stephan eicher “spielt noise boys” compact disc

• disco mania (4:02)
  
• miniminiminiminijupe (3:06)
  
• noise boys song (2:17)
  
• hungriges afrika (2:57)
  
• one second too late (1:18)
  
• sweet jane (2:28)
  
• ping pong lied (1:21)

born bad press release...

electro 80's minimal punk at his best think grauzone meet daf meet suicide stephan eicher recorded the tracks from spielt noise boys on a dictaphone with stolen material in the bar he worked in bern when he was student in (swiss) he produced 6 month later the absolut hit "eisbar" with grauzone. available both cd/ lp legal reissue cool insert both in french and english re-mastered by stephan eicher himself - sound loud !

“bippp • french synth-wave 1979-1985” long playing record

• a trois dans les wc - contagion (4:26)
  
• act - ping pong (2:23)
  
• les visiteurs du soir - je t'écris d'un pays (4:53)
  
• vox dei - terroriste (2:01)
  
• comix - touche pas mon sexe (3:13)
  
• tgv - partie 1 (3:14)
  
  
• ckc - 20h25 (3:05)
  
• marie möör - pretty day (3:00)
  
• deux - game and performance (3:38)
  
• ruth - polaroid roman photo (5:02)
  
• vitor hublot - aller simple (3:44)
  
• visible - le jour se lève (3:02)
  
• casino music - viol af 015 (2:48)

born bad press release...

increasingly detached from the original punk formula, the modern and arty youth of the early '80s set itself to jettison an art form that had lost much of the nihilistic and exhilarating energy of its halcyon days, stuck, as it was, in an endless and noisy regression. disheartened but eager to experiment and create, a new wave of french musicians followed the beacon of jacno’s seminal '79 hit "rectangle," a visionary, digital coup de grâce, courtesy of a former punk which dealt the rickenbacker and fender-era a fatal blow. the cold and robot-like bips of analogic keyboards took over. casio, korg ms-10 and arp omni were the new paraphernalia of the new generation -- the ideal conveyers of its retro-futurist elegance and self-professed cold arrogance. they were pinnacles and symbols which were just as potent as the electric guitar in the '50s or the laptop in the '90s. this compilation recalls the glory of a selected few, the cream of the crop of the shooting stars and cult bands that followed in the footsteps of kas product, mathematiques modernes or charles de goal.

kluster “zwei osterei” long playing record

• electric music und texte (22:31)
  
  
• electric music (kluster 4) (22:17)

bureau b press release...

kluster zwei osterei reissue (originally released in 1971) lp (180g vinyl) release date: june 29, 2012 zwei osterei is the second half of a recording session which took place on a single day in november 1970. klopfzeichen is the first part. yet the uncompromising zwei osterei surpasses the earlier klopfzeichen album by some distance in terms of its harsh noisiness and near brutal sonic attacks. everything that was left of the revolutionary verve of the late 1960s seems to have been distilled into this music with a burning glass: aesthetic destruction to liberate the mind and ears for utopian designs; the definitive coalescence of art and pop into something completely new; unbridled musical freedom, coupled with a love of noise. zwei osterei is all of this. how unsettling kluster’s music must have been for the professional avant-garde of the period (music journalists, critics etc.). kluster turned pretty much everything associated with so-called progressive pop music on its head. no song structure, no rhythm, little more than muffled pulsation. no heroic poses, no transfigured gestures on stage. this attitude, or rather anti-attitude is particularly in evidence on track two of zwei osterei. still no electronic instruments, just guitar, drums and non-musical sonic sources as kluster unleash a sound spectacle which anticipates the industrial artists who emerged some years later. conny plank played a pivotal role as sound engineer with the relatively limited studio equipment available to him. his meticulous reading of the band’s intentions let to the creation of pure, electroacoustic music – loud, violent, real-time improvisation. shrill feedback, tape echo loops and layers of sonic cascades dominate this section of the album. this was no longer psychedelic, nor “progressive”. it was more like sonic warfare, waged against all musical categories and conventions. many a listener posed the rather helpless question “what is that supposed to be?”... art? music? a happening? according to statements made by the band, none of the above. it was simply kluster. a lofty, nigh exclusive claim which “zwei osterei” fulfills one hundred per cent. translated, the statement is nothing more nor less than a challenge to ignore the accumulated theory of art and music, with all the risks and side effects this entails. back in 1970, kluster could not have known that they were setting in motion a process which would endure until the present day. but they no doubt hoped as much. kluster are history, the klopfzeichen and zwei osterei lps their legacy. and above all, an idea of artistic freedom has remained, worlds away from commerce and public servility. even if the concept of “utopia” has lost something of its former allure, kluster can at least be a catalyst for those who may wish to entertain the idea once again.

kluster “zwei osterei” compact disc

• electric music und texte (22:31)
  
• electric music (kluster 4) (22:17)

bureau b press release...

kluster zwei osterei reissue (originally released in 1971) cd release date: june 29, 2012 zwei osterei is the second half of a recording session which took place on a single day in november 1970. klopfzeichen is the first part. yet the uncompromising zwei osterei surpasses the earlier klopfzeichen album by some distance in terms of its harsh noisiness and near brutal sonic attacks. everything that was left of the revolutionary verve of the late 1960s seems to have been distilled into this music with a burning glass: aesthetic destruction to liberate the mind and ears for utopian designs; the definitive coalescence of art and pop into something completely new; unbridled musical freedom, coupled with a love of noise. zwei osterei is all of this. how unsettling kluster’s music must have been for the professional avant-garde of the period (music journalists, critics etc.). kluster turned pretty much everything associated with so-called progressive pop music on its head. no song structure, no rhythm, little more than muffled pulsation. no heroic poses, no transfigured gestures on stage. this attitude, or rather anti-attitude is particularly in evidence on track two of zwei osterei. still no electronic instruments, just guitar, drums and non-musical sonic sources as kluster unleash a sound spectacle which anticipates the industrial artists who emerged some years later. conny plank played a pivotal role as sound engineer with the relatively limited studio equipment available to him. his meticulous reading of the band’s intentions let to the creation of pure, electroacoustic music – loud, violent, real-time improvisation. shrill feedback, tape echo loops and layers of sonic cascades dominate this section of the album. this was no longer psychedelic, nor “progressive”. it was more like sonic warfare, waged against all musical categories and conventions. many a listener posed the rather helpless question “what is that supposed to be?”... art? music? a happening? according to statements made by the band, none of the above. it was simply kluster. a lofty, nigh exclusive claim which “zwei osterei” fulfills one hundred per cent. translated, the statement is nothing more nor less than a challenge to ignore the accumulated theory of art and music, with all the risks and side effects this entails. back in 1970, kluster could not have known that they were setting in motion a process which would endure until the present day. but they no doubt hoped as much. kluster are history, the klopfzeichen and zwei osterei lps their legacy. and above all, an idea of artistic freedom has remained, worlds away from commerce and public servility. even if the concept of “utopia” has lost something of its former allure, kluster can at least be a catalyst for those who may wish to entertain the idea once again.

kluster “klopfzeichen” long playing record

• kluster 1 (electric music und texte) (23:33)
  
  
• kluster 2 (electric music) (21:38)

bureau b press release...

kluster klopfzeichen reissue (originally released in 1970) lp (180g vinyl) release date: june 29, 2012 imagine finding a message in a bottle, forty years after it was dispatched. that is what it feels like when you listen to klopfzeichen for the first time, mysterious, hard to decipher, a relic of a time long since passed. the handwriting is archaic, barely legible, the complex contents only falling into place when examined through the light of historical context. klopfzeichen is an incredibly important release for the time in which it appeared (1971), an extraordinarily significant document. more than anything, the three messengers konrad schnitzler, hans-joachim roedelius and dieter moebius formulated a radical claim with klopfzeichen: anarchic, unlimited freedom of art and music. kluster’s music may have aged, but their message has not. that the recording session happened at all is, curiously enough, down to a church musician, a man one would then have described as extremely progressive. oskar gottlieb blarr not only made it possible for these musical enfants terribles to work in düsseldorf’s rhenus studio, he also orchestrated the release of klopfzeichen shortly afterwards through the schwann verlag, a publisher closely associated with the church, on their own record label, ams studio (subtitled “werkraum für neue kirchenmusik” / workspace for new church music!). this “ecclesiastical” affinity is probably the reason for the strongly committed political and religious texts spoken over the music on the a side. kluster lyrics they are not, and they sound a little strange today. true to their understanding of artistic freedom (joseph beuys was undoubtedly an influence), kluster improvised with all sources of sound they could lay their hands on: guitar, bass, cello, flute, drums and various other pieces of equipment not usually intended for musical use. none of them could profess to be an expert on any of the instruments. they were brilliant dilettantes, a decade before the concept („geniale dilettanten“) was invented. electronics? no sign of them. the budget did not stretch to synthesizers or anything of that ilk. that said, a certain conny plank was on board as sound engineer for the early recordings. he added an apocalyptic character to kluster’s lindwormish, menacing and chaotic music. roedelius and moebius still refer to him as the “éminence grise”. klopfzeichen was the most radical album of the early german pop music avant-garde by a country mile. its sounds and noises had nothing in common with the sequencer-generated electronic music emerging from berlin or düsseldorf. kluster music was angstmusik, the music of fear. “klopfzeichen”, knocking on the wall, is how the imprisoned call for attention or communicate with one another. kluster certainly wanted to break free with their own klopfzeichen. and they succeeded in liberating not only themselves, but generations of musicians to come.

kluster “klopfzeichen” compact disc

• kluster 1 (electric music und texte) (23:33)
  
• kluster 2 (electric music) (21:38)

bureau b press release...

kluster klopfzeichen reissue (originally released in 1970) cd release date: june 29, 2012 imagine finding a message in a bottle, forty years after it was dispatched. that is what it feels like when you listen to klopfzeichen for the first time, mysterious, hard to decipher, a relic of a time long since passed. the handwriting is archaic, barely legible, the complex contents only falling into place when examined through the light of historical context. klopfzeichen is an incredibly important release for the time in which it appeared (1971), an extraordinarily significant document. more than anything, the three messengers konrad schnitzler, hans-joachim roedelius and dieter moebius formulated a radical claim with klopfzeichen: anarchic, unlimited freedom of art and music. kluster’s music may have aged, but their message has not. that the recording session happened at all is, curiously enough, down to a church musician, a man one would then have described as extremely progressive. oskar gottlieb blarr not only made it possible for these musical enfants terribles to work in düsseldorf’s rhenus studio, he also orchestrated the release of klopfzeichen shortly afterwards through the schwann verlag, a publisher closely associated with the church, on their own record label, ams studio (subtitled “werkraum für neue kirchenmusik” / workspace for new church music!). this “ecclesiastical” affinity is probably the reason for the strongly committed political and religious texts spoken over the music on the a side. kluster lyrics they are not, and they sound a little strange today. true to their understanding of artistic freedom (joseph beuys was undoubtedly an influence), kluster improvised with all sources of sound they could lay their hands on: guitar, bass, cello, flute, drums and various other pieces of equipment not usually intended for musical use. none of them could profess to be an expert on any of the instruments. they were brilliant dilettantes, a decade before the concept („geniale dilettanten“) was invented. electronics? no sign of them. the budget did not stretch to synthesizers or anything of that ilk. that said, a certain conny plank was on board as sound engineer for the early recordings. he added an apocalyptic character to kluster’s lindwormish, menacing and chaotic music. roedelius and moebius still refer to him as the “éminence grise”. klopfzeichen was the most radical album of the early german pop music avant-garde by a country mile. its sounds and noises had nothing in common with the sequencer-generated electronic music emerging from berlin or düsseldorf. kluster music was angstmusik, the music of fear. “klopfzeichen”, knocking on the wall, is how the imprisoned call for attention or communicate with one another. kluster certainly wanted to break free with their own klopfzeichen. and they succeeded in liberating not only themselves, but generations of musicians to come.

dieter moebius / asmus tietchens “moebius + tietchens” long playing record and compact disc set

• cremon
  
• kattrepel
  
• vincent
  
• thorax
  
• yes, yes
  
• fontenay
  
  
• lange reihe
  
• raboisen
  
• im windkanal
  
• grimm
  
• herrlichkeit
  
• plan
  
• mach auf!
  
  
• cremon (2:23)
  
• kattrepel (9:56)
  
• vincent (3:43)
  
• thorax (3:56)
  
• yes, yes (5:41)
  
• fontenay (2:57)
  
• lange reihe (10:32)
  
• raboisen (3:39)
  
• im windkanal (2:41)
  
• grimm (4:22)
  
• herrlichkeit (2:17)
  
• plan (4:02)
  
• mach auf! (2:33)

bureau b press release...

moebius + tietchens lp (180g vinyl) plus cd release date: june 29th, 2012 with this album, dieter moebius and asmus tietchens fulfill a promise that they made 35 years ago. that is, in 1976, when the five musicians of liliental completed the recordings for their eponymous album (released 1978) and again scattered to the winds, moebius called out to tietchens from the already moving car: "we have to make a record together sometime." at least that is the report of an ear-witness. whether or not it's true ... in any case, both decided in 2011 to record the album which is now to be released. moebius (cluster, harmonia), since the early years of cluster, has neither lost his curiosity nor his eagerness for experimentation. on the contrary: he has downright cultivated them. tietchens is not only a true aficionado of the cluster's music and friend of the duo, but has also released countless albums of electronic music and musique concrète since the 1980's – like cluster, initially on sky records – then later only in the field of industrial and abstract music. their album may come from out of the blue, but the large amount of overlap in the music of both artists made it a forgone conclusion to finally make good on the aforementioned promise. thirteen pieces carries the album. these are thirteen ideas that could hardly be heterogeneous – no two pieces are similar. moebius and tietchens show us what they are capable of together. from the rough sketch to densely gripping rhythms, one can clearly hear just what these two old masters of electronic music have in their arsenals. this is not a result of the routine that comes with so many years of experience, nor a thin portion of tired old recipes for success. other than for a few faint echoes of a bygone era (perhaps as a sentimental reminder), “moebius+tietchens“ is an album that could only emerge from the here and now. it is contemporary, new music. unfortunately, this time there was no ear-witness as moebius and tietchens said goodbye after finishing these recordings. so we do not know if they made a new agreement similar to the one from 35 years ago. let's hope so.

dieter moebius / asmus tietchens “moebius + tietchens” compact disc

• cremon (2:23)
  
• kattrepel (9:56)
  
• vincent (3:43)
  
• thorax (3:56)
  
• yes, yes (5:41)
  
• fontenay (2:57)
  
• lange reihe (10:32)
  
• raboisen (3:39)
  
• im windkanal (2:41)
  
• grimm (4:22)
  
• herrlichkeit (2:17)
  
• plan (4:02)
  
• mach auf! (2:33)

bureau b press release...

moebius + tietchens cd release date: june 29th, 2012 with this album, dieter moebius and asmus tietchens fulfill a promise that they made 35 years ago. that is, in 1976, when the five musicians of liliental completed the recordings for their eponymous album (released 1978) and again scattered to the winds, moebius called out to tietchens from the already moving car: "we have to make a record together sometime." at least that is the report of an ear-witness. whether or not it's true ... in any case, both decided in 2011 to record the album which is now to be released. moebius (cluster, harmonia), since the early years of cluster, has neither lost his curiosity nor his eagerness for experimentation. on the contrary: he has downright cultivated them. tietchens is not only a true aficionado of the cluster's music and friend of the duo, but has also released countless albums of electronic music and musique concrète since the 1980's – like cluster, initially on sky records – then later only in the field of industrial and abstract music. their album may come from out of the blue, but the large amount of overlap in the music of both artists made it a forgone conclusion to finally make good on the aforementioned promise. thirteen pieces carries the album. these are thirteen ideas that could hardly be heterogeneous – no two pieces are similar. moebius and tietchens show us what they are capable of together. from the rough sketch to densely gripping rhythms, one can clearly hear just what these two old masters of electronic music have in their arsenals. this is not a result of the routine that comes with so many years of experience, nor a thin portion of tired old recipes for success. other than for a few faint echoes of a bygone era (perhaps as a sentimental reminder), “moebius+tietchens“ is an album that could only emerge from the here and now. it is contemporary, new music. unfortunately, this time there was no ear-witness as moebius and tietchens said goodbye after finishing these recordings. so we do not know if they made a new agreement similar to the one from 35 years ago. let's hope so.

der plan “normalette surprise • 23 elektronische schlager” long playing record

• leb doch
  
• renate
  
• meine freunde
  
• sie hat mich verlassen
  
• pausen-sassa
  
• wenn der sonne ist verblüht
  
• kleine schlager-revue
  
• frl. nicol
  
• ich bin ein komputer
  
• robot-bolero
  
• generäle essen gerne erdbeereis
  
• das insekt
  
  
• wat's dat?
  
• 4 stapfen im schnee
  
• zurück in die atomsphäre

bureau b press release...

der plan normalette surprise reissue (originally released in 1981) lp (180g vinyl) release date: july 27, 2012 1980 the zeitgeist played into the right hands. and who held the aces? in our game, moritz r, frank fenstermacher and pyrolator = der plan. tired of convention and full of enthusiasm, they encountered an audience who felt just the same. and with record companies too ponderous to sign up der plan, the wonderful ata tak label was born of necessity. “normalette surprise” is the second album by der plan, released in 1981, a good year after their “geri reig” debut. it is immediately recognisable as a plan album, yet “normalette surprise” does contain a few, well, surprises. the first number, “leb doch”, is a brilliant pop song. one can say many (good) things about “geri reig”, but it does not contain any pop songs. “leb doch” is built on a captivatingly taut rhythm, subcooled vocals and german lyrics. hang on a minute, taut rhythm, subcooled vocals, german lyrics? yes exactly, der plan drew up the blueprint for what would soon become known as “neue deutsche welle”—the german new wave. although blueprint sounds a little too benign. it was more like a big bang. moreover, there was something new about it. or rather something old. bizarrely, der plan were introduced by their american artist friends, including the controversial elocutionist boyd rice, into the amazing world of the german schlager. a colourful universe of the absurd awaited exploration. “kleine schlager-revue” and "sie hat mich verlassen" are the clearest indications of this newfound passion on “normalette surprise”. hence “normalette surprise” presents the full range of attributes which would define der plan and the ata tak label: electronics and schlager, noise and pop. and der plan's protagonists succeeded — unlike so many — in their mission of creating something original, something of their own.

der plan “normalette surprise • 23 elektronische schlager” compact disc

• leb doch
  
• renate
  
• meine freunde
  
• sie hat mich verlassen
  
• pausen-sassa
  
• wenn der sonne ist verblüht
  
• kleine schlager-revue
  
• frl. nicol
  
• ich bin ein komputer
  
• robot-bolero
  
• generäle essen gerne erdbeereis 12. das insekt
  
• wat's dat?
  
• 4 stapfen im schnee
  
• zurück in die atomsphäre
  
  
• da vorne steht ne ampel
  
• rot grün tod
  
• einfachheit
  
• brot
  
• klarheit
  
• liebe
  
• tod 19. 8 1/2 b
  
• der regen tropft
  
• es ist das glück
  
• film noir 1979
  
• rosarote schweinchen

bureau b press release...

der plan normalette surprise reissue (originally released in 1981) cd release date: july 27, 2012 1980 the zeitgeist played into the right hands. and who held the aces? in our game, moritz r, frank fenstermacher and pyrolator = der plan. tired of convention and full of enthusiasm, they encountered an audience who felt just the same. and with record companies too ponderous to sign up der plan, the wonderful ata tak label was born of necessity. “normalette surprise” is the second album by der plan, released in 1981, a good year after their “geri reig” debut. it is immediately recognisable as a plan album, yet “normalette surprise” does contain a few, well, surprises. the first number, “leb doch”, is a brilliant pop song. one can say many (good) things about “geri reig”, but it does not contain any pop songs. “leb doch” is built on a captivatingly taut rhythm, subcooled vocals and german lyrics. hang on a minute, taut rhythm, subcooled vocals, german lyrics? yes exactly, der plan drew up the blueprint for what would soon become known as “neue deutsche welle”—the german new wave. although blueprint sounds a little too benign. it was more like a big bang. moreover, there was something new about it. or rather something old. bizarrely, der plan were introduced by their american artist friends, including the controversial elocutionist boyd rice, into the amazing world of the german schlager. a colourful universe of the absurd awaited exploration. “kleine schlager-revue” and "sie hat mich verlassen" are the clearest indications of this newfound passion on “normalette surprise”. hence “normalette surprise” presents the full range of attributes which would define der plan and the ata tak label: electronics and schlager, noise and pop. and der plan's protagonists succeeded — unlike so many — in their mission of creating something original, something of their own.

der plan “geri reig” long playing record

• adrenalin lässt das blut kochen
  
• geri regi
  
• persisches cowboy golf
  
• gefährliche clowns
  
• kleine grabesstille
  
• der weltaufstandsplan
  
• hans und gabi
  
  
• commerce extérieur mondial sentimentale
  
• was ich von mir denke
  
• san josé car muzak
  
• erste begegnung mit dem tod
  
• ch bin schizophren
  
• nessie
  
• gefährliche clowns (manisch-idiotisch)
  
• die welt ist schlecht

bureau b press release...

der plan geri reig reissue (originally released 1980) lp (180g vinyl) release date: july 27, 2012 “geri reig” is der plan’s debut album, but not their first release. an ep, recorded with the aid of an electric memo dictation preceded “geri reig”. but the band is not very keen on reissuing this early work. why did they call themselves “der plan” actually? “a concept which has something to do with the capacity of people to think and shape their future” as plan member moritz reichelt, alias moritz r, once explained. der plan at that time comprised moritz reichelt, frank fenster-macher, robert görl and chrislo haas. their music was menacing, fragmented noise rock, still with guitar and drums, but far removed from the typical (rock) music of the period. when görl and haas departed (to form daf), guitars and drums also disappeared from der plan. new on the team: kurt dahlke alias pyrolator. this was the line-up which recorded “geri reig” in reichelt’s düsseldorf office with a two-channel tape machine. “geri reig” is a punk album in the truest and best sense. new, threatening and, at the same time, humorous. whilst other bands of the era stamped with the seal of “punk” played a faster and harder version of 1950s rock and roll or 1960s garage rock, der plan, like a handful of contemporaries such as the residents or throbbing gristle, not only rejected traditional song structures but jettisoned the whole instrument list. that’s punk for you! allied to a deep aversion to rock music and the cliché that goes with it, was the wish to create something of their own. and “geri reig” is certainly idiosyncratic: fragments and songs, raspy and fragile, melodies and interference, ambient sounds up front in the mix. fine in theory and – rare though it may be – excellent in practice. and it just gets better: the album was well received. moritz r: “as if everyone had been waiting for it.” – “the world is a bad place”? („die welt ist schlecht?“, cf. track 15). not always!

der plan “geri reig” compact disc

• adrenalin lässt das blut kochen
  
• geri reig
  
• persisches cowboy golf
  
• gefährliche clowns
  
• kleine grabesstille
  
• der weltaufstandsplan
  
• hans und gabi
  
• commerce extérieur mondial sentimentale
  
• was ich von mir denke
  
• san josé car muzak
  
• erste begegnung mit dem tod
  
• ch bin schizophren
  
• nessie
  
• gefährliche clowns (manisch-idiotisch)
  
• die welt ist schlecht
  
  
• es piept
  
• fürstenwall
  
• intermezzo
  
• dark porn
  
• heinz, komm zum feuer
  
• money honey

bureau b press release...

der plan geri reig reissue (originally released 1980) cd release date: july 27, 2012 “geri reig” is der plan’s debut album, but not their first release. an ep, recorded with the aid of an electric memo dictation preceded “geri reig”. but the band is not very keen on reissuing this early work. why did they call themselves “der plan” actually? “a concept which has something to do with the capacity of people to think and shape their future” as plan member moritz reichelt, alias moritz r, once explained. der plan at that time comprised moritz reichelt, frank fenster-macher, robert görl and chrislo haas. their music was menacing, fragmented noise rock, still with guitar and drums, but far removed from the typical (rock) music of the period. when görl and haas departed (to form daf), guitars and drums also disappeared from der plan. new on the team: kurt dahlke alias pyrolator. this was the line-up which recorded “geri reig” in reichelt’s düsseldorf office with a two-channel tape machine. “geri reig” is a punk album in the truest and best sense. new, threatening and, at the same time, humorous. whilst other bands of the era stamped with the seal of “punk” played a faster and harder version of 1950s rock and roll or 1960s garage rock, der plan, like a handful of contemporaries such as the residents or throbbing gristle, not only rejected traditional song structures but jettisoned the whole instrument list. that’s punk for you! allied to a deep aversion to rock music and the cliché that goes with it, was the wish to create something of their own. and “geri reig” is certainly idiosyncratic: fragments and songs, raspy and fragile, melodies and interference, ambient sounds up front in the mix. fine in theory and – rare though it may be – excellent in practice. and it just gets better: the album was well received. moritz r: “as if everyone had been waiting for it.” – “the world is a bad place”? („die welt ist schlecht?“, cf. track 15). not always!

conrad schnitzler “(blau)” long playing record

• die rebellen haben sich in den bergen versteckt
  
  
• jupiter

bureau b press release...

conrad schnitzler (blau) lp (180g vinyl) release date: june 15th, 2012 on the red album rot, conrad schnitzler laid down the direction his musical artistry would take. his second solo, the blue album blau, originally released in 1974, offered confirmation of his intent. maybe the "red" and "blue" tracks were recorded in the same session. the structure, sound and timbre of both lps are so similar as to suggest that this was the case (an unverified assumption nevertheless!). far more important than this historical pedantry is the fact that schnitzler included two brand-new compositions on blau which followed on seamlessly from the previous album. quite simply, he had found his way, a course from which he would not stray as long as he lived. the so-called berlin school (berliner schule) -- with conrad schnitzler one of their number -- had developed its own style of minimalist music. clearly distinct from anglo-american pop music, and no less removed from the minimalist art music of steve reich or philip glass, the focus here was on electronics and elementary rhythmics. the berlin musicians showed no great interest in instrumental or vocal virtuosity, nor were they in thrall to exuberant interleaving of rhythm. with the aid of synthesizers and studio technology, they were bent on breaking into territory hitherto considered the province of a privileged elite, clouded in mystery and secrecy, resonating with uncharted sounds and noise. blau is an archetypal example of this very phenomenon. courage, the pioneering spirit and artistic brilliance can be detected in each part of the album's two infinite sequences. inspired by joseph beuys, schnitzler propagated those very tones beyond the musical realm, detached from tradition, the only tones capable of catalyzing the utterly stagnant pop music and new music scene of the day, injecting them with fresh impulses. questions of harmony, melody and strict form were well and truly rejected by schnitzler. his aural crystals shine like pearls on a string. schnitzler uses his ropes of pearls to weave new, fantastic patterns which constantly shift like kaleidoscopes to reveal unexpected facets; they are sign-posts to spatial and temporal infinity. schnitzler's style was really too idiosyncratic ever to set a precedent, but he was, and still is, one of the most significant inspirations for pop music in more recent times.

conrad schnitzler “(blau)” compact disc

• die rebellen haben sich in den bergen versteckt
  
• jupiter
  
• wild space 1
  
• wild space 2
  
• wild space 3
  
• wild space 4
  
• wild space 5
  
• wild space 6

bureau b press release...

conrad schnitzler (blau) cd release date: june 15th, 2012 on the red album rot, conrad schnitzler laid down the direction his musical artistry would take. his second solo, the blue album blau, originally released in 1974, offered confirmation of his intent. maybe the "red" and "blue" tracks were recorded in the same session. the structure, sound and timbre of both lps are so similar as to suggest that this was the case (an unverified assumption nevertheless!). far more important than this historical pedantry is the fact that schnitzler included two brand-new compositions on blau which followed on seamlessly from the previous album. quite simply, he had found his way, a course from which he would not stray as long as he lived. the so-called berlin school (berliner schule) -- with conrad schnitzler one of their number -- had developed its own style of minimalist music. clearly distinct from anglo-american pop music, and no less removed from the minimalist art music of steve reich or philip glass, the focus here was on electronics and elementary rhythmics. the berlin musicians showed no great interest in instrumental or vocal virtuosity, nor were they in thrall to exuberant interleaving of rhythm. with the aid of synthesizers and studio technology, they were bent on breaking into territory hitherto considered the province of a privileged elite, clouded in mystery and secrecy, resonating with uncharted sounds and noise. blau is an archetypal example of this very phenomenon. courage, the pioneering spirit and artistic brilliance can be detected in each part of the album's two infinite sequences. inspired by joseph beuys, schnitzler propagated those very tones beyond the musical realm, detached from tradition, the only tones capable of catalyzing the utterly stagnant pop music and new music scene of the day, injecting them with fresh impulses. questions of harmony, melody and strict form were well and truly rejected by schnitzler. his aural crystals shine like pearls on a string. schnitzler uses his ropes of pearls to weave new, fantastic patterns which constantly shift like kaleidoscopes to reveal unexpected facets; they are sign-posts to spatial and temporal infinity. schnitzler's style was really too idiosyncratic ever to set a precedent, but he was, and still is, one of the most significant inspirations for pop music in more recent times. digipak reissue with liner notes by asmus tietchens, rare photos and six bonus tracks.

conrad schnitzler “(rot)” long playing record

• meditation
  
  
• krautrock

bureau b press release...

conrad schnitzler (rot) lp (180g vinyl) release date: june 15th, 2012 there was a particular type of artist who could only have emerged in the legendary early 1970s. few musicians fit the bill better than conrad schnitzler (tangerine dream, kluster). revolution, pop art and fluxus created a climate which engendered unbridled artistic and social development. radical utopias, excessive experimentation with drugs, ruthless (in a positive way) transgression of aesthetic frontiers were characteristic of the period. the magic words were "subculture," "progressivity" and "avant-gardism." west berlin, with its unique political status, was a crucible of turbulence. founded in 1968, zodiak free arts lab was the ultimate point of convergence for subculture in west berlin, with conrad schnitzler the driving force behind it. it was also here that tangerine dream and kluster first met up to perform in public. bureau b presents rot (the "red" album) from 1973, schnitzler's first solo lp.

conrad schnitzler “(rot)” compact disc

• meditation
  
• krautrock
  
• red dream

bureau b press release...

conrad schnitzler (rot) cd release date: june 15th, 2012 there was a particular type of artist who could only have emerged in the legendary early 1970s. few musicians fit the bill better than conrad schnitzler (tangerine dream, kluster). revolution, pop art and fluxus created a climate which engendered unbridled artistic and social development. radical utopias, excessive experimentation with drugs, ruthless (in a positive way) transgression of aesthetic frontiers were characteristic of the period. the magic words were "subculture," "progressivity" and "avant-gardism." west berlin, with its unique political status, was a crucible of turbulence. founded in 1968, zodiak free arts lab was the ultimate point of convergence for subculture in west berlin, with conrad schnitzler the driving force behind it. it was also here that tangerine dream and kluster first met up to perform in public. bureau b presents rot (the "red" album) from 1973, schnitzler's first solo lp. digipak reissue with liner notes by asmus tietchens, rare photos and a 20-minute bonus track.

daf “produkt der deutsch-amerikanischen freundschaft” long playing record

• untitled (1)
  
• untitled (2)
  
• untitled (3)
  
• untitled (4)
  
• untitled (5)
  
• untitled (6)
  
• untitled (7)
  
• untitled (8)
  
• untitled (9)
  
• untitled (10)
  
• untitled (11)
  
• untitled (12)
  
  
• untitled (13)
  
• untitled (14)
  
• untitled (15)
  
• untitled (16)
  
• untitled (17)
  
• untitled (18)
  
• untitled (19)
  
• untitled (20)
  
• untitled (21)
  
• untitled (22)

bureau b press release...

daf produkt der deutsch-amerikanischen freundschaft reissue (originally released in 1979) lp (180g vinyl) release date: may 11, 2012 true daf connoisseurs will, of course, be aware of the early phase of the düsseldorf-wuppertal combo. but most fans of the subsequently world-famous duo may well be taken aback when confronted with their debut album: forceful synth bass sounds, snappy rhythms, gabi delgado and leather all conspicuously absent. in their place, pure instrumental, unstructured noise-rock, played by long-haired and moustachioed types! a band can barely have undergone a more extreme metamorphosis. gabi delgado joined the band (hitherto comprising robert görl, kurt dahlke / pyrolator, wolfgang spelmans and michael kemner), before the band discarded the name of you and christened themselves deutsch-amerikanische freundschaft. and he was also on board for the first recording sessions at studio 56 in mühlheim. disappointed with the results (“too close to schlager”, the band thought) and “less than happy” with delgado’s vocals and lyrics (as pyrolator, responsible for electronics, noted), the group dispensed with delgado’s services. yet the creative will was undiminished: “we really wanted to make a record. all the düsseldorf bands — male, mittagspause — already had an album out, everyone except us” and with the singer now gone, an instrumental album was the only option. in the wake of the studio debacle, the decision was taken to take the recording into their own hands. a tape machine and two microphones were set up in wolfgang spelmans’ living room and ten days of unbounded improvisation ensued. and thus it was completed, “produkt der deutsch- amerikanischen freundschaft”: 22 tracks, ranging from 19 seconds to three minutes in length. the influence of can is clearly audible. considering the fact that other prominent noise-rock bands such as chrome, flipper or even sonic youth recorded similar music at a much later date, this “product of deutsch-amerikanische freundschaft” should certainly be recognized as a pioneering work. possibly even the first noise-rock album the world had seen or heard. was the world ready for such brutal, nihilistic sounds in the late 1970s? the world of record companies was not. unable to find a label, daf proved to be not only pioneers of noise, but also pioneers of diy. they found help from the local bank, with pyrolator putting up his car for credit amounting to 3000 marks. a logical step, as he was already running a cassette label called warning records (later becoming ata tak). “produkt der deutsch- amerikanischen freundschaft” was the first lp on the label and was given the catalogue number wr 01 / lp / 1979. sales were so good that pyrolator was able to pay back his loan nice and quickly.

daf “produkt der deutsch-amerikanischen freundschaft” compact disc

• untitled (1) (0:44)
  
• untitled (2) (1:03)
  
• untitled (3) (0:19)
  
• untitled (4) (2:33)
  
• untitled (5) (1:07)
  
• untitled (6) (0:45)
  
• untitled (7) (0:43)
  
• untitled (8) (1:48)
  
• untitled (9) (0:55)
  
• untitled (10) (3:15)
  
• untitled (11) (0:59)
  
• untitled (12) (1:19)
  
• untitled (13) (0:36)
  
• untitled (14) (1:41)
  
• untitled (15) (0:25)
  
• untitled (16) (1:47)
  
• untitled (17) (1:24)
  
• untitled (18) (2:08)
  
• untitled (19) (1:32)
  
• untitled (20) (1:13)
  
• untitled (21) (0:31)
  
• untitled (22) (3:07)

bureau b press release...

daf produkt der deutsch-amerikanischen freundschaft reissue (originally released in 1979) cd release date: may 11, 2012 true daf connoisseurs will, of course, be aware of the early phase of the düsseldorf-wuppertal combo. but most fans of the subsequently world-famous duo may well be taken aback when confronted with their debut album: forceful synth bass sounds, snappy rhythms, gabi delgado and leather all conspicuously absent. in their place, pure instrumental, unstructured noise-rock, played by long-haired and moustachioed types! a band can barely have undergone a more extreme metamorphosis. gabi delgado joined the band (hitherto comprising robert görl, kurt dahlke / pyrolator, wolfgang spelmans and michael kemner), before the band discarded the name of you and christened themselves deutsch-amerikanische freundschaft. and he was also on board for the first recording sessions at studio 56 in mühlheim. disappointed with the results (“too close to schlager”, the band thought) and “less than happy” with delgado’s vocals and lyrics (as pyrolator, responsible for electronics, noted), the group dispensed with delgado’s services. yet the creative will was undiminished: “we really wanted to make a record. all the düsseldorf bands — male, mittagspause — already had an album out, everyone except us” and with the singer now gone, an instrumental album was the only option. in the wake of the studio debacle, the decision was taken to take the recording into their own hands. a tape machine and two microphones were set up in wolfgang spelmans’ living room and ten days of unbounded improvisation ensued. and thus it was completed, “produkt der deutsch- amerikanischen freundschaft”: 22 tracks, ranging from 19 seconds to three minutes in length. the influence of can is clearly audible. considering the fact that other prominent noise-rock bands such as chrome, flipper or even sonic youth recorded similar music at a much later date, this “product of deutsch-amerikanische freundschaft” should certainly be recognized as a pioneering work. possibly even the first noise-rock album the world had seen or heard. was the world ready for such brutal, nihilistic sounds in the late 1970s? the world of record companies was not. unable to find a label, daf proved to be not only pioneers of noise, but also pioneers of diy. they found help from the local bank, with pyrolator putting up his car for credit amounting to 3000 marks. a logical step, as he was already running a cassette label called warning records (later becoming ata tak). “produkt der deutsch- amerikanischen freundschaft” was the first lp on the label and was given the catalogue number wr 01 / lp / 1979. sales were so good that pyrolator was able to pay back his loan nice and quickly.

pyrolator “ausland” long playing record

• max
  
• die haut der frau
  
• mein hund
  
• elefantendisco
  
• fricandel speciaal
  
• gold & silber
  
• bacano, brothercito
  
• 180°
  
• true love
  
  
• studio fatal
  
• cassiopeia
  
• du bist so ... ich träume
  
• vati, es brennt
  
• happiness
  
• danger cruising part ii
  
• true love part 1
  
• ein weihnachtsmann kommt in die disco
  
• hirnriss

bureau b press release...

pyrolator ausland vinyl (180g) release date: march 9, 2012 just two years separate pyrolator’s 1979 debut “inland” and the 1981 album “ausland”. nevertheless, they could hardly be more different from one another. if “inland” reflects the industrial decay and politically explosive atmosphere of 1977 and the years thereafter in the federal republic of germany, then “ausland” is a buoyant, playful and yet groundbreaking pop album. there had been some significant developments since 1979. the ata tak label, which pyrolator had co-founded, had hit a rich vein of form with the debut album by der plan (pyrolator was also a band member), andreas dorau’s hit single “fred vom jupiter” and holger hiller’s debut single. pyrolator made his first trip to the usa, travelling the land from east to west over a period of three months. this all paved the way for the production of “ausland” and pointed the way ahead for the ata tak label as well. on the west coast, pyrolator met up with the los angeles free music society (lafms), a collective in the process of exploring the frontiers between noise and industrial on the one hand and easy listening on the other. it was the influence of such free spirits which opened up the ata tak world and that of pyrolator to “schlager” and its american equivalent, easy listening. this mix of electronic elements and supposedly left-field pop music of times past runs through the ata-tak oeuvre and, with the benefit of hindsight, can be identified as the label’s trademark. a further difference to “inland” is that a long list of musicians participated in the “ausland” recordings. in the usa, pyrolator played together with designer chris lunch and his brother as support act for the likes of dna and x. this moved pyrolator to decide that he would not produce his next album alone, but with other musicians and technicians. with the help of the genius werner lambertz, inventor of “brontologik”, a forerunner of midi systems, and ata tak and der plan cohort frank fenstermacher, pyrolator recorded the backing tracks on which other musicians would subsequently play their overdubs. the critics were in agreement when “ausland” was released. from the progressive “sounds” to the rather more traditional “musikexpress”, all the way to the british “new musical express” (nme), the album met with universal praise. nme heralded pyrolator as a “great pioneer” and quite right too. he is still a pioneer today.

pyrolator “ausland” compact disc

• max (3:15)
  
• die haut der frau (3:06)
  
• mein hund (2:04)
  
• elefantendisco (3:11)
  
• fricandel speciaal (gaat swingen) (1:48)
  
• gold und silber (2:48)
  
• bacano, brothercito! (3:42)
  
• 180ø (2:55)
  
• true love (6:10)
  
• studio fatal (4:13)
  
• cassiopeia (1:46)
  
• du bist so... ich traeume (4:01)
  
• vati, es brennt! (3:14)
  
• happiness (2:55)
  
• danger cruising part ii (3:47)
  
• true love part i (3:34)
  
• ein weihnachtsmann kommt in die disco (4:21)
  
• hirnriss (2:48)
  
• abendmahl (2:23)
  
• program no. 1 (6:53)

bureau b press release...

pyrolator ausland cd release date: march 9, 2012 just two years separate pyrolator’s 1979 debut “inland” and the 1981 album “ausland”. nevertheless, they could hardly be more different from one another. if “inland” reflects the industrial decay and politically explosive atmosphere of 1977 and the years thereafter in the federal republic of germany, then “ausland” is a buoyant, playful and yet groundbreaking pop album. there had been some significant developments since 1979. the ata tak label, which pyrolator had co-founded, had hit a rich vein of form with the debut album by der plan (pyrolator was also a band member), andreas dorau’s hit single “fred vom jupiter” and holger hiller’s debut single. pyrolator made his first trip to the usa, travelling the land from east to west over a period of three months. this all paved the way for the production of “ausland” and pointed the way ahead for the ata tak label as well. on the west coast, pyrolator met up with the los angeles free music society (lafms), a collective in the process of exploring the frontiers between noise and industrial on the one hand and easy listening on the other. it was the influence of such free spirits which opened up the ata tak world and that of pyrolator to “schlager” and its american equivalent, easy listening. this mix of electronic elements and supposedly left-field pop music of times past runs through the ata-tak oeuvre and, with the benefit of hindsight, can be identified as the label’s trademark. a further difference to “inland” is that a long list of musicians participated in the “ausland” recordings. in the usa, pyrolator played together with designer chris lunch and his brother as support act for the likes of dna and x. this moved pyrolator to decide that he would not produce his next album alone, but with other musicians and technicians. with the help of the genius werner lambertz, inventor of “brontologik”, a forerunner of midi systems, and ata tak and der plan cohort frank fenstermacher, pyrolator recorded the backing tracks on which other musicians would subsequently play their overdubs. the critics were in agreement when “ausland” was released. from the progressive “sounds” to the rather more traditional “musikexpress”, all the way to the british “new musical express” (nme), the album met with universal praise. nme heralded pyrolator as a “great pioneer” and quite right too. he is still a pioneer today.

pyrolator “inland” long playing record

• miminal tape 1/2.3
  
• it always rains in wuppertal
  
• inland 1
  
• minimal tape 1/8
  
• danger cruising
  
• inland 2
  
• inland 3
  
• minimal tape 3/7.2
  
  
• bärenstrasse
  
• have a good ride
  
• inland 4
  
• nordatlantik
  
• der volksmund wird beatmet
  
• struktur 01
  
• november muehlheim
  
• ok margo
  
• struktur 22

bureau b press release...

pyrolator inland lp (180g vinyl) release date: march 9, 2012 “inland” provides the musical commentary on the late seventies in west germany, with its undercurrent of paranoia and violence. “inland” is one of the most radical, modern and unconciliatory albums of its, or any other, time. the cover for “inland” perspicaciously illustrates this atmosphere: tones of grey and brown instead of seventies bliss. the political situation in west germany is at its most volatile. the war between the rote armee fraktion (raf) and the state escalated two years before. the spirit of departure which characterized the early years of government by willy brandt and the socialist-liberal coalition, dissolved in the so called “years of lead”. taking part in a demonstration against occupational bans could lead to the very same, and the chances of falling into a terrorist manhunt or staring a gun in the face were not so slim, particularly for young people. pyrolator’s aim was to make a protest album, one detached from all convention. a total absence of common musical structure and an unfiltered rush of sound recordings create a nightmarish, claustrophobic atmosphere. pyrolator used a korg ms20, sq10 sequencer, b20r home organ, a davolisint synthesizer, a logan string orchestra and a dual-channel tape machine. “inland” is both a rejection of the new form of protest song, the throaty, dispairing scream of punk rock, and a rejection of the traditonal form of protest song as nurtured far into the 1980s by the bards of the green, alternative milieu. furthermore, there is another side to “inland”: a desire for something new, a passion for experimentation, seeking to extend one’s own horizon and that of others. this desire runs through all of pyrolator’s work, from his “inland” debut to his latest release “neuland” (issued by bureau b in 2011). thus “inland” remains, in spite of its protests and rejections, a positive album. for inherent in every “no” is a “yes” to something else. maybe to something better.

pyrolator “inland” compact disc

• minimal tape 1_2.3 (2:47)
  
• it always rains wuppertal (3:19)
  
• inland 1 (3:02)
  
• minimal tape 1_8 (3:33)
  
• danger crusing (3:17)
  
• inland 2 (1:43)
  
• inland 3 (2:54)
  
• minimal tape 3_7.2 (4:22)
  
• bärenstrasse (3:31)
  
• have a good ride (2:40)
  
• inland 4 (2:34)
  
• nordatlantik (1:51)
  
  
• der volksmund wird beatmet (4:21)
  
• struktur 01 (2:26)
  
• november muehlheim (2:02)
  
• ok margo (4:20)
  
• die einsamkeit des langstreckenlaeufers (8:24)
  
• struktur 22 (2:23)

bureau b press release...

pyrolator inland cd release date: march 9, 2012 “inland” provides the musical commentary on the late seventies in west germany, with its undercurrent of paranoia and violence. “inland” is one of the most radical, modern and unconciliatory albums of its, or any other, time. the cover for “inland” perspicaciously illustrates this atmosphere: tones of grey and brown instead of seventies bliss. the political situation in west germany is at its most volatile. the war between the rote armee fraktion (raf) and the state escalated two years before. the spirit of departure which characterized the early years of government by willy brandt and the socialist-liberal coalition, dissolved in the so called “years of lead”. taking part in a demonstration against occupational bans could lead to the very same, and the chances of falling into a terrorist manhunt or staring a gun in the face were not so slim, particularly for young people. pyrolator’s aim was to make a protest album, one detached from all convention. a total absence of common musical structure and an unfiltered rush of sound recordings create a nightmarish, claustrophobic atmosphere. pyrolator used a korg ms20, sq10 sequencer, b20r home organ, a davolisint synthesizer, a logan string orchestra and a dual-channel tape machine. “inland” is both a rejection of the new form of protest song, the throaty, dispairing scream of punk rock, and a rejection of the traditonal form of protest song as nurtured far into the 1980s by the bards of the green, alternative milieu. furthermore, there is another side to “inland”: a desire for something new, a passion for experimentation, seeking to extend one’s own horizon and that of others. this desire runs through all of pyrolator’s work, from his “inland” debut to his latest release “neuland” (issued by bureau b in 2011). thus “inland” remains, in spite of its protests and rejections, a positive album. for inherent in every “no” is a “yes” to something else. maybe to something better.

günter schickert “überfällig” long playing record

• puls
  
• in der zeit
  
  
• apricot brandy ii
  
• wanderer

bureau b press release...

günter schickert überfällig reissue (originally released in 1979) lp (180g vinyl) release date: june 22nd, 2012 no sooner had electronic music broken through in germany, principally aligned in the two schools of düsseldorf and berlin, than günter schickert also began his first musical experiments. although gam, the group he founded in 1973, did not then release a record, he did issue his first solo effort, samtvogel, a year later -- an album which was eagerly snapped up and re-released by the brain label. it would take five years for sky records to release his next lp, entitled überfällig (trans. "overdue"), which proved to be the last for a number of years. this album, as its german title suggests, was long overdue. günter schickert had developed his own unique, forward-looking type of music, assuming an exceptional position in the concert of german electronics. in spite of the clearly discernible influence of music from the so-called berlin school (tangerine dream, ash ra tempel etc.), schickert is anything but a copycat. schickert concentrated on pursuing his own ideas and pushing the boundaries of his remarkable aural creations. he is at pains to emphasize that, unlike almost all of his contemporaries, he did not use any synthesizers; his instruments are the electric guitar, his own studio with a multi-track tape machine and a comfortable arsenal of effects. similar experiments had also been attempted by manuel göttsching (inventions for electric guitar) and achim reichel (a.r. & machines: die grüne reise), but without stretching the multifaceted nature of their music to the point of microtonality, as schickert dared to do on überfällig. his own take on minimalism places him closer to the likes of steve reich and glen branca, free from the reach of klaus schulze and tangerine dream. schickert's use of concrete sounds and his completely autonomous way of working in his own studio presaged a stage of development more readily associated with the early 1980s. in 1979, the album was a statement of a virtuosic outsider, a guitarist and sound sculptor whose musical visions transgressed the level of expectation of a potential audience, detached from the electronic mainstream. günter schickert was one of the protagonists who furthered the development of experimental pop music from the outer margins. the reissue of überfällig was, in a word, overdue. - asmus tietchens

günter schickert “überfällig” compact disc

• puls (14:39)
  
• in der zeit (5:10)
  
• apricot brandy ii (11:50)
  
• wanderer (9:50)

bureau b press release...

günter schickert überfällig reissue (originally released in 1979) cd release date: june 22nd, 2012 no sooner had electronic music broken through in germany, principally aligned in the two schools of düsseldorf and berlin, than günter schickert also began his first musical experiments. although gam, the group he founded in 1973, did not then release a record, he did issue his first solo effort, samtvogel, a year later -- an album which was eagerly snapped up and re-released by the brain label. it would take five years for sky records to release his next lp, entitled überfällig (trans. "overdue"), which proved to be the last for a number of years. this album, as its german title suggests, was long overdue. günter schickert had developed his own unique, forward-looking type of music, assuming an exceptional position in the concert of german electronics. in spite of the clearly discernible influence of music from the so-called berlin school (tangerine dream, ash ra tempel etc.), schickert is anything but a copycat. schickert concentrated on pursuing his own ideas and pushing the boundaries of his remarkable aural creations. he is at pains to emphasize that, unlike almost all of his contemporaries, he did not use any synthesizers; his instruments are the electric guitar, his own studio with a multi-track tape machine and a comfortable arsenal of effects. similar experiments had also been attempted by manuel göttsching (inventions for electric guitar) and achim reichel (a.r. & machines: die grüne reise), but without stretching the multifaceted nature of their music to the point of microtonality, as schickert dared to do on überfällig. his own take on minimalism places him closer to the likes of steve reich and glen branca, free from the reach of klaus schulze and tangerine dream. schickert's use of concrete sounds and his completely autonomous way of working in his own studio presaged a stage of development more readily associated with the early 1980s. in 1979, the album was a statement of a virtuosic outsider, a guitarist and sound sculptor whose musical visions transgressed the level of expectation of a potential audience, detached from the electronic mainstream. günter schickert was one of the protagonists who furthered the development of experimental pop music from the outer margins. the reissue of überfällig was, in a word, overdue. - asmus tietchens

39 clocks “subnarcotic” compact disc

• heat of violence (3:35)
  
• dom (electricity elects the rain) (7:31)
  
• psychotic louie louie (3:00)
  
• past tense hopes & instant fears on 42nd street (6:22)
  
• virtuous girl (2:22)
  
• three floors down (3:50)
  
• rainy night insanities (7:14)
  
• a touch of rot (2:21)
  
• aspettando godo (5:27)
  
• past tense hopes & instant fears on 42nd street (live) (6:31)

bureau b press release...

39 clocks subnarcotic cd cat no.: bb95 release date: march 2nd, 2012 retrospectively, one could impute hanover of the late 1970s and early 1980s with the glamorous tristesse normally associated with places like manchester. but it was probably just dull and nothing more. it was here that the band came into existence, earning the greatest compliment one could possibly pay them: they were a foreign body. everything about this band must have unnerved for their contemporaries: the 39 clocks did not sing in german. this at a moment when, for the first time since the end of the second world war, it was possible to hang a “cool” tag on the german language. think neue deutsche welle (german new wave). commercial suicide. and the clocks looked like no one else: grainy black and white photographs reveal two thin men dressed in factory issue black. wearing sunglasses, they are only dimly recognizable. elusive and impossible to categorize: a little bit weird. fittingly, they discarded their names and classified themselves as machines: j.g.39 and c.h.39. a sense of the unreal pervaded their music: sizzling, trippy, repetitive. allusions to late 1960s psychedelia, to can, are on the money. “subnarcotic” is the second 39 clocks album. it still has the capacity to unsettle, it still sounds strange. the conscious (or perhaps unconscious) refusal to flex their muscles, to feel the groove, would be echoed by many lo-fi bands a decade later, but few would match their radical modus operandi. the 39 clocks brought together what did not belong together: noise and fragility, 60s garage punk and synthesizers. manic, chaotic and yet: pop music. in england they would have been welcomed with open arms by the likes of rough trade or factory. in germany, however, reactions were extremely different.