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CD
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BB 140CD
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Udo Hanten and Albin Meskes, the Krefeld duo collectively known as You, played their way into the elite of the German electronic music scene with their first two albums Electric Day (1979) (BB 073CD/LP) and Time Code (1983) (BB 074CD/LP). Reissued by Bureau B in 2011, the pair of albums caused quite a stir both in the media and amongst afficionados of the so-called Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, etc.). Their fourth album, Laserscape, consists of music created for the laser performances of the same name by the artist Horst H. Baumann. Having met Udo Hanten during a film project in 1981, Baumann approached him with the idea of collaborating in 1985. He wanted a lavish soundscape to match his open-air installations and You fit the bill perfectly. Their first joint event on August 31, 1985 was a resounding success: 10,000 attended the "Philips Laserscape KrYou." Berlin's SFB radio station recorded the concert for broadcast on their "Steckdose" (power socket) program, subtitled "computer music -- music from the computer." The bonus track on this re-release is taken from this recording. Naturally, it made sense to put together a Laserscape album of pieces composed for the various laser events. Some were recorded in Berlin at Christoph Franke's studio (of Tangerine Dream fame), most were completed at You's own studio. The music resembles the laser events: simultaneously dark and dazzling. Multilayered drones, some over 13 minutes long, evocative of Blade Runner's menacing atmosphere, sometimes laced with driving, pulsating sequences, typical of the so-called Berlin School. A drum, or rather a drum computer, was used on only one track. You remained true to their spirit of experimentation by enlisting the services of classical guitarist Jaime Zenamon on two compositions.
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BB 140LP
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LP version. Comes on 180 gram vinyl. Udo Hanten and Albin Meskes, the Krefeld duo collectively known as You, played their way into the elite of the German electronic music scene with their first two albums Electric Day (1979) (BB 073CD/LP) and Time Code (1983) (BB 074CD/LP). Reissued by Bureau B in 2011, the pair of albums caused quite a stir both in the media and amongst afficionados of the so-called Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, etc.). Their fourth album, Laserscape, consists of music created for the laser performances of the same name by the artist Horst H. Baumann. Having met Udo Hanten during a film project in 1981, Baumann approached him with the idea of collaborating in 1985. He wanted a lavish soundscape to match his open-air installations and You fit the bill perfectly. Their first joint event on August 31, 1985 was a resounding success: 10,000 attended the "Philips Laserscape KrYou." Berlin's SFB radio station recorded the concert for broadcast on their "Steckdose" (power socket) program, subtitled "computer music -- music from the computer." Naturally, it made sense to put together a Laserscape album of pieces composed for the various laser events. Some were recorded in Berlin at Christoph Franke's studio (of Tangerine Dream fame), most were completed at You's own studio. The music resembles the laser events: simultaneously dark and dazzling. Multilayered drones, some over 13 minutes long, evocative of Blade Runner's menacing atmosphere, sometimes laced with driving, pulsating sequences, typical of the so-called Berlin School. A drum, or rather a drum computer, was used on only one track. You remained true to their spirit of experimentation by enlisting the services of classical guitarist Jaime Zenamon on two compositions.
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CD
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BB 073CD
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The Bureau B label reissues You's Electric Day, first released in 1979 on the small German label, Cain. As synthesizers grew more popular from the mid-'70s onwards, an increasing number of groups swapped the classic instruments of a rock band for sequencers and synthesizers. Pioneers (and paragons) of this electronically-created music included, of course, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching et al, who represent the "Berliner Schule" (in contrast to the Düsseldorfer Schule which developed around Kraftwerk and company). A hitherto less celebrated, yet outstanding exponent of the Berliner Schule was the Krefeld combo You. Udo Hanten and Albin Meskes teamed up with another iconic figure of electronic music, Harald Grosskopf, to issue two fantastic albums as the 1980s began. Without disowning their Berlin role models, You nevertheless came up with their own hypnotic mix of sequencer patterns, synthesizer melodies, pulsating drums and sporadic acoustic guitar phrases. Now and again they even ventured into experimental territory. Tracing You's path from the idea of founding a band to the release of their first LP, one encounters a host of illustrious characters from the electronic/Krautrock music scene. Peter Baumann, for example, a member of Tangerine Dream for so many years, was the first to hear the material played to him by Hanten and his guitarist Uli Weber at his Paragon Studios in Berlin. They also met Harald Grosskopf here, a member of Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's "Kosmische Kuriere" and former drummer with Klaus Schulze. Grosskopf was a member of Manuel Göttsching's Ashra band at the time. Which just leaves the sound engineer, the legendary Conny Plank. It was he who suggested that You and Grosskopf get together to set up the Spiegeltraum Studio in Krefeld, with Grosskopf supplying the recording gear and Hanten the musical equipment. Grosskopf completed Synthesist, his most famous work, before You recorded Electric Day halfway through 1979. It now appears with four CD-only bonus tracks on Bureau B. The musicians: Udo Hanten, Albin Meskes, Uli Weber, supported by Harald Grosskopf (using the pseudonym Lhan Gopal at the time).
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BB 073LP
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2024 restock. LP version on 180 gram vinyl. The Bureau B label reissues You's Electric Day, first released in 1979 on the small German label, Cain. As synthesizers grew more popular from the mid-'70s onwards, an increasing number of groups swapped the classic instruments of a rock band for sequencers and synthesizers. Pioneers (and paragons) of this electronically-created music included, of course, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching et al, who represent the "Berliner Schule" (in contrast to the Düsseldorfer Schule which developed around Kraftwerk and company). A hitherto less celebrated, yet outstanding exponent of the Berliner Schule was the Krefeld combo You. Udo Hanten and Albin Meskes teamed up with another iconic figure of electronic music, Harald Grosskopf, to issue two fantastic albums as the 1980s began. Without disowning their Berlin role models, You nevertheless came up with their own hypnotic mix of sequencer patterns, synthesizer melodies, pulsating drums and sporadic acoustic guitar phrases. Now and again they even ventured into experimental territory. Tracing You's path from the idea of founding a band to the release of their first LP, one encounters a host of illustrious characters from the electronic/Krautrock music scene. Peter Baumann, for example, a member of Tangerine Dream for so many years, was the first to hear the material played to him by Hanten and his guitarist Uli Weber at his Paragon Studios in Berlin. They also met Harald Grosskopf here, a member of Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's "Kosmische Kuriere" and former drummer with Klaus Schulze. Grosskopf was a member of Manuel Göttsching's Ashra band at the time. Which just leaves the sound engineer, the legendary Conny Plank. It was he who suggested that You and Grosskopf get together to set up the Spiegeltraum Studio in Krefeld, with Grosskopf supplying the recording gear and Hanten the musical equipment. Grosskopf completed Synthesist, his most famous work, before You recorded Electric Day halfway through 1979. It now appears with four CD-only bonus tracks on Bureau B. The musicians: Udo Hanten, Albin Meskes, Uli Weber, supported by Harald Grosskopf (using the pseudonym Lhan Gopal at the time).
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CD
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BB 074CD
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The Bureau B label reissues You's Time Code, first released in 1983 on Rock City Records. As synthesizers grew more popular from the mid-'70s onwards, an increasing number of groups swapped the classic instruments of a rock band for sequencers and synthesizers. Pioneers (and paragons) of this electronically-created music included, of course, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching et al, who represent the "Berliner Schule" (in contrast to the Düsseldorfer Schule which developed around Kraftwerk and company). A hitherto less celebrated, yet outstanding exponent of the Berliner Schule was the Krefeld combo YOU (Udo Hanten, Albin Meskes). Their debut album Electric Day immediately launched YOU into the elite echelon of Germany's electronic music scene. It would take four years for them to deliver their sophomore LP, entitled Time Code. If Electric Day was characterized by Harald Grosskopf's pulsating drums and Uli Weber's solo guitar, Time Code emerged as an altogether more electronic affair, with both Grosskopf and Weber having left the project. Reduced to a duo, YOU largely remained faithful to their style, but expanded upon it. Time Code displays more range and variation than its predecessor. Downtempo and faster numbers alternate and sugar-sweet melodies are followed by expanses of ominously dark or crystal-clear synthesizers. Hanten and Meskes' new sound was further refined by the use of drum computers and the omission of guitar. The album perfectly illustrates the transition of electronic music from the 1970s to the 1980s. Sequencer patterns owe much to the legacy of the Berlin School (Berliner Schule), while the synthesizer and drum computer sounds heralded the advent of the new decade. The level of interest and excitement was particularly high in Italy, where songs from the album featured heavily on the radio. Listeners were clearly impressed by "Live Line," which has resurfaced in various techno productions over the past 20 years, either as a cover (by Diolac Duvai, for example), or as "Elektro Message" (by Gigi D'Agostino). This reissue comes with two CD-only bonus tracks.
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LP
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BB 074LP
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LP version on 180 gram vinyl.
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