SEPTEMBER 2016

Nearly forgotten German electronic: Michael Bundt "Electri City". Out now!

Having played his way through the 1970s in various rock combos (Medusa, Nine Days' Wonder), Michael Bundt embarked on a solo career in the latter part of the decade, going on to release three albums which saw him explore the vast potential of electronic music. Delightfullly varied and typical of his willingness to experiment, his music orbits around Krautrock, Berlin School electronica, space-futurism and synth pop. "Electri City" from 1980 was his last album. Out now (CD/vinyl/digital).

Read more here: English / German.

AUGUST 2016

Sven Kacirek & Thomas Klein collaborate on Selekt 3: Rhythmus I–IV.

Thomas Klein, drummer of the band KREIDLER and solo artists under the moniker SØLYST, and Sven Kacirek, solo artist and "collaborator" with Nils Frahm, Stefan Schneider and others, are two percussionists who are well-established in the electronic music scene. On the third release of our SELEKT series they present four tracks exclusively with percussion instruments. Although the two musicians each speak their own distinct rhythmic language, with only a few data transfers between Hamburg and Düsseldorf they have conjured up four compact tracks, which despite the instrumental limitations are surprisingly diverse in terms of sound, groove and depth. Vinyl only! Out now.

Read more here.

Out now. New CAMERA album
Phantom Of Liberty

Camera is rightly compared with icons of seventies Krautrock such as Neu! and La Düsseldorf, with a tight and driving sound, yet they are still somehow unpredictable. Hardly any other band understands how to mutate tiny musical nuances into volcanic eruptions like they do. The Berlin band is a motor running at full throttle, where an explosion could occur at any second. Once you have embarked on this crazy journey, you will be fascinated by the alternating current somewhere between a flash flood and roller coaster running off the rails. The cascades of sound convey a blurry image of a boundless desire to revolt, with each blink of an eye threatening to end in purgatory, yet it is damned near indestructible. Out now on CD/LP/DL.

Read more here: English / German

Rolf Trostel — Berlin School electronic reissues from early 80's out now.

Rolf Trostel is a protagonist of the so-called Berliner Schule / Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze). On his first album "Inselmusik" (1981) he explores the sonic possibilities of the recently introduced PPG wavetable synthesizer. "Inselmusik" is minimalist, meditative and contemplative music, enriched with remarkable choral sounds, flutes and effects. Overlapping sequencer lines and dominant expanses with feel-good harmonies are carried along on calm, soothing beats. The music is based on live performances from the late 1970s by Trostel and the legendary Krautrock guitarist Günter Schickert. Electronic Pop was the musical goal of Trostel's third album "Der Prophet", which was released in the same year as its predecessor "Two Faces" (reissue scheduled for October). "Der Prophet" is the culmination of this phase of Trostel's oeuvre, which was tightly coupled to the PPG Wave Computer. Out now on CD/LP/DL.

Read more about "Inselmusik": English / Deutsch

Read more about "Der Prophet": English / Deutsch

JULY 2016

New Camera video online.

On August 5th we're releasing the third Camera album "Phantom Of Liberty". Check out their video for the new song "Tjamahal", now online on Youtube, filmed, produced and edited by Michael Drummer.

More information on "Phantom Of Liberty" available here.

JUNE 2016

Die Krupps — "Stahlwerkrequiem".
Out now.

In 1981 the Düsseldorf band Die Krupps (Jürgen Engler, Bernward Malaka, Ralf Dörper) released a seminal album which wrote its own chapter in the history of music: the "Stahlwerksinfonie" (Steelworks Symphony) was a near thirty-minute musical monolith of metal and guitar sounds with scattergun saxophone and shouts, held together by a monotonic bass line and stoic beat. The "Stahlwerksinfonie" proved a worldwide sensation, a nucleus of EBM and industrial rock. It stood as a direct descendent of Cluster's early works, although Krupps mastermind Jürgen Engler was as yet unfamiliar with the output of his purported antescedents. 35 years later, a new version is upon us: the "Stahlwerkrequiem", recorded with Engler's kindred spirits Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru), Jean-Hervé Peron and Zappi Diermaier (Faust), Pyrolator (Der Plan) and US postrock musician Scott Telles. CD/vinyl/digital.

Read more here: English / German

Jürgen Karg — rare 70's
experimental electronica. Out now.

An exciting discovery of 70's experimental electronic music: Jürgen Karg's career in music began in the 1960s as bass player for German jazz legend Wolfgang Dauner. It was not until the 1970s that he switched his attention to electronic music, launching himself wholeheartedly into exploring the genre and building up an extensive collection of synthesizers over a five year period. His efforts culminated in the "Elektronische Mythen" LP, a mighty opus of experimental music which reveals new aspects every time it is played. CD/vinyl/digital.

Read more here: English / German

Early works by M. Banabila. Beautiful
minimal electronica. Out now.

Michel Banabila, born 1961, is a sound artist, composer, and producer. Banabila releases music since 1983 and has produced musical scores for numerous films, documentaries, theatre plays and choreographies. The album "Early Works. Things Popping up from the Past" collects 11 songs from his early years, released on tape, vinyl EPs or limited CD editions: beautiful minimal loop-based electronica, neo-classical pieces and ambient drone music. A true discovery! CD/vinyl/digital.

Read more here

MAY 2016

"Machines Of Desire"—new album
by Peter Baumann after 30 years!

From 1971 to 1977 Peter Baumann was a member of the legendary German band Tangerine Dream, the inventors of the electronic music genre "Berlin School". He produced many seminal records in his Paragon studio (e.g. Conrad Schnitzler, Cluster, Hans-Joachim Roedelius) and released several successful solo albums.

"Machines Of Desire" is Peter Baumann's first solo album in more than 30 years and it's now available on CD, vinyl (incl CD), limited white vinyl (incl CD) and DL. Check out the videos for "Searching In Vain" and "Dust To Dust" that are now online on the "Machines Of Desire" Youtube channel.

Read more here: English / Deutsch

Unreleased material by CIRCLES:
New album "Structures" out now!

Latecomers to the Krautrock party, Circles created a manifesto of frenzied inertia in the late 1980s, swimming in the same gene pool as Cluster and Popol Vuh. Ambient music for the end of time does not get any more authentic than this. The "Structures" album is a time capsule unlocked, containing previously unreleased recordings from the years 1985 to 1989. Music which meshes the extremes of "end of time foreboding" and "drifting lightness" to beguiling effect. Music which succeeds in sounding more contemporary now that it did when it was made. Its time has come.

Read more here: English / Deutsch

APRIL 2016

Three guitarists, Three generations:
Arbeit Schickert Schneider. Out now.

Günter Schickert (Ziguri), Jochen Arbeit (Die Haut, Einstürzende Neubauten, Automat) and Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM, Angel, Locust Fudge) are three renowned Berlin guitarists. They epitomize three generations of experimental musicians: Schickert personifies the Krautrock of the 1970s, Arbeit 1980s post-punk and Dresselhaus the neo-electronica of the late 1990s/2000s period. Their artist approaches may differ on account of their diverse musical backgrounds, yet what they do have in common is a fundamental interest in developing the guitar as a sound object, seeking out unusual structures and harmonies. They now present the results of their explorations and ideas on a joint album.

Read more here: English / Deutsch

DENNIS YOUNG: "Wave"
(Electronic Music 1984–1988). Out now

Dennis Young is best known as the percussionist of the New York band LIQUID LIQUID, which is known for their piece "Cavern" from 1983, which in turn became very well known because Grandmaster Flash sampled it and used it as the basis for their hit "White Lines". But Young was not only a band member. In parallel he produced much of his own material, including three cassettes in the years 1984 to 1988, which are of particular interest for us. They are his tribute to the pioneers of electronic music like Klaus Schulze, Brian Eno, Cluster or Tim Blake. Those who don't know otherwise might guess that Youngs music originated in the seventies.

Read more here: English / Deutsch

9 album Cluster boxset. 1971–1981.
Limited CD and LP version. Out now.

Finally available: The ultimate Cluster boxset. It contains all eight of the regular LPs which represent their main phase 1971–1981, plus a previously unreleased album of two live recordings from the years 1972 and 1977. All of the albums have been remastered by Willem Makkee. Asmus Tietchens has contributed an exclusive text on the evolution and significance of the band. The booklets also include essays on each album and many photographs. Limited to 1,000 vinyl sets (180g) and 1,500 CD sets. Out now!

Read more here.

New series: Dieter Moebius' solo work.
"Blotch" & "Nurton" out now

Dieter Moebius—half of the legendary duo Cluster and the godfather of electronic krautrock—passed away in the summer of 2015. Bureau B is now rereleasing his last four solo albums. The series begins with "Blotch" from 1999, featuring loop-based tracks which delve stoically into experimental sonic atmospheres that playfully and sensuously hypnotize the listener. On the second album of his late solo work, "Nurton", Moebius searches for flaws and uses them as a creative impulse. As usual, he blithely ignores any mainstream expectations. Out now on CD/LP/DL.

Read more about "Blotch": English / Deutsch

Read more about "Nurton": English / Deutsch

MARCH 2016

»THE STEAM AGE«
New SØLYST album out now

As a basis for the third album by the Düsseldorf Kreidler drummer Thomas Klein THE STEAM AGE, an abandoned piano served as a sound source. Tapping, scratching, scraping, plucking: working with the wooden body and steel strings led to the building blocks of a broad sonic spectrum, which Klein then brushed against the grain with his sampler. All of these alienated patterns and sequences were then invited to dance to the typical Sølyst percussion groove, merging with him to form a hypnotically driving machine-funk.

Read more here: English / Deutsch

"Ambient music for the devoted"
New Qluster album "Echtzeit" out now

Qluster are the third incarnation of the legendary Krautrock project Kluster/Cluster, consisting of Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Onnen Bock and Armin Metz. "Echtzeit" is their sixth album. After the pure piano work on "Tasten" (2015), the group has now returned to their electronic equipment (plus grand piano) and expands their audience with contemplative, mature and intelligent music. Or, as "popmatters" put it: "Qluster make ambient music sound just weird enough for the devoted." (8 stars out of 10). "Echtzeit" is album of the week in "Musikexpress".

Read more here: English / Deutsch

FEBRUARY 2016

9 album CLUSTER box set out in April.
Be the first! Preorder now!

On April 8rd Bureau B will release a luxurious 9 album CLUSTER box set. It contains all eight of the regular LPs which represent their main phase 1971—1981, plus a previously unreleased album of two live recordings from the years 1972 and 1977. All of the albums have been remastered by Willem Makkee. Asmus Tietchens has contributed an exclusive text on the evolution and significance of the band. The booklets also include essays on each individual album and rare photographs. Limited to 1000 vinyl sets (180g) and 1500 CD sets. You can preorder this must-have here. The first 200 orders also include a cover print.

70's electronic music gem unearthed!
Baumann/Koek out now!

Bureau B releases another hitherto undiscovered treasure of German electronic music, the only album by the electronic music pairing of Wolfgang (not Peter!) Baumann and Ata Koek, both from Kempten, Bavaria. It was mixed in Conny Plank's studio and distributed, without a label, by the duo themselves in 1978. The music owes much to the Berlin School: layered sequencer patterns, swirling chord tapestries, a computer beat here and there. Oriental elements or hints thereof add a particular charm to Baumann/Koek, available now for the first time on CD (+vinyl and download).

Read more here: English / Deutsch