Behind Pyrolator we find Kurt Dahlke who not only is a member of Der Plan and Fehlfarben, but also a founding member of DAF (which he left in 1979) and co-founder of the label Ata Tak. Dahlke has also released a line of solo works since 1979 under the name Pyrolator. Several times he has been commissioned by the Goethe-Institut for workshops or concerts.

Out on July 29th is the new Pyrolator album “Niemandsland” which is a back to the roots story for Pyrolator in the musical sense. “Niemandsland” was created exclusively with modular synthesizers with the computer merely being a recording device. All of the tracks were played live and direct – neither storable nor replicable. This is the sixth album in Pyrolator’s ‘Land’ series.

About Pyrolator

In 1979 Dahlke released “Inland”, his first album as Pyrolator. The music was quite experimental, close to industrial music, incorporating field recordings and harsh electronica. On the follow-up “Ausland” (1981) he worked with a list of Ata Tak associated guests including his Der Plan colleagues and Holger Hiller. The songs ranged from experimental electronica to synth-pop. 1984 saw “Wunderland” being released with references to world music.

In 1985 Dahlke collaborated with Arnd Kai Klosowski for the album “Hometaping Is Killing Music” an early effort in popular music based entirely on sampling. 1987’s Pyrolator’s “Traumland” had Susan Brackeen on vocals and a whole range of guest musicians. It became the project’s most commercial and less experimental album. He then teamed up with Linda Sharrock and Frank Samba for “Every 2nd”, an album commissioned for the German Olympic pavilion at the 1988 Seoul Games.

With the singles “Ficcion Disco” and “City Space” from 1992/1993 he moved towards techno, which led to his productions for Antonelli Electr., the techno project of Stefan Schwander – another Ata Tak artist (with The I-Burnettes, 1990, and The Bad Examples, from 1996 on).

“Neuland” from 2011 was the first Pyrolator album not released on Ata Tak but on Bureau-B. It was followed by “Con-Struct” in 2015 with the help of with Conrad Schnitzler.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Bureau B, the Hamburg based label which releases past and future classics unearthed from genres including (but not limited to) electronica, avant-garde, post-rock, neoclassical and (kraut)rock returns with an interesting compilation: “Eins, Zwei, Drei und Vier – Deutsche Experimentelle Popmusik 1980-1986” on CD, double vinyl and as download.

On the compilation you get the sound of Germany’s musical youth let loose on cheap synths and pawnshop guitars and who redefined German music in the first half of the 1980s. You’ll hear bands such as Der Plan, Die Partei, P!OFF?, Palais Schaumburg, Dunkelziffer, Populäre Mechanik, Andreas
Dorau, Pyrolator, Träneninvasion, Deutsche Wertarbeit, Asmus Tietchens, Die Fische, Conrad Schnitzler, Carambolage, Xao Seffcheque, Foyer des Arts, Die Zimmermänner, Östro, Die Radierer and Holger Hiller.

You can check out the tracks below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Photo by Alice d25) “Moebius Strips” is a brand new tribute to sound pioneer Dieter Moebius, put together by longtime friend and collaborator Tim Story.

The project includes contributions from Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak), Sarah Davachi, Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air), Eve Maret, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Phew, Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia), Michael Rother (Harmonia, NEU!) and Yuri Suzuki. The project includes a limited edition CD/digital release on October 1st with a limited edition vinyl to come in spring 2022.

For the recordings, Story has been using Moebius’ sounds and loops and he has been working closely with Moebius’ widow Irene. The result is a combination of hundreds of sounds, motifs and riffs from the artist’s archive with raw material from the many Moebius collaborations that Story himself had been a part of over the years.

About Dieter Moebius

Dieter Moebius (16 January 1944 – 20 July 2015) was a Swiss-born German electronic musician and composer, best known as a member of the influential krautrock bands Cluster and Harmonia.

Moebius was studying art at Berlin’s Akademie Grafik and working as a restaurant cook when he met Conrad Schnitzler, founder of the Zodiak Free Arts Lab with Hans-Joachim Roedelius. The trio founded the improvisation group Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, the duo changed their name to Cluster and relocated to the countryside village of Forst, releasing influential albums such as “Zuckerzeit” (1974) and “Sowiesoso” (1976). Moebius would also draw on his graphic design training create the cover artwork for various Cluster albums and related collaborations.

Meanwhile, Moebius and Roedelius founded the band Harmonia with Michael Rother of Neu!, releasing the albums “Musik von Harmonia” (1974) and “Deluxe” (1975). Admirer Brian Eno would subsequently collaborate with both groups. Moebius began recording solo works in the 1970s and was later involved in numerous side-projects with such musicians as Conny Plank and Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru), including the influential 1983 album “Zero Set”.

Moebius died of cancer on 20 July 2015.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out this summer is a vinyl reissue of Dieter Moebius’ 2011 album “Ding”. It’s the first time that “Ding” (together with “Kram” which can be ordered here) has been made available on vinyl. The liner notes were again penned by Moebius’ friend, the U.S. composer, producer and musician Tim Story. Orders are being taken now.

Dieter Moebius passed away in the summer of 2015 after battling cancer and since then his final 4 solo albums have been reissued. He was a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician who studied art in Brussels and Berlin. It was in Berlin that he met Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler (Tangerine Dream). They founded Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster. Later Moebius and Roedelius founded the band Harmonia with Michael Rother (Neu!), a fellow Brian Eno collaborator. Dieter Moebius was involved in numerous projects with such musicians as Conny Plank and Mandani Neumeier (Guru Guru).

Needless to say that this is a must have release from a very influential electronic artist.

Below is a track from “Ding”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com