Eruption (German band)
Encyclopedia
Eruption was a short-lived German
krautrock
or experimental music
super group founded by former Tangerine Dream
member and then current Kluster
member Conrad Schnitzler
.
on their Electronic Meditation
album.
in the late 1960s and very early 1970s. At times Eruption included Klaus Schulze
, Manuel Göttsching
, and Hartmut Enke
, who would go on to form the trio Ash Ra Tempel
, Dieter Serfas of the jazz band Embryo, Michael Gunther and Lutz Ulbrich of Agitation Free
, Christa Runge, who had read the text on the first Kluster album, as well as members of Amon Düül
. Schnitzler and Schulze had also previously worked together as members of Tangerine Dream, both appearing on that band's first album, Electronic Meditation. Conrad Schnitzler described Eruption this way: "So anyway we got 10 musicians together; rock musicians, freejazz and electronic musicians - all together. We did some really interesting things."
David Keenan, writing for The Wire issue 261 in November, 2005 described the band: "Eruption was a multidisciplinary freeform ensemble put together by cellist, violinist and early electronic improvisor Conrad Schnitzler in 1970 as an adjunct to his work with Kraut bahamoths Tangerine Dream and Kluster. They seem to have functioned more as a thinktank for the then explosive Krautrock scene than a straightforward gigging group, with a revolving membership..."
When Eruption went into the studio the lineup consisted of Schnitzler, Wolfgang Seidel, and Klaus Freudigmann. Freudigmann also recorded the final Kluster concert for Schnitzler, which was erroneously released under the title Kluster und Eruption
. Schnitzler has stated in interviews that the band Eruption wasn't included on the Kluster album and that the title should have simply been Eruption, a change that was finally made on the 1997 CD reissue. The album Eruption by Kluster is a different album than the self-titled release by the band Eruption.
Eruption is notable more as an incubator for later, highly successful Krautrock
bands and for the influence the various musicians had on one another than for their releases, which came more than 35 years after the music was recorded. The 1970 tapes which would become Eruption were shelved until 2006 when QBico Records finally released the album. David Keenan describes the music as "much more punk than the group's links to such centres of kosmische boatfloat might suggest. The music starts out fairly fragmented, with sustained violin drones caught in a flux of scattershot percussion, short passages of silence and wowing effects."
Two previously unreleased tracks from 1971 have been included as bonus tracks on the 2007 CD reissues by the Japanese label Captain Trip of the first two Kluster albums. "Black Spring" appears on the reissue of Klopfzeichen
and "Cold Winter" appears on the reissue of Zwei-Osterei
. In 2008 Qbico released Live Action 1972 - Wuppertal, the first release of a live Eruption concert recording. In addition, a 1972 video by Kluster titled Elevator can be viewed from former member Wolfgang Seidel's MySpace page.
As bonus tracks on Kluster
CD reissues
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
or experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
super group founded by former Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
member and then current Kluster
Kluster
Kluster is a German experimental musical group whose work often resembles later industrial music.The original Kluster was short-lived, existing only from 1969 until mid-1971 when Conrad Schnitzler left and the remaining two members renamed themselves Cluster...
member Conrad Schnitzler
Conrad Schnitzler
Conrad Schnitzler was a prolific German experimental musician.Schnitzler was born in Düsseldorf. He was an early member of Tangerine Dream and a founder of the band Kluster. He left Kluster in 1971, first working with his group Eruption and then focusing on solo works...
.
Core Members
- Conrad SchnitzlerConrad SchnitzlerConrad Schnitzler was a prolific German experimental musician.Schnitzler was born in Düsseldorf. He was an early member of Tangerine Dream and a founder of the band Kluster. He left Kluster in 1971, first working with his group Eruption and then focusing on solo works...
(1970–1972) - Wolfgang Seidel (1970–1972)
- Klaus Freudigmann (1970–1972)
Collaborators
- Manuel GöttschingManuel GöttschingManuel Göttsching is a German musician and composer.As the leader of the group Ash Ra Tempel or Ashra, one of the most notable German groups of the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he is one of the most important guitarists of the Kosmische Musik genre. He also participated in the Cosmic...
- Klaus SchulzeKlaus SchulzeKlaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
- Hartmut EnkeHartmut EnkeHartmut Enke was a German musician, best known as the bass guitarist in Ash Ra Tempel.Hartmut Enke formed his first band with Manuel Göttsching at his 15th birthday party in 1967...
- Lutz Ulbrich
- Michael Gunther
- Dieter Serfas
- Christa Runge
Musical Style
Eruption performed free-form, improvisational, experimental music, some of which resembles industrial music. A few pieces do have discernible melodies and/or strong rhythmic elements, at times resembling Conrad Schnitzler's earlier work with Tangerine DreamTangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
on their Electronic Meditation
Electronic Meditation
-Personnel:* Edgar Froese – six- and twelve-string guitar, organ, piano, sound effects, tapes* Conrad Schnitzler – cello, violin, typewriter* Klaus Schulze – drums, percussion, metal sticks* Jimmy Jackson – organ...
album.
History
Eruption had a rapidly shifting lineup of musicians whom Schnitzler had met and played with at the Zodiak Free Arts LabZodiak Free Arts Lab
The Zodiak Free Arts Lab, sometimes known as the "Zodiak Club" or "Zodiac Club," was a short-lived but highly influential experimental live music venue, founded in the then West Berlin in late 1967 by German artists/musicians Conrad Schnitzler and Hans-Joachim Roedelius The Zodiak Free Arts Lab,...
in the late 1960s and very early 1970s. At times Eruption included Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
, Manuel Göttsching
Manuel Göttsching
Manuel Göttsching is a German musician and composer.As the leader of the group Ash Ra Tempel or Ashra, one of the most notable German groups of the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he is one of the most important guitarists of the Kosmische Musik genre. He also participated in the Cosmic...
, and Hartmut Enke
Hartmut Enke
Hartmut Enke was a German musician, best known as the bass guitarist in Ash Ra Tempel.Hartmut Enke formed his first band with Manuel Göttsching at his 15th birthday party in 1967...
, who would go on to form the trio Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel are a German krautrock group of the 1970s, and are an example of cosmic or space rock.-History:The group was originally founded by guitarist Manuel Göttsching, keyboardist/drummer Klaus Schulze, and bassist Hartmut Enke in 1971. All three founding members had previously played...
, Dieter Serfas of the jazz band Embryo, Michael Gunther and Lutz Ulbrich of Agitation Free
Agitation Free
Agitation Free was a German experimental krautrock band. The band was formed in 1967 with Michael "Fame" Günther , Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich , Lutz Ludwig Kramer and Christopher Franke . They were initially called Agitation, a name they chose at random from a dictionary...
, Christa Runge, who had read the text on the first Kluster album, as well as members of Amon Düül
Amon Düül
-External links:* - Extensive bio @ Perfect Sound Forever* mainly focussed on their collaboration with Robert Calvert of Hawkwind...
. Schnitzler and Schulze had also previously worked together as members of Tangerine Dream, both appearing on that band's first album, Electronic Meditation. Conrad Schnitzler described Eruption this way: "So anyway we got 10 musicians together; rock musicians, freejazz and electronic musicians - all together. We did some really interesting things."
David Keenan, writing for The Wire issue 261 in November, 2005 described the band: "Eruption was a multidisciplinary freeform ensemble put together by cellist, violinist and early electronic improvisor Conrad Schnitzler in 1970 as an adjunct to his work with Kraut bahamoths Tangerine Dream and Kluster. They seem to have functioned more as a thinktank for the then explosive Krautrock scene than a straightforward gigging group, with a revolving membership..."
When Eruption went into the studio the lineup consisted of Schnitzler, Wolfgang Seidel, and Klaus Freudigmann. Freudigmann also recorded the final Kluster concert for Schnitzler, which was erroneously released under the title Kluster und Eruption
Eruption (album)
Eruption is the third and final full-length album by German experimental music trio Kluster. It is also the only live recording issued by Kluster....
. Schnitzler has stated in interviews that the band Eruption wasn't included on the Kluster album and that the title should have simply been Eruption, a change that was finally made on the 1997 CD reissue. The album Eruption by Kluster is a different album than the self-titled release by the band Eruption.
Eruption is notable more as an incubator for later, highly successful Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
bands and for the influence the various musicians had on one another than for their releases, which came more than 35 years after the music was recorded. The 1970 tapes which would become Eruption were shelved until 2006 when QBico Records finally released the album. David Keenan describes the music as "much more punk than the group's links to such centres of kosmische boatfloat might suggest. The music starts out fairly fragmented, with sustained violin drones caught in a flux of scattershot percussion, short passages of silence and wowing effects."
Two previously unreleased tracks from 1971 have been included as bonus tracks on the 2007 CD reissues by the Japanese label Captain Trip of the first two Kluster albums. "Black Spring" appears on the reissue of Klopfzeichen
Klopfzeichen
Klopfzeichen is the first full-length album by German experimental music trio Kluster.Klopfzeichen was recorded on December 21, 1969 at Rhenus-Studio, Gordorf, Germany. Liner notes on the CD reissue on the Hypnotic label as well as some websites place the recording date precisely one year later in...
and "Cold Winter" appears on the reissue of Zwei-Osterei
Zwei-Osterei
Zwei-Osterei is the second full-length album by German experimental music trio Kluster. The album title translates to English as "Two - Easter egg"....
. In 2008 Qbico released Live Action 1972 - Wuppertal, the first release of a live Eruption concert recording. In addition, a 1972 video by Kluster titled Elevator can be viewed from former member Wolfgang Seidel's MySpace page.
Discography
- 2006 : Eruption (studio album)
- 2008 : Live Action 1972 - Wuppertal (live album)
As bonus tracks on Kluster
Kluster
Kluster is a German experimental musical group whose work often resembles later industrial music.The original Kluster was short-lived, existing only from 1969 until mid-1971 when Conrad Schnitzler left and the remaining two members renamed themselves Cluster...
CD reissues
- 2007 : KlopfzeichenKlopfzeichenKlopfzeichen is the first full-length album by German experimental music trio Kluster.Klopfzeichen was recorded on December 21, 1969 at Rhenus-Studio, Gordorf, Germany. Liner notes on the CD reissue on the Hypnotic label as well as some websites place the recording date precisely one year later in...
- Track: "Black Spring"
- 2007 : Zwei-OstereiZwei-OstereiZwei-Osterei is the second full-length album by German experimental music trio Kluster. The album title translates to English as "Two - Easter egg"....
- Track: "Cold Winter"
External links
- Schnitzler, Conrad 1980 interview. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
- Captain Trip Records http://www.captaintrip.co.jp/kami-cd/index.html. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
- Mutant Sounds http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/08/eruption-eruption-unreleased-lp-1970.html. Retrieved August 31, 2007.