conrad schnitzler: consequenz

Commercial Schnitzler? How quickly, how prematurely are opinions and judgements bandied about when an artist suddenly changes the form of his work. Conrad Schnitzler fell under such a cloud when, after 1978, his songs, for a time at least, did not exceed the catchy compactness of pop songs, while their harmonies and rhythms seemed to be drifting towards pop. Produced by Peter Baumann (Tangerine Dream) the Con (1978) album and the Auf dem schwarzen Kanal 12" EP (1980) ushered in this phase, and the private release of the Consequenz album, also in 1980 -- as the title suggests -- was the logical consequence. Consequenz is Schnitzler's first collaboration with another musician since the days of Kluster long before. In Wolfgang Seidel aka Wolf Sequenza, he found someone who not only understood the 'Schnitzler' principle but was able to expand on it with his own input. Seidel, like Schnitzler, had started early with the development of an alternative language of music, away from the mainstream. Schnitzler actually went a step further: with the best educational intentions, he supplied a schematic drawing to go with Consequenz, illustrating in detail how his music 'functions,' which instruments and equipment he used and how the various elements are interconnected. It is rare for an electronic artist to lay his cards quite so openly on the table, thus prompting the demystification of this new music. Consequenz conveys 12 remarkably short pieces. Remarkable in the sense that Schnitzler's early solo works (e.g. Rot and Blau) were characterized by unending sequences. Not only are the tracks even shorter than on Con (1978), their form has also shifted. Electronic drums can be heard, along with an electric guitar in places; Schnitzler and Seidel sculpt rhythmic-harmonic structures with an analog sequencer, blended with harmonies to create a somewhat unwieldy form of pop music. Little musical motifs are played without really becoming melodies capable of underpinning bona fide songs. The influence of the German new wave (NDW) may also be detected, but not enough to determine the style of Consequenz. The dozen tracks on the album remain firmly rooted in Schnitzler's sonic universe, each an individual facet of his infinitely shimmering aural cascades. And, naturally, Consequenz is electronic pop music, lacking only the commercial added value which was of little interest to Schnitzler anyway -- he didn't give a damn." --Asmus Tietchens

C. Schnitzler: "Consequenz" (4 snippets)