WOLFGANG RIECHMANN - Progressive Electronic • Germany

Wolfgang Riechmann biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3123)

Wolfgang Riechmann's short career 'officially' began in 1969, when he met Michael Rother (NEU!, Harmonia, Kraftwerk) and Wolfgang Flür (Kraftwerk, Yamo) to form the Dusseldorf band, THE SPIRITS OF SOUND. Phönix was another band he played with, before joining another Dusseldorf group, STREETMARK, recording ''Eileen'' in 1977, the band's second album. Sky Records re-released "Eileen" in 1979 with the new title "Wolfgang Riechmann and Streetmark." Later on the record was renamed "Dreams".

From November 1977 onwards, he started working on a solo career and Wunderbar, his first (and only) solo LP, took up all of his time and attention. In this LP, which was released from Sky Records in 1978, the influences of the so-called Berlin school (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze etc.) and the so-called Düsseldorf School (NEU!, Kraftwerk, La Düsseldorf) can be recognised. The main elements of his compositions are simple sequencer and drum patterns, filtered through Riechmann's personal harmonies and simple (even simplistic) but mature melodies. The music in Wunderbar has been described as ''modern, electronic pop, in a league with Kraftwerk and NEU!''. 

Sadly, Riechmann did not live to see his LP released, as three weeks before the release date he was the random victim of a knife attack, stabbed when a drunken man in Düsseldorf's Altstadt ''burst'' after a dispute with the landlord of his local pub.

1978 - Wunderbar

Thanks Magal