Sep 22, 2019

Sundaze 1938

Hello, after 3 months of Namlook i felt you probably could do with a smooth change of direction and considering today's artist cooperated with Namlook on 3 of last weeks posts as Virtual Vices it made sense to take a closer ear to Wolfram Spyra.



Today's artist is a composer of electronic music, sound artist and inventor born in Eschwege in Germany. Sound is his art form. He has worked for film, television, theatre, dance and as sound designer. He began his career in the early 1990s constructing 'soundscapes' and installations around Germany. He has collaborated with a wide range of visual artists, musicians, producers and DJs. He has released several albums, starting in 1995 with Homelistening Is Killing Clubs. His focus is on electronic music, seamlessly blending interesting samples, synthesizers, percussion and other elements together in unique ways. While sometimes experimental, most of his music has a certain accessibility in terms of the rhythmic and melodic components. Though frequently associated with the retro or Berlin School sound pioneered by Klaus Schulze and others, he uses modern ambient electronica elements extensively, creating his own rich sound that defies easy categorization."...  ......N-Joy

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From Spyra's website

artistic biography of wolfram der spyra (* 1964) , clearly there was no need to keep this bio german style up to date after 2001, what can i say apparently no devoted fan availble to do the work for free. Not sure what has been posted on his facebook page, i'm not a member of that club.

performance, invention or exhibition referred to within this website
release on compact disc referred to within this website

 
1986 - 92 study of free arts at the h b k college of art, kassel
1986 metall . basalt - performance, galerie zorro, kassel
1988 denkwürdigkeiten eines nervenkranken - composition of music for a theatre-performance, kassel
composition of music for several performances of the artist natascha fiala
1989 ausflug zur dämmerung - performance, schaufenstergalerie, kassel
musica povera - music- and text - performance with bernd friedmann and tim matthieson as part of the exhibition kunststudenten stellen aus, moderne galerie, saarbrücken
steine -performance within the context of the retirement of the g h k - president, gießhaus, kassel
1990 wenn - performance, produzentengalerie, kassel
1991 nachrichten - klanginstallation, kirchweg 15, kassel
build of a sound studio at the h b k, kassel
hunger kunst hunger - group - exhibition , halle k 18, kassel

 
1992 completing the free arts study with the degree dissertation klangerzeugung, klangkomposition, klangskulptur (sound generation, sound composition, sound sculpture)
lectureship at the h b k college of art, kassel
1. kasseler kunstmarkt - organisation of the eexhibition
hush hour - sound installation in a parking house as part of the sculpture exhibition platz da (documenta - support programme)
fisch / schiff - sound installation, ms ger jea, kassel
panakustikum - individual exhibition of sound sculptures within the context of the documenta IX support programme
winner of the award kasseler kulturförderpreises
winner of the wolfgang zippel - award with the artist group platz da
bath - sound installation, dock 4, kassel
etherlands - outdoor sound installation with antennas as part of the exhibition zeitbrücken, mühlhausen

 
1993 the park -sound installation, cultural fair kassel, dock 4
composition and realisation of music for the lecture ofe windi winderlich, kongreß der luxus und seine verpackung, hotel 4 jahreszeiten, münchen
nachtmusik - sound installation, salzmann factory, kassel
composition of a modern dance piece for the company tanz form, kassel
hospital - sound installation, hospital church, treysa
klangbleche - concert and sound installation in the gasgebläsehalle der völklinger hütte as part of the festivals schichtwechsel, saarbrücken / völklingen
nr. 7 - sound installation in a hotel room as part of the international art project transit, hotel hessenland, kassel
stiftskirche und roßgang - 2 environmental sound installations as part of the kaufunger kulturtage

 
1994 stille - 4 sound installations,gedenkstätte breitenau (breitenau memorial)
roßgang 2 - the sound installation is being bought by the mining museum, kaufungen
sound factory - sound installations in the club aufschwung ost, kassel
the queen of instruments has left the country -sound installation in the city-church of hessisch - lichtenau (finissage of the exhibition höhenflug + flügelschlag from elke teuber - s. and ruth ullenboom)
p.a.s.s. - portable ambient sound system -(Interactive sound installation. P.A.S.S. - units were hired out to visitors by the documenta - archiv, allowing them to use the system for soundwalks through the city

 
1995 farbrauschen - exhibition with the finnish artist helena rytkönen, galerie studio kausch, kassel
live concert with klangbleche (metal sound sheets) at the computer-fair combit , kassel
kunstwald - live concert at the art festival in herne
live-konzert within the context of the love - parade in berlin
several concerts in the chillout of the techno-club aufschwung ost, kassel (also 1996 / 97/ 98)
exhibition of the klangbleche at the hessentag in schwalmstadt
strom - exhibition of 220 volt - objects in the salzmann factory, kassel
homelistening is killing clubs - release of the first solo - cd (hyperium / wigwam)


1996 r. u. n. - composition of the music for the theatre piece r. u. n. - risiken und nebenwirkungen of michael seyfried and oliver nitsche, theatre erlangen
odyssee - group exhibition, documenta - halle, kassel
quest - composition of music for the animation film quest by stellmach / montgomery. in 1997 the film wins the oscar - award in the category animation film
diverse live - concerts, e.g. at the festivals waterworld, koblenz, auerworld, bad sulza, and escape from samsara, london
realisation of the soundtrack for an animation film by parvis safadel
composition of music for the cd - rom china - im reich der sonne, publisher nova media

 
1997 schall und rauch - two sound installations of the type portable ambient sound system (p a s s ) for a sound-exhibition for children in the kongreßhalle berlin
p a s s in space - 30 pass - systems are bought by the firm reemtsma (west)
das büro -realisation of the soundtrack for a short film by joachim bode (mtv)
phonehead - release of the 2nd solo - cd (plus vinyl-maxi) at fax - records, frankfurt

my little garden of sounds - sound exhibition and live concerts as part of the documenta X support programme
my little garden of sounds - release of the 3rd solo - cd within the context of the exhibition of the same name

kulturbahnhof - several sound sculptures from the little garden of sounds are shown at the kulturbahnhof, kassel
the akustischer stadtplan - (acoustic city map) is bought by the city of kassel and exhibited at the town hall
future of the past -release of the 4th solo - cd at manikin records, berlin
schall und rauch - the exhibition (s.o.) is shown in vienna

 
1998 schall und rauch - the exhibition (s.o.) is shown in mailand
solar system - sound installation as part of the atelierrundgang, neuer kasseler kunstverein
sferics - release of the 5th solo - cd at fax records, frankfurt
le jardin - participation in the exhibition and diverse live - performances at the stockwell-studios, the vauxhall st. peter's heritage center, the beaconsfield gallery and the i.c.a. (institute of contemporary arts), london
round tables - the sound installation is being bought by the allianz-versicherung, frankfurt
kassels akustischer stadtplan – release of a cd with the sounds of the acoustic city map of kassel

virtual vices - release of a cd in collaboration with pete namlook at fax-records, frankfurt

 
1999 die blinden von kilcrobally - composition of music for a theatre piece, staatsatheater kassel
etherlands- release of the 6th solo -cd at fax records, frankfurt
vauxhall soundmap - acoustic city map vauxhall - order of an acoustic city map for the london district vauxhall
acoustic city maps budapest & frankfurt - the acoustic citymaps of both partnership towns are shown in the kunsthalle schirn, frankfurt
jump - o - phone - construction of an interactive sound - and - light - instrument
weltglockengeläut - dj - livemix of music and sounds of bells from all over the world (via internet & telephone), apolda
e - live - - live concert at one of the most important festivals for electronic music in europe, nijmegen (netherlands)
fliegender wechsel, group- exhibition at the kunsttempel, kassel

 
2000 dj und live - act at the liquid millenium celebration, liquid sound, bad sulza
build and move to af a new sound studio in kassel
composition of an 8 - channel - music-soundcollage for yadegar assisi´s hanse-panorama
komposition of midi - files for a cd - rom with projectsof the expo 2000
live performance with adrian palka and dancers of the coventry university at the opening of the summer show at stockwell studios, london
group - exhibition funkhaus, dresden
exhibition klangbleche and several live-performances in croatia
live-concert (steel cello and electronics) with bob rutman, architekturfakultät, berlin
virtual vices II -- release of a cd in collaboration with pete namlook at fax records, frankfurt
live-concert in berlin (2nd space trance tronic night, lichterfelde)
live-performance with the russian sound-poet valeri scherstjanoi, leipziger literarischer herbst

 
2001 performance with scherstjanoi at the festival musica viva (joseph anton riedl), gasteig münchen
construction of technical sound-units for the friedensmuseum (peace museum), lindau im bodensee

composition of sound-tracks for mtv spots by lichthof/stellmach
kick the bucket - installation und performance in collaboration with adrian palka as a part of the exhibition carambolage, kunsttempel, kassel
live-performance with valeri scherstjanoi, steffen moddrow and f.w. block, kasseler museumsnacht
treib.gut - les sons démocratiques - concert and performance museumsnacht, kassel
the presence of the sun - installation und video - live - performance with andreas stolkmann, bastion kunst, kassel
live performance at the opening of millennium - tage, kassel
kassel am meer: participation in the group-exhibition with a new version of the klangbleche (incl. a 7-channel-composition) and the work round table, fridericianum kassel

live performance with adrian palka at the opening of wiedervorlage d5, an exhibition in the context of the 40th anniversary of the documenta - archive, fridericianum kassel
konzert für querflöte und 4 k(ettensägen) – performance with christiane winning, dr. f.w. block, m. hess, u. duttenhofer
elevator to heaven – release of a 3-cd-box (7th solo -project) at manikin records, berlin
presentation of the round table at the symposium labyrinth des hörens, villa clementine, wiesbaden
virtual vices III - release of a cd in collaboration with pete namlook at fax records, frankfurt
2002-2019
    Virtual Vices IV (with Pete Namlook) (2002)
    Invisible Fields (2003)
    Achtundsechzig 24 Live@Toskana-Therme (2003)
    Excerpts 1 (2004)
    Headphone Concert: Little Garden of Sounds II (2004)
    Meditationen (2005)
    Orphan Waves (2006)
    Virtual Vices V (with Pete Namlook) (2006)
    Space Cowboys @ Jelenia Góra (2007)
    High Phidelity (2007)
    Gasoline 91 Octane (2008)
    Virtual Vices VI (with Pete Namlook) (2008)
    January in June (2009)
    SeQuest (with Chris Lang) (2010)
    ADSR Remixed (Maxi-single with Steve Baltes) (2010)
    No Beats For 1 Hour (0B41H) (2010)
    Staub (2014)
    Requiem (2017)
Wolfram did undoubtedly much more because clearly he did very little to promote himself and his work like creating a decent biography alas that kind of naivity is all to common with artists.

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This is a very impressive 1st record for any artist. Spyra was highly talented already and had developed his distinct and personal style. This like many other Spyra albums were released with two different cover designs - one original and an updated version later. It's a pity really that he never enjoyed wider recognition for his talents. Overall, the melodies and sequencing are excellent, for a sound that is more than ever relevant. It's essential. He should have been far more popular and enjoy success. The albums were generally printed only 500-2000 pieces each. Homelistening Is Killing Clubs is quite impressive for a debut album.



.Spyra - Homelistening Is Killing Clubs ( 330mb)

01 ADSR 6:54
02 Inclined Plane 5:45
03 Ebb 8:15
04 Xenophones 4:58
05 Peddigree Tribe 7:31
06 City of Glass 7:16
07 Subsequent Spaces 5:44
08 Iceland 10:12
09 Future of the Past 15:13

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Phonehead is Wolfram Der Sprya's official debut album at FAX and it's certainly constructed as if it intends to introduce him as a serious electronic musician. The first couple of minutes of "7 Homes & 8 Spyrits Part I" is a simple and clever xylophone melody that hooks you immediately, leading into a fast-paced blend  Along with the other bookend of the album, the homage to classic piano composer Erik Satie, suggests a classic approach to electronic music combined with the innovation of his original instrumentation that become the definition of his unique sound. "Ocean" begins as a bubbling ambient piece sampling the thoughts of a fisherman out in the sea, which gets laid out with heavy beat, synth, of course more xylophone to create of Spyra most memorable and clever moments. The slower moving "Omega est Alpha" is both atmospheric and upbeat, carried by some nicely crafted melodies. Spyra makes a powerful entrance that puts him on top of the list of prominent German modern electronic musicians.



Spyra - Phonehead (flac 394mb)

01 7 Homes & 8 Spyrits Part I 8:56
02 VCM 100F 10:22
03 Ocean 9:44
04 Level, Voice 11:08
05 VCF CS20 5:04
06 7 Homes & 8 Spyrits Part II 9:13
07 Omega est Alpha 14:47
08 Hommage a Satie 3:13

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This little beauty, captures Spyra at his best. The music was apparently composed for an exhibition in Kassel in 1997 (Spyra has done a lot these), but fear not - the music sounds just as good at home. There is bit of a concept here as the disc is split in two "zones" (A and B), each zone consisting of 3 tracks: 1) a piece with plenty of sequencing, 2) a quite abstract track and 3) a laidback/melodic finale. The sequenced tracks are the best ones here, as the 23-minute "Seasons" and the excellent "Seeds" in particular offer some rather brilliant pulsing music that ebbs and flows elegantly. However the "Garden" tracks are also very good slices of minimalist abstract atmospherics, the "Subterranean" one combining the electroacoustic-inspired soundscapes with more melodic elements in a not entirely sucessful fashion perhaps, but it's still a satisfying listen. The French-titled closers in each "Zone" are of the more slick variety but with some quality melodic synth action; nice stuff. Spyra's sound is very pure and smooth overall and perhaps a little frictionless; it doesn't offer dynamics as exciting and challenging as the best IDM. Still, of all "pure" old school-influenced Electronic Music out there, this is some of the best there is.



Spyra - My Little Garden of Sounds (flac 346mb)

01 Seeds 11:58
02 Subterranean Gardens 9:49
03 Le Chant des Fleurs 8:18
04 Seasons 23:25
05 Supernatural Gardens 8:41
06 Le Parc de la Vie 11:30

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This is an album of beautifully melodic sequenced analog synthesizers verging on perfection. The first three tracks meld into a masterpiece of control over melodic and harmonic synth rhythms, tunes and textures. Very highly recommended for anyone interested in a modern, lyrical direction for analog synthesis.



Spyra - Future of The Past ( flac   337mb)

01 Non disperdere nell' ambiente Part 1 11:51
02 Source 15:19
03 Non disperdere nell' ambiente Part 2 13:31
04 Future of the Past 14:41
05 One Beat - One Second 12:38

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