Conrad Schnitzler

Paracon (The Paragon Session Outtakes 1978-1979)

BUREAU B. CD/DL/LP

Forward-looking previously unreleased cuts from the German electronic explorer.

Paracon collects 10 hitherto unheard Conrad Schnitzler tracks from immediately after the release of his 1978 album

Con. Recorded at ex-Tangerine Dream keyboard player Peter Baumann’s Paragon studio, the album differed from what had come before by embracing rhythm and melody. The closest Schnitzler came to the mainstream, it was licensed worldwide. Up to this point, the solo work of the former Kluster member (when he left, they became Cluster) was heard only on barely available albums and cassettes. Still at Baumann’s facility, and on what are titled Paracon 1, Paracon 2, etc, Schnitzler balances serpentine ambience and pulsing beats. While less direct than those on Con, each fully-formed track underscores how much he prefigured the spacey side of techno. Schnitzler died in 2011 and this – Paracon amounts to an unreleased album – is a fine tribute a singular sonic auteur.