Hans Reichel
Encyclopedia
Hans Reichel was a German improvisational
guitarist, experimental luthier
, inventor, and type designer.
, Germany
. He began to teach himself violin at age 7, playing in the school orchestra until age 15. Around age 15, he began to play guitar and became interested in rock music, including The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, and later, Frank Zappa
, Cream
, and Jimi Hendrix
. Reichel played in various groups before giving up music for a time while studying graphic design and working as a typesetter.
He came back to music in the early 1970s, when he recorded a tape of guitar music. This recording was sent to the jury of the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, where he was asked to appear in a special concert for newcomers. Discussions with Jost Gebers, the founder of Free Music Production (FMP), led to release of Reichel's music on the label, his first release being Wichlinghauser Blues in 1973.
The majority of Reichel's body of work consists of solo recordings, along with performances in smaller group settings. He recorded duets with a wide variety of musicians, including accordion
ist Rüdiger Carl, cellist Tom Cora
, percussionist EROC, and a number of guitarists including Kazuhisa Uchihashi
and Fred Frith
. Reichel was also a member of the September Band (along with vocalist Shelley Hirsch
, Rüdiger Carl, and drummer Paul Lovens
), and also performed with larger ensembles led by the likes of saxophonist Thomas Borgmann and Butch Morris
, an avante-garde conductor.
Due to the limited distribution of FMP, Reichel's music has never much been heard, especially in the United States. Smaller, independent labels such as Rastascan, Table of the Elements
, and Intakt have issued some of his recordings in North America. Despite this limited exposure, Reichel was featured in Bart Hopkin
's Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones, a book and CD released in 1996, devoted to experimental musical instruments
. He was also named among the "30 Most Radical Guitarists" in a 1997 issue of Guitar Player magazine.
Hans Reichel died in Wuppertal
, aged 62, in November 2011.
s. The resulting sounds exceeded the range of conventional tuning
and added unusual effects, from odd overtones to metallic noises, to his play.
His Daxophone
is a single wooden blade fixed in a block containing a contact microphone, which is played mostly with a bow.
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
guitarist, experimental luthier
Experimental luthier
Experimental luthiers are luthiers who take part in alternate stringed instrument manufacturing or create original string-instruments altogether. Notable experimental luthiers include Yuri Landman, Bradford Reed, and Hans Reichel....
, inventor, and type designer.
Career
Reichel was born in HagenHagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He began to teach himself violin at age 7, playing in the school orchestra until age 15. Around age 15, he began to play guitar and became interested in rock music, including The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, and later, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. Reichel played in various groups before giving up music for a time while studying graphic design and working as a typesetter.
He came back to music in the early 1970s, when he recorded a tape of guitar music. This recording was sent to the jury of the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, where he was asked to appear in a special concert for newcomers. Discussions with Jost Gebers, the founder of Free Music Production (FMP), led to release of Reichel's music on the label, his first release being Wichlinghauser Blues in 1973.
The majority of Reichel's body of work consists of solo recordings, along with performances in smaller group settings. He recorded duets with a wide variety of musicians, including accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist Rüdiger Carl, cellist Tom Cora
Tom Cora
Thomas Henry Corra , better known as Tom Cora, was a United States cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock...
, percussionist EROC, and a number of guitarists including Kazuhisa Uchihashi
Kazuhisa Uchihashi
Kazuhisa Uchihashi is a Japanese guitarist involved in free improvisation music. Born in 1959 in Osaka, Uchihashi began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied jazz music. In 1988 he joined the band the First Edition, and in 1990 formed the band...
and Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
. Reichel was also a member of the September Band (along with vocalist Shelley Hirsch
Shelley Hirsch
Shelley Hirsch is a singer, performer, and composer. Central to Hirsch's work are her versatile vocal abilities, which are often enmeshed in a kaleidoscope of electronic music and sound effects....
, Rüdiger Carl, and drummer Paul Lovens
Paul Lovens
Paul Lovens is a musician. He plays drums, percussion, singing saw and various selected and unselected cymbals. He has also performed with the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra and Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra....
), and also performed with larger ensembles led by the likes of saxophonist Thomas Borgmann and Butch Morris
Butch Morris
Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.-Biography:Before his musical career, Morris served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War....
, an avante-garde conductor.
Due to the limited distribution of FMP, Reichel's music has never much been heard, especially in the United States. Smaller, independent labels such as Rastascan, Table of the Elements
Table of the Elements
Table of the Elements is an American record label. It concentrates on re-released and specially recorded experimental music, including many of the great avant garde musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries — John Cale, Tony Conrad and La Monte Young, for instance — as well as...
, and Intakt have issued some of his recordings in North America. Despite this limited exposure, Reichel was featured in Bart Hopkin
Bart Hopkin
Bart Hopkin is a builder of experimental musical instruments and a writer and publisher about the subject.Hopkin published the magazine Experimental Musical Instruments for 15 years and published several books and CDs specialized in a specialisation of certain types of instruments, such as wind...
's Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones, a book and CD released in 1996, devoted to experimental musical instruments
Experimental Musical Instruments
Experimental Musical Instruments was a periodical edited and published by Bart Hopkin, a leader in 20th century experimental music design and custom made instrument construction. Though no longer in print, back issues are still available. The material and approach of EMI can now be found...
. He was also named among the "30 Most Radical Guitarists" in a 1997 issue of Guitar Player magazine.
Hans Reichel died in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, aged 62, in November 2011.
Invented instruments
Reichel constructed and built several variations of guitars and basses, most of them featuring multiple fretboards and unique positioning of pickups and 3rd Bridge3rd Bridge
The 3rd bridge is an extended playing technique used on some string instruments , that allows a musician to produce distinctive timbres and overtones that are unavailable on a conventional string instrument with two bridges...
s. The resulting sounds exceeded the range of conventional tuning
Guitar tunings
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
and added unusual effects, from odd overtones to metallic noises, to his play.
His Daxophone
Daxophone
The daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, is an experimental musical instrument of the friction idiophones category. It consists of a thin wooden blade fixed in a wooden block , which holds one or more contact microphones...
is a single wooden blade fixed in a block containing a contact microphone, which is played mostly with a bow.
Partial discography
- Wichlinghauser Blues (1973, FMP 0150)
- Old Tune/Heimkehr der Holzböcke (1974, FMP S 5)
- Bonobo (1975, FMP 0280)
- Guitar Solos 2Guitar Solos 2Guitar Solos 2 is the second in a series of three albums of improvised guitar solos by various musicians. It was released in the United Kingdom by Caroline Records in 1976, and consists of two guitar solos by Fred Frith, three by Derek Bailey, three by Hans Reichel and one by G. F. Fitzgerald...
(1976, Caroline Records C 1518. Three solos on compilation LP.) - For Example (1976, FMP R123. Solo track on commemorative/compilation 3LP set.)
- Erdmännchen (1977, FMP 0400. Duo with Achim Knispel.)
- Buben (1978, FMP 0530. Duo with Rüdiger Carl.)
- Sven-Åke Johansson mit dem NMUI im SO 36 '79 (1979, FMP S17)
- Sven-Åke Johansson mit dem NMUI im SO 36 '79 (1979, Olof Bright OBCD10/GROB650. Full version of concert previously released on FMP S17.)
- The Death of the Rare Bird Ymir (1979, FMP 0640/FMP CD 54)
- Bonobo Beach (1981, FMP 0830/FMP CD 54)
- Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett (1982, Amiga 856031. With Johansson/Carl/Petrowsky.)
- Duet Improvisation (1985, Vand'Oeuvre 8501. With Keith TippettKeith TippettKeith Tippett is a British jazz pianist and composer.Tippett, the son of a local police officer, went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first jazz band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance...
.) - Kino: studio opera with EROC (1986, Teldec Import Service TIS 66.23921. Re-issued on CD in 1997.)
- The Dawn of Dachsman' (1987, FMP CD 60)
- Coco Bolo Nights (1988, FMP CD 10)
- Angel Carver (1988, FMP CD 15. Duo with Tom CoraTom CoraThomas Henry Corra , better known as Tom Cora, was a United States cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock...
.) - Live at the Knitting Factory, Volume One (1988/9, Enemy EMY111. One track in duo with Tom Cora.)
- Dix improvisations (1989, Victo CD 09. Two tracks on a compilation CD.)
- X-Communication (1990, FMP CD 33)
- Show-down (1990, Intakt CD 023. Duo with Wädi Gysi.)
- Stop complaining/Sundown (1990/1991, FMP CD 36. Duos with Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
and Kazuhisa UchihashiKazuhisa UchihashiKazuhisa Uchihashi is a Japanese guitarist involved in free improvisation music. Born in 1959 in Osaka, Uchihashi began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied jazz music. In 1988 he joined the band the First Edition, and in 1990 formed the band...
.) - Mini-suite: [untitled] (1991, Rastascan BRD 010. One track on compilation CD.)
- Shanghaied on Tor Road: The World's 1st Operetta Performed on Nothing but the Daxophone (1992, FMP CD 46)
- Hans Reichel (1993, Table of the ElementsTable of the ElementsTable of the Elements is an American record label. It concentrates on re-released and specially recorded experimental music, including many of the great avant garde musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries — John Cale, Tony Conrad and La Monte Young, for instance — as well as...
Beryllium, 7" Vinyl) - Variations on Jay (1993, Table of the Elements Oxygen, 7" Vinyl)
- AngelicA 93 (1993, CAICAI 004. Solo plus other combinations, including an appearance by the 'All Daxophone Band'.)
- Kumunguitar (1993, ¿What Next? WN0012. Duo with Jin Hi KimJin Hi KimKim Jin-Hi is a geomungo player and composer.She is known for introducing the geomungo to the wider world through her contemporary chamber and orchestral compositions and large-scale multimedia pieces, as well as her extensive work in avant-garde and cross-cultural free...
.) - Conduction 28/Conduction 31 (1993, New World Records 80484. Lawrence D. 'Butch' Morris.)
- Conduction 31/Conduction 35/Conduction 36 (1993, New World Records 80485. Lawrence D. 'Butch' Morris.)
- Lower Lurum (1993/1994, Rastascan BRD 016)
- Le bal (1994, Ellipsis Arts)
- Buben...plus (1994, FMP CD 78. New duos with Rüdiger Carl, released with older material.)
- The Vandoeuvre Concert (1994, FMP CD 72. As part of the September Band: Carl/Hirsch/Lovens/Reichel.)
- Looking at Flees with Henry GeldzahlerHenry GeldzahlerHenry Geldzahler was a curator of contemporary art in the late 20th century, as well as a modern art art historian and art critic...
(1994, FMP MJ 01. September Band one track on compilation.) - Thomas Borgmann's Orkestra Kith 'n Kin (1995, Cadence Jazz RecordsCadence Jazz RecordsCadence Jazz is an American record label specializing in noncommercial jazz music. It is associated with Cadence Magazine.Cadence Jazz was founded by Bob Rusch in Redwood, New York in 1980...
CJR 1081.) - Book/Virtual COWWS (1978–1996, FMP OWN90007/9. Various tracks on Rüdiger Carl compilation.)
- Hans Reichel/Rüdiger Carl (1997, Hurta Cordel 97)
- The Return of Onkel Boskop (1983/1997, Repertoire REP 4688-WY. Duo with Eroc.)
- King Pawns (1997, Zen-006. Duo with Kazuhisa Uchihashi.)
- Festival Beyond Innocence: 2 1997–1998 (1997, Innocent Records FBI 103. Two solos + trio track on compilation CD.)
- Cue sheets II (2000, Tzadik 7513. Steve Beresford; one track features Reichel.)
- Total Music Meeting 2001: Audiology — 11 groups live in Berlin (2001, A/L/L 002. One track by Manuela on this compilation CD.)
- Yuxo: A New Daxophone Operetta (2002, A/L/L 003)
Typefaces
Hans Reichel designed a few typefaces, among them one of today’s most popular type designs in advertising and in marketing (FF Dax).- 1983 Barmeno BQ
- 1995-2000 FF Dax
- 1996 FF Schmalhans
- 1999 FF Sari
- 2001 FF Routes
- 2004 FF Dax Compact
- 2005 FF Daxline
External links
- http://www.daxo.de/ Hans Reichel’s website
- http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/mreichel.html European Free Improvisation Profile
- http://www.daxo.de/download/DaxInfo.pdf.zip (19MB) - Some information on the Daxophone by Hans Reichel
- http://www.fmp-label.de/ - Hans Reichel’s FMP releases
- http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/photos/idax.html - EFI daxophone information page
- http://www.fontfont.com/fonts/dax Hans Reichel’s most popular typeface (FF Dax)
- http://www.fontfont.com/designers/hans-reichel Hans Reichel’s FontFont typefaces