Craig Wuest Dennis Rea Tim Finnegan Daniel Zongrone Norm Peach Daryl Trivieri Louis Deponté Phil Novak Marla Thomson Dan Hapanowicz Richard Hooker Andy Retscher Bob Mishalanie Melanie Coiro Rainer Böhm Christoph Lagemann John Bunkfeldt
Earthstar is an electronic music group from Utica, New York. Earthstar was encouraged by Krautrock/Kosmische Musik/electronic music artist, composer, and producer Klaus Schulze to relocate to Germany where they contracted with Sky Records. Schulze inspired and produced their second album, French Skyline. Earthstar is notable as the only American band who participated in Germany's Kosmische Musik/electronic music scene while still at its height.[1]
The New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock describes Earthstar as a “wall of sound.” Wuest's vision and compositions propel the band along with composers Dennis Rea and Daniel Zongrone. The composed music doesn't necessarily suggest a particular instrument but rather creates a sound texture. There are credits for traditional musical instruments including sitar and vocals that may be difficult to distinguish. [2] Earthstar's style on French Skyline has been compared to Wolfgang Bock, Sangiuliano,[3] and Klaus Schulze's own recordings.[4] Other albums have a softer style with more distinct instrumentation.
Earthstar is also notable for Craig Wuest's heavy use of the Mellotron and the rare Birotron, a variation on the Mellotron that can sustain notes beyond eight seconds.[5]
History
1977–1979 (Utica and Moontower)
Earthstar was the brainchild of keyboardist/synthesist Craig Wuest. A native of Utica, New York, Wuest was heavily influenced by the German electronic music scene of the 1970s, including Klaus Schulze, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Harmonia. Around the same time, Utica guitarist Dennis Rea had founded what he describes as an "eccentric progressive rock band," Zuir. According to Rea, "...being the only two adventurous music acts in town, collaboration between Craig and the members of Zuir was inevitable."[1]
Rea also recalls concerts during the Utica period: "The group performed live only a handful of times, mostly at inappropriate venues like roadhouse bars and college beer halls, with predictable results."[1]
1979–1983 (Germany and Sky)
Craig Wuest was an admirer of electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze, with whom he struck up a correspondence. Schulze encouraged Wuest and Earthstar to come to Germany, intending to sign them to his Innovative Communications record label. Wuest sold his grand piano, which had played a prominent part on Salterbarty Tales, to finance the move.[1]
While much of French Skyline was recorded at Klaus Schulze studios in Hambühren, West Germany, with additional recording taking place at IC Studios in Ovelgönne, Schulze's label never signed Earthstar. The group's next three albums were released by Hamburg-based Sky Records instead, beginning with French Skyline in 1979,[6][7] which was co-produced by Schulze and Wuest. Schulze's influence on Earthstar and Wuest is clearly heard on French Skyline, with reviewer Victor "Philip" Parau describing Earthstar at the time as "granted a classic place" within "the Berlin School electronic sessions."[8]
Earthstar's second album for Sky, Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! (literally "Nuclear power? No, thank you!"), was an environmental tone poem. The album was recorded in 1979 and 1980 and was released on February 1, 1981. The Planet Mellotron Web site describes it as "more laid back" than French Skyline and "...an ideal opportunity to hear the rarest tape-replay instrument," the Birotron.[5]
A third album for Sky, Humans Only, was recorded in 1981 and released the following year. The album was the result of a partnership between Wuest and Utica-based guitarist and songwriter Dan Hapanowicz.[2]
Later works?
According to Dennis Rea, Earthstar dissolved not long after the release of Humans Only.[2] A now defunct earthstarmusic.com Web site listed three later releases. Axiom, which was listed as following Humans Only, was recorded in Germany in 1980 and the United States in 1984.[9]MP3 samples of the music revealed a conventional, melodic, controlled electronic music sound. By this point Earthstar had become Wuest's solo project, as indicated in the description of the album Big Blue Piano.[9][10] The website listed both Big Blue Piano and a collection of unreleased material called Eve as having been released by Electronic America Records in 2000.[10][11] However, no record of the actual release of these later works can be found.
After the Earthstar sessions guitarist Dennis Rea moved to Seattle where he met electronic composer Kerry Leimer, who had released a number of albums. Leimer, looking to create danceable electronic music, had formed Savant.[12]:17–19[13] Rea joined Savant in 1982, contributing to the album The Neo-Realist (at Risk), described by Downbeat magazine as "pan-ethnic techno-dub music".[12]:18–19
In 1983 Rea moved to New York City where he once again worked with former Earthstar member Daniel Zongrone. The pair composed music for an exhibition of painter (and former Earthstar violinist) Daryl Trivieri's work at the Semaphore East Gallery in the East Village in 1985.[14] Rea returned to Seattle in 1986 where he is the sole former Earthstar member still actively recording music. Zongrone recorded a solo album, Absolute Zero, in 1987 and composed the music for the 1998 film The Glasshead. He is currently artist in residence, composing, recording and working with longtime colleague Dennis Rea.[15][16]
Sky Records did include Earthstar tracks on both volumes of their Schwingungen - New Age Music compilations in 1985 and 1986.[2]
In 2023, Made In Germany Music acquired the rights to the Earthstar catalog[17] and released the 5-CD set Collected Works, compiling all four studio albums for Moontower and Sky Records as well as the previously-unreleased album Sleeper The Nightlifer.[18]
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup of the group was its mid-1970s trio of Froese, Christopher Franke, and Peter Baumann. In 1979, Johannes Schmoelling replaced Baumann until his own departure in 1985. This lineup was notable for composing many movie soundtracks. Since Froese's death in 2015, the group has been under the leadership of Thorsten Quaeschning. Quaeschning is Froese's chosen successor and is currently the longest-serving band member, having joined in 2005. Quaeschning is currently joined by violinist Hoshiko Yamane who joined in 2011 and Paul Frick who joined in 2020. Prior to this Quaeschning and Yamane performed with Ulrich Schnauss from 2014 to 2020. Schnauss only played two shows with Froese in November 2014 before Froese's passing.
Klaus Schulze was a German electronic music pioneer, composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried and was a member of the Krautrock bands Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and the Cosmic Jokers before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across six decades.
Ash Ra Tempel was a West German krautrock group led by guitarist Manuel Göttsching that was active from 1970 to 1976. Their debut album Ash Ra Tempel was released in 1971. Following the band's demise, Göttsching released music under the name Ashra.
Manuel Göttsching was a German musician and composer.
Cyclone is the eighth studio album by Tangerine Dream and the first in their canon to feature proper vocals and lyrics. The cover is a painting by band leader Edgar Froese.
Jeff Greinke is an American ambient music and jazz artist and composer currently based in Tucson, Arizona. He is known as one of the pioneers of dark ambient music, with his earlier solo albums often compared to works by Robert Rich, Brian Eno, and Vidna Obmana. Greinke's approach on his ambient works is to heavily layer, multitrack, and texture soundscapes, effectively using the studio as an instrument.
Picture Music is the fourth album of electronic music by German musician Klaus Schulze. It was recorded in late 1974 and released in January 1975 on Brain Records. In 2005 this was the second Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. This is the only Klaus Schulze solo album in which he can be heard playing a drum kit. Prior to his solo career, he was the drummer for Ash Ra Tempel; on his later albums, drummer Harald Großkopf of Wallenstein frequently contributed. Like many of his albums, this one has one long track on each side.
Dune is the eleventh album by Klaus Schulze. It was originally released in 1979, and in 2005 was the tenth Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. "Shadows of Ignorance" features Arthur Brown on vocals, half-singing/half-chanting a long poem written by Schulze.
Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! is the third full-length album by the American electronic band Earthstar. It was their second release for the Hamburg, Germany-based Sky Records on February 1, 1981. Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! was recorded during 1979 and 1980 at Deponté la Rue Studio in Paris, France, and IC Studios and Emch Studio in West Germany. Additional tracks were recorded at Aura Sound Studio in New York. All tracks were written by Craig Wuest except "Golden Rendezvous", which was written by Wuest and Daniel Zongrone, and "Forest Floor, Part II: Aras", a tape-loop improvisation with guitarist Dennis Rea.
French Skyline is the second full-length album by the American electronic band Earthstar. It was their first release for Hamburg, Germany–based Sky Records.
Humans Only is the fourth full-length album (1982) by the American electronic band Earthstar. It was their third and final release for Hamburg-based Sky Records.
Craig Wuest is an American keyboardist currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known as the founder and leader of the electronic music group Earthstar during the 1970s and 1980s. Earthstar was the only American band who participated in Germany's Kosmische Musik/electronic music scene while still at its height.
Sky Records was a Hamburg, Germany-based independent record label specializing in krautrock/Kosmische Musik and electronic music. Some of their releases could be classified as progressive rock or art rock, experimental music, industrial, ambient, or new age. No new releases appeared after 1998.
Dennis Rea is an American guitarist, author, and music event organizer. He was a member of the electronic music group Earthstar in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He leads the progressive rock quintet Moraine and worked with Jeff Greinke in Land. Other significant involvements have included Flame Tree, Identity Crisis, Iron Kim Style, Savant, Stackpole, Tempered Steel, and Zhongyu.
Land was a Seattle based music group founded and led by Jeff Greinke. Their music is described by guitarist Dennis Rea as "an odd blend of jazz, rock, electronic, and world music." Land was active from 1993 until 2001 and released three albums. In 1996 they toured China, Hong Kong, and Macau, including a performance at the prestigious Beijing International Jazz Festival.
Salterbarty Tales is the debut album by the American electronic band Earthstar. It was recorded in 1977 and 1978 and released by Moontower Records in 1978. The album is the only release to feature significant grand piano sections performed by Craig Wuest with relatively basic synthesizer work and far less multitracking when compared to later Earthstar albums. It is also the only album not to feature tape loop instruments: the mellotron and the Birotron.
Norm Peach is an American bassist from Utica, New York who was a member of Earthstar during the late 1970s. He also played with Dennis Rea and Daniel Zongrone in Zuir prior to joining Earthstar. He appeared on two Earthstar albums: Salterbarty Tales (1978) and French Skyline (1979).
Big in Japan: Live in Tokyo 2010 is the fortieth album by Klaus Schulze. Taking in consideration the previously released multi-disc box sets, it could be viewed as Schulze's one hundred and first album. This album contains music from two final concerts at the Tokyo Kokusai Forum Hall in Tokyo, Japan on 20–21 March 2010 in Schulze's first and only visit to Japan. This is Schulze's first album without guest vocalist Lisa Gerrard since his 2007 album Kontinuum. The album was originally released on 22 September 2010 in Japan by Captain Trip Records as a limited edition deluxe boxed set of two CDs and a DVD with an 80-page photo book. This became known as the "Japanese Edition". A slightly different general release was released in Europe on 26 November 2010. This version, named the "European Edition", features a different track order between the CDs and the DVD, and slightly different track lengths. On 19 April 2011 a third version of Big in Japan was released in the United States. This "American Edition" consists of the same two CDs as the European version, but features a completely different DVD.
Tonwelle is the second album by Klaus Schulze released under the name of Richard Wahnfried. It was originally released in 1981, and was not reissued by Revisited Records as part of the overall reissue program of Schulze albums. A two-disc reissue was released in January 2012 by MIG Music, featuring different speeds from the original recording.
Eternal is the forty-fourth album by Klaus Schulze. Taking in consideration the previously released multi-disc box sets, it could be viewed as Schulze's one hundred and fifth album. The album contains unreleased studio material recorded about a decade earlier, as well as reworked and previously released tracks.
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