s reverence, definitely ... and alexis georgopoulos & even james ferraro turn in pieces that are apropos to grosskopf’s spirit) ... i know i’m all “berlin school” this, “berlin school” that these days (well, not just me ; it would appear that just about everyone has bitten this particular bug) ; this is a great way hear the original formula, impeccably executed, in true boutique fashion ... highly recommended !!! |
| | rvng intl. press release... |
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harald grosskopf - synthesist lp & v/a - re-synthesist cd
cat #: rervng01 / rervng01.5
release date: february 15th, 2011
synthesist is the debut album by harald grosskopf, the enigmatic percussionist behind ash ra tempel, klaus schulze, and cosmic jokers. originally released by sky records in 1980, rvng intl. celebrates the 30th year anniversary with this newly mastered and packaged reissue.
berlin, germany, summer of 1979, harald grosskopf, then 30 years old, was at a personal and creative crossroads. his girlfriend just left him, and ashra (manuel göttsching's "solo" project) was on temporary hiatus. harald always considered himself a rhythmic accomplice to his numerous collaborators' lead, until prompted by some fellow musician friends to pursue a singular creative vision.
armed with a minimoog and revox reel-to-reel, grosskopf set off for the west german countryside that fall and isolated himself in a home studio for almost two months to record synthesist. the temperamental analog synthesizer and sequencing technology created a long learning curve eventually resulting in a harmonious union of man and machine.
the human response undeniably colors the eight songs of synthesist and aligns the album with some of the more melodic output of the berlin school of electronic music. the title track and "transcendental overdrive" almost take on pop qualities. harald's live percussion opens up tracks like "so weit, so gut" and "emphasis" for jammed out exploration. where the album veers into the ambient space clusters of "b. aldrian" or "trauma", it's hard not to consider synthesist the nexus of krautrock, kosmische, and new age.
re-synthesist, the companion compilation to synthesist, is an assemblage of reinterpretations of grosskopf's work by a new vanguard of electronic and experimental artists including oneohtrix point never, blondes, arp, stellar om source, cfcf, james ferraro, and many others.
although synthesist has been unavailable on vinyl for almost three decades, it doesn't fetch unfathomable collector fees. selecting synthesist as our first reissue is more about the connectivity to a new audience than the scarcity fetish for a select few. it's about sharing harald's story and celebrating an album musically accomplished and compelling from start to end.
the synthesist lp comes as a deluxe package on post-consumer recycled goods, including a unique reverse bound record jacket and full color liner notes by harald grosskopf in english and german. the re-synthesist compilation is only available with vinyl purchase. |
composed, arranged, and performed by harald grosskopf.
produced by harald grosskopf.
"space sounds" performed by udo hanten.
recorded by eberhard panne and harald grosskopf.
basic tracks recorded late 1979 at udo hanten's flat.
additional recording & mixing at panne & paulsen studios, frankfurt, germany.
photography by detlef maugsch.
original artwork by siegfried kottler.
remastered by graeme durham at the exchange.
liner note translation by mike burns.
art direction by kevin o'neill.
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