Ata Tak – Die neuen Herrn (1980-84)

Ata Tak – Die neuen Herrn (1980-84)

Equally at home in the art world and the artists’ pub, Ata Tak‘s proprietors manage their label from a nice office in Düsseldorf; in the adjoining music studio, they pursue the idea of a world rebellion with sound – as Der Plan. 32 minutes with Holger Hiller, Minus Delta T, Picky Picnic, Wirtschaftswunder, and others.

Relics – Miniatures on Air (1953-2019)

Relics – Miniatures on Air (1953-2019)

Relics tell stories, take listeners on acoustic journeys, or document situations. They can be poems, studio productions, field recordings, or something completely different. 53-minute mix representing Paul Paulun’s series Fundstück on DLF-Kultur with pieces by Anne Waldman, Helga Goetze, Mark E. Smith, Timothy Leary, and 26 other artists.

Proper Krauts (1971-78)

Proper Krauts (1971-78)

The stoic, almost machine like drumming of so many West-German tunes from the early seventies becomes the trademark of a new sound – different from British pop or American rock, and in no way related to the country’s horrible nazi past. 45 minutes with Cluster, Faust, Harmonia 76, La Düsseldorf, and others.

Future Japan – Technopop (1979-86)

Future Japan – Technopop (1979-86)

Yellow Magic Orchestra’s concept of connecting pop, dance music, and Far Eastern folklore quickly becomes synonymous with technopop in Japan. The band’s members also occur in each others solo recordings and cooperate with other musicians. 49 minutes with Apogee & Perigee, Friends Of Earth, Miharu Koshi, Ryuichi Sakamoto & The Kakutougi Session, and others.

Ambient Japan (1981-2004)

Ambient Japan (1981-2004)

Free of artificial ornamentation, well balanced, and designed with love for detail, some eighties Japanese ambient music resembles the concept of the countries’ traditional gardens. 51 minutes of music striving to enhance environments – with works by Haruomi Hosono, Inoyama Land, Masahiro Sugaya, Yasuaki Shimizu, and others.

Ambient Channel (3): Misty

Ambient Channel (3): Misty

Paying homage to flying machines and next generation’s minimalism, singing in an invented language that’s both mysterious and familiar, and a special kind of rain. 43-minute mix with pieces by Anna Homler and Steve Moshier, Ennio Morricone, Harold Budd, The Human League, and others – made between 1972 and 2011.

Fluxus Is… (1959-2014)

Fluxus Is… (1959-2014)

Forming a loose community of interdisciplinary collaborators, Fluxus artists are rethinking the role of art in society during the sixties. 47 minutes with Carolee Schneemann, Henning Christiansen, Terry Riley, Yoko Ono, and others.