NACHTFALTER

As I get older I seem to be drawn to music that is instrumental with experimental guitars and lots of beats like SONAR with David Torn and Stephan Thelen solo, I mean these inventive guitarists just blow my mind. Gunter Schickert is a pioneer when it comes t the echo guitar along with Achim Reichel but most compare Gunter's style to Manuel Gottsching from ASH RA TEMPEL. Both Manuel and Gunter were good friends of Klause Schulze in fact Gunter played live with him many times and recorded an album with Klause in 1975 I believe called "Home Sessions".

Gunter was also the leader of a Krautrock band called GAM and their masterpiece "Eiszeit" was recorded in 1978. So I have five albums that Schickert is on that I consider indispensable. "Samtvogel" from '74, "Uberfallig" from '79 and "Kinder In Der Wildnis" from '83 all solo Gunter albums and GAM's "Eiszeit" from '78. A nice run and I'm adding this one as I'm so impressed.

This is headphone music without a doubt and while recorded much later than the other four I value greatly from him it fits in nicely with those. A duo with Gunter playing guitar and shellhorn and a drummer who adds synths. There is usually so much going on and so much depth it's hard to believe this is just a duo. The drummer Andreas Spechtl also mixed this record and it sounds amazing. Seven tracks over 44 1/2 minutes. While I see everywhere a 2019 release date for this record my legit cd has 2018 on the back so either it's a misprint or that is the year of release.

There is so much atmosphere on this recording and it's often quite powerful and while listed under Electronic it would also fit under Krautrock in my opinion. I used the word "inventive" a lot when describing this and I really do believe that Gunter is a genius when it comes to composing music. I just can't get enough of his stuff. Tough to pick just a top three but the opener "Nocturnus" with that incredible atmosphere to open things with. Later it's like the whole soundscape is pulsing. It turns dark late like the start to end it.

I think the final two tracks make my top three with "Light" at almost 10 minutes opening in an inventive way and heavy. The flavour changes slightly throughout. Otherworldly guitar expressions come and go behind the main guitar melody before 5 minutes. So cool. The closer "Reflection Of The Future" is 7 minutes long and dark to begin with and mysterious. This is where Gunter plays the shell horn and it's pretty cool. He's played conch in the past. Just a unique tune that changes half way through when the soundscape bounces before ending like it began.

I have to say "Wohin" is one unique sounding track with those guitar sounds bringing to mind slide guitar gone mental. So much going on, I'm dizzy. The most beautiful moment is on "Flugelschlag" just after a minute and quite majestic 9 minutes in. This is the longest song at over 10 1/2 minutes.

So I'd like to go higher than 4 stars but feel that's the right rating here, for now anyway. What a come back album! 4.5 stars.