Fanger, Thomas

Artist: Thomas Fanger
P:2005
The brand new Thomas Fanger solo album is a virtual kaleidoscope of electronic rhythms and tone colors. Tracking in at 77:14 the several long, extended tracks segue beautifully with medium length pieces to form a magic carpet ride of brilliant pulsating melodies.
All tracks composed by Thomas Fanger, except track 3: composed by Thomas Fanger and Klaus Cosmic Hoffmann-Hoock

Thomas Fanger - synthesizers, samplers, treated guitar, sequencer and drum programming.
Luna B- vocals
Klaus Cosmic Hoffmann-Hoock - spaceguitar, electric sitar, memotron
Michael Potrafke - guitar

Artists: Various Artists
P: 2003
Project Inter.com is effectively Keller & Schonwalder and friends. They start this wonderful double CD set with 'Come and Taste the Band'. Fizzing drones travel through the ether as subtle percussion and faint guitar give a rather moody atmosphere. It's only in the last third that any rhythmic content is added but even then it is subdued so as not to disturb the lovely serene feel.
Tom van Draft is really Thomas Fanger (from Fanger & Schonwalder, Mind Flux etc). His track 'Blue Halo' starts with a nice melodic sequence augmented by gentle electric piano touches. A rhythm enters in the third minute developing a nice relaxed groove.
Arcanum & Otarion team up for 'Homo Novus'. Various sequences and loops emerge through rather orchestral sounding pads as we start a slow but very effective build up which hits the spot perfectly. Very subtle rhythm and percussion are added around which a beautiful melody, rather low in the mix, weaves its spell.
Fanger & Schonwalder are responsible for the hugely popular 'Analog Overdose' series. Here we have a new track called 'Abgetaucht'. If you liked Volumes 1 and 3 of that series you should also go for this. A sequence can be heard which starts low in the mix but rapidly rises to the surface and is joined by high hat percussion. More pulsations are added in the form of a slow bass sequence / loop. The sequences seep into the consciousness wonderfully taking over the mind. I am sure a lovely little melody had already been there a couple of minutes before I noticed it as it fitted in so perfectly with everything else that was going on. More lovely 70s sounding lead lines come and go- boy do they hit the spot! Virtual guitar can momentarily be heard in the twelfth minute. It adds that little extra excitement without dominating. What a wonderful track- mesmerizing but never boring.
The first disc concludes with 'Salzbad' by Electric Orange. Initially the main feature is a fine splashing sequence but as the track progresses it reminded me of some early Sky label recordings by the likes of Tyndall or even Adelbert Von Deyen.

It is probably the second disc which will excite many however, even before listening to the music, as it contains tracks (all at fifteen minutes or over) by Spyra (with Chris Lang), Rainbow Serpent and AirSculpture. This is the first new material from the last two of these acts in ages.
'Nenikekamen' by Spyra & Lang starts us off. Straight away it's Klaus Schulze who comes to mind. We float on tranquil soft pads then an excellent slow sequence emerges backed by a cello / flute combination (I think!) which weaves a lovely haunting melody. The sequence mutates this way and that increasing in speed considerably in the fifth minute. Subtle rhythm in added low in the mix accompanied by yet another lovely lead.
Fanger & Kersten provide one of the most contemporary offerings on the album with 'Waterproof Guitar'. Infectious rhythmic loops and sampled (or vocoded) utterances of the title develop into quite a relaxed but also extremely 'cool' groove.
'Deep Dive' by Rainbow Serpent makes use of rather metallic sounding eerie wind blown effects over which a shuffling rhythm keeps being heard then disappears like tumbleweed momentarily being seen before being blown into the distance. Just before the five-minute mark some very faint NASA type samples can just be heard. This is extremely atmospheric stuff but also rather vivid picture music. A slow flutey melodic lead floats over the top heightening the haunting qualities still further.
At about the half way mark a slow rhythm is added giving a little structure but never intruding too much or destroying the delicate atmosphere so painstakingly created.
By it's title 'Not Raving, Floating' by AirSculpture might also be expected to be something of an ambient affair but this is not the case. Sure we get a drifting, though sonically powerful, introduction but it isn't long before a typical Sculpture lead can be heard and then a sequence with their signature all over it. It becomes louder and louder, more leads are added then another cracking sequence falls into formation- then another! Simply awesome. Welcome back AirSculpture! (Now when the hell are you going to get your 2003 National Space Centre gig ready for release?!).
We finish with 'Liquid Dawn' by Keller & Schonwalder. For the most part this is an ethereal melancholy masterpiece darker than anything on 'Noir'. A sequence is added in the ninth minute which does drive things forward a little but thankfully the mood stays wonderfully morose. Beware the false ending by the way, just when you think it is all over there is a bonus five minutes of music! Lovely stuff too. Sorry to spoil the surprise guys.

Artist: Schönwälder, Fanger, Keller,
P: 2022
LTD 444
This is a compilation of unreleased tracks from all the artists of the Manikin Label.
Another decade has passed. Manikin Records has now been in existence for 30 years. A fact that I would not have thought possible 30 years ago. But this fire is still burning. Making music with electronic sound generators, together with my friends in four very different music projects: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder, Fanger & Schönwälder, Filter Coffee and Control Room. Again, Raughi Ebert, Lutz-Graf-Ulbrich and Thomas Kagermann were in on it. And then there were two productions by musician friends in the past decade: Menzman and Pyramid Peak. The result is another CD with previously unreleased recordings by musicians who released music on Manikin Records between 2012 and 2022. Take a journey through the electronic sound world of Manikin Records.
I thank very many people who have accompanied me on this long journey from 1992 until today and will continue to do so. Without you, all this would never have been possible. The journey continues....

In memory of Thomas Fanger († 02.03.2022).