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BR 211019CD
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Black Rose Recordings present the exceptional new album by Asmus Tietchens, Schatten ohne Licht. E.M. Cioran plays a very important role in most of Tietchen's work and this release is no different. For this release Cioran has a fellow anthropofugal thinker: Ulrich Horstmann. The theme of this release deals with a return to a mineral world without any organic species, and therefore uninhabitable for human beings. This very radical dystopia serves as a foil to the six chapters of Schatten ohne Licht. There is something profound about the music. It can be slow and is certainly contemplative. Maybe the music is a sign of the state of our times? As a pioneer of electronic composition his work spans over four decades and doesn't fit easily into any one category. Early recordings ranged from experiments with tape machines and electronic sound through to experimental pop. Later works were a more sculptural blend of abstract microelectronics, industrial sounds, and musique concrete. Never straightforward or obvious, always unpredictable and innovative. His ground-breaking music influences many working in today's electronic music scene. He has worked almost exclusively as a solo artist, but other releases have seen him collaborate with well-known and diverse artists such as Dieter Moebius (Cluster, Harmonia), Thomas Koener, Richard Chartier, and Merzbow.
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GG 415CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in Musique Concrete by listening to a German radio program when he was ten years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water ('Seuchengebiete'), human voices ('Von Mund zu Mund'), paper ('Papier ist geduldig'). He is associated with the industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self-taught or learning by doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. Ptomaine was originally released on RRRecords in 1996 as a 3 LP set. This is the second volume of the first ever CD re-issue."
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GG 388CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in musique concrete by listening to a German radio program when he was ten years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water (Seuchengebiete), human voices (Von Mund zu Mund), paper (Papier ist geduldig). He is associated with the Industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self taught or learning by doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. Ptomaine was originally released on RRRecords in 1996 as a 3 LP set. This is the first volume of the first ever CD re-issue."
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GG 344CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in Musique Concrete by listening to a German radio program when he was 10 years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water (Seuchengebiete), human voices (Von Mund zu Mund), paper (Papier ist geduldig). He is associated with the Industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self-taught or learning by doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. Raum 318 was originally released on cassette only in 1991 on the E'ostrate label in France, in an edition of only 138 hand-numbered copies. It is a part of Tietchens' more Industrial sounding body of work and was remastered for this edition. In addition, a long previously unreelased bonus track has been added."
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STILLE 005CD
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"Asmus Tietchens, one of the most prolific German composers in the electronic/musique concrete direction since late '70s. Bleiche Brunnen is his 3rd album on Stille Andacht, the sublabel of Dark Vinyl. Electronic music of extreme abstraction. Sounds and noises far from human beings from pale, forgotten wells. Porous remains in deserted landscapes, crystalline evidence of inorganic states of highest transparency. The music conveys calm, but in no way invites contemplation. For fans of: Pierre Henry, Stockhausen, Nurse With Wound, Hafler Trio. 6 Page-Eco-Digifile, 500 copies."
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GG 266CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in musique concrete by listening to a German radio programme when he was 10 years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water ('Seuchengebiete'), human voices ('Von Mund zu Mund'), paper ('Papier ist geduldig'). He is associated with the industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self-taught or learning by doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. Linea was originally released on cassette on Dutch Korm Plastics label, later re-issued as a CDR in 1999. It is one of Tietchens's most minimal compositions, and has a special place in our music hearts here at Klanggalerie. For our new edition, Asmus Tietchens has dug deep into his archive and unearthed two further Linea pieces that have so far never seen the light of day. Full running time now 75 minutes. Remastered and repackaged."
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GG 251CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in musique concrete by listening to a German radio programme when he was 10 years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water (Seuchengebiete), human voices ('Von Mund zu Mund'), paper ('Papier Ist Geduldig'). He is associated with the Industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self-taught or learning by doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. The album Dämmerattacke was originally released on Dutch Korm Plastics label in 1997 as a limited edition vinyl LP only. It was later reissued as a double-CD with Eisgang. For this latest edition, we have added another bonus track making the CD 20 minutes longer than the LP."
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STILLE 004CD
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"Asmus Tietchens, one of the most prolific German composers in the Electronic/Musique Concrete direction since late 70's, releases 25 years after Daseinsverfehlung his second release on Dark Vinyl's sublabel Stille Andacht. 'Parergon' (Greek 'collection of small texts') is the sequel of the idea to continue to recycle recyclings of recyclings. That does not mean remixes or deconstructions but much more genuine compositions derived from already repeatedly recycled structures. This approach is in no case hermetic because no circular course happens: There is no way back to the beginning. With digital tools -- but without chance operations -- one can achieve treatments and processing which lead to a nearly endless multitude of esthetic relevant compositions derived from once defined basic structures. In this connection 'sampling' is not of importance. The pieces of Parergon do not intend to provoke pictures or moods, but will give the listener simply something to listen to - it is up to him how he handles this offer. In consequence the pieces have no titles. Instead they have index data which point to certain series. Parergon has been composed in dark times, but at the best only the artwork reflects this conditions. The sounds themselves come from the vacuum."
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GG 250CD
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"Asmus Tietchens is a sound artist and composer from Hamburg, Germany. He got interested in musique concrete by listening to a German radio program when he was 10 years old. In 1965, at the age of 18, Asmus started experimenting with tape loops and turned them into musical collages. Soon, the use of synthesizers was added. In 1980 his debut album Nachtstücke was released, produced by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream. This was soon followed by a series of albums of electronic pop music for the Sky label, home of many Krautrock bands. Tietchens often uses special source materials for his compositions such as water ('Seuchengebiete'), human voices ('Von Mund zu Mund'), paper ('Papier Ist Geduldig'). He is associated with the Industrial music scene through his collaborations and releases on labels such as United Dairies, Esplendor Geometrico or Dom Records. Tietchens never studied composition, he has no academic background, everything he does is self-taught or learning-by-doing. Nevertheless, he was professor for sound design in Hamburg in recent years. The album Eisgang was originally released on Dutch Korm Plastics label in 1995 as a limited edition vinyl LP only. It was later reissued as a double CD with Dämmerattacke. For this latest edition, we have added another bonus track making the CD 20 minutes longer than the LP."
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5CD BOX
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VOD 007CD
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Asmus Tietchens is a German electronic synthesist and musician whose interests in experimental music and musique concrète began during childhood. He began recording sound experiments in 1965 with electronic musical instruments, synthesizers, and tape loops. In the 1970s he met producer Okko Bekker, and the two formed a decades-long partnership. In 1980 Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream heard a recording of Tietchens's music and offered to produce an album; the result was the 1980 release of Nachtstücke (BB 155CD/LP), which was followed by several releases on the legendary German label Sky Records between 1980 and 1983. At the same time, Tietchens also began releasing on several international cassette labels. He released Musik Aus Der Grauzone (1981) and Musik An Der Grenze (1982) on the British YHR Tapes (York House Recordings) and Musik Im Schatten (1982) and Musik Unter Tage (1983) on the American label Aeon. These four outstanding limited tape releases, now highly in-demand, are included in this five-CD set, an expanded reissue of a four-LP set released in 2007. The fifth CD, Musik Von Der Halde, contains additional audio material recorded during the '70s, including the two tracks included on a bonus 7" with a limited edition of the original vinyl release of 4K7. Except for the tracks from that 7", all of the material on Musik Von Der Halde is previously unreleased. While Tietchens's recordings from before 1984 (including the recordings found on this set) feature accessible synthesized music, his focus shifted to more abstract sound-collages, as can be heard on Formen Letzter Hausmusik, released in 1984 on Nurse With Wound's label United Dairies. This set chronicles the transitional phase between the poppy Sky releases and the more noise-based style of releases like Formen Letzter Hausmusik. Tietchens later pursued "absolute music" through an almost mathematical process of rigid formal exercises. With strong ties to Karlheinz Stockhausen's early electronic work, Tietchens started specializing in irregular patterns of sonic abstractions suspended in gray drones to create cold textural space, void of external reference.
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BB 156CD
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Between 1981 and 1983 Asmus Tietchens released four albums on the Sky Records label, fusing rhythmic set pieces and off-kilter sounds into gaudy escapades of saccharine artificiality. The "pseudo-pop" epithet reflected their frequently ironic air. All four records have been reissued by Bureau B in their original form. What remained may be found on this collection. Der fünfte Himmel ("The Fifth Sky") retrieves those pieces which were denied a place on the original LPs, although clearly cut from the same contextual cloth. Quality control was not behind their relegation to the archive, but rather their eccentric and, at times, outlandish character. "Futurum drei" is patently a bridge to Tietchens' debut album Nachtstücke, recorded back in 1978, while "Soirée" and "Zum Tee bei Frau Hilde" were originally -- in a completely different guise -- designed to form the basis of the Experimentelle Geselligkeit album, ultimately shelved. The titles themselves are interesting: "Würgstoffe" ("Wirkstoffe") and "Niedermacher" ("Liedermacher") are further evidence of Tietchens' penchant for wordplay, even though the composer today admits that these rather corny jokes no longer seem quite so witty. In addition to this promenade through the outskirts of the "Zeitzeichen phase" (or "Sky phase"), Der fünfte Himmel includes tracks which could have constituted a further album on Sky Records. Tietchens was working ahead of himself as his contract covered just four albums and sales were in sharp decline. Moreover, his musical direction had shifted to accommodate a far less rugged sound and a broader range of musical tools. If these pieces share a link to the strategies of previous works, it is a tenuous one. This would probably have been enough in itself to preclude a continuation of the series, as the material veered so far away from the Sky label line.
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BB 156LP
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LP version. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Between 1981 and 1983 Asmus Tietchens released four albums on the Sky Records label, fusing rhythmic set pieces and off-kilter sounds into gaudy escapades of saccharine artificiality. The "pseudo-pop" epithet reflected their frequently ironic air. All four records have been reissued by Bureau B in their original form. What remained may be found on this collection. Der fünfte Himmel ("The Fifth Sky") retrieves those pieces which were denied a place on the original LPs, although clearly cut from the same contextual cloth. Quality control was not behind their relegation to the archive, but rather their eccentric and, at times, outlandish character. "Futurum drei" is patently a bridge to Tietchens' debut album Nachtstücke, recorded back in 1978, while "Soirée" and "Zum Tee bei Frau Hilde" were originally -- in a completely different guise -- designed to form the basis of the Experimentelle Geselligkeit album, ultimately shelved. The titles themselves are interesting: "Würgstoffe" ("Wirkstoffe") and "Niedermacher" ("Liedermacher") are further evidence of Tietchens' penchant for wordplay, even though the composer today admits that these rather corny jokes no longer seem quite so witty. In addition to this promenade through the outskirts of the "Zeitzeichen phase" (or "Sky phase"), Der fünfte Himmel includes tracks which could have constituted a further album on Sky Records. Tietchens was working ahead of himself as his contract covered just four albums and sales were in sharp decline. Moreover, his musical direction had shifted to accommodate a far less rugged sound and a broader range of musical tools. If these pieces share a link to the strategies of previous works, it is a tenuous one. This would probably have been enough in itself to preclude a continuation of the series, as the material veered so far away from the Sky label line.
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BB 155CD
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Nachtstücke owed its publication to former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann, who was asked by the French label Barclay/EGG to produce three albums focusing specifically on German electronic music. He was working with Hans-Joachim Roedelius at the time, who had been given a few Tietchens tracks on cassette. When Baumann heard Roedelius play them in the studio during a break in proceedings, they sparked his interest and he met up with Tietchens some time later; they agreed that he would go over the material again and edit or abridge it in places. A release date was penciled in for the latter part of 1978. The commissioning label, however, doubting the commercial potential of the project (Tietchens: "How right they would turn out to be"), postponed the release and had to be reminded of contractual commitments on more than one occasion. When the Nachtstücke LP finally appeared, almost two years later, it bore the unauthorized subheading "Expressions et Perspectives Sonores Intemporelles," and featured a completely different cover. Originally, the album was to depict a leathery embryo with a laser beam shooting through its eye (Tietchens: "I liked the idea of starting with something so gruesome"), but now three blurred figures danced on the sleeve: "I was pretty disgusted when I opened the package containing my copies," Tietchens reports, taking the re-release as his cue to create completely new artwork. Nachtstücke has surprisingly little in common with the pseudo-pop of the ensuing Sky Phase, but shines a light further ahead to the gloomy, spectral aspects of Tietchens' later works. Created between 1975 and 1978, the Nachtstücke pieces reveal a deliberate approach, avoiding dissonance and discord wherever possible. Still, the release saw the album "fall right out of time" as Tietchens frankly admits: "Gentle rhythm and harmonic beatitude did not suit the concert of advanced pop music as it was then being played." Nevertheless, the Nachtstücke tracks remain important to the artist, as they document his early encounters with the Moog Sonic Six and Minimoog. With this in mind, the material is presented here in its original, unadulterated form.
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BB 155LP
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LP version. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Nachtstücke owed its publication to former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann, who was asked by the French label Barclay/EGG to produce three albums focusing specifically on German electronic music. He was working with Hans-Joachim Roedelius at the time, who had been given a few Tietchens tracks on cassette. When Baumann heard Roedelius play them in the studio during a break in proceedings, they sparked his interest and he met up with Tietchens some time later; they agreed that he would go over the material again and edit or abridge it in places. A release date was penciled in for the latter part of 1978. The commissioning label, however, doubting the commercial potential of the project (Tietchens: "How right they would turn out to be"), postponed the release and had to be reminded of contractual commitments on more than one occasion. When the Nachtstücke LP finally appeared, almost two years later, it bore the unauthorized subheading "Expressions et Perspectives Sonores Intemporelles," and featured a completely different cover. Originally, the album was to depict a leathery embryo with a laser beam shooting through its eye (Tietchens: "I liked the idea of starting with something so gruesome"), but now three blurred figures danced on the sleeve: "I was pretty disgusted when I opened the package containing my copies," Tietchens reports, taking the re-release as his cue to create completely new artwork. Nachtstücke has surprisingly little in common with the pseudo-pop of the ensuing Sky Phase, but shines a light further ahead to the gloomy, spectral aspects of Tietchens' later works. Created between 1975 and 1978, the Nachtstücke pieces reveal a deliberate approach, avoiding dissonance and discord wherever possible. Still, the release saw the album "fall right out of time" as Tietchens frankly admits: "Gentle rhythm and harmonic beatitude did not suit the concert of advanced pop music as it was then being played." Nevertheless, the Nachtstücke tracks remain important to the artist, as they document his early encounters with the Moog Sonic Six and Minimoog. With this in mind, the material is presented here in its original, unadulterated form.
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BR 131012CD
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Black Rose Recordings are proud to present the exceptional new album by Asmus Tietchens. Corrosion is a degradation mechanism. It is an insidious process often difficult to recognize until deterioration is well advanced. Are these new pieces a comment on the current state of noise music, serious music, or both? As a pioneer of electronic composition, his work spans over three decades and doesn't fit easily into any one category. Early recordings ranged from experiments with tape machines and electronic sound through to experimental pop. Later works were a more sculptural blend of abstract microelectronics, industrial sounds, and musique concrète. Never straightforward or obvious, always unpredictable and innovative, his groundbreaking music influences many working in today's experimental music scene. He has worked almost exclusively as a solo artist but recent releases have seen him collaborate with well-known and diverse artists such as Dieter Moebius (Cluster & Harmonia), Thomas Köner, and Richard Chartier.
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BB 143CD
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Bureau B reissues Asmus Tietchens' third solo album on Sky Records, originally released in 1982. It stands to reason that any musical journey undertaken by a skeptic like Asmus Tietchens is destined to head into the night (In die Nacht) rather than into the day. In die Nacht, the third album in the so-called time signal ("Zeitzeichen") phase, continuing in the same vein as Biotop (BB 141CD/LP) and Spät-Europa (BB 142CD/LP), while laying down its own stylistic markers, no doubt attributable to the sizeable challenges facing the composer. Time, or the lack thereof, was the most pressing concern. With only a few weeks available in which to produce the record, he had to rein in his ambition. In the past, Tietchens had seldom allowed tracks to exceed three minutes in length, avoiding the effect of "musical drift"; hence, the ideas came thick and fast on his previous two albums. This time around, in creative terms -- and with all due meticulousness -- he needed to be more economical. Four of the tracks turned out far wider-ranging than they might have done under different circumstances. Ironically, these are the very pieces which lend the album its enduring character. The exuberantly stumbling rhythm of "Höhepunkt kleiner Mann" is as typical as the dark mood of the title-track, although jaunty and highly-charged tones creep into the latter. "Regenwald," on the other hand, carries the listener off to a magical sonic setting, a hypnotic allure underneath pulsating rhythms. Such a display of color is akin to the atmosphere of Max Ernst's jungle paintings. In technical terms, In die Nacht differed notably from its predecessors as Tietchens now had access to a Polymoog, enabling him to play chords. The Minimoog and rhythm machine he had used until then were deliberately pushed into the background; the drum machine in particular was drastically taken out of the mix. The creative versatility of this relatively modest equipment still appears remarkable today.
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BB 143LP
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LP version, on 180 gram vinyl. Bureau B reissues Asmus Tietchens' third solo album on Sky Records, originally released in 1982. It stands to reason that any musical journey undertaken by a skeptic like Asmus Tietchens is destined to head into the night (In die Nacht) rather than into the day. In die Nacht, the third album in the so-called time signal ("Zeitzeichen") phase, continuing in the same vein as Biotop (BB 141CD/LP) and Spät-Europa (BB 142CD/LP), while laying down its own stylistic markers, no doubt attributable to the sizeable challenges facing the composer. Time, or the lack thereof, was the most pressing concern. With only a few weeks available in which to produce the record, he had to rein in his ambition. In the past, Tietchens had seldom allowed tracks to exceed three minutes in length, avoiding the effect of "musical drift"; hence, the ideas came thick and fast on his previous two albums. This time around, in creative terms -- and with all due meticulousness -- he needed to be more economical. Four of the tracks turned out far wider-ranging than they might have done under different circumstances. Ironically, these are the very pieces which lend the album its enduring character. The exuberantly stumbling rhythm of "Höhepunkt kleiner Mann" is as typical as the dark mood of the title-track, although jaunty and highly-charged tones creep into the latter. "Regenwald," on the other hand, carries the listener off to a magical sonic setting, a hypnotic allure underneath pulsating rhythms. Such a display of color is akin to the atmosphere of Max Ernst's jungle paintings. In technical terms, In die Nacht differed notably from its predecessors as Tietchens now had access to a Polymoog, enabling him to play chords. The Minimoog and rhythm machine he had used until then were deliberately pushed into the background; the drum machine in particular was drastically taken out of the mix. The creative versatility of this relatively modest equipment still appears remarkable today.
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BB 144CD
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Released in 1983, the Litia album concluded Asmus Tietchens' études phase and bid a farewell to rhythmic synths -- well, almost. All the signs of "pseudo pop" as heard on Biotop (BB 141CD/LP), Spät-Europa (BB 142CD/LP), and In die Nacht resurfaced: squeaky sounds and protracted, rattling rhythms grouped into abstract forms through their accentuated artificiality. Sporadic noisiness is as much a part of it as is a winking gesture, which should not detract from the basic sobriety of the work, however. Musik aus dem Aroma Club (1998) is Tietchens' first openly-parodic work, not that he had ever lacked humor. Take the plays on words in his titles, with "Unterhaltungsmusik" mutating to "Unterhaltsmusik" ("light" music becomes "livelihood" music) or the appropriation of terminology from respiratory medicine ("Nebulizer" is another word for an atomizer). The banality of everyday life proves itself to be unconquerable: "Auf Elf" ("On Eleven") refers to the fact that the piece is archived on a tape with the number 11 -- nothing more profound than that. What sets Litia apart from its three predecessors is the wider pool of instruments at Tietchens' disposal. For the first time, he had a digital rhythm machine which could play samples; then there was the Korg Polysix synthesizer, a hybrid of analog and digital technology. The polyphonic transition piece could not actually create samples, but could at least simulate the sounds of instruments. As the Korg Polysix and rhythm machine could be synchronized, "a whole new world of sound" beckoned. Günter Körber of Sky Records exited the scene after Litia, as Tietchens turned his attention to "rhythmic-harmonic set pieces." It was not until 1996 that Rattenheu was issued, featuring material which dated back to 1984 and now -- augmented by further tracks from this period -- representing the fifth "Zeitzeichen" album to be reissued by Bureau B.
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BB 144LP
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LP version, on 180 gram vinyl. Released in 1983, the Litia album concluded Asmus Tietchens' études phase and bid a farewell to rhythmic synths -- well, almost. All the signs of "pseudo pop" as heard on Biotop (BB 141CD/LP), Spät-Europa (BB 142CD/LP), and In die Nacht resurfaced: squeaky sounds and protracted, rattling rhythms grouped into abstract forms through their accentuated artificiality. Sporadic noisiness is as much a part of it as is a winking gesture, which should not detract from the basic sobriety of the work, however. Musik aus dem Aroma Club (1998) is Tietchens' first openly-parodic work, not that he had ever lacked humor. Take the plays on words in his titles, with "Unterhaltungsmusik" mutating to "Unterhaltsmusik" ("light" music becomes "livelihood" music) or the appropriation of terminology from respiratory medicine ("Nebulizer" is another word for an atomizer). The banality of everyday life proves itself to be unconquerable: "Auf Elf" ("On Eleven") refers to the fact that the piece is archived on a tape with the number 11 -- nothing more profound than that. What sets Litia apart from its three predecessors is the wider pool of instruments at Tietchens' disposal. For the first time, he had a digital rhythm machine which could play samples; then there was the Korg Polysix synthesizer, a hybrid of analog and digital technology. The polyphonic transition piece could not actually create samples, but could at least simulate the sounds of instruments. As the Korg Polysix and rhythm machine could be synchronized, "a whole new world of sound" beckoned. Günter Körber of Sky Records exited the scene after Litia, as Tietchens turned his attention to "rhythmic-harmonic set pieces." It was not until 1996 that Rattenheu was issued, featuring material which dated back to 1984 and now -- augmented by further tracks from this period -- representing the fifth "Zeitzeichen" album to be reissued by Bureau B.
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BB 141LP
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LP version. Comes on 180 gram vinyl. In retrospect, we might suspect that Asmus Tietchens was deliberately leading us up the garden path with the discordant pseudo-pop of his early musical productions. Four albums between 1981-1983 and a handful of individual pieces comprise the "Zeitzeichen" (time signal) phase which, in the words of their creator, was characterized by the implementation of "rhythmic-harmonic set pieces and gaudy record sleeves." These albums do indeed feature elements of the noisy-abstract structures which Tietchens would be in a position to release from 1984 onwards in a more industrial setting, figuring prominently in his main body of work. Yet to understand "Zeitzeichen" as a period of transition, a mere curiosity, would be wide of the mark. Günter Körber released the Biotop, Spät-Europa, In die Nacht, and Litia albums on Sky Records. His label specialized in contemporary electronic music, often cosmic or Kraut-like, but also offered a platform to un-agitated cryptic experiments. Tietchens was well-acquainted with the Sky program, both as a listener and through personal friendships -- with Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Michael Rother; hence, establishing contact presented little difficulty. Sixteen tracks had been produced for Biotop but, in 1980, saw no genuine prospect of a release, so signing to Sky was a logical move. The Sky series is markedly different, surprisingly so, from the debut album Nachtstücke, rife with "soft rhythms and harmonic bliss," as Tietchens acknowledges today. Not something which can be said of Biotop. In keeping with the sleeve's garish color scheme, derision, idle pathos and dissonance in abundance are flung sardonically at the expectations of pop. But there was more than ironic intent in the disjointed rhythms and sliding melodies. These blaring, crashing tracks glare with artifice, mirroring the ideas of an artist lacking the inclination and capacity to compose straightforward easy listening music. Biotop is inhabited by insectoid squeaks, banging percussion and echoes of displaced nursery rhymes. The hectic piece "Moderne Arroganz" is notable for a voice listing types of insurance; from behind this "unbeatable idiocy," a critical reflex emerges which can be taken as social commentary -- it is no coincidence that "Sauberland" resounds with squeaky absurdity, taking itself none too seriously. One would not be wrong, therefore, to divine the artist finding himself in the banefully-piercing title-track, which rejects the alleged harmlessness of the album, a contrary "I'm here too," attenuated only by the remark "let's see how things go." But Tietchens' half hoping, half skeptical stance -- underlined as an endless groove on the initial pressing -- proved unfounded.
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BB 142LP
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LP version. Comes on 180 gram vinyl. While Asmus Tietchens planned to head off "into the future" ("In die Zukunft") with Biotop (1981), Spät-Europa witnesses his arrival. Released on Sky Records in 1982, the second album in the "Zeitzeichen" phase not only continued in the style of its predecessor, it managed to refine it a little more precisely. Spät-Europa also conveys a banefully distorted pseudo-pop soundscape of disjointed rhythms and oblique melodies, defined by nervous pulses, cool alacrity and croaking toots; tongue-in-cheek it most certainly is, but the musical arrangement again affirms its own identity. Here, shadowy, rumbling industrial elements cut into the neon-colored pieces, indicative of the artist's parallel lines of development. What is new on Spät-Europa is a greater concentration of form, concise and pointed in the sense of musical economy. Tietchens sought to accentuate this aspect even more acutely, but lacked the technical means to ensure that each of the "miniatures" lasted exactly two minutes. Nevertheless, he only missed his ideal target by a few seconds here and there. The concept of Biotop as an album of 20 tracks two minutes long recalls the Residents' Commercial Album (1980) which contains 40 tracks, each a minute in length -- although these were designed to be played in groups of three in order to create a regular "pop song." Tietchens does not go that far, but he shares the musical, metatextual and humorous sensibilities of the American band, having "organized crusades" for their albums at this time. Traces of their influence may be discernible, but Tietchens has placed them in an entirely new context. Like Biotop, Spät-Europa finishes with an emphatically unwieldy piece, the artist passing comment on himself perhaps. "Epitaph" introduces a shrill warning tone, joined by nerve-shattering, serrating sounds and ominous screams; piano tones subsequently soften the impact as quiet approaches. But the headstone etched in readiness to mark his musical career proved unnecessary -- before the year was out, Günter Körber had requested a further album for his Sky label. This would be the opus entitled In die Nacht.
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CD
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BB 141CD
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In retrospect, we might suspect that Asmus Tietchens was deliberately leading us up the garden path with the discordant pseudo-pop of his early musical productions. Four albums between 1981-1983 and a handful of individual pieces comprise the "Zeitzeichen" (time signal) phase which, in the words of their creator, was characterized by the implementation of "rhythmic-harmonic set pieces and gaudy record sleeves." These albums do indeed feature elements of the noisy-abstract structures which Tietchens would be in a position to release from 1984 onwards in a more industrial setting, figuring prominently in his main body of work. Yet to understand "Zeitzeichen" as a period of transition, a mere curiosity, would be wide of the mark. Günter Körber released the Biotop, Spät-Europa, In die Nacht, and Litia albums on Sky Records. His label specialized in contemporary electronic music, often cosmic or Kraut-like, but also offered a platform to un-agitated cryptic experiments. Tietchens was well-acquainted with the Sky program, both as a listener and through personal friendships -- with Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Michael Rother; hence, establishing contact presented little difficulty. Sixteen tracks had been produced for Biotop but, in 1980, saw no genuine prospect of a release, so signing to Sky was a logical move. The Sky series is markedly different, surprisingly so, from the debut album Nachtstücke, rife with "soft rhythms and harmonic bliss," as Tietchens acknowledges today. Not something which can be said of Biotop. In keeping with the sleeve's garish color scheme, derision, idle pathos and dissonance in abundance are flung sardonically at the expectations of pop. But there was more than ironic intent in the disjointed rhythms and sliding melodies. These blaring, crashing tracks glare with artifice, mirroring the ideas of an artist lacking the inclination and capacity to compose straightforward easy listening music. Biotop is inhabited by insectoid squeaks, banging percussion and echoes of displaced nursery rhymes. The hectic piece "Moderne Arroganz" is notable for a voice listing types of insurance; from behind this "unbeatable idiocy," a critical reflex emerges which can be taken as social commentary -- it is no coincidence that "Sauberland" resounds with squeaky absurdity, taking itself none too seriously. One would not be wrong, therefore, to divine the artist finding himself in the banefully-piercing title-track, which rejects the alleged harmlessness of the album, a contrary "I'm here too," attenuated only by the remark "let's see how things go." But Tietchens' half hoping, half skeptical stance -- underlined as an endless groove on the initial pressing -- proved unfounded.
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BB 142CD
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While Asmus Tietchens planned to head off "into the future" ("In die Zukunft") with Biotop (1981), Spät-Europa witnesses his arrival. Released on Sky Records in 1982, the second album in the "Zeitzeichen" phase not only continued in the style of its predecessor, it managed to refine it a little more precisely. Spät-Europa also conveys a banefully distorted pseudo-pop soundscape of disjointed rhythms and oblique melodies, defined by nervous pulses, cool alacrity and croaking toots; tongue-in-cheek it most certainly is, but the musical arrangement again affirms its own identity. Here, shadowy, rumbling industrial elements cut into the neon-colored pieces, indicative of the artist's parallel lines of development. What is new on Spät-Europa is a greater concentration of form, concise and pointed in the sense of musical economy. Tietchens sought to accentuate this aspect even more acutely, but lacked the technical means to ensure that each of the "miniatures" lasted exactly two minutes. Nevertheless, he only missed his ideal target by a few seconds here and there. The concept of Biotop as an album of 20 tracks two minutes long recalls the Residents' Commercial Album (1980) which contains 40 tracks, each a minute in length -- although these were designed to be played in groups of three in order to create a regular "pop song." Tietchens does not go that far, but he shares the musical, metatextual and humorous sensibilities of the American band, having "organized crusades" for their albums at this time. Traces of their influence may be discernible, but Tietchens has placed them in an entirely new context. Like Biotop, Spät-Europa finishes with an emphatically unwieldy piece, the artist passing comment on himself perhaps. "Epitaph" introduces a shrill warning tone, joined by nerve-shattering, serrating sounds and ominous screams; piano tones subsequently soften the impact as quiet approaches. But the headstone etched in readiness to mark his musical career proved unnecessary -- before the year was out, Günter Körber had requested a further album for his Sky label. This would be the opus entitled In die Nacht.
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LINE 051CD
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"Soiree is the result of extended recycling. Beginning from the investigation of: what will happen if I recycle (not remix) some of my older compositions and then recycle the recyclings and then recycle the recycled recycling -- ad infinitum? Quite quickly the initial pieces vanished totally. New structures and sounds emerged depending on the methods and tools I used. Each of the pieces on Soiree is based on a distinct composition of my musical past. In each case the listener is presented with the 10th 'generation' of this recycling process. Confronted with the variety of the results I ask myself: Is it really necessary to create further new electronic music if only one piece as a nucleus is sufficient to derive hundreds and hundreds of different distinct individual variants?" --Asmus Tietchens
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DIESTADT 102CD
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"Tenth part in the ongoing re-release series of all early Tietchens albums between 1980-1991. Notturno was originally released by Spanish label Discos Esplendor Geometrico in 1987 and also by Barooni on CD in 1992. Remastered version in a first edition of 600 copies in jewel case with full color artwork and poster booklet also featuring the original front and back cover. By the time Studie für Klavier (Formen Letzter Hausmusik, DS84) was released, it actually wasn't my first attempt to use the piano as a sound source. Various pre-studies came before this, but all which either were not characterized as such in their title or simply didn't make it onto record. I was intrigued by the great range of sounds it offers in general, but also by the multiple possibilities to produce sounds inside of the piano. Of course I was fully aware that these techniques had already been used by other composers like Henry Cowell and John Cage in the past. Not only could I make use of a grand piano in 1986, I also had the technical equipment at hand which didn't leave nothing to be desired. I wasn't quite precise calling these pieces Studien für Klavier (Piano) by the way, as I was actually using a flügel (grand piano). I began preparing the strings in an almost old fashioned way, also producing sounds with unusual aids (electric gastr beater, wire brush, coins and others). Then in another step, with the help of the studio, I carefully started working on the recorded sounds. While doing this, I wasn't even afraid of using some good old avant-garde tricks, by the way. But I won't tell. The fact that Notturno was released by an industrial label, shows how much the interest in unusual electro-acoustic music had grown at the time. In fact, Notturno is nothing less than an industrial album. To my own delight and to the delight of the listeners as well, I used techniques which were introduced in the field of new music since several years already. As a result, Notturno can be seen as a cross between musical styles. On one hand it sounds academic, but in fact it isn't. But the question whether this was U (popular) or E (serious) was obsolete anyway, as electro-acoustic experiments didn't exclusively belong to the circle of serious composers anymore. Of course I wasn't the first or only non-academic composer who produced music, which couldn't be categorized easily then, and maybe even still not until today. As a result, the exchange of these new aesthetic strategies with other musicians and listeners in the mid-'80s, further encouraged the musicians to produce such music, and as a result, labels such as Discos Esplendor Geometrico could be sure to sell a small edition of 500 copies in a fairly short time. The ears had opened up for this genre-crossing music and the heads were ready to accept. We had succeeded breaking new ground."
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