Showing posts with label markus reuter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label markus reuter. Show all posts

07 July 2026: Rush 50 Something Tour Celebration; DiN Reimagined Volume 1 (DiNDDL36)

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

                    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio 

Tonight we celebrate the 50 Something Rush tour set for 2026 and 2027. We'll start with Side 1 of the 1976 album that was their major breakthrough, 2112,  and follow with some choice studio cuts from A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978).

2112 (1976): 

 I. "Overture" (4:31)

II. "The Temples of Syrinx" (2:16)

III. "Discovery" (3:25)

IV. "Presentation" (3:41)

V. "Oracle: The Dream" (2:00)

VI. "Soliloquy" (2:19)

VII. "Grand Finale" (2:16)

"Cygnus X-1 Book I : The Voyage"       (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

"Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres"     (Hemispheres, 1978)

"La Villa Strangiato"                          (Hemisperes, 1978)

"Closer to the Heart"                         (A Farewell to Kings, 1977)

The Fifty Something tour is a concert tour by the Canadian rock band Rush. The tour began on June 7, 2026 in Inglewood, California, and is currently set to conclude in Helsinki, Finland on April 10, 2027.[1] It is Rush's first tour in 11 years, and their first live outing without drummer Neil Peart in 52 years, following his death in 2020,[2] with Anika Nilles filling in for him.[3] On February 23, 2026, Rush announced that Loren Gold would be the keyboardist for the tour, making it the first time the band has toured with more than three main musicians.[4][5] 

 

 

The merits of the DiN releases Box of Secrets, Distant Rituals, Outpost, Art of Sacrifice and Blaze continue to be worth extolling, as the ideas they contain are remarkable and unique in history. Setting these titles as reference points, Ian Boddy has reconceived and reworked each to produce the five 30 minute experiments presented on DiN Reimagined Volume 1 (158:05). This impeccably crafted batch of reconstructions have been dropping periodically over the years, for people in the know (Boddy's Patreon subscribers), and are collected now in this first of a new series. Though all tracks are rooted in a previous DiN designation, Boddy sees the aforementioned albums as reference points - reconsidering the music and intentions of the earlier version, in a transformation of markedly different artistic outcomes. Suppressed beneath a midnight of softly burning dreams listeners delve into chill currents - to emerge beyond the control of known forces. In direct connection to lower levels of thought electronic textures and tones expend their force in an atmosphere of searching. Falling through darkness notes collide, collude and combine. Moments pass in a ramble of melody, a flight of timbre, a search of harmony. Chords, moving in contrary motion suggest a scene, create a mood - fashioning a world that may be real, but not representative of reality. Hallucinatory and fragmentary, these impressionistic aural images are the product of a particularly astute re-interpretation and refinement of the original recordings. Commanding a range of technologies and mechanisms Boddy has here realized a pentad of surreal, dreamlike sonic experiences - which manage to acknowledge their sources, while emphasizing a distinctive craftsmanship, inventiveness and personality. DiN Reimagined Volume 1 offers a sound collage that moves well within the painstakingly detailed shades and hues of Ambient Music. In such cerebral Spacemusic, even when challenged by dissonance we hear a unity in the arrangement - and what message it is trying to convey.

- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END   18 June 2026


As the core DiN label inexorably heads towards a century of releases, it’s worth looking back on a huge legacy of incredible releases. Label boss Ian Boddy has been producing some very special mixes of the early, deep back catalogue titles over the last couple of years. However, unlike the free-to-download DiN Mixes (of which there have been six so far), these are total reconstructions of the relevant albums. This method of working has involved Boddy using a number of techniques, including time-stretching, tape recorder pitch changes, granular engine manipulations, adding new effects such as reverb and echo, as well as accessing the original albums’ stems. Thus, they are not simple remixes using the original album tracks but rather a reconstruction of each release to produce a new piece of music. Indeed, Boddy has eschewed any references to rhythmic or sequenced material from the source tracks but has rather created a series of ambient soundscapes that each span 30 minutes or so. These open up new possibilities from the peacefully ambient to the weird and mysterious. Originally released exclusively via Boddy’s Patreon channel, this first volume collects five of these reimagined mixes as a Bandcamp digital download album.

credits

released June 12, 2026

All mixes reimagined by Ian Boddy from the original DiN albums.

Ian Boddy Patreon channel @ www.patreon.com/ianboddy

https://bandcamp.com/discover/sunderland?from=tralbum&artist=1737731247   

 

03 December 2024: Chris Squire's Swiss Choir; California Guitar Trio; Markus Reuter

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The music you hear is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages, websites, and Spotify

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 

From Wikipedia:

Chris Squire's Swiss Choir is the second and final solo album by Chris Squire. An album of traditional Christmas music, it was released in 2007 and includes former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, future King Crimson drummer and keyboardist Jeremy Stacey and the English Baroque Choir.

All tracks were arranged by Chris Squire and Gerard Johnson

Review by lazland
PROG REVIEWER

3 stars Whilst browsing the site, I was surprised to see this LP hasn't been rated.

It is not a true prog album, but it is a fine musical treat, especially at Christmas time. I had it brought for me at 2007 Christmas, and we all enjoyed listening. The album certainly highlights what a fine vocalist Squire is in his own right - Run With The Fox (easily the most recognisable prog track) is fantastic and has attracted quite a bit of UK radio airplay.

The album does what it says on the tin - a collection of mainly Christmas songs arranged, with a distinct rock twist, with Swiss Choral choirs, except there is no Swiss choral choir on it!

Steve Hackett is the most recognisable and distinct guest on the album, and I can't wait for their next promised collaboration.

You will likely only get this LP out at Christmas, aside from Run With The Fox, but you will be rewarded with an enjoyable collection of songs and arrangements from one of the finest musicians of his or any other generation.

Fun! 


 California Guitar Trio - 10 Christmas Songs

AllMusic Review by

Not that there is an abundance of progressive rock-tinged acoustic guitar trios among the ranks, but this aggregation stands tall among its peers as the guitarists' inventiveness surges forward with this altogether warmhearted reckoning of Christmas carols and other pleasantries. The guitarists' nimble yet at times forceful approach is wholly evident during their highly rhythmic spin on "Jingle Bells." They perform the classic "Greensleeves" with a sensitive, chamber-like approach while also tackling the Lennon/Ono favorite "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)." However, part of the magic resides within the trio's ability to delve into the inherent frameworks of each song, while also reformulating themes and rhythms into personalized statements. Essentially, the artists have produced a rather poignant Christmas outing, awash with interweaving lines and lilting harmonies, as they complement their superior artisanship and forward-thinking deployments with a cheerfully rendered collection of holiday favorites.

Winter Solstice EP from Markus Reuter:  Soundscape versions of traditional songs usually associated with this time of year, at least here in Germany. In addition to the meditative soundscapes (which are based on the series of pitches of each tune) I've also overdubbed straight versions of the original melodies. Enjoy this parallel universe... It's strangely hypnotizing. Only available from December 1st to December 31st.

 
5.1 surround mix available here:
surroundmusic.one/album/winter-solstice/

credits

released December 17, 2018

08 October 2024: Tony Levin; Nad Sylvan & Bonamici (aka Christian Thordin) - Unifaun

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Tune in to the Fisheries Debate broadcast live on KMXT from 7-9 before the show.

Over the past half century, Tony Levin has been a prolific session player and one of the most active live performers on the planet. He’s contributed his talents to over five hundred albums amongst which include 15 with Peter Gabriel and 18 with King Crimson (counting live, studio, and compilations) alongside contributions to the work of John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Herbie Mann, Paul Simon and many others. On tour, he’s traveled the World many times over with the aforementioned King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and several of his own bands including Stick Men
.
This Fall, he’ll stage 65 performances in North America as a member of BEAT, celebrating King Crimson’s ‘80s repertoire alongside Adrian Belew, Steve Vai and Danny Carey interpreting “Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.”

Levin’s seventh solo album, and his first since 2007, is an autobiography of sorts, with the themes drawn from Levin’s musical life. It features a myriad of collaborators from his half-century-plus on the road and in the studio with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and many, many others.

Features a Murderer’s Row of guest musicians including Robert Fripp, Vinnie Colaiuta, Earl Slick, Mike Portnoy, Steve Gadd, Jerry Marotta, Gary Husband, L. Shankar, Pete Levin, Jeremy Stacey, David Torn, Pat Mastelotto, Larry Fast, Steve Hunter, Manu Katche, Alex Foster, Dominic Miller, Markus Reuter, Collin Gatwood, Chris Pasin, Jay Collins, Josh Shpak, Don Mikkelsen. 

credits

released September 13, 2024

1. BRINGING IT DOWN TO THE BASS
Drums: Manu Katche
Guitar: (solo) Dominic Miller
Keyboard: Pete Levin
Trumpet: Chris Pasin
Alto sax: (solo) Alex Foster
Baritone sax: Jay Collins
Bass: TL
Drums recorded by Toby Gendron at Planet Studios, Montreal
Guitar recorded by Tony Lake
Horns recorded by Scott Petito at NRS Studio
Horn arrangement by Pete Levin

2. ME AND MY AXE
Drums: Jerry Marotta
Guitar: Steve Hunter
Keyboards: Larry Fast, Pete Levin
Bass: TL
Drums recorded by Ariel Shafir at Dreamland Studios

3. ROAD DOGS
Drums: Jeremy Stacey
Keyboard: Pete Levin
Bridge rhythm touch guitar: Markus Reuter
Bass, cello, stick, vox: TL
Drums recorded by Milo Jerreira-Hayes at The Bert Jansch Studio

4. UNCLE FUNKSTER
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Stick: TL

5. BOSTON ROCKS
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Guitar: Earl Slick
Keyboard: Gary Husband
Stick, vox: TL
Guitar recorded by Ariel Shafir at Dreamland Studios

6. ESPRESSOVILLE
Drums: Steve Gadd
Guitar: Joe Caro
Keyboard: Pete Levin
Bass: TL
Trumpet: Josh Shpak
Trumpet: Chris Pasin
Trombone: Don Mikkelsen
Drums recorded by Rob Katz at Wackerman Studios
Horn arrangement: Pete Levin
Espresso machine sounds by Tony’s Breville

7. GIVE THE CELLO SOME
Drums: Jerry Marotta
Organ: Pete Levin
NS cello, bass, vox: TL
Drums recorded by Ariel Shafir at Jersville Studio

8. SIDE B / TURN IT OVER
Vox and bass: TL

9. BEYOND THE BASS CLEF
Violin: L. Shankar (Shenkar)
Keyboards: Gary Husband
Oboe, English horn: Colin Gatwood
Stick, cello, bass: TL

10. BUNGIE BASS
Drums: Pat Mastelotto
Guitar: David Torn
NS Bass, cello: TL

11. FIRE CROSS THE SKY
Stick, vox: TL

12. FLOATING IN DARK WATERS
Soundscape: Robert Fripp
Percussion: Jerry Marotta
Steinberger bass: TL

13. ON THE DRUMS
Vox: TL

14. CODA
Cello: Linnea Olsson, & Bess Brydolf (in utero)
NS Bass, piano: TL 
 
 

Founded in 2004

Nad Sylvan and Bonamici (aka Christian Thordin) accidently stumbled upon each other on the Genesis website´s forum in 2003. Bon had written an instrumental song, "Tribute to Genesis" and wanted some critics from Genesis board members. Nad certainly liked it, contacted Bon and suggested a collaboration. Since they both live in Sweden, they teamed up quite effortlessly. What they both seemed to have in common, besides a passionate love for progressive rock, was also their backgrounds; At the age of five, both Nad and Bon started to play the piano - only relying upon their ears as they are self-taught.

Bon musical journey wandered towards jazz, fusion, folk/world music and latterly progressive rock.
He studied and improvised music at Hubbard High School, Ohio, USA 1977-78 and played keyboards in various musical constellations in the US, Sweden and Norway during the 70´s and 80´s.

With a young family and racing two small kids during the 90´s as his primary, it wasn´t until the 00´s that time had come for a full-blown musical endeavour, composing in many different styles - but in general more in the tradition of world/folk music as well as piano driven jazz excursions.

Nad picked up on his singing ability in his early teens, just as he did with a few more instruments besides the piano. Writing/recording and performing his own songs as a solo artist and in various bands throughout the 70´s, 80´s and the 90´s has become a lifestyle.

He looks at his singing voice being more of that of an instrument that can be "tuned" and changed to fit the music, rather than the other way around, hence the associations with Collins/Gabriel. You listen to Nad´s solo work, and you will hear quite a different approach - yes, Nad is a chameleon!

After three solo albums from 1995-2003, where Nad played and sang everything himself - he longed for a long term musical relationship, and found the perfect partner in Bonamici.

Together with Nad, progressive rock have become the foundation of this duo - and in the old farm house, Bon´s studio has grown into a high tech facility, incorporating everything from advanced gear for creating motion pictures, to all kinds of vintage- as well as software instruments.

With this first offering with "UNIFAUN", the duo set out to do "the songs Genesis never did", initially as a very innocent flirt with their old heroes and basically just for fun and games - very much with a glint in the eye!
After the second song ("Mr. Marmaduke and the Minister") had been uploaded to their website, a demand for a full album began to emerge from fans of both Gabriel- and Collins era Genesis. Seemed like fun!

After four years of writing/recording - the duo where approached by Hansi Cross of Progress Records, Sweden. And here we are.

"Ok, we survived goal number one! Now we must live up to the next one, "to become rock stars before we hit 50!", says Nad, 49 and Bon, 48... :)

Biography provided by Nad Sylvan of UNIFAUN

26 December 2023: The Very Best of FreeForm Radio 2023

Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp.  

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio. 

I will also be hosting "The Best of Country Music 2023" on the Rural Electric show 

right after the Island Messenger at 7 pm until 9 pm.  

Best of FreeForm 2023 Spotify Playlist               The Best of Country Music 2023 Spotify Playlist

 The Very Best of FreeForm Radio 2023

Kurt Michaels 

Album: Stones From the Garden 

"Trouble", "Relax...Nothing's Under Control"

Gayle Ellett & the Electromags 

Album: Friends  

"Viewer Discretion Advised"

Subsignal 

Album: A Poetry of Rain 

"A Poetry of Rain", "The Art of Giving In"

The Fierce & the Dead 

Album: News From the Invisible World 

"Non-Player", "Golden Thread"

Dengue Fever 

Album: Ting Mong 

"Over the Handlebars", "Touch Me Not"

Bruce Soord 

Album: Luminescence 

"Instant Flash of Light", "Never Ending Light"

Tu-Ner 

Album: T-1 Contact Information 

"On the Other Side"

 RPWL 

Album: Crime Scene 

"Life in a Cage"

Jethro Tull 

Album: RokFlote 

"Voluspo"

Yes 

Album: Mirror to the Sky 

"Mirror to the Sky"

Benge 

Album: The View From Vega 

"The View From Vega, Part IV"

Ian Boddy 

Album: Modulations III 

"Boddy Love"

Steven Wilson

Album: The Harmony Codex

"The Harmony Codex"

 Sonologyst

Album: Shortwave Spectrum

"Spectrvm"


28 February 2023: Stick Men Umeda, Live in Osaka 2022

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We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 


 Recorded live at BBL in Osaka, Japan, July 14, 2022.

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY at STICK MEN CONCERTS and MOONJUNE's BANDCAMP, until the official release of the CD in May of 2023.

stickmenband.com
www.youtube.com/@officialstickmen
www.facebook.com/stickmenofficial

credits

released February 3, 2023

Tony Levin: Chapman Stick, Voice
Pat Mastelotto: Acoustic and Electronic Drums & Percussion
Markus Reuter: Touch Guitars@ U8 Custom, Soundscapes

Written and produced by Stick Men

Recorded and mixed by Robert Frazza
Mastered by Lee Fletcher

Cover artwork by Brother Bow
Layout by Bernhard Wƶstheinrich

license

all rights reserved

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Ringtone 05:50



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Cusp 04:55



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Red 06:04



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Tentacles 04:39



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Schattenhaft 02:43



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15 February 2022: Ian McDonald Tribute (In the Court of the Crimson King); Ian Boddy et al DiN Sampler iNDEX07 (DiN70)

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites (links below).    We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 

In tribute to Ian McDonald who passed away recently, we'll feature an album which highlights his many talents, an album that is arguably the best progressive rock album ever. Read more about Ian here.

In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) is the debut studio album by English rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.

The album reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard 200, where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was reissued several times in the 1980s and 1990s using inferior copies of the master tapes. After the original masters were discovered in the Virgin archives in 2002, the album was remastered again by Simon Heyworth and reissued in 2004. A 40th anniversary edition of the album was released in 2009 with new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes by Steven Wilson. In 2019 there was a 50th Anniversary 3CD/1BD box set, which contained remasters, remixes, instrumentals and expansions of the original album. 

 


iNDEX07 is the seventh DiN compilation album and includes two tracks each from the titles DiN61 - 69. The artists on show this time are Ian Boddy, Nigel Mullaney, Dave Bessell, Scanner, Lyonel Bauchet and collaborations between Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds and Ian Boddy & Markus Reuter.

As with the previous six DiN samplers label boss Ian Boddy has mixed and cross-faded the 18 tracks into a continuous ambient mix that not only showcases the albums featured on the release but presents an exciting and varied title in its own right. It also highlights the varied and intriguing music that the DiN label offers on its releases from deep analogue synth grooves through vibrantly melodic instrumentals to powerful, epic ambient atmospheres. An intoxicating mix of the old and new beautifully presented in a slimline cardboard wallet with an extra flap which just adds to the value and collectibility of this release.

Since the previous sampler album, iNDEX06 (DiN60) released in July 2019, DiN has not only celebrated its 20th anniversary but has also released its 100th album with “Nevermore” from label boss Ian Boddy. These are significant milestones for a niche independent electronica label with DiN finally getting some of the recognition it so justly deserves.

Our thanks to Ian Boddy for providing a promo copy of this release for airplay tonight.

credits

releases February 18, 2022

This compilation edited from the original tracks by Ian Boddy September 2021.
all rights reserved

 

27 April 2021: Bernhard Wostheinrich & Tim Motzer: Schloss Tegal

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Recorded live on May 27, 2017, broadcast of Frank Somalus' show at RSD-Radio, Berlin, Germany.


"I remember vividly flying past many tall buildings in Bernhard's sister's speeding old blue convertible and the blur of a vast German boulevard somewhere in former East Berlin. It was a long drive and rather dream-like. I had just finished a European tour with Bandit65 with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Gintas Janusonis, and was now here in Berlin visiting my great friend & colleague Bernhard to play a few shows.
This radio broadcast set was quite inspired. We had not improvised together in quite a long time, perhaps a few years. It was so good to be back in Berlin among friends. I still remember the feeling, as it was the last time I've been there since Covid-19 has taken hold of our planet. Listening to this brings back so many memories, and our performance that day went to amazing places. I believe it to be my favorite concert we've ever done thus far.
We hope you will enjoy this magic sonic ride, filled with mysterious melodic and harmonic sequences, ever shifting driving rhythmic terrain, beauitiful transitions and colours like I've never heard or experienced since. We were so in it. This is so ON! This magic duo. This is a great one folks." - Tim Motzer

credits

Materiaal Series, Vol. XLII   released April 18, 2021

Tim Motzer - guitar, electronics
Bernhard Wƶstheinrich - keyboards, live-arrangements, electronics
recorded live in Berlin at RSD-Radio

Mastering: Markus Reuter
Artwork by Christine Kriegerowski (duckwoman.de)

Thank you to Frank Somalus!
www.rsd-radio.com
Tags
 


 

I met Richard Schneider (Schloss Tegal) at Klub 007 in Prague in December 2019, right before the pandemic. Having been invited by Jan Kruml to work together on a radio transmission on Radio 1, I stayed in Prague for some days and had the chance to attend a Schloss Tegal live performance; that night, various musicians from the Prague underground played at the club, including Vladimir Hirsch. After the concert I had some talks with Richard regarding his participation in the compilation "Drone Islands – The Lost Maps" which I was going to release a month later, and I congratulated him on the performance. At the time, I couldn’t imagine that our paths would have crossed again till the moment we talked online about the release of “Musick From Madness” (a document of the early Schloss Tegal productions) through the Eighth Tower Records label.
More than a simple release - though one of historical importance that I’m honored to publish - this publication represents the best way to remember some friends whom I had the pleasure to know and collaborate with: people I could hardly meet in person at the moment.

Raffaele Pezzella

Musick from Madness on Bandcamp

Schloss Tegel was a Berlin-based hospital: see below for more information

credits

releases June 4, 2021

Music by Schloss Tegal (RL Schneider, MW Burch).
RL Schneider: Synth, Samples, Electronics
MW Burch: Tapes, Samples, Electroacoustics
Recorded between 1986 and 1990

Edited by Eighth Tower Records
Originally released on C46 cassette in 1991 by State Of Flux
Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst)
Artwork by Black Space Industry
eighthtowerrecords.bandcamp.com
© 2021. All rights reserved
  FreeForm Radio thanks Raffaele Pezzella for providing a promotional copy of this release.

Notes:
Tracks “The Father is Omnipotent”, “I Give Everything to the Devil”, “The Red Skull”, recorded between 1986 and 1990, and previously unreleased.

The original cassette, published by State Of Flux, existed in two editions. In the first, an edition of 25, each copy has a bone glued to the inside cover. The second edition is exactly the same, but without the bone.

A State Of Flux was a label, distributor and radio program on WCUW-FM in Worchester, Massachusetts all run by John Collegio. 
 

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Natan Speaks



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Watch Me Flop Around



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The Red Skull
 
 Schloss Tegel was a Berlin-based hospital where disaffected soldiers were treated for exhaustion, depression, and other mental conditions spawned by the very violent and demanding nature of their profession. One would think that, if a post-industrial project known for the darkness embedded in their work chose this as their name, it would be because of the dubious methods used to treat their patients; perhaps the hospital was known for having submitted its subjects to inhumane experiments and practices that were on the verge of being pure psychological and physical torture. Nonetheless, this couldn't be further from the truth. Schloss Tegel was a place where the healing process was approached through music and art therapy. How can a project with such gruesome sound and aesthetics be named after a place of healing and improvement? Can we take it as black humor or as a way to reflect the fractured and foggy state of mind of those who attended such an institution? Having been spawned out of the decaying biomechanical world of early industrial music, which fused technology with primitive impulses to create bleak and harsh soundscapes instead of danceable techno pieces, Schloss Tegal (RL Schneider, MW Burch) released "Musick From Madness" on cassette tape around the early 90s, and despite being their second outing (the first being the Procession of the Dead 7"), it already showcased the elements that would grant them the title of pioneers - or even founders - of the dark ambient genre. We had the paradoxical positioning of harsh and soft textures, obscure samples, a very cinematic presence, and loose song structures that flowed like nightmares from which, as the title of the final track in the seminal "Oranur III" (Tegal Records, 1995) states, you can't wake up. Now, thanks to Raffaele Pezzella’s Eighth Tower Records label, Musick from Madness finally has a proper reissue.
If industrial and some of its offshoots, like the ever-controversial power-electronics, intended to place the listener in the center of a tumbling building being demolished by heavy and rusty machinery, Schloss Tegal aimed to create ethereal wreckage: the structure being explored and subsequently destroyed was not one belonging to an unnamed urban landscape, it was the mind itself. While it still had the raw power of early Throbbing Gristle or Whitehouse, the force with which Schloss Tegal struck was very different; somewhat gentler, but still very unnerving. Every detail and every sample is buried under decaying sound layers that feel as if they are struggling to keep everything underneath, but their presence somehow seeps through the cracks. It is all very subliminal. These suffocating atmospheres came rather naturally to the duo if we are to take into consideration everything they were consuming outside of music. With interests such as the teachings of Satanism, the intricate plots that only conspiracy theories can provide, and a proclivity towards the darker side of human nature manifested in a strong interest in serial killers of the late 70s and 80s, it is no wonder that Schloss Tegal were able to conjure such bleak, yet intriguing, landscapes with little effort. To listen to “Musick From Madness” is to let the darkness take hold and lead us through a slow, overwhelming and spiraling descent into uncharted territory. Beginning with hypnotic pulses and unintelligible samples whose echoes linger through the songs with a ghost-like presence, the album eventually gives in to cacophony; nonetheless, it is all very subtle. It doesn't turn harsh or dissonant, but as it progresses, its persistent, maddening state becomes highly - and dangerously - contagious. The duo were already experts in creating engaging experiences, knowing when to hold back, and when to bring back certain motifs to give us a sense of direction, even if for a brief moment. The goal was never to scare us, but to help us assimilate the darkness within. Parting from that point of view - which one could say is very psychoanalytical - it starts to make sense that this enigmatic duo took their name from a, rather wholesome, mental facility. This is the dichotomy of Schloss Tegal.

Jorge C. Ortega
 



13 April 2021: Ian Boddy, Markus Reuter; Drone Islands

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Outland (DiN66)

Renowned touch guitarist Markus Reuter has been one of the stalwarts of the DiN label, having been there right at the beginning in 1999 with his initial collaboration (Distant Rituals DiN2) with label founder Ian Boddy. Since then he has been involved with several other collaborations with Boddy, as well as with other artists such as Zero Ohms & Bernhard Wƶstheinrich.

Looking to do another collaboration with Boddy, Markus composed several long soundscape improvisations over the summer of 2020. The duo realised that with the pandemic they would not be able to physically work together in the same studio this time, as they had with all their previous work. Boddy then took these ambient starting points and using his vintage Roland System 100M modular synthesiser started to arrange, cut up and shape these into a coherent album. As well as a CD release this time both artists wanted this music to be presented on vinyl, so the work was conceived as two long 20 minute suites that would take up one side of a record each.

Each suite is comprised of three distinct sections that seamlessly segue into each other. The music feels like a sonic journey, opening with the grandeur of “Citadel”, before heading off with the rhythmic slice of electronica that is the second track “Parallels”. Interlocking sequence lines and modular rhythmic treatments of Reuters soundscapes propel this piece along overlaid with beautiful guitar parts soaring overhead. The first suite closes with the title track “Outland” with a gentle, yet slightly unsettling atmosphere.

The second side opens with “Brood”, a huge claustrophobic track, before taking a gentle breath before the journey recommences with the beautiful rhythmic piece “Trails” that once again features Reuters trade mark liquid guitar solos. Finally all comes to rest with the end of the album and “Home”. A beautiful pastoral combination of Reuters exquisite guitar playing and Boddys emotive synth solo using his analogue Ondes Martenot style keyboard.

Composed to make the most of the vinyl format the fascinating musical collaboration between Boddy & Reuter continues to produce music of the highest quality.
  
Our thanks to Ian Boddy of DiN for providing a promotional copy of this release.

credits

releases April 16, 2021

All tracks composed, programmed and recorded by Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy
September - October 2020.
Mixed by Ian Boddy November 2020.
Mastered by Lee Fletcher November 2020.


Ian Boddy
Serge & Eurorack modular systems
Roland System 100-M
Moog Voyager & Matriarch
Analogue Systems French Connection
Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Markus Reuter
Touch Guitars® AU and U8 Custom
Electronics
Looping 
 

1.
Citadel 06:24



2.
Parallels 07:32



3.
Outland 06:27



4.
Brood 06:17



5.
Trails 08:33



6.
Home 05:22
 

 
Third volume of the series Drone Islands, "Drone Islands - Stellar" continues Eighth Tower Records' deep explorations into the realm of "drone music". The volume mainly focuses on drones inspired by astronomical events, and were originated through various musical approaches, from the well established synthesizer sounds and onto orchestral arrangements sounding like drones; furthermore, it showcases many young and talented musicians involved in the latest "drone dreamers" wave.
Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst) for providing us with a promotional copy of this release.

credits

released April 2, 2021

REVIEWS

AVANT MUSIC NEWS
avantmusicnews.com/2021/04/03/amn-reviews-various-artists-drone-islands-stellar-2021-eighth-tower-records

Curated and mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst)
Artwork by Francesco Di Stasio
Cat. N. ETR031
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