HOLGER CZUKAY-ELEVEN YEARS INNERSPACE.

dereksmusicblog ♦ May 20, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment

HOLGER CZUKAY-ELEVEN YEARS INNERSPACE.

The very first Record Store Day took place back in 2007. Since then, Record Store Day has become a huge event. This year, on 18th April 2015, 1,400 record shops worldwide celebrated Record Store Day. For the ninth Record Store Day, record companies across the globe released a plethora of exclusive releases. 

Ahead of Record Store Day, a list of releases was published. Just like previous years, the number of release has grown. Vinyl collectors were spoilt for choice. Record Store Day 2015 was going to be an expensive day. So, clutching a wad of cash and a credit card, vinyl junkies made their way to their local record shop. It was a case of arrive early.

Those that didn’t, risked being at the end of a lengthy queue. Mostly, it’s good natured day, with Record Store Day veterans swapping tales of past campaigns. Newcomers discuss their want lists. Then when the doors open, it’s every man or women for them-self.

Everyone makes a beeline for where the Record Store releases are situated. This includes the latest limited edition release from Holger Czukay, Eleven Years Innerspace, which was released by Berlin based Grönland Records.

Eleven Years Innerspace features six unreleased songs.Holger Czukay recorded the songs at the legendary Innerspace Studios earlier in his long and illustrious career. It began back in the late sixties. However, the Holger Czukay story began in 1938.

The future Holger Czukay was born in March 1938, as Holger Schüring. Holger’s home was what was then called the Free City of Danzig. Nowadays, it’s known as Gdansk. In January 1945, Holger and his family were forced to flee their home.

“When I was a child I had to leave my hometown Danzig in Poland. My mother had already bought the tickets for the ship, the Wilhelm Gustlof, when my grandmother warned us that the “water hasn’t got any planks”. I never forgot this sentence, because it saved our lives. We didn’t go onboard the ship, but went to the main station on January 13th 1945. It was a freezing night We were extremely lucky that a train with wounded soldiers picked us up, and they gave us a little bit of room on their mattresses to sleep, and we headed to Berlin. When we arrived i looked out of the window and all I could see were stones and a free field and I asked myself if this can be a capital city?” Having arrived in Berlin, Holger and his family became refugees. 

Just like so many children, the war had an impact upon Holger’s education. Like so many displaced children, Holger’s education suffered. Despite this, Holger managed to get a job in a radio repair shop. Not only did he learn how to repair electrical equipment, but became fascinated by radio and the opportunities it offered. This would prove crucial to Holger Czukay’s later career. Before that, Holger served his musical apprenticeship.

For a three year period between 1963 and 1966, Holger Czukay was privileged to study music under the legendary Karlheinz Stockhausen. “A true pioneer, Karlheinz was way ahead of time.” During his time studying with Karlheinz, Holger met Conny Plank and Irmin Schmidt.

Holger remembers “Conny sitting behind him, writing out a score by hand.” At first “Conny was quiet,” but they “soon became close friends,” during their time studying with Karlheinz Stockhausen. It was a thorough musical education, where Karlheinz taught his pupils about aleatoric music, serial composition and musical spatialisation.

Karlheinz wasn’t just a “visionary” in terms of electronic music, but was fascinated by aleatoric music. Essentially, aleatory is controlled chance. With aleatoric music, some element of a piece are left to chance. Granted there will only be a certain number of outcomes, but the musician has to choose the outcome they believe is correct. Serialism was another subject Karlheinz was interested in. With serialism, a series of values are used to manipulate musical elements. This form of composition fascinated Karlheinz. So did musical spatialism, which would influence Can. Karlheinz was an evangelist, encouraging his pupils, including Holger Czukay and Conny Plank to investigate, examine and scrutinise each of these subjects between 1963 and 1966.

For Holger, he could have asked for a better musical education. He admits “Karlheinz taught me so much.” When I asked Holger the most important thing Karlheinz taught him, he didn’t hesitate. Karlheinz told him to “find your own sound.” Holger never forget those words of advice. They became his musical mantra, when eventually, he decided to make a career as a musician. However, when Holger finished studying with Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1966,  he became a  musical teacher.

Having graduated, Holger was enjoying life as a music teacher. Holger was enjoying his newfound career as an educator. He wasn’t a fan of pop or rock music. That was about to change in 1967.

That’s when Holger heard The Beatles’ I Am A Walrus in 1967, he was captivated by this psychedelic rock single. Holger describes this “as a life-changing moment…the music of the past and present came together.” At last, “here was music that made the connection between what I’d studied and I was striving towards” With the innovative use of bursts of radio and the experimental sound and structure, “I went in search of similar music.” 

So I asked Holger about what type of music he started listening to? Specifically, I asked about Frank Zappa and Velvet Underground? Did they influence you, and ultimately Can? “Frank Zappa I didn’t get.” “Velvet Underground they were different, they were really influential” “They influenced the music I made…I remember the first time I heard Velvet Underground and where I heard it.”

Much of the music that influenced Holger, he heard whilst spending time with friends. Holger is a huge fan of vinyl. He remembers “sitting in a friend’s flat “looking through piles of albums. We’d study the sleeve-notes and then spread the album covers all over the floor. We scrutinised them, then immersed ourselves in the music. It was a shared experience. We listened and discussed the music. I can remember these times well.” Listening to Holger speak, he’s a real music fan. His enthusiasm is infectious. So much so, that it’s as if your sitting in the flat with Holger and his friends, looking at the album covers, listening to the music and discussing it. This music would go on to influence Holger’s future career.

Inspired by what he’d heard, Holger decided to form his own band in 1968…Can. Can’s roots can be traced back to the previous year, when one of Can’s co-founders was studying in time. This was Irmin Schmidtm who’d studied under Karlheinz Stockhausen, at the same time as Holger, fellow pupils was Irmin Schmidt. 

After graduating, Irmnin headed to New York, where he spent time with avant-garde musicians like Steve Reich, Terry Riley and La Monte Young. Soon, Irmin was aware of Andy Warhol and Velvet Underground. This inspired him to form his own band when he returned home to Cologne.

In Cologne, Irmin a pianist and organist formed Can with American avant garde flautist David C. Johnson and bassist Holger Czukay. Up until then, the trio had exclusively played avant-garde classical music. Now their ambitions lay beyond that. Their influences included garage, rock, psychedelia, soul and funk.  So they brought onboard three new members of the group, which started life as Inner Space, and then became The Can. Eventually, they settled on Can, an acronym of communism, anarchy, nihilism.

The first two new additions were guitarist Michael Karoli and drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Vocalist and New York-based sculptor Malcolm Mooney joined the band midway through 1968. By then, they were recording material for an album Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom. Two tracks, Father Cannot Yell and “Outside My Door were already recorded. Unfortunately, record companies weren’t interested in Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom. As a result, it wasn’t released until 1981, when it was released as Delay 1968. Undeterred, Can continued to record what became their debut album, Monster Movie.

Despite not being able to interest a record company in Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom, Can were confident in their own ability. So Can continued recording what would become their debut album Monster Movies. That’s despite being what Holger referred to as “a poor man’s band.” They didn’t have the equipment that other groups did. What they did have was “an ambition to create innovative music.” However, before long, there was a problem.

David C. Johnson left Can at the end of 1968. He was disappointed at the change in musical direction. Little did he realise that he’d lost the chance to be part of one of the most groundbreaking band’s in musical history, Can.

Monster Movie.

Monster Movie had been recorded in Schloss Nörvenich, a 14th-century castle in North Rhine-Westphalia. Can recorded Monster Movie  between 1968-69. It was the released in August 1969. This marked the debut of Can. Their career started as they meant to go on. A groundbreaking, genre-melting fusion of blues, free jazz, psychedelia, rock and world music, Monster Movies has a Velvet Underground influence. It’s as if Can have been inspired by Velvet Underground and pushed musical boundaries to their limits.

Throughout Monster Movie, Can improvised, innovated and experimented. Multilayering and editing played an important part in Monster Movie’s avant garde sound. So did spontaneous composition, which Can pioneered. 

Spontaneous composition was hugely important in Can’s success. Holger remembers “that the members of Can were always ready to record. They didn’t take time to think. It was spontaneous. The music flowed through them and out of them.” Holger remembers that he was always “given the job of pressing the record button. This was a big responsibility as the fear was failing to record something we could never recreate.” In some ways, Can were an outlet for this outpouring of creativity, which gave birth to a new musical genre.

This new musical genre was dubbed Krautrock by the British music press. So not only was Monster Movie the album that launched Can’s career, but saw a new musical genre, Krautrock coined. The founding father’s of Krautrock were Can, lead by Holger Czukay.

Canaxis 5,

1969 saw the release of Holger Czukay’s debut album. Credited to the Technial Space Composer’s Crew, Canaxis 5 was a collaboration between Holger and Ralf Dammers. Canaxis 5 is an often overlooked album, which features two lengthy tracks. It shows two innovative musicians pushing the musical envelop, as Can would continue to do.

Soundtracks.

Released in 1970, Soundtracks, was Can’s sophomore album. Essentially, Soundtracks is a compilation of tracks Can wrote for the soundtracks to various films. It’s the album that marked the departure of vocalist Malcolm Mooney. Replacing him, was Japanese busker, Kenji Damo Suzuki. He features on five of the tracks, contributing percussion and vocals. The addition of Damo wasn’t the only change Can were making.

Soundtracks was a coming of age for Can. It marked a move away from the psychedelic jams of Monster Movie  and a move towards their classic sound. That saw the music becoming much more experimental and avant-garde. The music took an ambient, meditative, mesmeric and thoughtful sound. This marked the beginning of what became known as Can’s classic years, when albums like Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi and Future Days were released. 

Tago Mago.

The first instalment in the golden quartet was Tago Mago. This was the first album where Kenji Damo Suzuki was a permanent member of Can. He and the rest of Can spent a year in the castle in Schloss Nörvenich. It was owned by an art collector named Mr. Vohwinkel. He allowed Can to stay at Schloss Nörvenich rent free. For what Holger described as “a poor man’s band,” this was perfect. 

Holger remembers Can during this year as “just jamming and seeing what took shape. Songs started as lengthy jams and improvised pieces.” This Holger remembers is “how Can always worked” After that, Holger worked his magic. He edited them and these mini masterpieces  featured on Tago Mago, which was four months in the making.

For four months between November 1970 and February 1971, Can recorded what would become one of their most innovative and influential albums, Tago Mago. 

A double album, it featured seven groundbreaking tracks. Tago Mago was released in February 1971. Straight away, critics realised the importance of Tago Mago. Here was a game-changer of an album. It has an intensity that other albums released in 1971 lacked. Jazzier with an experimental sound, the music is mysterious, mesmeric and multilayered. It’s innovative, with genres and influences melting into one. Nuances, subtleties and surprises reveal themselves. No wonder. Can deliver an avant garde masterclass.

This comes courtesy of jazz-tinged drumming, improvised guitar playing and showboating keyboard solos. Then there was Kenji Damo Suzuki’s unique vocal style. All this, resulted in an album that was critically acclaimed, influential and innovative. 

Released to widespread critical acclaim in 1971, Tago Mago was the start of a golden period for Can. Their reputation as one of the most innovative groups of the seventies started to take shape. Can had released one of the most innovative albums, Tago Mago. Holger remembers the reaction to Tago Mago. “I knew Tago Mago was an innovative album, but I never realised just how innovative an album it would become?

On Tago Mago’s release, it was hailed as their best album yet. However, not in Holger’s opinion. “Tago Mago is a classic album, but I much prefer Future Days.” Despite Holger’s preference, several generations of musicians have been inspired by Tago Mago, a true Magnus Opus, that belongs in every record collection. So does the followup Ege Bamyasi.

Ege Bamyasi.

Can were on a roll. It seemed they could do no wrong. They released Spoon as a single in 1972. It reached number six in Germany, selling over 300,000 copies. That was helped no end, by the single being used as the theme to a German thriller Das Messer. It seemed nothing could go wrong for Can. The money the made from Spoon, allowed Can to hire disused cinema to record what became Ege Bamyasi.

Can adverted for a space to record their next album, Ege Bamyasi. Recording began in a disused cinema, which doubled as a recording studio and living space. The sessions at Inner Space Studio, in Weilerswist, near Cologne didn’t go well. Irmin Schmidt and Kenji Damo Suzuki took to playing marathon chess sessions. As a result, Can hadn’t enough material for an album. This resulted in Can having to work frantically to complete Ege Bamyasi. Despite this, Can were still short of material. So Spoon was added and Ege Bamyasi was completed.

Ege Bamyasi was a fusion of musical genres. Everything from jazz, ambient, world music, psychedelia, rock and electronica melted into one. When it was Ege Bamyasi released in November 1972, it was to the same critical acclaim as previous albums. Critics were won over by Can’s fourth album. It was perceived as a more accessible album than its predecessors. Just like Can’s previous albums, the quality of music was consistent.

Critica hailed Can as one of the few bands capable of creating consistent and pioneering albums. They were one of the most exciting bands of the early seventies. Can were continuing to innovate and influence musicians and music lovers alike. Just like its predecessor, Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi is an essential part of any self respecting record collection. Having released two consecutive classic albums and their first single, it seemed nothing could go wrong for Can.

Future Days.

Despite Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi being referred to as two of the most influential albums ever released, Holger Czukay prefers Future Days. This is the album he calls “my favourite Can album.” It was the third in Can’s golden quartet, and marked a change in direction from Can.

Future Days saw Can’s music head in the direction of ambient music. The music is atmospheric, dreamy, ethereal, melancholy, expansive and full of captivating, mesmeric rhythms. It’s also pioneering and progressive, with elements of avant garde, experimental, psychedelia and rock melting into one. Rather than songs, soundscapes describes the four tracks. Future Days and Bel Air showcase Can’s new sound. Bel Air was the Future Day’s epic. It lasted just over nineteen minutes, and sees can take you on an enthralling  musical journey. Just like the rest of Future Days, critics hailed the album a classic.

On its release in August 1973, Future Days was hailed a classic by music critics. The move towards ambient music may have surprised some Can fans. However, Brian Eno was just one artist pioneering ambient music. This move towards ambient music must have pleased Holger’s guru Karlheinz Stockhausen. He must have looked on proudly as Can released the third of a quartet of classic albums. The final album in this quartet, Soon Over Babaluma was released in 1974.

Soon Over Babaluma.

Soon Over Babaluma marked the end of Can’s golden period. It was the end of a period where they were releasing some of their most innovative and groundbreaking music. There was a change of direction on Soon Over Babaluma. Can were without a vocalist. Kenji Damo Suzuki left Can and married his German girlfriend. He then became a Jehovah’s Witness. Despite the lack of a vocalist, Can continued as a quartet. They released Soon Over Babaluma in November 1974.

When Can released Soon Over Babaluma in November 1974, it received praise from critics. With a myriad of beeps, squeaks and sci-fi sounds, Soon Over Babaluma is like  musical journey into another, 21st Century dimension. A musical tapestry where layers of music are intertwined during five tracks on Soon Over Babaluma. It followed in the ambient footsteps of Future Days and brought to a close the most fruitful period of Can’s career. Following the “golden quartet,” Can didn’t go into decline. Instead, Can continued to reinvent themselves and their music.

Landed.

Landed was released in September 1975. It had been recorded between February and April 1972 at Inner Space Studios. Just like previous albums, Can produced Landed. Holger and Tony Robinson mixed the first four tracks at Studio Dierks, Stommeln. The other two tracks were mixed by Holger at Inner Space Studios. These six tracks marked a change of direction from Can. 

As well as a change in direction musically, Landed was the first Can album to be released on Virgin Records. Gone is the ambient sound of Soon Over Babaluma. Only Unfinished on Landed has an ambient influence. Instead, Landed has a poppy, sometimes glam influence. With uptempo, shorter songs, Landed was a much more traditional album. How would the critics react?

Critics were divided about Landed. Some critics saw Landed as the next chapter in the Can story, while others praised the album as adventurous, eclectic and innovative. Others thought Can were conforming. Surely not?  

Flow Motion.

Flow Motion was Can’s eight album. As usual, it was recorded at Inner Space Studios. Produced by Can, Flow Motion was an album that drew inspiration from everything from funk, reggae, rock and jazz. It was an eclectic, genre-melting album. It’s also one of Holger Czukay’s favourite Can albums. 

Holger remembers Flow Motion as an “Innovative and eclectic” album. He calls it “one of Can’s underrated albums,” Flow Motion marked a another change in Can’s way of working.

Released in October 1976, Flow Motion featured lyrics written by Peter Gilmour. This was a first. Never before, had anyone outside the band had written for Can. It worked. Can enjoyed their first UK single I Want More. It would later be recorded Fini Tribe and then Italo disco group Galaxis. With what was just their second hit single in seven years, maybe Can were about to make a commercial breakthrough?

Saw Delight.

Sadly, that wasn’t to be. Saw Delight which was released in March 1977, wasn’t the commercial success many people forecast. That’s despite the new lineup of Can embracing world music. 

Joining Can were bassist Rosko Gee and percussionist and vocalist Rebop Kwaku Baah. They’d previously been members of British rock band Traffic. Rosko Gee replaced Holger on bass. Holger decided to add a percussive element, Holger added a myriad of sound-effects. This was Holger at his groundbreaking best. Experimental sounds including a wave receiver was used. The result was one of the most ambitious albums can had released.

Despite the all-star lineup and a bold, progressive and experimental album, Saw Delight wasn’t a commercial success. It was well received by critics. The problem was, Saw Delight was way ahead of its time. If it had been released in the eighties, like albums by Paul Simon or Peter Gabriel, it would’ve been a bigger commercial success. Sadly, by then Can would be no more. That was still to come. However, things weren’t well within the Can camp.

Out Of Reach.

Nine years after Can had released their debut album Monster Movie, they released their tenth album, Out Of Reach. It was released in July 1978. The title proved to be a prophetic. After all, commercial success always seemed to elude Can. Not only did Out Of Reach fail commercially, but the Out Of Reach proved to be Can’s most controversial album. 

So much so, that they disowned Out Of Reach. On Out Of Reach Holger was left to add  myriad of sound-effects. Bassist Rosko Gee and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah of Traffic returned. They were part of the problem. Holger confirms this.

When I asked him what he meant by this, he said “During the recording of Out Of Reach, I felt an outsider in my own group. I was on the outside looking in. I was on the margins. All I was doing was add sound-effects.”  For Holger, he felt his group had been hijacked by Rosko Gee and and Rebop Kwaku Baah. Things got so bad, that Holger quit Can. 

Rosko Gee and Rebop Kwaku Baah dominated Out Of Reach. Gone was the loose, free-flowing style of previous albums. Even Jaki Liebezeit’s play second fiddle to Baah’s overpowering percussive sounds. The only positive thing was a guitar masterclass from Michael Karoli. Apart from this, things weren’t looking good for Can. It was about to get worse though.

The critics rounded on Out Of Reach. They found very little merit in Out Of Reach. Gee and Baah were rightly blamed for the album’s failure. Even Can disliked Out Of Reach. They later disowned Out Of Reach. Despite this, Rosko Gee and and Rebop Kwaku Baah remained members of Can.

Unable to play with the necessary freedom Can were famed for, the two ex-members of Traffic stifled Can. Rebop’s percussion overpowers Jaki’s drums, which have always been part of Can’s trademark sound. At least Michael’s virtuoso guitar solos are a reminder of classic Can. A nod towards Carlos Santana, they showed Can were still capable of moments of genius. There wouldn’t be many more of these. Can would breakup after their next album.

Can.

Following the failure of Out Of Reach, the members of Can began recording what became Can. Remarkably, Rosko Gee and Rebop Kwaku Baah were still part of Can. Sadly, Holger was not longer a member of Can. He’d left during the making of Out Of Reach. His only involvement was editing Can.

Can, which is sometimes referred to as Inner Space, was released in July 1979. Again, critics weren’t impressed by Can. It received mixed reviews. No longer were Can the critic’s darlings. The music on Can was a fusion of avant garde, electronica, experimental, psychedelia and rock. Add to that, a myriad of effects including distortion and feedback, and here was an album that divided the opinion of critics. The critics agreed, it was better than Out Of Reach. They agreed that Holger was sadly missed. 

Even Holger’s renowned editing skills couldn’t save Can. Try as he may, he could only work with what he was given. He did his best with Can, which the eleventh album from the group he co-founded. By the time Can was released, Holger “had come to a realisation, that it was time to go his own way.” Holger describes this as “necessary.” 

Can had split-up after the release of Can. That was their swan-song. However, even before that, Holger “felt marginalised, this had been the case since he Rosko Gee and Rebop Kwaku Baah became part of Can. They’d hijacked Can.” Now, Holger would embark upon his solo career. 

Movies,

Holger hadn’t really been making music since 1976. The last two Can albums saw Holger editing the music. So, Holger set about finding “his own sound again.” He’d “been through this with Can,” Now he’d have to do so again. It would be worth it though, when he released his first solo album since 1969s Canaxis 5, Movies.

Recording of Movies took place at Inner Space Studio, Cologne. This was where Can had recorded the best music of their career. It was like a Can reunion. Jaki Liebezeit played drums on Movies. Irmin Schmidt and Michael Karoli played on Oh Lord, Give Us More Money. Even Baah was drafted in to play organ on Cool In The Pool. Holger threw himself into the project. He recorded Movies and played guitars, bass, keyboards and synths. Then when the four songs that became Movies were completed, Holger mixed and produced the album. Movies saw Holger hailed the comeback King.

Released to critical acclaim, Movies was hailed as one of the best albums of 1979. It was an eclectic album. Described as variously psychedelic, cinematic, melodic, moody, understated and progressive, here was the next chapter in Holger’s musical career. The one track that everyone agreed was a minor masterpiece was Cool In The Pool. It was Movies’ Magnus Opus.  Holger’s decision to embark upon a solo career had been vindicated. He was back doing what he did best, creating ambitious, groundbreaking and pioneering music. That would continue in 1981, when Holger released On The Way To The Peak Of Normal.

On The Way To The Peak Of Normal.

When I spoke to Holger, he said “one of the albums I’m most proud of, is 1981s On The Way To The Peak Of Normal. It was Holger’s first collaboration with Conny Plank. 

Working with Conny Plank Holger remembers, was a revelation. Holger felt Conny was a consummate professional. “Here was someone who understood what I was trying to achieve.” He ensured that I never made music people neither understood, nor wanted to buy. The sessions were organised and disciplined, very difference from the indiscipline of late Can albums.” 

Recording took place in the familiar surroundings of Inner Space Studios, Cologne. The only member of Can were present was Jaki Liebezeit. Other members of the band included Conny Plank and Jah Wobble, who Holger and would collaborate with on the 1982 E.P. Full Circle and the 1983 Snake Charmer E.P. They’re two of many collaborations Holger would be involved with. That was still to come.

Before that, Holger released On The Way To The Peak Of Normal in 1981. Just like the early days of Can, Holger was the critic’s darling.

Critics were won over by On The Way To The Peak Of Normal. The albums was a fusion of ambient, avant-garde, electronic, experimental, funk, industrial, jazz, psychedelia and rock. Genre-melting describes an album of bold, challenging, innovative, inventive and influential music. It was a case of expect the unexpected on On The Way To The Peak Of Normal, which saw Holger continue to create groundbreaking music. Here, was one of the most inventive albums Holger had recorded.

Although Holger had been making music for three decades, he still had plenty to say musically. That would continue throughout the rest of the eighties, with his various collaborations and his 1984 album Der Osten ist Rot.

Der Osten ist Rot.

There was a three year gap between On The Way To The Peak Of Normal and Der Osten ist Rot. During that period, Holger was busy collaborating with other artists. A new generation of artists discovering his music, and Holger was discovering their music. 

He remembers spending time with Conny Plank in Cologne. Devo and the Eurythmics had been working with Conny. Holger was able to spend time in their company. One night, Holger remembers “Devo jamming, and they asked me to join them. I was impressed by their discipline and stability. It was a pleasure to play with them. Compared to Can in the end, it was totally different and a great experience. Especially with the Eurythmics watching.” Conny Plank, Holger remembers, was a hugely important influence on him and his music.

When recording of Der Osten ist Rot began at  Inner Space Studios, Cologne, there was still a Can influence. Holger had written six songs and cowrote three with Jaki Liebezeit of Can. Jaki also played drums, piano, trumpet and organ. Conny played synths and Michy took charge of vocal duties. Together, they played their part in another groundbreaking album from Holger Czukay.

Released in 1984, critics welcomed another ambitious and groundbreaking album. The combination of Holger, Conny Plank and Jaki Liebezeit had proved a powerful partnership. This is apparent when you listen to Der Osten Ist Rot, which remarkably, was released thirty years ago. Ambitious, progressive and eclectic, Holger and his band weave musical genres. They become something other artists will never have envisaged. These artists however, aren’t a visionary like Holger Czukay. That’s obvious on Der Osten Ist Rot, and the followup 

Rome Remains Rome.

Rome Remains Rome saw Holger joined by some familiar faces. This included two of Holger’s old friends from Can, guitaristMichael Karoli and drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Bassist Jah Wobble completed what was a fearsome rhythm section. They provided the heartbeat to Rome Remains Rome, which was released in 1987.

On its release in 1987, Rome Remains Rome saw the continued reinvention of Holger Czukay. He was a musical chameleon. No two albums were the same. Holger’s music continued to evolve. That’s what you’d expect from one of the most innovative musicians of his generation, Holger Czukay. It seems that after leaving Can, Holger had been rejuvenated. He agreed with that.

I broached the subject of his leaving Can. Holger felt that Can had run its course. He explains it “as organic, it was time to go my own way. A new era unfolded when my solo career began.” 

Listening to Holger, he enthuses about his solo career. It’s obvious that Holger feels his solo albums are overlooked. As a longtime Can and Holger Czukay fan, I don’t need convinced. He’s preaching to the converted. The problem is, that having been a member of one of the biggest and most innovative bands in musical history, anything that Holger released would be compared to that.

 

Following the release of Rome Remains Rome, it was another four years before Holger released another solo album. He was still making music. However, mostly he was collaborating with other people. 

This included former Japan frontman David Sylvian. They collaborated on David’s 1988 album Plight and Premonition. A year later, the pair reconvened, for the recording of Flux + Mutability. It was released in 1989. Both albums were well received, with David and Holger proving a formidable musical partnership. However, another two years passed before Holger returned with a new album, Radio Wave Surfer.

Radio Wave Surfer.

Radio Wave Surfer was a thirteen track album. The first eight tracks had been recorded in the Can studio on 21st and 22nd October 1987. These tracks had been recorded “live.” There was no over-dubbing. That was also the case with the other five tracks. 

They were recorded in Berlin, back on the 2nd December 1984. Again, there was no over-dubbing. On the sleeve, it says: “music played in teamwork, spontaneously. Recomposed on various hilarious nights.” Editing would’ve stifled the spontaneity. That couldn’t be allowed to happen. It would’ve gone against what Holger’s musical principles. He had his reputation to think of.

When Radio Wave Surfer was released, Holger’s comeback album was well received by critics. Now into his fourth decade, he was still relevant and still had plenty to say musically. So two years later, Holger returned with a new studio album.

Moving Pictures.

By 1993, Holger was ready to return with his first new album of material since 1987s Rome Remains Rome. Since then, music had changed. That didn’t matter. Holger had adapted musically. Just like since the early days of Can, constantly, Holger’s music evolved. As his music evolved, Holger was joined by two names from the past.

For his new studio album Moving Pictures, Holger reunited with Can guitarist Michael Karoli, and bassist Jan Wobble. Along with Sheldon Ancel, Romie Singh, U-She and Helmut Zerlett they recorded Moving Pictures at Can Studio. Once Moving Pictures was recorded, it was ready for release in 1993.

Given Moving Pictures was Holger’s first album of new material since 1987s Rome Remains Rome, critics wanted to hear if Holger Czukay’s music was still relevant. It was. Holger was like a musical chameleon, constantly changing direction, and keeping one step ahead of the pack. He might be fifty-five, but his music was just as relevant. It always would be.

 

Another seven years would pass before Holger Czukay released another solo album. He did collaborate on Holger Czukay Vs. Dr Walker’s album Clash. This collaboration between Holger and Ingmar Koch was released in 1997. It seemed Holger still had an appetite for collaborating and making music.

Another seven years would pass before Holger Czukay released another solo album. He did collaborate on Holger Czukay Vs. Dr Walker’s album Clash. This collaboration between Holger and Ingmar Koch was released in 1997. It seemed Holger still had an appetite for collaborating and making music.

Good Morning Story. 

Six years after the release of Moving Pictures, Holger made a welcome return with Good Morning Story in 1999. Holger, who was always keen to keep up with musical innovations, used sampling extensively on Good Morning Story. 

Fittingly, Holger sampled the music of his former Can bandmates. He sampled his former drummer Jaki Liebezeit’s drums, Michael Karoli’s guitar and Irmin Schmidt’s electronics. U-She added vocals and Rhani Krija percussion. They played their part in a triumphant return to form from Holger.

While Radio Wave Surfer and Moving Pictures had been well received, the genre-hopping Good Morning Story was perceived as Holger’s finest solo albums since Rome Remains Rome. With its fusion of ambient, avant-garde and experimental music, Good Morning Story struck a nerve. Critics and record buyers were in agreement, Good Morning Story was a very welcome addition to Holger Czukay’s discography. It was also a fitting way to bid farewell to a millennia.

 

La Luna.

As a new millennia began, Holger Czukay, forever the musical pioneer, returned with an album fit for a new millennia. This was La Luna, which featured just one track, An Electronic Night Ceremony. It lasted forty-five minutes. However, La Luna,  was no ordinary album.

Holger compared La Luna to the: “automatic writing techniques of the Surrealists… and the transcript of this transcendental conversation between man and machine.” This musical dialogue between “man and machine” proved to be a truly groundbreaking album.

On its release, La Luna was critically acclaimed. Holger may have entered his fifth decade as a musician, but he was still one of the most innovative and visionary musicians. He was making music that other musicians couldn’t even envisage. This would continue. Holger wasn’t for turning his back on music.

Linear City.

Just a year after La Luna, Holger returned with Linear City in 2001. This was no ordinary album. Instead, it was an album of internet collaborations. Holger, now into his sixty-third year, had embraced the internet, and was happily collaborating with artists around the world. Four of these collaborations found their way onto Linear City.

Although Linear City featured just four tracks, the list of collaborators was lengthy. Among them were Susanne Drescher, Per Odderskove, Ray Darr, Darren B. Dunn, Marc Uzan, Ola Norlander, Haki, U-She, Drew Kalapach, Michael Letourneau, Luca Kormentini, James Webb and Tom Hamlyn. Each of these artists played their part in this new, innovative and imaginative way of making music. 

Suddenly, geographical boundaries didn’t exist. All that was a Digital Audio Workstation and an internet connection. Then musical ideas could be exchanged across the globe. Holger realised the potential of this. Over a decade later, and only now are other artists catching up. Just like had always been the case, Holger Czukay was a trendsetter.

 

Following Linear City, Holger Czukay didn’t release any new solo albums. He collaborated with U-She on 2001s Time and Tide and 2003 The New Millennium. Then in 2007, Holger and Ursa Major collaborated on the album 21st Century. Holger was still influencing a new generation of artists. So, it’s no surprise that interest in Holger Czukay’s music has never been higher.

That’s why, over the past few years, there’s been reissues of all Can’s albums, and some of Holger Czukay’s solo albums. While Mute release Can’s albums, Grönland Records have released some of Holger Czukay’s solo material. This includes On The Way To The Peak Of Normal in 2013. Then in 2014, Grönland Records released excerpts from Rome Remains Rome and Der Osten Ist Rot. These releases were welcomed by fans of Holger Czukay’s music. However, a hugely exciting development came just before Record Store Day 2015.

Eleven Years Innerspace.

Grönland Records announced that to celebrate Record Store Day 2015, they were releasing Eleven Years Innerspace. It features six previously unreleased tracks. The six tracks are spread across two ten inch records. They feature a musical pioneer at the peak of his powers.

The six tracks on Eleven Years Innerspace, were recorded during the years Holger Czukay called the Inner Space Studio his musical home. During that period, Holger was creating some of the most ambitious and innovative music of his career. That’s apparent throughout Eleven Years Innerspace. 

From In-Between, Holger begins the process of reinventing the six tracks on Eleven Years Innerspace. Something old becomes something new. Holger redefines, and reimagines the music. They become something new and innovative. Just like a sculptor, Holger takes the music and reshapes it, moulding it into something that he never originally imagined. That’s the case from the opening track.

In-Between opens Eleven Years Innerspace. Straight away, Holger re-orchestrates the track. Textures and tones combine. So do genres. Cinematic and haunting, with a classical twist describes Secret Of My Life. Early on, it takes on a wistful, almost dreamy sound. Soon, cinematic strings bring to mind thrillers or horror films. Later, a child’s vocal adds to the cinematic sound. Holger’s painting pictures with his music. He’s a sonic sculptor, who shapes the listener’s emotions. They all play their part in shaping the listener’s emotion.

This continues on Secret Of My Life. The music is slow, understated, melancholy and beautiful. Holger’s not scared to spring a few surprises. This comes courtesy of a moody, broody vocal and bursts of cinematic strings. Mostly, though there’s an inherent beauty to the music, as Holger creates what sounds like music for films.

My Can-Axis is a nod to Holger’s 1967 debut album. It’s a truly captivating track. The arrangement meanders along, as a myriad of influences and sounds shine through. There’s Eastern influences, skewed vocals and a myriad of percussive sounds. Together they play their part in a track whose ethereal beauty is omnipresent.

Give the title, it wouldn’t be a surprise if My Can Revolt was Holger’s response to the breakup of Can. It was as if something had been stolen from Holger. This is apparent as the frenzied introduction gives way to a blistering jam. As the drums drive the arrangement furiously along, keyboards and guitars are augmented by stabs of effects and  vocals. It’s akin to Primal Scream Therapy, as Holger through his music, voices his frustration at the end of group he cofounded.  

Again there’s an elegiac classical influence as My Maiden Dream unfolds. Strings are at the heart of the ethereal arrangement. Soon, Holger’s throwing curveballs. A myriad of sounds flit in and out. Some make only a fleeting appearance, as Holger takes on the role of musical alchemist. Elements of ambient, avant-garde and experimental music are combined to create a concerto for the 21st Century.

Melancholy and moody describes the introduction to Breathtaking, the final track on Eleven Years Innerspace. It’s like an incantation, with it’s understated, minimalist sound. This is still the case when the female vocal enters. Slow, crunchy drums provide a backdrop as the heartfelt vocal. There’s an obvious similarity to Kate Bush. They have a similar style and range. As the drums play yin to the vocals yang, swathes of strings sweep above the arrangement, before it reaches a Breathtaking crescendo.

The release of Eleven Years Innerspace is a very welcome addition to Holger Czukay’s illustrious back-catalogue. It showcases a musical visionary at the peak of his musical powers. Can was no more, and Holger was determined to forge a solo career. To do this, he headed to the Inner Space studio, where he made some of the best music of his solo career.

Throughout the period, that Holger called the Inner Space studio his musical home from home, he was creating some of the most ambitious and innovative music of his career. A tantalising taste of that features on Eleven Years Innerspace. The six tracks show, just what a musical visionary like Holger Czukay was capable of.

From the opening bars of In-Between, right through to the closing notes of Breathtaking, Holger begins the process of reinventing the six tracks on Eleven Years Innerspace. He takes something old, and transforms it into something new. Holger redefines, and reimagines the music. The six tracks on Eleven Years Innerspace become something new and innovative. It’s as if Holger dawns the role of a sculptor, taking a piece of music and reshapes it. Gradually, it takes on new form and meaning. Holger takes the music and reshapes it, moulding it into something that he never originally imagined. Eventually, the six tracks on Eleven Years Innerspace take shape. 

These six tracks were released by Grönland Records as Eleven Years Innerspace, on 18th April 2015, which vinyl collectors know, was Record Store Day 2015. They’re a reminder of a true musical visionary, who is responsible for some of the most ambitious, innovative and inspirational musicians in the history of music, Holger Czukay musical alchemist.

HOLGER CZUKAY-ELEVEN YEARS INNERSPACE.