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SYNTHESIST

Harald Grosskopf

Progressive Electronic


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Harald Grosskopf Synthesist album cover
3.87 | 30 ratings | 3 reviews | 7% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 1980

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. So Weit, So Gut (05:24)
2. B. Aldrian (04:51)
3. Emphasis (04:55)
4. Synthesist (07:34)
5. 1847-Earth (06:43)
6. Trauma (06:37)
7. Transcendental Overdrive (05:03)
8. Tai Ki (04:09)


Line-up / Musicians

- Harald Grosskopf / keyboards, drums & percussions

Releases information

LP 1980 Sky Records Hamburg
CD 1999 Think Progressive (EFA)

Thanks to Philippe Blache for the addition
and to Snow Dog for the last updates
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HARALD GROSSKOPF Synthesist ratings distribution


3.87
(30 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(7%)
7%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(57%)
57%
Good, but non-essential (30%)
30%
Collectors/fans only (7%)
7%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

HARALD GROSSKOPF Synthesist reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Ricochet
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Thanks to one thing he's best at and two artists he collaborated with in a major way, Harald Grosskopf is one of the fine percussionists in the classic length and impact of electronic music - and the first to ever combine dubs between rhythms and synthesizers, as a soloist drummer and in his solo music, from what the bio here points out with precision. His spirit would effortlessly be the mask of a musician that's representative to the German electro-rock movement, if only we wouldn't cautiously prefer not to rise him up such subjective scales. In the same way, we would name him very easily one of the fantastic drummers and percussionists of the classic decade, if only the entire vast period of kraut, electro-kraut then finally electro rock wouldn't be absolutely rich in icons and excellent musicians, including drummers and rhythmicists (plus, Grosskopf didn't impressively appear in many bands of the early years). So let's just mention his prime work with Ashra, after Gottsching changed quite consistently his solo band sounds (meaning Blackouts onwards), plus with Klaus Schulze/Wahnfried, friend, fine collaborator and (this time) grand master in the electronic music course. On a personal note, but also by some of his solo music, Grosskopf seems and in the end is an enjoyable and crafted musician, open-minded at least to when drumming and the fusion of electronic dynamics can have their idle succulence.

Starting his solo small achievements up in 1980, somewhat synchronized with Ashra's final days of continuity but not with Schulze's new ideas of electronic digital music - with percussions mit dabei -, Grosskopf solves rather simplistically the problem of electronic/keyboard music-playing. Simple become the albums as well, meanwhile a dose of playfulness and an acing in sequencing/synthesizing the right stuff (the right buttons) make up the real qualities in his music. Grosskopf does make music as an individual artist, at least in albums such as this Synthesist, but also follows the strict principles that, mostly, were handled by Ashra to a point. Synthesist's narrow edge is that it lacks originality, yet it finds an almost natural freshness, sticking to light-synth music and even dowsing the drum-bomb that could easily make up a heat, nonetheless creating a gentle, successful, admirably essential and recommended work; mainly for altruists listeners, but eventually for soft-boiled critics and great fans of this sort of fusion as well.

Synthesist also rhymes with sequential here on, where Grosskopf's powerful pleasure goes deep into dynamic, fizzing electronic compositions, the combination of fairy melodies, cycling keyboard sounds and (last but not least) the percussion infusion being probably dubbed over several rehearsals and synchronized recordings. The taste of these tracks flows exactly like Ashra's un-sensational, but intense and cheerful glimpses (a la Correlations or a bit of un-fluesy Belle Alliance). The soil for this style is nowhere near rich, but it's no pop or grease either, Grosskopf preferring at any time an ambitious and curios dance over fine art or complex looping. On some moment, the drumming is convincingly superior, alternating upwards to some Nietzsche fast taps, or downwards to a split end of lite-disco. The contrast is set by focusing entirely on keyboards and organs (B. Adrian, Trauma), the result being nothing but ambient, lofty and un-smashing, but yet again enjoyable and un-superficial. There's a weak spot in the album, down precisely the last two tracks, which slip deeply and unforgettably into pop-electric/new-age simple hopping music (a la Baumann and other 80s minor soloists).

For how nice it sounds and how ideal it's worked, Synthesist is probably Grosskopf's finest and is a real treat above a normal session of synth-sequence music. With drums (and a small post-prog feeling).

Review by colorofmoney91
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A lot of times, mixing acoustic percussion with electronic music can sound very unnatural or very forced. Sometimes the ethereality of the music doesn't sound good with the heavy-handed beats of a typical rock drummer. Harald Grosskopf apparently had realized this.

Acoustic percussion is featured on nearly every track on Synthesist, and it never reaches the artificial emotionless playing style like on Schulze's Moondawn or Tangerine Dream's Cyclone, but is instead played lightly and comfortably throughout. Instead of pulling away from the music as an individual instrument, it is integrated into the experience to create a cohesive whole. He knows exactly how to hit the drums as to not overpower the dreaminess of the music, and he never seems to feel the need to show off.

Grosskopf previously played with Manuel Gottsching and Cosmic Jokers, among others, and their style of music has rubbed off on him in a very obvious way. Much like Gottsching's Ashra album New Age of Earth, this album has a dreamy and warm atmosphere that rides everywhere between complete ambience and explosive density. The cosmic dreaminess and relatively fast-paced synth sequencing is unmistakably Ashra-inspired, but in a much broader scope, Synthesist sounds like a somewhat stronger Berlin school + percussion album (better than most), but also the compositions are much more compact than the usual nearly twenty minute standard. Ranging between three and eight minutes, this album is very digestible and rather accessible, and the pace that the album follows is a very comfortable racy tempo with three nearly-ambient slow movements to maintain diversity.

Synthesist is a direct precursor to the sound that Zombi explore now in the 21st century, and fans of that band will most likely greatly enjoy this solo debut statement by Grosskopf. Anyone who enjoys Ashra should find this album to sound very familiar.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Harald Grosskopf could tell some stories. He has been a part of so many bands over the years. And when we're talking about the world of krautrock/electronics, you know there were a lot of characters. He is a drummer/synth player but usually a drummer first and foremost on most of the albums he has appeared on. He was the drummer for the SCORPIONS in 1967 long before they were releasing songs like "Loving You Sunday Morning" or "The Zoo". Harald had a great musical partnership with Klause Schulze over the years. He was in ASH RA TEMPEL, WALLENSTEIN, ASHRA, WALTER WEGMULLER, THE COSMIC JOKERS and YOU.

YOU released their debut "Electric Day" in 1979 the year before Harald's debut "Synthesist". I mention that because in the liner notes for "Synthesist" Harald relates how he does pretty much everything here like the composing and arranging and playing... "except electric strings and second solo voice on "Synthesist" and all space sounds which are played by Udo Hanten." And Udo was playing electronics on that YOU debut, being part of that band with Harald. And I like that album.

Far from a perfect album this one, and it does have some variety which doesn't always work for me like that title track and "Transcendental Overdrive" where we get a light melodic sound with high pitched synths. Still, they provide a contrast to some of the dark soundscapes featured here like "B. Aldrian" and "Trauma" two of my favourites. "Trauma" is incredible considering the title of it. I'd also mention "So Weit, So Gut" the opener along with "1847-Earth" and the closer "Tai Ki" as favourites.

Not the best of the best or anything like that, but I really enjoy this one. Worth the 4 stars.

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