Dieter Moebius (16 January 1944 – 20 July 2015) was a pivotal figure in Germany’s avant-garde electronic music scene. He gained prominence as a member of the seminal krautrock bands Kluster/Cluster (alongside Hans-Joachim Roedelius) and Harmonia (with Roedelius and Michael Rother from NEU!). Throughout his career, he collaborated with notable artists like Brian Eno, Conny Plank, and Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru. On October 6th, Curious Music is set to debut his posthumous album “Aspirin”, which was finalized in 2005 but is being released for the first time.

Tim Story, a close friend and fellow composer, recounts the origins of “Aspirin”: “In December 2005, Dieter Moebius visited the US to perform with Guru Guru’s drummer, Mani Neumeier, at the Detroit Institute of Arts. After the performance, he extended his stay to spend time with my family and me in Ohio. These were memorable days filled with friend visits, laughter, and delightful meals. On our last evening, over some Scotch, Moebius introduced me to new tracks he’d been crafting. I was instantly captivated and got his permission to copy them.”

Story continues, “Moebius had just wrapped up his ‘Nurton’ album earlier in 2005. Like ‘Nurton’, these tracks were produced in his Berlin and Mallorca home studios. Some might have been ‘Nurton’ out-takes, but I feel most were created post-‘Nurton’. Regardless of when they were made, Moebius chose to set these aside to focus on his next solo venture, ‘Kram’ (2009).”

Years later, during a trip to Berlin, Story played a CDr of these tracks for Moebius, who was thrilled to revisit them. Story believes, “Even though we never discussed this music again, I sense Moebius would be delighted to know that this previously overlooked chapter from an enjoyable, productive phase of his life is finally seeing the light of day.”

Following “Moebius Strips”, which Curious Music released in 2021, “Aspirin” is the next project. Tim Story closely collaborated with Moebius’s widow, Irene, and the audio installation featured contributions from various artists, including Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Michael Rother from Harmonia and NEU!, and many others.

Notably, the album cover for “Aspirin” was designed by Mark Mothersbaugh, known as DEVO’s lead vocalist.

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!

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(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!

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(Photo by Irene Moebius – Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius in 2008) Moebius Strips is an audio installation by Tim Story from the sounds and music of electronic music and krautrock pioneer Dieter Moebius. Included are 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, Kraftwerk, NEU!) and Yuri Suzuki.

The project includes a limited edition CD and digital release which will be available on October 1st. A limited edition audiophile vinyl release will follow in spring 2022.

The Swiss German electronic music pioneer Dieter “Moebi” Moebius passed away in 2015 leaving behind work with Brian Eno, Conny Plank, as a member of the krautrock act Harmonia and perhaps most memorably with Hans-Joachim Roedelius in the duo Cluster.

Longtime friends and colleagues, Moebius and Story collaborated on many musical projects, including “Snowghost Pieces” (2014) and Cluster’s final album “Qua” (2009).

Here’s a teaser for “Moebius Strips”.

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!

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Audioglobe sent us some interesting news about Faust. Who? Faust!

Faust are a German band which was formed in 1971 in Wümme by producer and former music journalist Uwe Nettelbeck. The band was originally composed of Werner “Zappi” Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with engineer Kurt Graupner. Their work was oriented around dissonance, improvisation, and experimental electronic approaches, and would influence subsequent ambient and industrial music.

As such they are considered a central act of West Germany’s 1970s krautrock movement which included acts like Can, Neu!, Amon Düül II, Faust, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel, Agitation Free, Guru Guru, early Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Cluster.

They secured a recording contract with Polydor and soon began recording their debut, “Faust”, which sold poorly. Meifert was sacked shortly afterwards because, as Peron wrote in 2004, “he discussed things, because he had flat buttocks and an absolutely beautiful girlfriend, because he practised every day, because he always kept his room neat and woke up every morning to first wet a cloth he’d put in front of his room to keep the dirt out, because he played such a hard 4/4th that we had to travel into the tongue, ready to drop, ding dong is handsome top.”

The band did have its loyal fans. “There is no group more mythical than Faust”, Julian Cope once said. And Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order) remembers: “The first Krautrock record which made a lasting impression on me was the debut album by Faust. The transparent disc looked spectacular and the music was mindblowing, not songs as such, it was something absolutely unique, the polar opposite of everything the Rolling Stones, Beatles and the like were doing. It was right up my street.”

To be released via Bureau B later on this month is the 7LP + 2×7”-boxset and the 8CD boxset “1971-1974”. This box is the first virtually complete collection of the band’s works from the years 1971-1974. In addition to the debut album it also includes the 1972 album “So Far”, the legendary 1973 Virgin UK release “The Faust Tapes”, “Faust IV” and, for the first time ever, the mythical, so-called ‘Munich album’ “Punkt”, which Faust recorded at Giorgio Moroder’s Musicland Studios in 1974. For one reason or another, this last album never saw the light of day – until now.

The bonus albums “Momentaufnahme I” and “Momentaufnahme II” also feature unreleased material. Two 7-inch singles round off the Faust 1971-1974 compendium: “Lieber Herr Deutschland” is the demo recording they sent to Polydor in 1971, The second 7-inch single in the box is a rerelease of “So far”, the first Faust single on Polydor, originally issued in 1972.

Mastered from the original tapes, Faust’s “1971-1974” is available as a limited edition vinyl set (2,000 copies) and 8CD-Box (1,000 copies).

Here’s an idea how the band sounded like in 1973.

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!

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MOTOR!K is a Belgian Krautrock formation set up in 2018 by Joeri Dobbeleir  (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects). The Belgian trio released its self-named debut album in 2019 on Out Of Line. It was a rather surprising signature on the label, which is more familiar with Dark-Electronics, EBM, Electro-Pop and since a few years Metal music. MOTOR!K moved on unleashing a new album this year. The work sounds as a perfect offspring between Psychedelic guitar play, transcendental Electronic sound treatments and exciting drum patterns. Time for a chat with Joeri Dobbeleir.

(Picture credits by Danny Quintelier / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did you guys get in touch? We of course know Dirk Ivens from his numerous projects, but can you tell us a bit more about your background? 

Joeri: I’ve met Dirk many years ago because we live in the same town. In 2017 he released the debut album from my other band, The Whereabouts Of J. Albert. While meeting somewhere in 2018 we’ve decided to start a new band because of our mutual interest in the Krautrock-Kosmische Musik genre. Initially we jammed with a drum computer and a bass sequencer, but soon it was clear that we needed a more ‘human’ drum sound so I’ve asked Dries, who I also knew for many years and who was the drummer for Suburb Songs, one of my first bands. From the first rehearsal with 3 members it was clear that we’ve made the right decision. The fact that he also lives in the same town as Dirk and I made it even more appealing. Even our rehearsal room is nearby so it was easy to set up rehearsals and start working on the tracks.

Q: How do we have to understand MOTOR!K referring to the influences you incorporated and criteria when it comes to production? 

Joeri: Of course we have certain influences like NEU?, HARMONIA or WIRE, but above all we try to obtain our own sound production-wise. I feel that with every album we are reaching that goal even more. Most of the basic bass tracks, synths and overdubs are recorded in my home studio and the drums and guitars in the rehearsal room. The mixing of the 2 albums was done at Dries his place because he has these very great sounding vintage 70’s monitors. 

Q: Your music has been defined as Krautrock, which is a music genre evoking the German late 60s and 70s; the revolt of the students, the call for liberty, drugs etc. What does this period evoke to you and what does Krautrock –and its revival today, evoke to you? 

Joeri: Musically it is a very interesting period because of the pioneering work of bands such as NEU?, Tangerine Dream, ASH RA TEMPEL etc…

The revolting and 60’s hippie part  is least interesting to us, it’s only the love for the music. 

The bands who are playing today are more straight-forward, including us. There is a certain similarity  between all these ‘modern’ bands in the genre and that is this trance-evoking drive.

Q: I experienced your new work as more mature featuring more elaborated and accomplished songs. What’s your own perception about the evolution from the debut work towards “Motor!k 2”? 

Joeri: When we finished the first album we never took the stage as a band. Before recording the 2nd one we’ve played nearly all of the tracks live so they could grow on us. I think that’s the main difference. Our main goal is to improve with each new album. 

Q: What’s your way of working together and what’s the input of each member? What makes the chemistry between you all? 

Joeri: I write all the basic synth and guitar tracks and record them as some kind of demo. Then I send them to Dirk and Dries and afterwards we jam to get versions we all like. Dirk did most of the overdubs for the 2 albums on guitar and synth.

Dirk his role in the band is to make weird groovy noises on guitar and synth to make it all less ‘poppy’ and Dries is holding it all together with his minimal drumming and electronic percussion. My role in the band is to play more melodic guitar parts and creating guitar loops. Because each of us has a significant role in the band, that easily creates a chemistry between us.

Q: Bacause of Covid-19 pandemic bands no longer can play live. Is that the reason you released different clips from songs of the new work? Tell us a bit more about the clips and how do you see things evolving for MOTOR!K? 

Joeri: We only played one live streaming concert since the Covid-19 pandemic, which was a very strange thing to do, because we were used to play in clubs and at festivals packed with people. 

When playing live, the visual aspect is very important to us. That’s why we use strobo’s and moving visuals to enhance the Trance-like feel of the music. The clip for “Sundown” was created by Monade Li, who also took care of the layout of our album “2”. The one for “Ritual” was made by E. Gabriel Edvy from Blackswitch Labs (who also worked with Dirk before for Dive) and “Headlights” was done by Ingo Sporl. 

They all did a splendid job and we can’t thank them enough for putting so much effort in their work at these uncertain times. 

As we speak we are preparing the third album, which we hope to record in a few months. Our goal from the start was to release an album every year, so we stick to that promise to ourselves. When all gets back to how it was before we hope we can catch up playing many gigs and promote our albums. 

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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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!

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(All pictures by Dorothy) A map featuring the history of electronic music (albeit without dates), who could ever have imagined that someone would create that. Well, it does exist alright and is called “Electric Love Blueprint – A History of Electronic Music” and is for sale for 35 UK£ at Dorothy, a Manchester based art shop annex studio.

The 60 x 80cm big poster is based on the circuit board of a theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments ever built. The blueprint features over 200 inventors, innovators, artists, composers and musicians who (in the opinion of designer James Quail) have been pivotal to the evolution of electronic music from the invention of the earliest known sound recording device in 1857 to the present day.

Key pioneers featured in the map include the usual suspects Léon Theremin, Bob Moog, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk and Aphex Twin. The print loosely groups genres, from the obscure Musique Concrète (Pierre Schaeffer) to the better known Krautrock (Kraftwerk, Can, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Faust, Cluster, Harmonia and Amon Düül II) synthpop (Gary Numan, Human League, Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Pet Shop Boys) and electronica (New Order, The Prodigy, Massive Attack, LCD Sound System and Daft Punk).

There are also references to the experimental BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the record labels Mute and Warp.

A pity it totally forgets the industrial & ebm scene with such artists as Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Die Krupps, Skinny Puppy etc which all have had a huge impact. Let’s see who will create a more complete map…

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!

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Out by early November, and ready for ordering here, is “Complete Works”, a 6 vinyl boxset compiling all 5 albums the short-lived German Krautrock band Harmonia released between 1973 and 1976. Spread over 6 vinyls you’ll find the digitally remastered versions of “Musik von Harmonia”, “Deluxe” (produced by Conny Plank), “Tracks And Traces” (a 2LP with Brian Eno), “Live 1974” and “Documents”.

Harmonia featured Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster, and Michael Rother of NEU!. Their music captured the attention of Brian Eno, David Bowie, and other mainstream musicians. Eno even briefly joined the band, recording music with them in 1976, those tapes were released on the “Tracks And Traces” album.

The set can be ordered right here.

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect.

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!

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