13 March 2013

Germany




I’m in Germany. I’m posting Prog.

This release is a collaboration between Eroc, drummer of German prog band Grobschnitt 

& guitarist, instrument builder & inventor Hans Reichel, creator of the daxophone. 


The daxophone is a experimental musical instrument in the friction idiophones category. It consists of a thin wooden blade fixed in a wooden block (often attached to a tripod) that holds one or more contact microphones. Normally, it is played by bowing the free end, but it can also be struck or plucked. This creates vibrations in the similar way as a ruler halfway off a table thrummed vibrates.  These vibrations then continue to the wooden-block base, which in turn is amplified by the contact microphone(s). A wide range of voice-like timbres can be produced, depending on the shape of the instrument, the type of wood, where it is bowed, or where along its length it is stopped with a separate block of wood (fretted on one side) called the "dax."


 This is some strange music, even for Germany, even for prog, even for Reichel. Yet it contains some the most straightforward playing you'll ever get from the man. There are lots of poly-rhythms with plenty of guitar/daxophone, also some violin & accordion overdubs. It was originally released in 1986 under the title Kino. Here it is reworked a bit, renamed & two songs are added. 


Eroc (Joachim Heinz Ehrig) started his solo career in 1975 while he was currently the drummer of Grobschnitt. His self titled album can be considered as a cross between Gorbschnitt's typical symphonic music & electronic/synthscapes. Though he was originally a drummer, here Eroc is the programmer, creating the synthesizer experimentations & electronic collages. 

Repertoire Records – REP 4688-WY, 1997. 
decryption code in comments

Tracklist –
Old Bones
Grey Brother
Sari’s Waltz
Onkel Boskopp
Hallo Heinz
Hattnatten
The Knödler Show
Little Waltz
Fancy Blue

Enjoy,

3 comments:

  1. I_vBPyaNWrCdAYj0273rIGCDmfVSYK3_h884YcfviRo

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  2. Einstürzende Neubauten makes my brain happy when I read Heidegger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Einstürzende Neubauten are the best. The first time I saw them perform was a video on a show called Night Flight on USA Up all Night back in 1983 or 84. It was the song Autobahn. They were at a construction area at the 'end of the autobahn' using grinders & banging huge pipes & Blixa was playing guitar & singing what I felt was the coolest song ever. He looked like a punk who had escaped from a chemo ward. From then on I was hooked. Thanks again for commenting.

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