Silberland, Vol. 1: The Psychedelic Side of Kosmische Musik (1972-1986)

by Silberland 1 / Various

Overview

Hamburg-based label Bureau B has put an astonishing amount of work and care into providing proper representation for a wealth of obscure sounds from the strangest corners of the Krautrock map. Though not solely a reissue label (they've also released work from more modernized artists following in the footsteps of pioneering German electronic experimenters), a strong percentage of the label's catalog consists of deluxe vinyl editions of recordings that have been long out of print or in some cases never made it to vinyl (or wide-scale public release) in the first place. A completist mindset means the label goes far deeper than the best-known acts of the genre, digging into side projects of side projects and uncovering some of the stranger and more experimental electronic sounds being made throughout the 1970s and '80s and beyond. Siberland: Kosmische Musik, Vol. 1 [1972-1986] is a perfect example of the label's all-encompassing approach, gathering together 20 tracks of early synthesizer experimentation, genre-twisting electronics, and cosmic funk from artists that largely existed a few layers deeper underground than peers like Kraftwerk or Neu! Several great inclusions come from better-known names like Cluster and Faust. The lucid wobble of closing track "Base & Apex" will be instantly recognizable to some as part of the tense and cinematic atmosphere crafted on After the Heat, an album made in 1978 by Brian Eno and Cluster members Roedelius and Moebius. Also included are the icy groove of "Emphasis," from drummer/experimenter Harald Grosskopf's 1980 masterpiece Synthesist, and an edited presentation of the zany shuffling of Roedelius' "Regenmacher," from his 1978 solo album Durch die Wueste. Some of the most exciting tracks on Siberland come from even lesser-known artists. "Quitting Time" by Bernd Kistenmacher, from his 1980 album Head-Visions, is a syncopated futuristic dreamscape heavily influenced by the economic meandering of Klaus Schulze. Tyndall's 1982 track "Grossstadtgefuehl" predicts the synth pop wave that followed shortly after, with sharp, snappy drum machine rhythms driving overlapping synth melodies. Many tracks are edited significantly from their original run times, but this whittling down makes space for more music and might be easier on the attention spans of those just getting acquainted with more obscure Krautrock sounds. Ultimately, the compilation is perfect for just that -- offering a fantastic primer for anyone interested in going a little bit deeper down the Krautrock and early synthesizer music rabbit hole. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	07/01/2022
Label:	Bureau B
UPC:	4015698948387

Tracks

1. Strahlsund  - Walter Dahn  -  Die Partei  - Tom Dokoupil
2. Two Faces  - Gunther Buskies  - Rolf Trostel
3. Full Steam Ahead  - Michael Bundt  - Gunther Buskies
4. Etwas  - Gunther Buskies  -  Moebius  - Dieter Moebius
5. Scharfer Schnitt No. 1  -  Populare Mechanik  - Wolf Sequenza
6. Regenmacher  - Gunther Buskies  -  Roedelius  - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
7. Gro¿¿stadtgef¿¿hl  - Jurgen Krehan  - Rudolf Langer  -  Tyndall
8. Bis die Blaue Blume bl¿¿ht  - Gunther Buskies  - Conrad Schnitzler
9. Pulsar  -  Phantom Band  - Helmut Zerlett
10. Quitting Time  - Gunther Buskies  - Bernd Kistenmacher
11. Nachtspaziergang [Tape 40]  - Heiko Maile
12. News  -  Moebius & Plank  - Dieter Moebius  - Conny Plank
13. Vorsatz  - Werner Diermaier  -  Faust  - Hans-Joachim Irmler  - Arnulf Meifert  - Jean Herve Peron  - Rudolf Sossna  - Gunther Wusthoff
14. Weltweit  - Gunther Buskies  -  Riechmann  - Wolfgang Riechmann
15. Tr¿¿mmerk¿¿pfe  - Asmus Tietchens
16. Avanti  - Gunther Buskies  -  Cluster  - Dieter Moebius  - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
17. Wanderer  - Gunther Buskies  - Manfred Heuer  - Guenter Schickert
18. Live Line  - Gunther Buskies  - Udo Hanten  - Albin Meskes  -  YOU
19. Emphasis  - Harald Grosskopf
20. Base & Apex  - Brian Eno  - Dieter Moebius  - Hans-Joachim Roedelius

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Guenter Schickert   Primary Artist
Riechmann   Primary Artist
Heiko Maile   Primary Artist
Hans-Joachim Roedelius   Primary Artist
Bernd Kistenmacher   Primary Artist
Faust   Primary Artist
Harald Grosskopf   Primary Artist
Brian Eno   Primary Artist
Populaere Mechanik   Primary Artist
Die Partei   Primary Artist
Moebius   Primary Artist
Asmus Tietchens   Primary Artist
Michael Bundt   Primary Artist
Roedelius   Primary Artist
Dieter Moebius   Primary Artist
Cluster   Primary Artist
Conrad Schnitzler   Primary Artist
YOU   Primary Artist
Tyndall   Primary Artist
Moebius & Plank   Primary Artist
Rolf Trostel   Primary Artist
Phantom Band   Primary Artist
Gunther Buskies   Compiled

Technical Credits

Rolf Trostel   Composer
Albin Meskes   Composer
Walter Dahn   Composer
Rudolf Langer   Composer
Udo Hanten   Composer
Helmut Zerlett   Composer
Tom Dokoupil   Composer
Jurgen Krehan   Composer
Hans-Joachim Irmler   Composer
Conny Plank   Composer
Guenther Wuesthoff   Composer
Conrad Schnitzler   Composer
Rudolf Sossna   Composer
Werner Diermaier   Composer
Dieter Moebius   Composer
Jean Herve Peron   Composer
Michael Bundt   Composer
Asmus Tietchens   Composer
Gunther Buskies   Editing
Detlef Funder   Editing,Mastering
Wolf Sequenza   Composer
Manfred Heuer   Composer
Marko Vuleta-Djukanov   Cover Art
Patrick Ryder   Liner Notes
Brian Eno   Composer
Harald Grosskopf   Composer
Arnulf Meifert   Composer
Bernd Kistenmacher   Composer
Hans-Joachim Roedelius   Composer
Heiko Maile   Composer
Guenter Schickert   Composer
Wolfgang Riechmann   Composer