Bernd A. Wilken

The great irony with this release is that it was perhaps the most innovative and interesting on the Shrapnel label, yet received little attention until years later. Yngwie Malmsteen's influence on young guitarists produced an endless supply of technically competent, but largely uninspired, effigies. Mark Varney signed the German guitarist/composer Bernd Steidl, who had been studying at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in California, after hearing a demo tape. Released without much press or fanfare, the recording was only mildly successful within the guitar-shred community. Perhaps the reason for this was that the core American audience, primarily young, heavy metal-influenced guitar students, were not ready for the level of sophistication presented in this acoustic format.

A superb combination at this live event, held 1991 in Cologne. The two musicians joined their forces to create an outstanding work of Berlin School / rhythm and drum music. 3 long pieces show a good expresion of the evening. Overall, a synth album with plenty of live atmosphere, an attractive and unusual emphasis on live drums, and involving variations from abstract to highly integrated sounds.

Bernd Kistenmacher is a german producer and musician specialised in spherical "kosmische" synthscapes. He started his career in the 80's with a handful of sonic, epic synthezised electronic efforts taking inspiration from Klaus Schulze and the Berlin electronic school. His musical releases deliver complex, achieved floating dreamy-like melodies floating throw deep cerebral spaces.
"Romantic Times" was the third and last production, which was recorded and sold on music cassette audiotapes before Bernd Kistenmacher started to publish his music on vinyl and CDs from autumn 1986 on. "Romantic Times" was released for the first time on CD in 1999.

In 1975 Bernd Noske was on tour in Spain with his famous band Birth Control. Deeply impressed from the country and the people he take the liberty to form a solo album. This album is a mirror of his personal impressions. In 1979 the work was done. Now - after 20 long years - finally you can listen to this wonderful music.

Birgit Minichmayr captures the imagination and holds centre-stage on “As An Unperfect Actor – Nine Sonnets by William Shakespeare”. This won’t come as a surprise to people in the German-speaking world, where the Austrian actor is well-known from countless appearances on TV and a substantial filmography. Perhaps equally unsurprising is the deep experience she can bring to Shakespeare: as an ensemble member of the Burgtheater company in Vienna, she has repeatedly lived out the searingly dramatic lives of the Bard’s characters, notably the daemonic anger of Lady Macbeth, the sadness of Ophelia, and even the uncomfortable truths of the Fool in King Lear.