GÜNTER SCHICKERT

< main menu news latest catalogue UT releases Audion retail mail-order address email gig news

Günter Schickert
legendary echo-guitarist of the Berlin Krautrock underground

xxxxxxxxx Günter in 1974 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx GAM (from the rear cover of the Eiszeit LP)

A boundless talent, Günter can be seen as one of the unsung heroes of the Krautrock underground. An excellent innovative guitarist and multi-instrumental soloist, with a distinctive style. He's always pursued his own path and vision. Yes, Günter's an original. Musician, artist, and much much more.

Günter appeared on the Berlin music scene in the mid 1970s, and was soon championed by Klaus Schulze, who helped him gain a release on Brain of his debut self-produced album "Samtvogel" an underground slab of echo guitar drenched flowing kosmische "Krautock". He also worked with Klaus in the studio (unreleased, he's pictured in the background on the back cover of "Moondawn") and is a studio assistant on the recording of Japanese space-rock legend Far East Family Band's iconic "Parallel World". That's about as far as his high profile credits go, yet that didn't put a halt to his continuing innovation as a musician.

Günter never ever sold-out, sticking to his own vision in spite of the dumping of Krautrock by the German media. He did gain release of a second album on the Sky label called "Uberfallig" which personalised his sound further, a kind of hybrid of motorik Neu! and Achim Reichel's "Erholung" for want of a better simple description. After that it was down to people like ourselves (and thanks to David Elliott of YHR) contacting Günter and encouraging him. This led to the release of his third album "Kinder In Der Wildnis" on cassette and the eventual release of recordings by the Krautrock power trio GAM. You'll find more on all this in our "The Crack In The Cosmic Egg" and light version on this web site. There's another classic in Günter's roster that appeared in the 1990's called "Somnambul" which is really eclectic and well worth seeking out.

We eventually got to meet Günter when we visited Berlin in the mid 1990s, and he later made a special trek to the Ultima Thule shop to see us when he was in England. A really nice guy, on both occasions we chatted for ages, finding we had even more in common than music. Over the years he's also been a regular on the German arts scene, doing exhibitions, works with theatre, multimedia, and such like. He's been in dozens of bands as well, most notable the excellent No Zen, the really weird Ziguri Ego Zoo, etc. He also plays in a jazz band and the bizarre Feedback Orchester.

discography...

SAMTVOGEL - LP private SCH 33003 (1974), LP Brain 1080 (1975), Wah Wah Records LPS082 (2010), CD Important Records IMPREC 380 (2013)
ÜBERFÄLLIG - LP Sky 032 (1979), Bureau B BB096 (2012), CD Musique Intemporelle CSP 00101 / Green Tree GTR 080 (1998), Bureau B BB96 (2012)
Toncollage Zu Dem Film: In Den Zeichen Vom Sabine Franek-Koch 1981 - 7" private 25882 (1982)
KINDER IN DER WILDNIS - MC YHR 031 (UK, 1983), MC Auricle Music AMC 009 (1985), CDR Auricle Music AMCDR 020 (2002), LP/CD Bureau B BB151 (2013)
SOMNAMBUL - CD Musique Intemporelle 76896403302 (1995) with CD-ROM track
SCHICKERT '98 - CDR private (1999)
ECHODRIVE 2000 ‎- CDR private (2000)
MAUERHARFE 1989 - 2009 ‎- CDR private (2009)
HAHEHIHO ‎- MC VCO Records VCO 009 (2012)
KLAUS SCHULZE & GÜNTER SCHICKERT - THE SCHULZE-SCHICKERT SESSION (1975) - LP Mirumar MIR100704 LP (2013), CD Mirumar MIR100704 CD (2013)
LABYRINTH ‎- LP Marmo Music MARMOLP01 (2018)

GAM discography...
GAM 1976 - MC Auricle Music AMC 017 (UK, 1986), CDR Auricle Music AMCDR 021 (UK, 2002), LP Wah Wah Records LPS175 (2017)
EISZEIT - CD Cosmic Egg UTCE 002 (UK, 2005), LP Dirty Knobby DK-017 (2015)
1979 FINAL FREAK-OUT - 2xCDR Auricle AMCDR 218/9 (2016)

unique Günter Schickert tracks on various artists releases...
A CAGE WENT IN SEARCH OF A BIRD - 2MC Dark Star DS 1-2 (1985) track: Powolerman/Suleika
SPACE-ROCK & THE FOURTH DIMENSION - MC Auricle AMC 040 (1989), CDR Auricle AMSCDR 007 (2002) track: G.S.Echodrive Galaxy
THE CRACK IN THE COSMIC EGG - CD-Rom Audion Publications ISBN 0-9529506-0-CDROM (2007) tracks: GAM - Unreleased Live 1979, Günter Schickert - Kemenate Prayer Extract 2002, Schickert & Strodthoff - Apricot Brandy 2001

Other collaborations and band projects: Arumaruma, ASS (Jochen Arbeit, Günter Schickert, Schneider TM), Feedbackorchester, No Zen Orchestra, Günter Schickert / Mater Suspiria Vision, Günter Schickert / Pharoah Chromium, Strange Fruit, Ziguri, Ziguri Ego Zoo, etc.

Günter Schickert articles and reviews in Audion - #3/11, #11/17, #12/4-5, #34/15+18, #41/6, #44/5, #51/31, #55/27

https://auriclemusic.bandcamp.com/album/g-nter-schickert-gam