21.2.2010 Berlin, Germany
Questions by Eric Duboys
Answers by Sea Wanton (except where noted)
Some background informations supplied by
- Peter Flügel (now living in London),
- Achim Wollscheid (from "Selektion", Frankfurt),
- Steffen Schütze (T.Poem) (Berlin)
- and Achim Szepanski (from "Edition Mille Plateaux", Frankfurt)
1) Did NTL formed in Mainz? When exactly?
Must have been in 1982. Then, Steffen Schütze, "Pogo" (moniker of Peter Prieur), Achim Wollscheid and Sea Wanton, lived in
Mainz (nearby Frankfurt). At some recording sessions Peter Klum joined us when we played live. At this point we would like to thank
Elke Dittewig (from "Sueno Sueno", she sings and plays the saxofon on some songs on the "Wanton" lp, Roger Schönauer
(later with "P16.D4", he recorded our first "compact cassette"), Ralf Wehowsky (from "P.D.", "P16.D4", he made it possible to master
the "Wanton" lp), Charly Steiger and Christof Wallhorn (they play guitars on the cassette "15-HG-DM", both of them are also former
members of "Selektion"), Petra Schmidt (she made some images/photos for and with us), Cem Oral (from "Set Fatale", later
with "Air Liquide" and "Jammin' Unit") and Heiko Wöhler as guest-musicians at our perfomances in the Netherlands).
...and Steffen Schütze says: Formed in Mainz in the early 80's.
2) I've read you were playing bass in a band called Messehalle before NTL. Can't find
anything on that band... What was it? And what does mean this name? which instrument(s)
were you playing there?
"Messehalle" was found by Joachim Stender (vocals). Joachim had been a real fan of the so-called "NdW" (=Neue Deutsche Welle) bands like
"Mittagspause", "Der Plan", "S.Y.P.H." and "D.A.F.", to mention only a few). He knew their songs and looked for a "catchy" bandname. I suppose it
(the name "Messehalle") deals with a (big) hall nearby the dome of Frankfurt, which is used for events like the famous "Frankfurt book fair".
Joachim Stender, Peter Flügel (on guitar) and a guy named ??? met at our flat-sharing community and rehearsed. Must have been
in '77. Set up 2 microfones. Put in an empty tape into my 4-tracks "Telefunken" tape-deck and they start to perform. Thus I record their first
song, which is called "Fahrausweiskontrolle" (="ticket check") Achim Szepanski, who's living with Peter Flügel and me in this flat, owns a drumset
and likes to join the band. Some weeks later the first live performance of the four takes place in Hannover. I go with the band to support.
Record the event. The band decides to better its stage profile, to rehearse more serious. A rehearsal-room is found, but the guy ??? decides to quit.
I take over his bass-guitar and we rehearse at "Freakworks", a little "independent" community in the country (these were some guys, who
earned their living by building amplifiers, rental of rehearsal-rooms and working as roadies, living in an old farmer's house near Mainz).
Now Anne Strubel plays on some songs (as a second, female drummer). In the meantime Joachim Stender has organized a first !!! "Punk / No Wave"
festival in Mainz. "Messehalle" prepares very well for this event. But the festival turns into a disaster: hardly any advertisment, no PA,
bawling and spitting punks, no fee, etc. "Messehalle" refuses to play (without getting paid). Therefore Joachim Stender plays all alone (on bass),
the drummer of a punk-band ("the Tanks" from Wiesbaden) accompanies the riffs on the bass with some monotonous drum-beats and thus, "P.D."
is born (from where "P16.D4" should derive later). note: at this festival Achim Wollscheid, Steffen Schütze und Pogo" were in the audience.
further note: Ralf Wehowsky stood before the stage and when Joachim Stender started, he took his guitar, jumped on stage and was in "P.D.",
from now on and for the next years.
"Messehalle" continued their work without their charismatic frontman. Now Susanne Cordes sings. Blonde, female and superb.
Achim Szepanski joins "P16.D4", Ewald Weber takes the drums over. Steffen Schütze (nowaddays acting as "T.Poem") plays the bass,
while Sea Wanton plays synthesizer and tape-(pre)recordings. In 1979/1980 another live performance, together with "Checkpoint Charly"
(a german so called "political rock band"), at the "Extase-festival", university Mainz). But later on there's some trouble at the rehearsal room.
Sea Wanton and Steffen Schütze quit. The band ceases to exist.
...and Steffen Schütze says: Messehalle means halle de la foire says leo.org.
The bass was mainly mistreated by T.poem. The music was kind of "Neue Deutsche Welle" with Nina Hagen clone on vocals.
3) Same question for another band (No Aid) I read you were in before NTL?
From 1981 until the beginning of '82. A band from Wiesbaden (the city next to Mainz). The line-up (at this time): Renate von Berveren (bass),
Günther (vocals), Axel (guitar), Alex (drums) and Sea Wanton (synthesizer, e-drums). In the end of '81 Anne Strubel substitutes Alex
at the drums and Renate's son, named "Pak", takes over the microfone from Günther. There come some live performances with much power and fun,
very direct. Inspired by "Punk" music without much "rubbish" (amongst others there are two live songs on the lp "Main Herz ist Rhein" documented).
Then they release a single-record. Sea Wanton doesn't agree with the songs' selection, but has to pay deference to the majority. In the
beginning of '82 again in the studio to record the songs for a first lp. There's again some trouble. Too much drugs. Too much alcohol.
Too less will for efficiency. Too many mental and musical conflicts between the members of the band. Consequently, Sea Wanton quits "No Aid".
4) The "Lost" of "Non Toxique Lost" is a chemical weapon as you said on
NTL website. What kind of? What does it mean in fact? And what is the 'meaning'
of the name NTL in your mind?
There are some more details at our official homepage. "Pogo"' proposed the name for the band. Being at this time (1982) a big fan
of "Cosey" (who plays guitar with "Throbbing Gristle"), and the "Zyklon B" was his beloved song. So he proposed
the name of another poison-gas as a band-name. "LOST" had been used at World War I by the german army against
the french army (already in the beginning of the 80s there had been some rumours about the use of "LOST" against the Kurds by the
Iraqui troops, furthermore they told about the participation of german companies at the production of the gas). "LOST" is a acronym
of the names "Lommel" and "Steinkopf", the both german scientists, who developed this weapon (about those 2 scientists you will,
still nowaddays, not find many informations at the web. Therefore, we dedicated to them a song, which is named: "I.N.A.L.S.B.T.L.A.S.S.",
that means: "it's not a love song but the Lommel and Steinkopf song" ). But the name "LOST" alone appeared to me too striking, too stumpy.
In a certain way of sarcasm, knowing but consciously negating the danger of this poisoning gas and regarding the (still) remaining,
stressed relation between Germany and France (thrilling question: why do the german kill french soldiers/people, although many of us
admire their style of life, their fine meals, their fashion, their french language?), the term had to be transformed, "alienated".
Now, in a certain sense and well knowing the contradictionary, the term "Non Toxique" should postulate/pretend the harmlessness of a weapon.
That means of course: to confuse, to make insecure...
5) The singer of the first incarnation of NTL was a mysterious 'Pogo'? What was his
real name? What happened to him after his departure? And why did he left the
band? He was in the band only in 1981, am I right?
Studied the science of engineering. Vocals with a band called "Suburban Punx", from Bad Kreuznach (near Mainz). Peter Prieur called himself "Pogo"
(sometimes also "Pogo Müller"). Used to pay numberous visits to the "LU", a "Punk-pub" in Wiesbaden. Can be heard on the first NTL cassette
("O.T."). Played live only once (with us) at a pub, called "Der Schirm" (located in Trier). I got to know him, when I met Achim Wollscheid.
Quit the band, (as my memory serves right) because he didn't want to rehearse furthermore and the lyrics became too abstract (for him).
...and Steffen Schütze says: Pogo=Peter Prieur; according to Achim Wollscheid he's living somewhere near Ludwigshafen / Mannheim.
6) When and how did you met Achim Wollscheid?
Can't answer this question precisely...but I remember some details, when he left the band. In 1984 we had again played live (at the
"Geminox"-festival, university Frankfurt). But we had to stop our performance after the third song, since there had been some technical
problems on stage. The mood between the three members of NTL had changed badly and me and Achim discussed more and more
vehemently the conceptualisation and realisation of our music. To cut the story short: in my opinion, the NTL music had separated
from the audience as far as never before. My impression: only some "Punks" (because they interpreted our chaotic noise as the
forerunner of "Anarchy") and "Art-students" or/and "design students" (who looked for the next/newest "hype") appeared to listen to
our music. I demanded: NTL-music should not become or be any type of "Art". Demanded more distance to the "art-business", to
the current artists. Would like to provocate the established "Art"-organisations. But: Achim was studying the "Arts", he cleared his guitar
amplifier out of the rehearsal-room...that was it!
...and Steffen Schütze says: the basement of my father's house was used as a rehearsal facility in the early 80's. Achim owned a car
and he appeared with Pogo to transport some amplifiers.
7) Same question for Ralf Wehowsky and P16D4 members.
...and Steffen Schütze says: Mainz is a small town so it's difficult not to know each other.
8) What was exactly your "job" on the 'Distruct' album of P16.D4 (you are credited of "concept" on three titles)?
Somewhen, Ralf Wehowsky asked me to come along to listen to some tapes. Told me about his vision to re-arrange those music-examples.
We talked, played the tracks, forewards, backwards, fast speed, on reverse, cut them up - discussed our work and liked it.
It was a trial to bring the sounds of separated, distant noise producers into the view, the taste of (an assumed) "P16.D4 listener".
You get - what you want...they should get what they want.
9)It seems NTL ceased to exist around 1986, after the release of 'Wanton' LP... Why?
There I have to mention some reasons. Unemployed since 1979, but doing some time-jobs and with the help of the "Unemployment Bureau",
I had eked out a living. In the meantime the german government had modified the "social system" so far, that I had to get along with only
a short income. This was the point, when I decided (in ca. 1985) to forget my vision to become a professional "urban planner".
In the field of the music there was no serious possibility for a sufficient income in sight ( in the "cassette-culture" the commercialism
was too marginal, and the sales of the "Wanton" lp too moderate). But I had to pay my rent, the telefon, my car, etc. regularily. So I re-educated
and became a "software developer" and (with the help of a good friend) an employment at a software company in Hanau (nearby Frankfurt).
Now, I was fixed quite strongly in my profession, time became a lean property. At the end, only the weekends remained to play the synthesizers,
to answer the mails, to pack up the records and and to mail them, etc. Came along, that (at the direct social context) no or only a short demand
for our music had come into existence...So, I forgot to make music. The machines stood packed up in the vaults.
10) What did you do (in musical terms - and in other ones if you want to reply
to a more private question - I won't use your reply in the book of course) until
the new incarnation of the band?
see chapter 9. And (my) life was full of problems.The musical ones didn't play an important role. Can't remember what kind of music
were in my ears (at this time).
11) Why do you thought it was a good idea (and it really was !) to reform the band? When did you reformed it exactly?
About 1996. I had moved from Koblenz to Berlin. Had yet transported some parts of my furnishing to Berlin. Amongst others my synthesizer
and my (TEAC) cassette-recorder. I ran wild in my living-room, beat the rhythm with a glas of marmelade, which was filled with coins, clashed the
syncopes with my bathshoes, inserted a (portugese) language-CD and filled it up with a bass-sequence out of my "Korg" (MS 20)-synthesizer.
Thus the song "Glas d'Argent" (on the CD "Siga Siga") was created. Somewhen, between 1996 and 2000, a friend demonstrates his
electronic organ. A devive for a solo (party) entertainer. Integrated rhythm-device, 128 and more melodies, 100 songs, etc. Fantastic. How this
device plays, cries, beats ! Who's in there? I can persuade Philip to lend the machine to me for a week. I start to cress the keys. Would like
to start a project, which is dominated by the music of machines like Synthesizers, Sequencers, and/or Samplers. I remember Chrislo Haas, the former
player (synthesizer) with "D.A.F."and "Liaisons Dangereuses". He lives in Berlin, still engaged in music. Buy all his (newer) records. I'm exalted.
Try - but without success - to get in contact with him. Nevertheless, I decide to invent (once again) music with the help of machines on my own.
12) How did you meet the new members? What is their musical background (if they have
one)?
In the meantime (see chapter 11), I had tested some organs, synthesizers, etc. (some of my friends owned those devices - you only
had to ask them !). Already some songs recorded (still on my old "TEAC 144", this 4 track-cassette-recorder). Now it was the time to buy
some new hardware (some digital synthesizers and drum-machines). I advertised in some Berlin magazines to find teammates.
But only when I reacted on an advertisment of Christian Reichelt, there was a meeting. We were joined (also due to this advertisment)
by another "electronic" musician, named Alex Türpitz. We started to realize our musical visions. Both guys were born in the "DDR"
(German Democratic Republic). Christian Reichelt had been part of a band called "Blindhead", which had produced, like their idols,
the "Einstürzende Neubauten" a lot of sounds and noise. Since then, he had put all his money into studio-equipment and could now
exhibt a precious "home-recording" studio. Alex Türpitz had played the drums with a 'Punk'-band, called "Sperma Sperrmüll", but drifted
into the genre of electronic music (under the name 'Extemporalis', (as a fan of "Tangerine Dream) and had yet released a real CD by
this name. The CD "/Bin/Med/Usa" is produced. But we don't find any label to help us to sell the product. Disappointed, Christian Reichelt
and Alex Türpitz, terminate their (musical) collaboration. I decide to finance the making by myself. Get (surprise !) some contact with
Manfred Schieck (the owner of the cult-label "Dossier"). Persuade him to publish the CDs "Siga Siga" and "/Bin/Med/Usa" on his label.
The artwork is made by Robert Schalinski (who's with "Column One"). In 2004, I meet Andy "Hettpenger" Laaf. He's a professional musician,
plays drums with "Mad Sin", "Die Skeptiker", but experienced (electronic music) with the "Blind Passengers" and "Cassandra Complex"
in the past. Additional, he had, for his own, composed some electronic soundscapes. We decided, that some of his archive-material
should be used for NTL-songs ( but at the same time we reached the agreement, that he wouldn't play live with NTL). Surprisingly,
Achim Wollscheid was willing to step in (with his guitar work), when we were asked to play the "Klangbad"-festival (in 2008).
13) In few words, what was (if there was one) the political / social "message" of NTL during the early
days? What it is now ?
first approach:
In the end of '82, in the course of a radio-show we are asked: "What do you really want ?". But we could / can
not give a (simple/distinct) answer. If we should know it, we could stop searching.
second approach:
The (still perceivable) world is a complex mixture of many systems. They cooperate, come into conflict with others, overlap, are deleted
and re-established again, from time to time. People have constituted their economic, social, cultural politicals systems to ease their
existence/subsistence. Historical rules can't be noticed, a class of people, which should plan something revolutionary, seems to be a peril
for those like us. Dominance of people over people, but also over the other objects of our world, and, informations are not excluded,
is a principle of structure, which is used in almost each "modern" society as a highly effective tool. A permament memory for this fact,
the permanet criticism at the "ruling situations", to swap into really different systems makes it possible for a personal structure to survive
in the rooms of dominance, which had been constructed by so called "majorities". There resistant behaviour might follow, but also allows
an adaptive one, to supply more social-partners with this possibility of this kind of approach. First established in the cultural area, this vision is
able to develop as an "subcultural" hold point, can agree to the newest "style", can negate it. Call of programmes, now sound-events, their
configuration, new order. Reorganisation until dis-identification, alientation. But must stand the accusation: "What do you really want?"
But isn't ashamed of not giving a distinct answer - is more ashamed, if nationalism, racism, capitalism turn somersaults in the heads of our
fellow men. If a movement (to name only one: "Punk") is lead to the feeding bowl of the "Rock-music" and music again becomes something,
which the brutal rulers of the occident have already once celebrated with a merciless cynism: As the music to salute the maltreated, grated,
suppressed. To perceive - to bear - to hold it out - he who doesn't close his eyes may turn. The world isn't yet in (best) order. Solution:
he who will not turn - will not change anything ! After Auschwitz there's still a place like Guantanamo.
And there other games played than "Blackjack" ...
third approach:
"Liars, betrayers, parasites - they are the leaders of our time. Laserbombs and rockets, directed by satellites will report the mankind from us
- very funny, the whole thing, isn't it? The music of NTL reminds at this deeper insight: Rock'n Roll is about fucking...and fucking...and fucking!"
forth approach:
NTL expresses a state of being "different" and asks the listener to engage in those (different) vocabulary of hearing and concepts.
"To be different" often enunciates into the request: "say NO instead of YES" (at this point, I'd like to point you to the results of the
"Milgram-experiment", which documented the behaviour of people in authoriterian relationships).
14) I am really surprised to see how little copies
of your recent work are made. 69, 100 copies only... Is it a choice or can't you
make things in different way with your own label? An album as good as 'England
Ihren Feinden Schenken' would deserve much more distribution, I really think it.
Realizing, we would not find any CD label for our newest productions, no distribution partner for our newest products, we (Steffen Schütze
and me, both living in Berlin) decided, to do the work for ourselves. Both employed, we wanted to keep the work loading as slight
as possible. Thus a limited edition of 69 copies (per edition) seemed to be acceptable. There's no problem to copy the records from a "master"
to a "slave". But, to create the artwork, to box the CDs, to mail them all over the world and similar operations cost a lot of time. And of course
we know/knew, that there is a limited interest in this kind of music (even if you're thinking in a global scale). We don't (didn't) want to stock
our products for an anonymous, unknown market.
...and Steffen Schütze says: I would make more copies (maybe with less time for creation for each item) if I'd see a chance to sell them.
15) I noticed a very strange use of french language in some lyrics and in the
titles of the first tapes... Why are you using this language? Are the frequent
"errors" intentional? ("pourquoi de" is grammatically incorrect in french...)
see chapter 4. Another aim, beside the admiration of the so called "french way of life", was to establish a compensation to the british/american
dominance of terms, which you could perceive in the "rock-business" (in the papers, magazines, radio-transmissions, recording studios, etc.)
Not as a nationalistic attitude, but against the brackets of our (language) culture by "anglisms" (but sometimes we broke through this concept,
to ease the listening for english speaking people): german-english entanglement, which showcased itself sometimes extremely" like "Dadaisdic".
Nothing made anymore sense, everything was only sound (and loud). The french words (in songs and lyrics) have been intended to build up
the impression of "advertising": need not to be correct (in a grammatical sense)! Aim: to direct the view of the "settled" german listener upon the
(direct) european neighbour and to make it possible for the french speaking listener to enter into NTL's-music ("german" should sound LIKE
"french", but we never intended to appear as "french people").
...and Steffen Schütze says: I answered that before didn't I ?. Achim mentioned that he is quite good in French (he lived in Trier).
I didn't know that before. I don't even know if "Noveaux printemps" is perfect French.
28.10.2011 Berlin, Germany
Questions by Eric Duboys
Answers by Sea Wanton (except where noted)
0.) Dear Sea,
Many thanks for accepting to reply to few other questions...
hi over there.
before going deep into the details, I want to thank the following persons (and their projects) - to name just a few ! - :
- John Lydon (+ Sex Pistols + P.I.L.). they re-started it all! best songs: 'E.M.I.' + 'Flowers of Romance'
- Joachim Stender (+ PD, later: P16.D4). he brought us/me back into this (boring music) game (in the late 70s) . because he made us use our German language again, and trying to leave all or at least, many, constricting musical limitations behind (a really difficult trial, when you follow such musicians like Karlheinz. Stockhausen or Can). best song: 'Alltag'
- Peter Hein (+ Mittagspause). they really succeeded to develop a fresh, new German (simple, but authentic) 'rock'-music with some weird, slim lyrics. best song: 'Ernstfall'
- Gabi-Delgado Lopez (+ D.A.F.). the band agreed (ca. 1982) , when we asked them to publish their performance at the 'Belehrung Und Unterhaltung' festival (Berlin, 1980) on compact cassette. actual, I wasn't very interested in their 'disco-like' songs, but fascinated by the sequencer/synthesizer loops, which Chrislo Haas had established (while working in the U.K.). abstract, provocative and marterial lyrics, too. great guitar play. best songs: 'Gewalt' + 'El Basilon'
- Genesis P-Orridge (+ Throbbing Gristle). we only met them once, when they performed at the 'Städel' (Frankfurt), in 1980.
They successfully combined the raw power of noise and ecstasy, the cold melancholy of the machines + synthesizers (like 'Kraftwerk'), the social/political shock entertainment and the aggressive mood of the current 'punk-attitude'. appeared as the first step to an (promising) alternative music-business network. best song: 'Discipline'
- William Bennett (+ Whitehouse). we stood in the audience, when they performed in Bonn, 1984. a lecture in power noise and anti-/not music. extreme music, near to the white noise, leaving the cacophonies of Velvet Underground far behind.
- Greame Revell (+SPK) they played nearby (at Wiesbaden, in 1981) and allowed us to publish the recordings from the show, which we had done on a so-called 'walk-man'. shock strategy/therapy combined with tribal rhythms and a lot of provocating, unsetteling videos/movies.
- John Peel. never met him, never talked to him (although there are some rumours, that he has been in the audience when we played at the 'Atonal Festival 2' (Berlin, 1983). his radio shows were so excentric...but he played fine music, all in all. no media format was excluded. he liked the other side...we too.
- Blixa Bargeld (+ Einstürzende Neubauten). we gazed at them twice in the 80s, fascinated by their strange approach (they used old oil cans and rotten steel to generate 'avantgarde' music, looking as if they had just escaped from an asylum !!). but the lyrics are very poetic,melancholic, sometimes aggressive and fit very well into the 'old-fashioned' sounds. best song + very impressive: the 'Yü-Güng' song.
1) Who was the mysterious Heiko Wöhler who played with NTL at their two concerts in Amsterdam and Arnhem in october 1985? Can't find anything about him anywhere... What was he playing? guitar?
I think, it was Ralf Wehowsky (from P16.D4) who has asked me to tour the Netherlands (together with the "P16.D4' and 'S.B.O.T.H.I.'). Indeed, 'Non Toxique Lost' has lost all its founders at this time - except me. Thus, I placed an advertisment in some German magazines to ask if someone was willing to accompany my (forthcoming) performances. I got only two replies: one by Cem Oral (now acting as 'Jammin' Unit) and the other one by Heiko Wöhler. Heiko lived nearby (some blocks in distance from my flat in Mainz), producing 'independent' video-works (movies) and playing synthesizers. And seriously interested in musical collages by mixing the electronic sounds of his machines with pre-recorded (on tape) sounds. He was the one, who produced the (one and only !) video-recording (taped on 'U-matic' and published on 'VHS') of 'Non Toxique Lost', called 'Vermischungen/Mergers' (ca. 40 minutes long). Heiko worked at a small video-production company called 'LichtEcht' (which tranlates to 'LightTrue') and produced some shambolic 'chaotic'? (punk- and new wave-like) movies, but also some commercial stuff (for a German televison organization). Today, there are only some hints on his actual activities (in the web), but it seems, as if he's still working (successfully) as a professional cutter for some German television companies.
2) The situation with the label and the date of release of 'Wanton' LP seems also problematic.
From one side, Discogs indicates that it was released on Neuer Frühling, as you can see here :
http://www.discogs.com/Non-Toxique-Lost-Wanton/release/423706
On the other side I've got here at home an old message from Steffen Schütze I printed where he told me that "Wanton wasn't released on Neuer Frühling".
So, was it on Can-Can? Maybe there are two versions....
Seems as if T.Poem (aka Steffen Schütze) is right: the album was released on 'Can Can' in 1985. Yes, I can't remember the correct date, but it must have been in 1985, because when we performed at the 'Ambulance Station Festival' (1985, London), I asked Simon Crap (then playing with 'Bourbonese Qualk') to sell some of the records in the U.K. The press plant was called "Record Partner" (a company nearby Hamburg/Germany) and the disc got the number "RP 10365".
3) Does it mean that in fact NTL has disappeared as soon as mid 1984 (the Geminox festival was in june of that year)? And the two concerts from 1985 are just a kind of ultimate exhumations of the band?
That's right. The band had disbanded.
4) Why Steffen Schütze isn't credited on Wanton?
Does it mean he also leaved the band around the same time as Achim? When and why?
Can't remember precisely. But they were close friends at this time. It's likely, that T.Poem (Steffen Schütze) didn't want to go on without Achim's participation. T.Poem didn't appear on any of the songs on 'Wanton'.
Some "personal" considerations on "electric/electronic music" (Sea Wanton, 1.11.2011).
When you grew up in the 60s, especially in Western-Germany, your musical socialisation was mainly not taken over by mass-media (as today), but by "freaked out" friends and other peer groups.
At this time, one of my friends could afford "hip" products like "Are You Experienced"" (1967) from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. We met in the evening, he started his turntable and we entered an exciting new world (of sounds, fashion, styles and manners of behaviour). Although deeply involved in guitar handcraft, J. Hendrix created feedbacks, loudness levels and vibrations, reverbs, echoes and distortions, which sounded like "electronic sounds". They opened our minds for a new sonic "universe" (e.g., "Third Stone From The Sun"). Then came along the "I Had Too Much Too Dream (Last Night)" song (1967) by the Electric Prunes, which blew into the pop-music culture the fresh air of dark, menacing, psychedelic soundwaves. Strange enough, one of my favourite "blues" bands, the Canned Heat, had done 'Parthenogenesis' on the double longplay album called "Living The Blues" (1969). Playing crazy synthesizer patterns, turning knobs and thus leaving the listener confused behind. Right now, I was very well prepared for those "ultimate" space-rockers, named Pink Floyd. Their 'Interstellar Overdrive' from the "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" album (1967) was played below stairs in the basement-clubs (we called them "discotheques", then, there were huge loudspeakers plus some laser light and one white wall for the movies) at the highest possible level, accompanied by bubble lights and surreal movies and made us dance the whole night long. Spacy, scary, and blow-up visuals the prime time for "acid rock". When the U.S.A. enforced its military engagement in the Vietnam-war, my interest in political processes and interdependencies increased. Consequently, I listened attentively the Beatles "Revolution 9" song, an avant-garde sound collage on the "The Beatles" album (1968) (usually known as the "White Album"), and the Mothers of Invention music, especially when Frank Zappa (on the album " We Are Only In It For The Money", 1968) added some tape-manipulations (cut-ups) into the "Mothers" songs, referring to the oeuvre of Edgar Varese (note the Zappa-slogan: "The Daily Composer Refuses To Die"). At this point, there was only a short step to switch to the German bands like Can ('Oh Yeah' from the "Tago Mago" album, 1971), Neu ! ('Hallogallo"' from the "Neu !" album, 1972) and Kraftwerk ('Autobahn', 1974). They combined their (often monotonous and atonal) music with any available effect, which could be realized by a "contemporary" and up-to-date recording-studio in the 70s.
Of course, you could only buy the vinyl at specific record-shops (often only in big cities like Hamburg, Berlin or München / Munich). Or even worse, you had to order them via mail order, an expensive and time-consuming adventure, because the records were often shipped from abroad).
Parallel to this "pop-music" I listened to modern so called (German term !) "e-music" ("e"=serious in contrary to "u"=entertaining music), whenever it was broadcasted on the radio. When Eward Kobrin played his "computer controlled music" ("Hybrid 1 To 5") in 1975, I recorded the (radio) show on compact-cassette. And, in 2011, I decided to use this material (by kindly permission of E. Kobrin) as background tracks for "NTL"s next production, which will be called "ZeitrastLeTempsPasseViteTimeFlies" (the cd will be realeased in 2012). I listened to the "Kurzwellen" from Karheinz Stockhausen, to the units of Pierre Schaeffer, the founder of the "Musique Concrete", and to the works of John Cage (e.g., "Lecture on Nothing"), Edgar Varese, Josef Anton Riedl, Olivier Messiaen, Steve Reich (e.g.,"Clapping Music"), Vinko Globokar (e.g., "Atemstudie für Oboe") and Wolfgang Rihm. To speak frankly, most of the units impressed more by their design and construction than by the musical results, which left my loudspeakers/headphones. The music seemed to be too artificial, away from my awareness of life. I longed for more dynamic, powerful ecstasy and actions. Even those well-known attempts, for instance by David Axelrod, infiltrating the Electric Prunes ('Mass in F Minor') or Pierre Henry, who bored his effects into 'Ceremony', the famous Spooky Tooth album, couldn"t please me in extensor. However, I found it fascinating, that "pop-music" could be driven forward, alienated in such a manner. It has got a new (but unfortunately, not a better) quality"...