Michael Rother
Encyclopedia
Michael Rother is a German
experimental Krautrock
musician
and composer
.
, Wilmslow
(England), Karachi
, and Düsseldorf
. He also lived in Pakistan
in the early 1960s where he was exposed to Pakistani music that would influence his own music in the late 60s and early 70s. From 1965 Rother played in the band Spirits of Sound, from which other members would later go on to join Kraftwerk
and Wunderbar.
Rother is a multi-instrumentalist
(primarily guitar and keyboards) who, along with a catalog of several solo albums starting in 1977, is best known for having co-founded the German group Neu!
with drummer Klaus Dinger
(five albums between 1971 and 1996), and his collaborative efforts with Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius
(aka Cluster
) under the name Harmonia
(two albums, one in 1974 and 1975, with later 1976 sessions recorded with Brian Eno
; the studio tapes for the latter disappeared but were found by Roedelius two decades later; he remixed the tapes and released the results as Tracks and Traces in 1997; Rother was the main producer for the version re-released in 2009).
Rother and Dinger were also in a short-lived version of Kraftwerk
in 1971, with Florian Schneider
, during a time when founding member Ralf Hütter
had temporarily left the band. (This version of the group was filmed during an appearance on the German music show Beat Club, which has been available sporadically on VHS and DVD.)
Beginning in the late 1970s, Rother began issuing LPs under his own name: Flammende Herzen
(1977), Sterntaler
(1978), and Katzenmusik
(1979) all featured drums by Can
percussionist Jaki Liebezeit
. Further releases included Fernwärme
(1982), Lust (1983), Süssherz und Tiefenschärfe
(1985) and Traumreisen (1987). Rother regained the rights to these releases in the late 90s, and re-released CD versions of them, all of which contained bonus tracks, usually in the form of then-current remixes of original album tracks. Along with these reissues were a best-of compilation, Radio, and a new release, Esperanza
(1996). His most recent album; Remember (The Great Adventure)
featured vocals (a first for Rother's solo work) and was released in 2004.
On 1 July 2007 Michael Rother joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers
for a live jam
at the end of their concert in Hamburg
. Together they played for nearly 25 minutes in front of 35,000 people. In November 2007 he toured with Dieter Moebius
(another member of Harmonia) as Rother & Moebius. On 27 November 2007, a Harmonia
reunion concert was announced for Berlin
, where they performed together live for the first time since 1976.
In 2010, Rother played five shows in Europe with Sonic Youth
drummer Steve Shelley
and Tall Firs
guitarist Aaron Mullan (who played bass in the trio). This group, known as Hallogallo, performed the music of Neu! live for the first time in many years. They are confirmed to play the ATP New York 2010
music festival in Monticello, New York and Incubate 2010
in Tilburg
, Netherlands
in September 2010.
Compilation albums
Singles
Contributions
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...
experimental 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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Early life and education
Born in 1950, Rother went to school in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Wilmslow
Wilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
(England), Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. He also lived in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in the early 1960s where he was exposed to Pakistani music that would influence his own music in the late 60s and early 70s. From 1965 Rother played in the band Spirits of Sound, from which other members would later go on to join Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and Wunderbar.
Music career
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
(primarily guitar and keyboards) who, along with a catalog of several solo albums starting in 1977, is best known for having co-founded the German group Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
with drummer Klaus Dinger
Klaus Dinger
Klaus Dinger was a German musician and songwriter most famous for his contributions to the seminal krautrock outfit, Neu! He was also the guitarist and chief songwriter of new wave group La Düsseldorf and briefly the percussionist of Kraftwerk.-Pre-Neu! :Klaus Dinger was born in Scherfede,...
(five albums between 1971 and 1996), and his collaborative efforts with Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
(aka Cluster
Cluster (band)
Cluster is a German experimental musical group who influenced the development of contemporary popular electronic and ambient music. They have recorded albums in a wide variety of styles ranging from experimental music to progressive rock, all of which had an avant-garde edge. Cluster has been...
) under the name Harmonia
Harmonia (band)
Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
(two albums, one in 1974 and 1975, with later 1976 sessions recorded with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
; the studio tapes for the latter disappeared but were found by Roedelius two decades later; he remixed the tapes and released the results as Tracks and Traces in 1997; Rother was the main producer for the version re-released in 2009).
Rother and Dinger were also in a short-lived version of Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
in 1971, with Florian Schneider
Florian Schneider
Florian Schneider-Esleben is one of the founding members of electronic music band Kraftwerk. He left the band in November 2008.-Career:...
, during a time when founding member Ralf Hütter
Ralf Hütter
Ralf Hütter is the lead singer, keyboardist, and reportedly leader of the electronic-music band Kraftwerk. Since the departure of Florian Schneider in 2008, he is also the group's sole remaining founding member....
had temporarily left the band. (This version of the group was filmed during an appearance on the German music show Beat Club, which has been available sporadically on VHS and DVD.)
Beginning in the late 1970s, Rother began issuing LPs under his own name: Flammende Herzen
Flammende Herzen
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electric Piano, Bass, Synthesizer, Organ, Electric Percussion, Producer* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Engineering* Ann Weitz - Front Cover Photograph* Christian Rabe - Back Photo* Rike - Design...
(1977), Sterntaler
Sterntaler
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vibraphone, Hawaii-Guitar, Synthesizer, Strings, Producer, Recording* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Recording* Ann Weitz - Cover Photo* Rike - Design...
(1978), and Katzenmusik
Katzenmusik
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electronics, Producer, Cover Photograph* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Recording* Ann Weitz - Rear Cover Photograph* Rike - Design...
(1979) all featured drums by Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
percussionist Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit is a drummer probably best known as a founding member of Can who has been called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral"....
. Further releases included Fernwärme
Fernwärme
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electronics, Producer* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Ann Weitz - Rear Cover Photograph* Rike - Design...
(1982), Lust (1983), Süssherz und Tiefenschärfe
Süssherz & Tiefenschärfe
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Recorded by, Producer* H & vF - Cover Concept* Harald Hoffan - Illustration* Rike - Layout, Typography...
(1985) and Traumreisen (1987). Rother regained the rights to these releases in the late 90s, and re-released CD versions of them, all of which contained bonus tracks, usually in the form of then-current remixes of original album tracks. Along with these reissues were a best-of compilation, Radio, and a new release, Esperanza
Esperanza (Michael Rother album)
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Electronics, Producer* Jens Harke - Vocals * Joachim Rudolph - Protools, DD-1000* Achim Kruse - Digital Mastering* Thomas Beckmann - Cover-Design, Photography...
(1996). His most recent album; Remember (The Great Adventure)
Remember (The Great Adventure)
-Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Producer* Sophie Williams - Vocals...
featured vocals (a first for Rother's solo work) and was released in 2004.
On 1 July 2007 Michael Rother joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
for a live jam
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
at the end of their concert in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Together they played for nearly 25 minutes in front of 35,000 people. In November 2007 he toured with Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
(another member of Harmonia) as Rother & Moebius. On 27 November 2007, a Harmonia
Harmonia (band)
Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
reunion concert was announced for Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where they performed together live for the first time since 1976.
In 2010, Rother played five shows in Europe with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
drummer Steve Shelley
Steve Shelley
Steven Jay Shelley is an American drummer, best known as the drummer of alternative rock band Sonic Youth.-Biography:...
and Tall Firs
Tall Firs
Tall Firs are a New York City based underground electric folk rock band, originally formed in 1990 by Dave Mies and Aaron Mullan in Annapolis, Maryland...
guitarist Aaron Mullan (who played bass in the trio). This group, known as Hallogallo, performed the music of Neu! live for the first time in many years. They are confirmed to play the ATP New York 2010
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
music festival in Monticello, New York and Incubate 2010
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in September 2010.
Discography
Studio albums| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Flammende Herzen Flammende Herzen -Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electric Piano, Bass, Synthesizer, Organ, Electric Percussion, Producer* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Engineering* Ann Weitz - Front Cover Photograph* Christian Rabe - Back Photo* Rike - Design...
|
| 1978 | Sterntaler Sterntaler -Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vibraphone, Hawaii-Guitar, Synthesizer, Strings, Producer, Recording* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Recording* Ann Weitz - Cover Photo* Rike - Design... |
| 1979 | Katzenmusik Katzenmusik -Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electronics, Producer, Cover Photograph* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Conny Plank - Producer, Recording* Ann Weitz - Rear Cover Photograph* Rike - Design... |
| 1982 | Fernwärme Fernwärme -Personnel:* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electronics, Producer* Jaki Liebezeit - Drums* Ann Weitz - Rear Cover Photograph* Rike - Design... Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
| 1983 | Lust
|
| 1985 | Süssherz & Tiefenschärfe Süssherz & Tiefenschärfe -Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Recorded by, Producer* H & vF - Cover Concept* Harald Hoffan - Illustration* Rike - Layout, Typography... |
| 1987 | Traumreisen
|
| 1996 | Esperanza Esperanza (Michael Rother album) -Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Electronics, Producer* Jens Harke - Vocals * Joachim Rudolph - Protools, DD-1000* Achim Kruse - Digital Mastering* Thomas Beckmann - Cover-Design, Photography... |
| 2004 | Remember (The Great Adventure) Remember (The Great Adventure) -Personnel:* Michael Rother - All Instruments, Producer* Sophie Williams - Vocals... |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Radio - Singles, 1977–1993
|
| 1998 | Chronicles I
|
Singles
- "Flammende Herzen" b/w "Karussell" (1977)
- "Sterntaler" b/w "Sonnenrad" (1978)
- "Katzenmusik 9" b/w "Katzenmusik 2" (1979)
- "Silberstreif" b/w "Erlkönig" (1982)
- "Hohe Luft" b/w "Fortuna" (1982)
- "Palmengarten" b/w "Cascadia" (1983)
- "Glitzerglanz" b/w "Rapido" (1985)
Contributions
- Station 17 (1990, Mercury/Phonogram) - "Morning Sun"
- A Homage To Neu! (1999, Cleopatra) - "Neutronics 98 (A Tribute To Conny Plank)"
- Brand Neu! (2009, Feraltone) - "Neutronics 98"
with Neu!
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Neu! Neu! (album) Neu! is the debut album by Krautrock band Neu!.It was recorded in December 1971 at Windrose-Dumont-Time Studios, Hamburg, Germany, mixed at Star-Musik Studio, Hamburg, Germany, and released in 1972 by Brain Records. It was reissued by Astralwerks on May 29, 2001. This was Rother & Dinger's first...
|
| 1973 | Neu! 2 Neu! 2 Neu! 2 is an album by Krautrock band Neu!.- Overview :It was recorded in January 1973 at Windrose-Dumont-Time Studios, Hamburg, Germany, mixed in February 1973 at Windrose-Dumont-Time Studios, Hamburg, Germany, and released in 1973 by Brain Records. It was officially reissued by Astralwerks on May... |
| 1975 | Neu! '75 Neu! '75 - Personnel :Band members* Michael Rother – guitar, keyboards, vocals* Klaus Dinger – guitar , drums , vocals * Thomas Dinger – drums* Hans Lampe – drumsAdditional personnel... |
| 1995 | Neu! 4 Neu! 4 - Neu! '86 :- Personnel :Band members* Michael Rother – Fairlight, synthesizer, guitar, bass, voice, programs* Klaus Dinger – voice, guitar, OB8, mix, drums, percussion, programsAdditional personnel* Gigi – drums on "Fly Dutch II" and "Good Life"... |
| 1996 | Neu! '72 Live In Dusseldorf Neu! '72 Live in Dusseldorf - Personnel :Performers* Michael Rother – guitar, voice* Klaus Dinger – drums, voice* Eberhard Kranemann – bass, voiceAdditional personnel* Thomas Dinger – engineer- References :* Prog Archives . Retrieved November 8, 2007.... |
| 2010 | Neu! '86 Neu! 4 - Neu! '86 :- Personnel :Band members* Michael Rother – Fairlight, synthesizer, guitar, bass, voice, programs* Klaus Dinger – voice, guitar, OB8, mix, drums, percussion, programsAdditional personnel* Gigi – drums on "Fly Dutch II" and "Good Life"... Grönland Records Grönland Records is an independent record label originally founded in London, England, which relocated to Berlin, Germany in 2009. "Grönland" refers both to the country and the label's founder, Herbert Grönemeyer.-Origin:... |
with Harmonia
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1974 | Musik Von Harmonia Musik Von Harmonia Musik Von Harmonia is the debut album from the highly influential Krautrock/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia. Harmonia, was formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius....
|
| 1975 | Deluxe Deluxe (Harmonia album) Deluxe is the second album from the highly influential Krautrock/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia. Harmonia was formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius.... |
| 1997 | Tracks & Traces: Harmonia '76 Tracks and Traces Tracks and Traces is the one and only album credited to Harmonia '76, but it is generally regarded as the third album by the highly influential Krautrock/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia. Harmonia was formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster, the duo of Hans-Joachim... Rykodisc Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:... |
| 2007 | Live 1974
|
External links
- Official website
- "Michael Rother Comes to Hoboken" Paris Review Daily essay, August 2010
- Neu! Morning August 2010 Interview by the Village Voice
- KRAUTROCK DELUXE Interview for Blurt magazine, September 2009