Conrad Schnitzler Contakt Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'Part 1')

Conrad Scnitzler was part of the German Kraut Rock / Electronic music scene right from the very beginning being both a member of the very influential Tangerine Dream and Kluster. He also has a vast back catalogue but none of the releases I have heard could be called 'mainstream' electronic, as they are always somewhat experimental. Some are more accessible than others, this being one of those. In many ways the music comes over as having something of a soundtrack quality creating moods and atmospheres that would have been appropriate for some sort of avant-garde or psychological movie. The album is split into twelve parts. Some are rather upbeat and gently melodic such as the first where as others are more subtle, even sinister sounding such as the second (one of my favourites here) or the fifth and tenth.

The third and eleventh parts, even though the sound palette was quite different, reminded me a little of Edgar Froese's 'Kamikaze 1989'. Others are pure experiments in sound, such as the fourth, seventh and eighth where little pulses are aloud to echo into the distance whilst various other splashes of sonic colour fizz over the top like meteors burning up in the atmosphere. There is also a rather 'odd' but very Schnitzler sounding piece, 'part six' with some faint sampled vocals which wouldn't have been out of place on the somewhat bizarre 'Con 3'. 'Part 9' I could only describe as quirky. A rather conventional rhythm mixes with percussion and melody in an offbeat kind of way- very curious indeed. The last track gets faster and faster as if it is working itself up to a big explosion but in the third minute (about the half way mark) it goes into reverse becoming rather calm and relaxing providing a tranquil finish.