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Cover artwork for "Neue Bilder"

Published by Mikroton, Moscow
September 28th, 2017

Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler hired me to design the cover artwork of their new release Neue Bilder on Mikroton Recordings. I decided to use my old Letraset sheets once again to connect this deep, dynamic, and beautiful album with their 2000 release Bart.

Via Mikroton: "Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler have been known for building their sonic worlds for 17 years since their first album Bart. After 6 years of studio silence, here comes Neue Bilder. Their 5th allbum is a constant flux of musical juxtapositions, collisions and balance of their tour de force with analogue synth and computer. The album features two tracks created from two concentrated performances in Münster and Wels, both being magnificently reworked stereo versions of their quadrophonic live concerts. Neue Bilder goes further in their development of sound with meticulously constructed abruptly appearing and disappearing abrasive and tonal sound clusters, remote echoes, and lonely remnants."

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Schönes Wochenende

Festival for Modern Listening
January 30th, 2015

Tim Turiak ask a group of people to send them illustrations only using a thick black marker for their poster series to promote a new festival in Düsseldorf called Schönes Wochenende [nice weekend].

My illustration was obviously inspired by my favorite game Mountain by fabulous David O'Reilly. They added a few German words meaning ...but work on your preference.

[ Projects ]

Analog collages for "Navigation im Hypertext"

Published by a-musik, Cologne
September 15th, 2008

Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler's releases Navigation im Hypertext and Kölner Kranz on a-musik, Cologne. Provided several Letraset collages, which noted Berlin designer Chris Rehberger used as a stepping stone for a collaborative design approach equal to the work of the two musicians: analog vs digital. Chris is simply brilliant.

Via a-musik: "A brilliant amalgam of the two musicians' strengths, Navigation im Hypertext utilizes both improvisation and studio postproduction techniques to create a lasting work, combining the feel of a classic composed electronic music record with the raw, crackling energy of a free improv-session. Exciting and destabilizing, Navigation im Hypertext will surprise even the most hardcore Lehn fan: intertwined with Schmickler's, his art never sounded this rich. If anything, Navigation im Hypertext takes electronic improvisation one step further. The arrangements range in tone from softer clusters of sound to more abrasive movements."

[ Projects ]
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Cover artwork for "Snow Mud Rain"

Published by erstwhile records, New York
March 23rd and 24th, 2007

Designed the cover for R/S ONE: Snow Mud Rain while Peter Rehberg (Pita) and Marcus Schmickler were in Marcus' studio redcording.

R/S ONE is the first cooperation between electronic music composers Peter Rehberg (Pita) and Marcus Schmickler. The cover is supposed to show the silhouettes of both musicians.

Via a-musik: "Peter Rehberg (computer); Marcus Schmickler (digital synthesizer, computer). Peter Rehberg (Pita) and Marcus Schmickler have been two of the leaders in the electronic revolution of the last fifteen years, both on their own and in collaboration with others. One (Snow Mud Rain) is the first duo CD from these two long-time friends and associates. Rehberg and Schmickler met up in March 2007, in Schmickler's Piethopraxis studio in Cologne, for two days of recordings. Despite having barely worked together as a duo previously, the results were so successful that after two days, the record was basically completed. This is obvious when listening to the finished product, as a rawness and energy that hearkens back to the explosive power of early Mego bursts from the speakers, further enhanced by the remarkable density and clarity of the recording."

[ Projects ]
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Analog collages

For brand eins magazine
May 17th, 2007

Contributed analog collages for the Abzocke leicht gemacht [Easy rip-off] article in the June print issue of the high profile economy magazine brand eins.

Article with the illustrations (PDF).

[ Projects ]
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Analog collages

For ZDI brochures
May 8th, 2006

Inspired by my illustrations for the high profile economy magazine brand eins ZDI Industrieverbund asked me to contribute collages for two of their annual brochures.

[ Projects ]
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Cover artwork for "Variety"

Published by a-musik, Cologne
May 15th, 2005

In this impressive duo improvisation Marcus Schmickler plays inside piano and computer, and brilliant John Tilbury piano.

Variety was recorded at Loft Cologne, one of the best Jazz clubs in Europe. Text on cover by Felix Ensslin.

Via a-musik: "The piano's harmonic figures meet with computer sounds unexpectedly within a slowly changing acoustic environment. Piano pixies sing and dance serenely in a virtual space while the noises from the instrument insitage dialogues with the computer. The music is tranquil, never aggressive and is at almost every moment polyphonic in the good old sense of the word. Pretty often, the two musicians play on two different planes so that in spite of the slowness of the whole thing, the resulting complex relationships offer a lot of surprises. The sureness and the tranquility which emanats from these musical actions, figures, shapes and processes, acknowledges and asserts the ghost of Morton Feldman, who seems to hover benevolantly over these sounds: Stop asking questions." (Johannes Fritsch)

[ Projects ]
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Analog collages

For brand eins magazine
2003

Contributed analog collages to almost every print issue of the high profile economy magazine brand eins in 2003.

PDF file of each article with the illustrations here:

01/2003 Aus, alt. Mach neu.
02/2003 Wert-Arbeit
03/2003 Die Blechtrommler
04/2003 Die Industrie der Angst
05/2003 Von heute auf morgen
06/2003 Die Wir-Qualität
07/2003 Atemnot in Entenhausen
08/2003 Die Ausnahmen und die Regel
09/2003 Bedienungs-Fehler

[ Projects ]
halb rand klein
halb rand klein

Analog collages

Feet for d magazin
January 16th, 2004

The Berlin design studio Scrollan asked for illustrations of feet for their publication d magazin. No 2 issue was entirely on the part of our body we stand on.

[ Projects ]
halb rand klein
halb rand klein

Analog collages

For SSC Consult study
November 11th, 2003

Inspired by my illustrations for the high profile economy print magazine brand eins the management consultant company SSC Consult hired me to contribute collages for their study Wer hält die Bank? [Who has the bank?].

[ Projects ]