Centrozoon
Encyclopedia
centrozoon is a German electronic
improvisational music group. The core members are Markus Reuter
(Warr touch guitar
, loops, programming) and Bernhard Wöstheinrich (synthesizers, electronic percussion, programming). The group's music is flexible and has altered from album to album, but frequently-used elements include ambient music
, improvisation
, electronica
, progressive rock
and IDM
(intelligent dance music).
For vocal and song-based projects, the group has been augmented by No-Man
singer Tim Bowness
. The group has also collaborated with King Crimson
drummer Pat Mastelotto
and engineer Bill Munyon.
's Guitar Craft
, studying with Fripp and Tony Geballe. Initially trained as a pianist and a student of contemporary classical music
(with Karlheinz Straetmanns and Daniel Schell
, plus Indian music
with Ashok Pathak), he had switched to guitar
in the late 1980s and to touch guitar in 1993 (initially Chapman Stick
and subsequently Warr Guitar
). At around the same time, he had developing an interest in textural loop music. Reuter had also been a member of the Europa String Choir and String Unit..
In the mid-1990s, Reuter met Bernhard Wöstheinrich, an experimental electronic musician playing various synthesizers and electronic rhythm devices. The two began to collaborate as centrozoon in early 1996.
in collaboration with electronic musician and producer Philipp Quaet-Faslem (who would remain a frequent collaborator).
Later in the year, the third centrozoon album The Cult Of: Bibiboo, was released on Burning Shed as a full CD issue, revealing a much more intense centrozoon incorporating hard dance rhythms and lengthy, uninhibited touch guitar solos. Chain DLK dubbed it “ambient soundscapes performed with the ease, passion and fragility of real time experimental noise tweakers, and intertwining lines of harmony and freeform fusion performed with the elegance, purity and casualty of a long forgotten jazz art that transpires from underneath the lid of vaporous electronics and artificial density.“
Allmusic described the album as “finding some ground between ambient/techno float, space rock zone, and art rock chops, but by not trying to specifically aim at a particular style or approach... The title track is the standout, with Wöstheinrich's beat chaos going near full gabber
levels at points throughout the twenty-minute composition, all while soothing keyboards and alternately screaming and calm guitar take the lead.” AMG also praised the band for “steer(ing) away from half-hearted fusion to their own particular logic” as well as noting “Reuter's ability to create a brief, thrilling hero rock riff as needed, giving the compositions a nice bit of bite.”
The Dutch Progressive Rock Pages described The Cult Of: Bibiboo as “an album full of sonic landscapes which though minimalistic and seemingly simple, is exceptionally rich sounding” while also commenting that “commercial is a word that cannot be whispered when listening to this release and (unfortunately) it is a case of like it or leave it.” The review also compared the music to that of Boards Of Canada
and Stockhausen.
singer Tim Bowness
, making several appearances with this line-up in the UK in 2002 and shifting their musical focus towards tightly structured songs.
released on Burning Shed
in 2003, fusing Bowness’ voice and alternately romantic/bleak lyrics with Reuter and Wöstheinrich’s electro-pop soundtracks. Twilight Zone webzine compared the results to Depeche Mode, praising the “splendid arrangements” and “chilling prog atmospheres”, while Expose labelled it “a hybrid pop refinement that will appear to fans of Japan as well as King Crimson.”
drummer Pat Mastelotto
on acoustic and electronic drums
Classic Rock commented “The stark, spooky arrangements of “Bigger Space” and “Ten Versions Of America” fail to disguise cunning hooks, the record's myriad charms unravelling the more it's played.” Coming from a more traditional progressive rock perspective, the Dutch Progressive Rock Pages were less impressed, criticising the “lack of variation in tempo” and claiming that “this is not a work that the more traditionally-minded prog fan is going to take to” while labelling the album as “solid” and possibly “appealing to those prog rock fans who enjoy relaxing to a bit of superior ‘chill out’ music from time to time.”
released a remix EP of centrozoon material called Hands On centrozoon.
The Silent Ballet webzine was less impressed with Lovefield, stating “the album pops unpredictably like a thunderstorm and the guitar tone sits comfortably in that same old annoyingly clean New Age guitar sound” while complaining “even just a little structure is good if you are attempting to communicate much of anything more than schizophrenia in your music. (centrozoon) do certainly make some interesting sounds, it’s just a pity they can’t reign it in… each piece actually has the feel of three to four individual pieces carelessly mashed into one.”. The Enochian Apocalypse webzine was more generous, saying of the album that “it’s subtle, it holds and fills out the background to silence when relaxing at home, interesting, and above all involving.”)
The band commented “The music is presented as is, uncensored. These sessions (some of which were recorded live in the studio, some live on stage) hint unmistakably at what was to come… There are some technical flaws with some of the recordings, but we've left them untouched in order to not mess with the flow of the improvisations. This music is the seed of centrozoon as we know it.”
Bernhard Wöstheinrich has released solo material under the project name of The Redundant Rocker.
Reuter and/or Wöstheinrich have also collaborated (together and separately) with Ian Boddy
, Robert Rich
, and Nigel Mullaney, and both contributed to Tim Bowness
’ 2004 solo album My Hotel Year.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
improvisational music group. The core members are Markus Reuter
Markus Reuter
Markus Reuter is a German musician, composer and record producer, specialising in touch guitar playing and loop music. Recently he has expanded his activities by moving into instrument design.-Biography:...
(Warr touch guitar
Warr guitar
Warr Guitars is a company that manufactures the Warr Guitar, a guitar like musical instrument developed by the company's founder, Mark Warr.-Description:The Warr Guitar resembles a standard electric guitar, albeit with a very low action and more strings...
, loops, programming) and Bernhard Wöstheinrich (synthesizers, electronic percussion, programming). The group's music is flexible and has altered from album to album, but frequently-used elements include ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and IDM
Intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
(intelligent dance music).
For vocal and song-based projects, the group has been augmented by No-Man
No-Man
No-Man are a British art-pop duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson . The band has so far produced six studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections...
singer Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
. The group has also collaborated with King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
drummer Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto is a rock drummer who has worked with Mr. Mister and King Crimson, amongst others. For King Crimson he initially formed part of the "double trio" lineup, joining Bill Bruford on drums...
and engineer Bill Munyon.
Formation
Markus Reuter was a former student of Robert FrippRobert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
's Guitar Craft
Guitar Craft
Guitar Craft was a series of guitar and personal development classes, founded and often presented by Robert Fripp, who is best known for his work with King Crimson.-Courses:GC includes three ways of developing relationships:...
, studying with Fripp and Tony Geballe. Initially trained as a pianist and a student of contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
(with Karlheinz Straetmanns and Daniel Schell
Daniel Schell
Daniel Schell is an Australian rules footballer. He played for both the Fremantle and the Adelaide Football Clubs. He was drafted from Central District in the SANFL as the 18th selection in the 1998 AFL Draft and played mainly as a full forward.Schell struggled to be a successful forward at AFL...
, plus Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
with Ashok Pathak), he had switched to guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in the late 1980s and to touch guitar in 1993 (initially Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
and subsequently Warr Guitar
Warr guitar
Warr Guitars is a company that manufactures the Warr Guitar, a guitar like musical instrument developed by the company's founder, Mark Warr.-Description:The Warr Guitar resembles a standard electric guitar, albeit with a very low action and more strings...
). At around the same time, he had developing an interest in textural loop music. Reuter had also been a member of the Europa String Choir and String Unit..
In the mid-1990s, Reuter met Bernhard Wöstheinrich, an experimental electronic musician playing various synthesizers and electronic rhythm devices. The two began to collaborate as centrozoon in early 1996.
Blast (1999)
The first centrozoon album was the predominantly-ambient Blast, which was released on DiN Recordings in 1999. Reviewing the disc, ambient radio station Star’s End commented “the duo of centrozoon produce spacemusic difficult to quantify, trace or categorize; their distinguishing characteristic being improvisation… Blast speaks to the listener with a musical vocabulary of contrasting harmonies and remarkable timbres… an album that is at once experimental, cerebral, spacious and engaging. Blast creates its own space, colored by the listener's imagination.”Sun Lounge Debris and The Divine Beast (2001)
Blast was followed by Sun Lounge Debris, a collection of pieces of a varying nature, issued on British art-rock label Burning Shed in 2001 as a CD-R release. Allmusic noted the album’s ”ambient-inspired depths, with slowly progressing songs that unfold with layers of haunting, lovely drones that sound like soft sighs. " and commented on the “definite hints of prog-tinged exploration throughout… Reuter's a very deliberate player, and his skill at creating loops out of his performances establishes the shade and beautiful texture of the pieces. Wöstheinrich's work is subtle throughout, providing low-key accompaniment and melody to the performances, working in gentle sync with Reuter.” Early hints of what the next album would be like (denser and faster, with strong electronic dance-rhythms incorporated) were circulated later in the year on a CD EP called The Divine Beast.centrophil and The Cult Of: Bibiboo (2002)
The first centrozoon release of 2002 was the self-released Centrophil 12-inch vinyl EP, in which the band explored electronic remix cultureRemix culture
Remix culture is a term used to describe a society which allows and encourages derivative works. Remix is defined as combining or editing existing materials to produce a new product. A Remix Culture would be, by default, permissive of efforts to improve upon, change, integrate, or otherwise remix...
in collaboration with electronic musician and producer Philipp Quaet-Faslem (who would remain a frequent collaborator).
Later in the year, the third centrozoon album The Cult Of: Bibiboo, was released on Burning Shed as a full CD issue, revealing a much more intense centrozoon incorporating hard dance rhythms and lengthy, uninhibited touch guitar solos. Chain DLK dubbed it “ambient soundscapes performed with the ease, passion and fragility of real time experimental noise tweakers, and intertwining lines of harmony and freeform fusion performed with the elegance, purity and casualty of a long forgotten jazz art that transpires from underneath the lid of vaporous electronics and artificial density.“
Allmusic described the album as “finding some ground between ambient/techno float, space rock zone, and art rock chops, but by not trying to specifically aim at a particular style or approach... The title track is the standout, with Wöstheinrich's beat chaos going near full gabber
Gabber
Gabber , is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. "Gabber" is a slang word of Yiddish origin that means "mate", "buddy" or "friend"....
levels at points throughout the twenty-minute composition, all while soothing keyboards and alternately screaming and calm guitar take the lead.” AMG also praised the band for “steer(ing) away from half-hearted fusion to their own particular logic” as well as noting “Reuter's ability to create a brief, thrilling hero rock riff as needed, giving the compositions a nice bit of bite.”
The Dutch Progressive Rock Pages described The Cult Of: Bibiboo as “an album full of sonic landscapes which though minimalistic and seemingly simple, is exceptionally rich sounding” while also commenting that “commercial is a word that cannot be whispered when listening to this release and (unfortunately) it is a case of like it or leave it.” The review also compared the music to that of Boards Of Canada
Boards of Canada
Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin...
and Stockhausen.
Trio with Tim Bowness (2002–2007)
For their next stage of activity, centrozoon began working as a trio with the addition of No-ManNo-Man
No-Man are a British art-pop duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson . The band has so far produced six studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections...
singer Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
, making several appearances with this line-up in the UK in 2002 and shifting their musical focus towards tightly structured songs.
The Scent Of Crash And Burn
The first recorded evidence of the trio band was an EP called The Scent Of Crash And BurnThe Scent Of Crash And Burn
The Scent Of Crash And Burn is a mini-album / EP by Centrozoon , featuring No-Man singer Tim Bowness as a guest vocalist; the first in a series of releases by this trio configuration which included both CD and vinyl albums, digital-releases, as well as a DVD.Selected tracks from The Scent Of Crash...
released on Burning Shed
Burning Shed
Burning Shed is an independent record label established in April 2001 by musicians Tim Bowness and Peter Chilvers, in association with duplication company manager and former Noisebox Records boss, Pete Morgan....
in 2003, fusing Bowness’ voice and alternately romantic/bleak lyrics with Reuter and Wöstheinrich’s electro-pop soundtracks. Twilight Zone webzine compared the results to Depeche Mode, praising the “splendid arrangements” and “chilling prog atmospheres”, while Expose labelled it “a hybrid pop refinement that will appear to fans of Japan as well as King Crimson.”
Bigger Space and Never Trust The Way You Are (2004-5)
For various reasons, the follow-up album (Never Trust The Way You Are) was delayed, with the band making up for lost time by releasing the live concert DVD Bigger Space on Burning Shed. Never Trust The Way You Are was finally released on Resonancer Records in 2005. The album featured guest performances from King CrimsonKing Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
drummer Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto
Pat Mastelotto is a rock drummer who has worked with Mr. Mister and King Crimson, amongst others. For King Crimson he initially formed part of the "double trio" lineup, joining Bill Bruford on drums...
on acoustic and electronic drums
Classic Rock commented “The stark, spooky arrangements of “Bigger Space” and “Ten Versions Of America” fail to disguise cunning hooks, the record's myriad charms unravelling the more it's played.” Coming from a more traditional progressive rock perspective, the Dutch Progressive Rock Pages were less impressed, criticising the “lack of variation in tempo” and claiming that “this is not a work that the more traditionally-minded prog fan is going to take to” while labelling the album as “solid” and possibly “appealing to those prog rock fans who enjoy relaxing to a bit of superior ‘chill out’ music from time to time.”
Never Trust The Things They Do (2007)
In January 2007, the Dutch audiophile label Tonefloat released the Never Trust The Things They Do album as a vinyl-only issue. This was a companion release to Never Trust The Way You Are featuring the trio/vocal version of centrozoon, and once again featured drumming and rhythms from Pat Mastelotto along with his Mastica bandmate Gum B (on upright bass) and engineer/audio guy Bill Munyon. This brought the collaboration with Tim Bowness to an amicable close - although none of the three musicians have dismissed the possibility of working together again.Hands On centrozoon (2005)
In 2005, SynapscapeSynapscape
Synapscape is a German recording duo specializing in the creation of dark noise, teknoid, and power electronics. It is a long-time act of Germany’s industrial music record label, Ant-Zen.-Members / History:...
released a remix EP of centrozoon material called Hands On centrozoon.
Angel Liquor (2006)
In 2006 (by now, back to the original duo lineup) centrozoon released the Angel Liquor album on the Divine Frequency label. The Encyclopaedia of Electronic Music called it “angular and daring… a curious experimental album with a haunting and sometimes warm atmosphere.”Lovefield (2007)
In 2007, centrozoon released the Lovefield album on the Inner Knot label. This was a return to a more minimalistic and textural approach, with the music divided into five ambient “fields”. Reviews were mixed. Regen-Mag was measured in its praise, stating that the album “impresses in its constructions if not its musicality” and criticising “the lack of a firm anchor for the casual listener to latch onto” although approving the album for being “impressive in its sound design and construction if not for the musical value… washes of mystical beauty slash and scurry through the mix, like brushstrokes on an audio canvas.” The reviewer concluded that “where centrozoon excels is in the construction of these tracks; each track truly lives up to their monikers as literal fields of colorful sonic landscapes… If you are the type who enjoys being taken on a journey with no map, no destination, and no mode of transportation but your own imagination, then centrozoon's latest album might be the trip you've been waiting to take.”The Silent Ballet webzine was less impressed with Lovefield, stating “the album pops unpredictably like a thunderstorm and the guitar tone sits comfortably in that same old annoyingly clean New Age guitar sound” while complaining “even just a little structure is good if you are attempting to communicate much of anything more than schizophrenia in your music. (centrozoon) do certainly make some interesting sounds, it’s just a pity they can’t reign it in… each piece actually has the feel of three to four individual pieces carelessly mashed into one.”. The Enochian Apocalypse webzine was more generous, saying of the album that “it’s subtle, it holds and fills out the background to silence when relaxing at home, interesting, and above all involving.”)
Vacuum Love, Vols 1-5 (2007)
Later in 2007, centrozoon made six hours worth of archive material available as a download release called Vacuum Love, Vols 1-5 (released via MusicZeit). This material dated back to the first days of centrozoon back in October 1998, and featured original rough improvisations recorded live and direct to 2-track DAT.The band commented “The music is presented as is, uncensored. These sessions (some of which were recorded live in the studio, some live on stage) hint unmistakably at what was to come… There are some technical flaws with some of the recordings, but we've left them untouched in order to not mess with the flow of the improvisations. This music is the seed of centrozoon as we know it.”
Musical connections and other activities
Markus Reuter has a solo career in parallel to centrozoon and is a member of several other collaborative projects:- Tuner, an American/German duo collaboration with King CrimsonKing CrimsonKing Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
drummer Pat Mastellotto - [halo], an Anglo-German trio collaboration with Lee FletcherLee Fletcher (producer)Lee Fletcher is an English record producer, arranger, musician & mastering engineer, also known for creating music-related video. His work has periodically been credited as [halo] or [halo] productions; a moniker employed for selected projects, though not in current use...
(music / production) and Lisa Fletcher (vocals) - Tovah, a project centred on singer-songwriter Tovah, featuring contributions from Mastelotto, Wostheinrich and others.
Bernhard Wöstheinrich has released solo material under the project name of The Redundant Rocker.
Reuter and/or Wöstheinrich have also collaborated (together and separately) with Ian Boddy
Ian Boddy
Ian Boddy is a British electronic musician and composer. In the early 1980s Boddy began experimenting at an Arts Council funded studio in Newcastle. This period resulted in 3 cassette releases on the Mirage label, which showcased Boddy's work with analogue synthesis and tape manipulation. "Images"...
, Robert Rich
Robert Rich (musician)
Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, United States. With a discography spanning over 30 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, New Age, and even IDM music.-Early life:At an early age he thought he disliked music...
, and Nigel Mullaney, and both contributed to Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
’ 2004 solo album My Hotel Year.
Albums
- Blast (DiN Recordings, 1999 - reissued on Unsung Records/Inner Knot in 2008)
- Sun Lounge Debris (Burning Shed, 2001 - CD-R)
- The Cult Of: Bibbiboo (Burning Shed, 2002)
- Never Trust The Way You Are (Resonancer Records, 2005)
- Angel Liquor (Divine Frequency, 2006)
- Never Trust The Things They Do (Tonefloat, 2006 - vinyl-only)
- Lovefield (Unsung Records/Inner Knot, 2007)
EPs
- The Divine Beast (centrozoon, 2001)
- Centrophil (centrozoon, 2002)
- The Scent Of Crash And BurnThe Scent Of Crash And BurnThe Scent Of Crash And Burn is a mini-album / EP by Centrozoon , featuring No-Man singer Tim Bowness as a guest vocalist; the first in a series of releases by this trio configuration which included both CD and vinyl albums, digital-releases, as well as a DVD.Selected tracks from The Scent Of Crash...
(Burning Shed, 2003)
Download-only releases
- Ten Versions Of America (2003)
- Vacuum Love, Vols 1-5 (2007, Iapetus)