Embryo -

Embryo is a German ethno-jazz/rock ensemble that debuted with the 1970 Ohr release Opal, followed by nine albums through the decade on United Artists, Brain, and April Records. During the 1980s, they released further albums on Schneeball and Materiali Sonori.

Members: Christian Burchard (vibraphone, hammer dulcimer, percussion, vocals, marimba, drums, 1969-2018), Edgar Hofmann (saxophone, flute, violin, 1969-79, 1985-89), Lothar Meid (bass, 1971), Jimmy Jackson (organ, 1971), Ralph Fischer (bass, 1969-73), Dieter Miekautsch (piano, clavinet, 1972-75), Dieter Serfas (drums, percussion, 1986-present), Wolfgang Paap (drums, 1971), Ingo Schmidt (saxophone, 1971), John Kelly (guitar, 1969-72), Charlie Mariano (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, flute, bamboo flute, nagasuram, 1972-77), Roman Bunka (guitar, saz, vocals, percussion, bass, oud, 1972-80, 1988-96), Hans Fischer (flute, percussion, vocals, 1971), Jörg Evers (bass, 1971-72), Dave King (bass, 1972-73), Uwe Müllrich (bass, 1974-80), Maria Archer (vocals, percussion, 1975), Michael Wehmeyer (percussion, vocals, keyboards, 1983-84, 2002-present), Butze Fischer (drums, percussion, 1977-?), Friedemann Josch (flute, 1983-84), Julius Golombeck (guitar, percussion, oud, vocals, 1985-96), Gerald Luciano (bass, 1985), Lamidi Ayankunle (drums, vocals, 1986-?), Rabiu Ayandokun (drums, 1986-?), Marque Lowenthal (piano, 1988), Paolo Cardoso (bass, 1988), Paramashivam Pilai (vocals, tavil, 1988-?)

Background

Embryo was formed in 1969 Munich by reedist Edgar Hofmann and multi-instumentalist Christian Burchard (1946–2018), who played drums, mallets, dulcimer, and sundry percussion during his 49 years with the band. Prior to forming Embryo, Hofmann and Burchard comprised the Contemporary Trio with drummer Dieter Serfas, a founding member of Amon Düül II who would later join Embryo.

The first-recorded Embryo lineup also featured bassist Ralph Fischer and English-born guitarist John Kelly. Fischer hailed from a formative lineup of Between with Peter Michael Hamel. Kelly had played in the unrecorded R&B/beat combo Manchester United with a pre-Ten Years After Alvin Lee.

Opal

Embryo released their debut album, Opal, in June 1970 on Ohr. The album contains eight group-composed pieces, performed by the original quartet with two auxiliaries.

Edgar Hofmann plays saxophone, flute, and percussion while bassist Ralph Fischer handles the album’s vocal parts. Opal features guest musicianship from Popol Vuh percussionist Holger Trülsch and Between cellist Roberto Détrée.

A1. “Opal” (2:41)
A2. “You Don’t Know What’s Happening” (4:48)
A3. “Revolution” (4:32)
A4. “Glockenspiel” (5:03)

B1. “Got No Time” (1:28)
B2. “Call” (3:28)
B3. “End of Soul” (4:07)
B4. “People From Out the Space” (7:22)

Sessions occurred in April 1970 for Ohr. Opal appeared as the label’s fourth release (OMM 56003) between titles by Bernd Witthuser (Lieder Von Vampiren) and the debut by Tangerine Dream (Electronic Meditation). Graphic artist Reinhard Hippen designed the covers for all three albums and Ohr’s inaugural release, Mandalas by Limbus 4.

Opal appeared in a gatefold that shows a rotor made of baby arms (front) and a disembodied ear (backside, labels) with the words macht das auf (“opens that up”). The inner-gates contains liner notes and candid purple-scale group pics.

After Opal, John Kelly quit and Ralph Fischer co-founded Sinto.

Embryo’s Rache

Embryo released their second album, Embryo’s Rache, in October 1971 on United Artists. The title translates as Embryo’s Revenge.

The album contains five Christian Burchard compositions, including co-writes with Xhol Caravan flutist Hans Fischer (“Time”) and ‘Tabarin Man’ (aka, Jimmy Jackson, the American jazz keyboardist, who co-wrote “Revenge”). Fischer contributed the opener, “Tausendfüßler” (German for “centipede”).

Edgar Hofmann plays soprano saxophone and violin on Rache, which presents Embryo as a reconfigured quartet with Burchard, Fischer, and teenage bassist Roman Bunka (b. December 1951; Frankfurt).

Rache also features guest musicianship from Jackson (organ, mellotron) and Munich jazz keyboardist Hermann Breuer (organ, electric piano).

A1. “Tausendfüßler” (5:23)
A2. “Time” (8:47)
— a. “I Can’t Wait”
— b. “Eva’s Wolke”
A3. “Revenge” (6:45)

B1. “Espagna si, Franco no” (10:57)
B2. “Sittin’ at the Moon” (2:08)
B3. “Verwandlung” (6:32)

Embryo produced the album in mid-1971 at Dierks Studio near Cologne. Jackson appeared on concurrent albums by Amon Duul II (Tanz Der Lemminge), Haboob, and Passport (debut).

Embryo’s Rache appeared in a gatefold that shows a silhouetted Hofmann on a grassy valley with his violin and a jester doll in hand. The cover designer, Stefan Michel, also handled visuals for the 1971 Emergency debut and titles by UA labelmates Niagara and If.

Father, Son and Holy Ghosts

Embryo released their third album, Father, Son and Holy Ghosts, in 1972 on United Artists.

The album presents the third Embryo quartet with Christian Burchard, Edgar Hofmann, and two new additions: German classical/jazz guitarist Sigi Schwab (of Wolfgang Dauner’s Et Cetera) and Kentucky-born teenage bassist David King.

Burchard composed the album’s bookend pieces and co-wrote “Free” with “Nightmares” contributor Schwab and “King Insano” writer David King. Schwab and Hofmann co-composed “The Sun Song” and “Marimbaroos.”

Holy Ghosts features Burchard on standard drums and mallets (marimba, vibraphone) alongside King, who doubles on flute while Schwab handles multiple string instruments (12-string, banjo, veena).

A1. “The Special Trip” (5:56) marked by scratchy guitars and guttural bass work that imparts West African vibes.
A2. “Nightmares” (0:58)
A3. “King Insano” (4:48) rides a foreboding bass line tempered by flute, layered with hallucinogenic pitch bends, squiggly violin lines, and disruptive out-of-tune sounds, creating a hypnotic, unpredictable, and intensely bumpy musical journey where shifting rhythms and complex syncopation obscure clear time signatures.
A4. “Free” (6:19)

B1. “The Sun Song” (8:48)
B2. “Marimbaroos” (2:56)
B3. “Forgotten Sea” (9:09)

Sessions occurred in March 1972 at Studio 70 in Munich, where Jurgen Koppers engineered Holy Ghosts in sequence with the debut album by Kraan.

Father, Son and Holy Ghosts appeared in a gatefold with a photo of distant tenements (front), semi-obscured by the flames of a nearby fire-breather (back). The innergate shows Embryo grass-seated by a wall, where King plays the veena, a gourd-shaped Indian string instrument.

Steig aus

Embryo released their fourth album, Steig aus, in March 1973 on Brain–Metronome. The title is German for “Get Out.”

For this release, Christian Burchard and Edgar Hofmann retained Dave King and summoned Embryo’s Rache guests Roman Bunka and Jimmy Jackson, the latter upgraded to featured status. Steig aus also features bassist Jörg Evers and American pianist Mal Waldron (b. 1925), the veteran of numerous Fifties post-bop titles on Prestige and New Jazz.

Burchard wrote “Dreaming Girls” and collaborated with Bunka on “Radio Marrakesh,” which segues into Jackson’s “Orient Express.” Side B consists of “Call,” a five-part jam with sections by Jackson (“Organ Walk”), Burchard (“Marimba Village”), and Hofmann (“Clouds”) book-ended by Waldron’s titular theme.

A1. “Radio Marrakesh / Orient Express” (9:53)
A2. “Dreaming Girls” (10:26)

B. “Call” (17:22)
— a. “Call – Part 1”
— b. “Organ Walk”
— c. “Marimba Village”
— d. “Clouds”
— e. “Call – Part 2”

Steig aus recordings commenced on December 23, 1971 (pre-Holy Ghosts) and continued piecemeal through September 1972 with producer Zok Zokker. The album appeared in a gatefold sleeve with the name and title scrawled onto an amplifier, damaged by the face and leg of a mime artist. King slumps in front of the cabinet with his veena in hand.

Rocksession

Embryo released their fifth album, Rocksession, in October 1973 on Brain–Metronome.

For Rocksession, Christian Burchard and Edgar Hofmann retained four-fifths of their Steig aus contributors (minus Bunka) and used guitarist Sigi Schwab from the recent Holy Ghosts sessions.

Burchard composed “A Place to Go” and co-wrote “Dirge” with Schwab and electric pianist Mal Waldron. They group-wrote the two longest jams with Hofmann and organist Jimmy Jackson.

A1. “A Place to Go” (4:25)
A2. “Entrances” (15:35)

B1. “Warm Canto” (10:07)
B2. “Dirge” (9:35)

Embryo recorded Rocksession at Dierks Studio in April 1972, one month after Holy Ghosts and five months before the final Steig aus sessions.

Rocksession appeared in a gatefold sleeve illustrated by Gil Funcius. It shows a red embryo with a guitar-shaped umbilical cord that extends to the band’s trademark ear (backside). The innergates contain a bluescale studio pic with five current members. Gil’s colorful airbrushed style also graces the first two albums by Brain labelmates Thirsty Moon and 1970–72 Ohr/Pilz titles by Annexus Quam, Mythos, Wallenstein, and Witthuser + Westrupp.

We Keep On

Embryo released their sixth album, We Keep On, in December 1973 on BASF. They recorded the album twelve months earlier with American jazz legend Charlie Mariano (b. 1923), a featured name on the cover.

We Keep On presents a four-piece lineup of Mariano, Christian Burchard, on/off bassist Roman Bunka, and Missing Link keyboardist Dieter Miekautsch, who plays piano, Fender Rhodes, and clavinet.

The album contains group-credited pieces edited down from lengthier jams, including “No Place to Go” (from a 90-minute semi-improv) and “Flute and Saz” (from a 50-minute jam).

Mariano plays multiple saxophone (soprano, alto), bamboo flute, and the nagaswaram, a long hardwood double-reed of South Indian origin, known as one of the loudest non-brass acoustic instruments. Bunka plays guitar, bass, and the saz, a Turkish teardrop-shaped string instrument. Burchard multi-tasks on drums, percussion, mallets, mellotron, and hammered dulcimer.

We Keep On is a rare pre-Nineties Embryo title without Edgar Hofmann’s involvement.

A1. “No Place to Go” (12:32)
A2. “Flute and Saz” (5:57)

B1. “Ehna, Ehna, Abu Lele” (8:43)
B2. “Hackbrett-Dance” (3:54)
B3. “Abdul Malek” (3:15)
B4. “Don’t Come Tomorrow” (3:48)

Sessions occurred just before Christmas 1972 at Dierks Studio, where Embryo jammed on pre-existing themes with Mariano, who departed for India after sessions wrapped. Embryo co-produced the album with their publisher, Othmar Schreckeneder of Faruk Musik.

We Keep On appeared in a gatefold with transcripts from an Embryo interview with German Sounds corespondent Rainer Blome. They describe the album’s process and their unexpected collaboration with Mariano, who they met through Rocksession guitarist Sigi Schwab.

Hamburg artist Holger Matthies designed the We Keep On cover: a cracked, translucent egg on a cloudy sky setting — elements used on multiple Matthies covers on Verve and Deutsche Grammophon releases.

Surfin’

Embryo released their seventh album, Surfin’, in March 1975 on Buk.

The album contains eight numbers co-credited to Christian Burchard and Roman Bumka. They form a trio with new bassist Uwe Müllrich, who appears on all but the first and last track.

Edgar Hofmann rejoins on soprano sax (“Music of Today,” “Sidetrack”) and violin (“Secret,” “Dance of Some Broken Glasses”). On the last three, he overlaps with Charlie Mariano, whose five appearances include turns on alto sax (“You Can Turn Me On”), flute (“Surfin”’), and the nagaswaram (“Broken Glasses”).

Burchard adds multiple keyboards (clavinet, organ, mellotron, Fender Rhodes electric piano) to his arsenal of drums, marimba, and vibraphone. Bunka plays guitar on seven tracks and makes select use of saz (“Broken Glasses”), sitar (“New Ridin”’), and ring modulator (“Music of Today,” “In My Lunamatic”).

A1. “You Can Turn Me On” (5:11)
A2. “Music of Today” (4:12)
A3. “Secret” (6:23)
A4. “Surfin'” (3:22)

B1. “New Ridin'” (3:44)
B2. “In My Lunamatic” (1:28)
B3. “Dance of Some Broken Glasses” (9:01)
B4. “Sidetrack” (5:58)

Sessions took place in July 1974 at Dierks Studio with co-producer Othmar Schreckeneder.

Embryo co-conceived the cover art with Paul Jendruschewitz, a post-psychedelic illustrator whose circular image depicts a winged red van that emits bubbling musical exhaust along a trail of uprooted roads against a rainbow-sky backdrop.

Bad Heads & Bad Cats

Embryo released their eighth album, Bad Heads & Bad Cats, in December 1976 on April Records.

The album contains seven tracks co-credited to Christian Burchard, guitarist Roman Bunka, bassist Uwe Müllrich, and keyboardist Dieter Miekautsch, whose return makes this an integration of the We Keep On and Surfin’ lineups.

Despite his non-input, Embryo co-founder Edgar Hofmann returns throughout on soprano saxophone and flute (no violin). Charlie Mariano guests on “Nina Kupenda” and “After the Rain.” Bad Heads also features Ghanaian singer Maria Archer.

A1. “Layed Back” (5:32)
A2. “Nina Kupenda” (12:06)
A3. “Bad Heads” (4:02)

B1. “Road Song” (6:10)
B2. “After the Rain” (6:14)
B3. “Klondyke Netti” (6:25)
B4. “Tag X” (1:03)

Sessions occurred in the autumn of 1975 at Dierks Studio with co-producer Othmar Schreckeneder, who subsequently launched the jazz-rock label Schneeball (Moira, Munju, Elastic Rock Band, Checkpoint Charlie).

Archer, Bunka, and Burchard guested simultaneously on Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles, the third album by Missus Beastly, who employed Miekautsch on their prior album.

Live

In 1977, Embryo released Live, taken from a February 1976 date with Charlie Mariano.

Live contains eight unique group-credited numbers plus an elongated performance of the Surfin’ track “You Can Turn Me On,” performed by the Bad Heads lineup (minus Hofmann) with singer Maria Archer.

Bassist Uwe Müllrich doubles on the dilruba, an Indian bowed instrument related to the sitar. Guitarist Roman Bunka plays the oud, a fretless pear-shaped Medieval Islamic lute. Hofmann makes his sole appearance as the flutist on “Bambule.”

A1. “Bamboo Railways” (5:06)
A2. “You Can Turn Me On” (13:13)
A3. “Tiflis” (5:58)

B1. “Roadsong” (3:35)
B2. “After the Rain” (3:25)
B3. “Bambule” (3:50)
B4. “No More Love” (4:35)
B5. “Cho Do Ima” (1:19)
B6. “The Orange Man” (7:09)

Archer’s distinct youthful ebony voice dominates the 1977 April Records release Nicht Stehen Bleiben by the Real Ax Band.

Apo-Calypso

Embryo released their ninth album, Apo-Calypso, in September 1977 on April Records.

Apo-Calypso presents a five-piece Embryo with Christian Burchard, Roman Bunka, Uwe Müllrich, and two new recruits: Missus Beastly drummer Michael Wehmeyer and Einhorn keyboardist Michael Wehmeyer.

Bunka plays guitar, oud, and veena on Apo-Calypso. He composed the first three songs and co-wrote the lengthy “Getalongwithasong” with Burchard, who conceived “Knast-Funk” and “Amnesty Total.”

Edgar Hofmann makes a flute appearance on “Endless Feeling.” Aktuala tablist Trilok Gurtu guests on “Getalongwithasong” along with his mother, Shobha Gurtu, who sings and plays the tambour, a Turkish gourd-shaped string instrument.

A1. “Break Into Pieces” (4:42)
A2. “Endless Feeling” (7:18)
A3. “Together” (5:39)
A4. “Knast-Funk” (5:57)

B1. “Amnesty Total” (9:09)
B2. “Getalongwithasong” (14:13)

Embryo recorded “Getalongwithasong” on December 30, 1976, at S.L. Studios in Bombay, where they linked with the local Gurtu family. Wehmeyer produced the album’s balance in June 1977 at Sunrise Studios in Switzerland, where Kedama soundman Etienne Conod engineered Apo-Calypso in sequence with Nicht Stehen Bleiben and the first Munju album, High-Speed Kindergarten.

Embryo’s Reise

Embryo released their tenth album, Embryo’s Reise, in 1979 on Schneeball.

A1. “Straße nach Asien” (12:50)
A2. “Paki Funk” (2:00)
A3. “Lost Scooters” (3:55)
A4. “Anar Anar” (3:20)

B1. “Es ist wie’s ist” (6:30)
B2. “Kurdistan” (4:40)
B3. “Far East” (6:35)
B4. “Chan Delawar Khan” (3:30)

C1. “Farid” (13:25)
C2. “Cello, Cello” (8:25)

D1. “Rog De Quadamuna Achna” (7:42)
D2. “Hymalaya Radio” (4:20)
D3. “Maharaj” (3:52)
D4. “Lassie, Lassie” (7:38)

September 1978 – May 1979

Life

Embryo collaborated with the Karnataka College of Percussion for their eleventh album, Life, released in 1981 on Schneeball.

A1. “Cello Cello” (15:26)
A2. “Telisirama” (7:26)

B1. “Tala Tarangini” (14:47)
B2. “Marokkanische Seeräuber” (11:21)

July 24-28, 1980

Charlie Mariano – soprano saxophone
Christian Burchard – vibraphone, marimba
Edgar Hofmann – soprano saxophone
Jay Zier – guitar
Uve Müllrich – electric bass
Michi Wehmeyer – harmonium
Friedo Josch – flute

La Blama Sparozzi

Embryo released their twelfth album, La Blama Sparozzi, in 1982 on Schneeball.

A1. “Abart” (4:20)
A2. “Reportage” (6:54)
A3. “Xingu” (1:35)
A4. “La Blama Sparozzi” (8:35)
A5. “Jay” (1:28)

B1. “Computer Killer” (2:52)
B2. “Cimbalero” (2:55)
B3. “Zapata Pasteta” (7:24)
B4. “Kehlig/Selig” (7:18)
B5. “Duo” (1:10)

C1. “Mundbogen 9” (3:31)
C2. “El Moro” (6:25)
C3. “Fun Bahia” (7:22)
C4. “Auf Gottes Auge Wächst Kein Gras” (4:50)

D1. “Evas Zimmer” (0:46)
D2. “Nigeria, Karnataka” (4:38)
D3. “Pia Pia” (5:33)
D4. “Wasserräder” (6:10)
D5. “Egypt Straat” (3:59)
D6. “Grace” (1:20)

Zack Glück

Embryo released their thirteenth album, Zack Glück, in 1984 on Materiali Sonori.

A1. “Che mangerai domani, vipera” (2:43)
A2. “Dage Django” (3:58)
A3. “Zack glück” (2:15)
A4. “Hör, spiel, vergiß” (7:38)
A5. “Electraunico” (5:32)
A6. “Montespertoli” (3:43)

B1. “Che mangerai domani, vipera (Part Two)” (6:44)
B2. “U-Bahn” (11:55)
B3. “Ali Baba” (4:25)

Embryo & Yoruba Dun Dun Orchestra

Embryo released their fourteenth album, Embryo & Yoruba Dun Dun Orchestra, in 1985 on Schneeball.

A1. “Welt-AB-Originale” (3:05)
A2. “Aye-Aye” (5:41)
A3. “Bata Solo” (11:00)
A4. “Mix III” (3:26)

B1. “Just Landed” (2:47)
B2. “Dun Dun-Solo I” (3:51)
B3. “Dschamilija” (6:32)
B4. “Dun-Dun-Solo” (3:37)
B5. “A-Ara-E-Che-Kalo” (6:43)

Africa

Embryo released their fifteenth album, Africa, in 1987 on Materiali Sonori.

A1. “Djangedi” (3:09)
A2. “Sango” (4:17)
A3. “Mao in Afrique (Part 1)” (2:04)
A4. “Mao in Afrique (Part 2)” (3:55)
A5. “Konga” (2:42)
A6. “Yulius’ Song” (2:23)

B1. “Dun Dun Mix” (5:50)
B2. “Bush” (1:57)
B3. “Wole Alade” (3:20)
B4. “Lagune Musik” (7:30)
B5. “Crossriver Xylophone” (1:58)

February 1985