NACHTFALTER

At first glance, Gunter Schickert's discography might seem a bit strange. This Progressive Electronic artist released solo albums in 1974, 1979, and 1983, these being Krautrock and experimental albums. The next full length solo album was not released until 2018 with another following in 2019. In reality, this artist has worked with several other musicians from time to time, including Klause Schulze and Nurse with Wound, and also working in theater productions, so he's always out there, it's only his solo albums that have been released in a spotty fashion.

His 5th album is called "Nachtfalter" (Moth in English). The story has it that a moth flew into the recording studio while this album was being mixed and sat on the wall as a silent witness to what was going on. In the morning, the moth was dead on the floor. Gunter took a picture to pay homage to the moth and it ended up on the album cover.

Gunther provides soundscapes of some varied types on this album using guitars, synths and shell horn. The only other musician credited on this album is Andreas Spechti who provides drums, and producing loops and mixing. Spechti culled some of the best of Gunther's guitar to mix the album with special effects, drums and loops to create the tracks. The album's run time is just under 45 minutes stretched across 7 tracks that vary from 1 ½ minutes to 10 ½ minutes. The music has an avant-garde sound, but in reality is electronic and very experimental.

"Nocturnus" begins with a dark, almost industrial feel with heavy metallic effects and drones that come and go. The tone is deep and dark with the loops and effects providing a dark and apocalyptic atmosphere. "Ceiling" utilizes the echo-guitar effect that Gunter has made famous with dark sounds and ringing metallic sounds. There is an electronic beat to this one that actually sounds the most similar to his older Krautrock style. There is a definite pulsating sound with this track. Being the most accessible track on the album, it really isn't that accessible, but that is okay because that makes it more interesting.

"Flugelschlag" (wing beat in English) is the longest track at over 10 minutes. While it still has dark undertones, it is actually a nice, shimmering example of Gunter's guitar work and is a nice reprieve from the darkness that permeates the rest of the album. There is a rolling drum beat that pushes the tempo along while effects, loops and improvised guitar layers make this track stand out while it pulsates along. The rhythm breaks down and the track becomes atmospheric for the last 2 minutes.

"Floor" is a short track is a drone created probably by the shell horns I'm guessing with rattling percussion. "Wohin" (where in English) has bent guitar sounds layered over each other with a pounding drum. The result is a chiming layer and a micro- tonal layer making for a unique sound that's appealing in its own strange way. "Light" has a main rhythmic beat surrounded by other percussive effects and a heavy, dark guitar improvisation. Later, things turn really eerie with screechy effects and heavy echo on the guitar parts. Things lighten up a bit later and there is an almost surf rock style played with heavy echo in the guitar part. "Reflection of the Future" begins dark and forboding. Gunther almost mimics a warped train whistle with the conch shells. High pitched effects squeal around this sound. There is a slow thumping percussive noise that adds to the spookiness of it all. A wash of synth erases the slow rhythm, but soon is replaced with a heavy wall of droning guitar layers. Things continue with a dark atmosphere, but it all becomes rather spacey as layers add upon layers of effects keep getting added.

Except for a few of the tracks, this is quite an interesting collection of dark and experimental soundscapes. Even if most of it is not really melodic, it is still quite enjoyable, unique and intriguing. Some may find it a bit too experimental, but I find that I enjoy electronic music when it is more mysterious and unique like this. There is a bit of variety here too, with a couple of the tracks providing a break from the dark tones and venturing into a krautrock or space rock style. This is definitely a four star album because of it's ingenuity and some nice surprises. Excellent album.

After a quiet scattered and forgettable release (Labyrinth /2018), Gunter Schickert is back in business with Nachtfalter (2019), and I mean for good!

Nocturnus, its first track, is an intense war like soundscape constructed with wailing screeching siren like noises , atonal electronic pulses and dramatic strings building up a frantic crescendo which eventually dissolves alongside an imperceptible electric guitar counterpointing. Like a perfectly threaded blend between Progressive Electronic/Krautrock and Rock in Opposition *****

Ceiling- Is a highly polished and muddy raw Progressive Electronic / Krautrock composition which connects both genres as only the masterful and inspired Gunter Schickert does. The atemporal experimental feel adds up perfectly.****/*

Flugelschlag- Ellaborates, with a bit of a slower tempo, the previous track´s mood with simple but precise arrangements and gentle detours built up with his clean electric guitar riffs, atmospheric synths, electronic pulses and a restless african like drumming. Being one of this album´s lengthier tracks it could have moved a bit farther from its very promising initial structure, but then again it is like asking for what not has been given. ***/*

Track 4- Floor, is like a brief recount of the aftermath of Nocturnus.****

Wohin follows with a more experimental Electronic/Krautrock composition. It could have been easily included in last year´s release as one of its better tracks but in this album it is really not that impressive. ***

Light, the following track, gets back to business with the raw/polished Electronic/Krautrock drive which he so well handles. Its detailed yet free form structures move along with the kind of psychedelic frenzy which throws one back in time with no kind of nostalgia, quiet the opposite. ****

This album closes with Reflection of the Future. A very visual composition which actually and subtly evolutes from a kind of "out of this world" primitive electronic tribe´s ritualistic music into a more, but not less raw, futuristic electronic environment. ****/*

4 PA stars.

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.