The Abstraction Years 1979-81
Adrian Smith of Luton spent three years playing in punk-inflected bands with his brother Derek (Those Nervous Surgeons, Half Nervous) before retreating alone to a bedroom and a synthesizer in 1979. What emerged was something no one in his immediate environment was making: long, atmospheric, analogue pieces built from hand-played sequences, emotionless production, and a palpable air of melancholia. His first two tapes, From the Silent Days and Absolutely Safe, were given only to friends, having n…
The Trumpett Years 1981-1983
Formed in Heiloo, a small town in the Netherlands, in June 1981, Ende Shneafliet began as a three-piece called King Ende Shneafliet before the live drummer was swapped for a drum machine and the project expanded into a fluid five-person studio collective. Over just two years they recorded more than 70 tracks in constantly shifting combinations of two or three members, working out of the Trumpett Sound Studios in Heiloo and the Freakowitz and Einstein Studios on the Wadden island of Texel. All th…
Conrad & Sohn
"Conrad Schnitzler is undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of German electronica. And his son, Gregor Schnitzler, matched the father's extraordinary level of creative output. They appear to have settled any musical differences amicably. After all, how else could they have 'shared' an LP released by Conrad Schnitzler himself? One half of Conrad & Sohn features music by Conrad Schnitzler, the other, his son Gregor. Two mini-albums on one disc, so to speak. An ideal opportunity to compare them. …