Con

Born in 1937, Conrad Schnitzler was one of the most original and influential audio artists in Germany. Having studied under Josef Beuys in Düsseldorf in the early 60s, he found himself in Berlin towards the end of the decade. There, with a similarly-aged Hans-Joachim Roedelius, they started both the Zodiak Free Arts Lab club and the group Kluster; eventually, Schnitzler also joined Tangerine Dream, playing cello on their debut album. His earliest solo recordings were mostly private releases—commissions from galleries, or cassettes—and most were titled with a color (Schwarz, Rot, Blau, Grün, usw.). Schnitzler's forte, however, was his so-called "intermedia," or performance art. Iconic images of Schnitzler either face-painted in a Kabuki mask, or wearing a motorcycle helmet mounted with a megaphone and holding tape-recorder, reveal his true artistic self. But in 1978, he teamed up with Peter Baumann at his Paragon Studio to record a more commercial release, simply titled Con. "Electric Garden" opens the record, revealing a stark, electronic landscape. Blips, bleeps and washes of sound may render it alien-sounding, but their construction is preeminent here. The ensuing "Ballet Statique" offers a minimal sequence over its five minutes, as well as a contemplative, even soothing mood. "Zug" kicks off the second side; and yes, it mimics a train. The following "Metall 1" is white noise, while "Black Nails" reprises many of the album's themes. Con saw release on the French label Egg (and would later be retitled Ballet Statique when it was released on CD). From here, Schnitzler would enter his most prolific stage—at least, from a commercially-viable release standpoint-working with other artists, including his son Gregory and Wolfgang Seidel. He even collaborated with Baumann again in 1982 as Berlin Express; they produced a new wave-ish 12-inch for CBS's Portrait Records in the US.