Hoelderlin -

Hoelderlin was a German Krautrock band that debuted with the 1972 folk-psych album Hölderlins Traum. In 1975, the returned with a self-titled symphonic-rock album, followed by the 1976/77 albums Clowns & Clouds and Rare Birds. Keyboardist and co-founder Joachim Grumbkow led subsequent lineups through the 1979–81 albums New Faces and Fata Morgana.

Members: Nanny de Ruig (vocals, 1970-73), Christian Grumbcow [Christian von Grumbkow] (guitar, 1970-77), Jochen Grumbcow [Joachim von Grumbkow] (cello, flute, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, Mellotron, 1970-81), Christoph “Nops” Noppeney (violin, viola, piano, flute, 1971-78), Peter Käseberg (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals, 1971-75), Michael Bruchmann (drums, percussion, 1971-78, 2005), Hans Bäär (bass, guitar, 1975-81, 2005), Pablo Weeber (guitar, 1977), Thomas Lohr (guitar, 1977-81), Rüdiger Elze (guitar, 1979), Eduard Schicke (drums, 1979-81), Bernd König (vocals, 1979-81)

Background

Hoelderlin sprung from a musical partnership between brothers Joachim and Christian Grumbkow. In 1964, they formed The Beatkids, a teen covers band that plowed through numbers by The Shadows, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. In 1970, the now-grown siblings formed Hölderlin with Christian’s wife, Dutchwoman Nanny de Ruig. They took their name from the 19th century German poet and philosopher Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin, a key figure in Romanticism.

Initially a trio, Hölderlin played folk-rock covers while Christian von Grumbcow developed a set of originals. In 1971, they grew to a sextet with bassist Peter Käseberg, drummer Michael Bruchmann, and multi-instrumentalist Christoph “Nops” Noppeney. They signed to Pilz, an underground division of Breeze Music GmbH.

Hölderlins Traum

Hölderlin released their first album, Hölderlins Traum (“dream”), in April 1972 on Pilz.

The album contains seven originals co-written by the Grumbkow brothers and performed by the original septet with guitarist Christian’s vocalist wife, Nanny.

Jochen plays cello, transverse flute, acoustic guitar, and keyboards on Traum, which features Nops on violin, piano, and flute. Bassist Käseberg (identified here as Peter-Kassim) plays additional acoustic guitar.

A1. “Waren wir” (4:53) [“We Were”]
A2. “Peter” (2:52)
A3. “Strohhalm” (2:20) [“Straw”]
A4. “Requiem für einen Wicht” (6:32) [“Requiem for an Imp”]

B1. “Erwachen” (4:20) [“Awakening”]
B2. “Wetterbericht” (6:34) [“Weather Report”]
B3. “Traum” (7:20) [“Dream”]

Sessions occurred in January 1972 at Tonstudio Dierks in Stommeln, where Ohr/Pilz director Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser produced Traum in sequence with titles by Ash Ra Tempel, Bröselmaschine, Emtidi, Tangerine Dream, Wallenstein, and Witthüser & Westrupp — all engineered by studio founder Dieter Dierks along with albums by Electric Sandwich, Krokodil, Message, Mythos, Nektar, Nine Days’ Wonder, Wind, and Twenty Sixty Six and Then.

Hölderlins Traum appeared in a gatefold designed by Helmut Friz, whose art graces 1971/72 albums by Emtidi (Saat) and Popol Vuh (In den Gärten Pharaos). Traum depicts a fern tree clustered with bird wings, larvae, berries, reeds, primates, and a nude interracial couple. The tree stems from a hill shaped like a nude sleeping man. The inner-gate contains a photo-negative of the image. The backside identifies each member by their forename or mononym.

“Requiem für einen Wicht” appears on Rapunzel (Neue Deutsche Volksmusik), a 1972 Pilz comp with cuts by Emtidi (“Traume”), Wallenstein (“Relics of the Past”), and Rufus Zuphall (“I’m On My Way”).

In the three-year gap between albums, Nanny stepped down from the band. They continued with the anglicized spelling Hoelderlin.

Hoelderlin

Hoelderlin released their second album, Hoelderlin, in May 1975 on Spiegelei.

The album contains five group-credited numbers, including the instrumental opener and the almost side-long “Deathwatchbeetle.”

Joachim Grumbkow’s arsenal includes grand piano, organ, synthesizer, clavinet, mellotron, and flute. He wrote the album’s lyrics and sings lead on “Nürnberg.” Violist Noppeney sings lead and supplements Christian on acoustic guitar.

Hoelderlin retained their sextet composition with guitarist Joachim Käseberg, the brother of bassist Peter Käseberg. Hoelderlin features guest appearances by Birth Control saxophonist Zeus B. Held (“I Love My Dog”) and Release Music Orchestra clarinetist Norbert Jacobson (“Honeypot”).

A1. “Schwebebahn” (7:12) [“Suspension Railway”]
A2. “I Love My Dog” (5:38)
A3. “Honeypot” (8:48)

B1. “Nürnberg” (3:00)
B2. “Deathwatchbeetle” (17:32)

Hoelderlin self-produced the album in February 1975 at Conny’s Studio with Krautrock linchpin Konrad ‘Conny’ Plank (identified here as Planck). He engineered Hoelderlin in sequence with albums by Guru Guru, Harmonia, Jane, Kraan, NEU!, and Toto Blanke. Plank’s assistant, Petrus Wippel, engineered the 1975 second albums by Grobschnitt (Jumbo) and Release Music Orchestra (Garuda).

Chistian Grumbkow painted the album cover, which depicts a man slumped in a striped lounge chair, obscured by the canopy with a cat in his lap, clad in red farmer attire which matches the nearby flowers. The backside shows the same image (without the cat) in a different season on a flower-less green lawn.

Before the next album, both Käseberg brothers left Hoelderlin. Joachim Käseberg later engineered NDW albums by Fehlfarben and S.Y.P.H.

Clowns & Clouds

Hoelderlin released their third album, Clowns & Clouds, in March 1976 on Spiegelei. The title split across the original LP sides: Clown (A) and Cloud (B).

The album presents a five-piece configuration with new bassist Hans Bäär, who joins the four remaining co-founders: Michael Bruchmann, singer/violist Christoph Noppeney, and the Grumbkow brothers. Clowns & Clouds also features guest reedist Jörg-Peter ‘Büdi’ Siebert, a later member of Herrgottsax and Orexis.

Jochen wrote “Your Eyes” and co-wrote “Madhouse” with Christian. The brothers group-wrote the “Circus” suite with Noppeney. Bäär contributed “Streaming” and collaborated with Jochen on “Phasing.”

Clown Side
A1. “Madhouse” (6:48)
A2. “Your Eyes” (6:12)
A3. “Circus” (10:07)
— a. “Tango Mili”
— b. “Marching”
— c. “Sensations”

Cloud Side
B1. “Streaming” (7:12)
B2. “Phasing” (12:10)

Sessions occurred in January 1976 at Conny’s studio with producer Karl-Heinz Borchert and Conny Plank, who engineered Clowns & Clouds in sequence with the debut albums by Bullfrog, Harlis, La Düsseldorf, Ramses, and Streetmark.

Christian Grumbkow’s cover painting depicts a clown with a violin, shoulders deep in a green valley amid flowers.

“Phasing” appears on Super-Rock-Festival, a 1976 two-record Intercord comp with cuts by Birth Control, Can, Jane, Kraan, Kraftwerk, Nektar, and Hungarian rockers Omega.

In the nineteen-month gap between albums, Christian ceded his musical role but continued as Hoelderlin’s painter and lyricist.

Rare Birds

Hoelderlin released their fourth album, Rare Birds, in October 1977 on Spiegelei.

The album presents a reconfigured quintet with Spanish guitarist Pablo Weeber, who joins bassist Hans Bäär and the three remaining co-founders: keyboardist Joachim Grumbkow, singer/violist Christoph Noppeney, and drummer Michael Bruchmann.

Christian Grumbkow wrote the album’s lyrics. Weeber composed “Necronomicon” (an instrumental) and “Before You Lay Down / Rough and Thorny.” He co-wrote “Häktik intergaläktik” with Noppeney and Joachim, the pair behind “Sun Rays.” Bäär contributed “Sky-Lift” while Joachim lone-composed the title-track.

A1. “Häktik intergaläktik” (8:33) [“Intergalactic Hustle”]
A2. “Sky-Lift” (4:17)
A3. “Before You Lay Down / Rough and Thorny” (7:25)

B1. “Rare Bird” (7:45)
B2. “Necronomicon” (6:15)
B3. “Sun Rays” (8:55)

Hoelderlin co-produced the album at Studio Nedeltschev in Cologne with Cedric Beatty, a recent Gate and Gong soundman. Mixdowns spanned June through August at Delta Acoustic Studios in Wilster with Manfred Schunke, a late-period Can engineer who handled Rare Birds in sequence with 1977 titles by Message and Birth Control (Increase).

Christian Grumbkow’s cover painting depicts a topless nude woman whose red-tipped green hair-spikes meld into the feathers of a red/green summer tanager. The backside shows Hoelderlin (Christian included) surrounded by fern trees.

Traumstadt

In February 1978, Hoelderlin released Traumstadt, a live double-album (80:53 length) sourced from their October 24, 1977, show at the Wuppertaler Opernhaus.

Traumstadt features performances of two songs from Rare Birds (“Häktik Intergaläktik,” “Sun Rays”) and four from Clowns & Clouds (“Circus,” “Phasing,” “Streaming,” “Mad House”), plus one from the 1975 Hoelderlin album (“Schwebebahn”). Sides C and D conclude with unique numbers: Noppeney’s “Die Stadt” and the group-written “Soft Landing.”

A1. “Intro” (1:29)
A2. “Schwebebahn” (6:33)
A3. “Häktik Intergaläktik” (8:08)

B1. “Circus” (8:04)
B2. “Phasing” (11:07)

C1. “Streaming” (8:15)
C2. “Die Stadt” (12:12)

D1. “Mad House” (7:24)
D2. “Sun Rays” (8:44)
D3. “Soft Landing” (8:57)

Traumstadt appeared in a gatefold with an inner-gate layout of concert photos. The tour concluded the brief stint of Pablo Weeber and the seven-year tenures of drummer Michael Bruchmann and singer/violist Christoph ‘Nops’ Noppeney. As with Christian Grumbkow, Nops retained peripheral ties as a songwriter.

New Faces

Hoelderlin released their fifth album, New Faces, in 1979 on Spiegelei.

For this album, sole founder Joachim Grumbkow retained bassist Hans Bäär and welcomed three new members: guitarist Rüdiger Elze, guitarist/synthesist Tommy L’Ohr, and recent SFF drummer Eduard Schicke.

Ex-members Christian and Nops wrote the lyrics and music (respectively) to the first three songs and “Footsteps.” Nops lone-wrote the bookend tracks of Side B. Former drummer Michael Bruchmann reappears on “Gentle Push,” one of two Bäär contributions (along with “The Shouter”).

Elze plays slide and electric/acoustic guitars, supplemented on the latter by L’Ohr, who sings “Gentle Push” and “Somebody’s Calling.” His synthesizers complement Joachim’s keyboard arsenal, comprised of organ, clavinet, and Fender Rhodes electric piano.

Musical guest Bernd König sings “Cold Winds” and “Footsteps,” which also features prior guest flutist Büdi Siebert.

A1. “Somebody’s Calling” (5:46)
A2. “! Want You” (5:11)
A3. “Cold Winds” (3:13)
A4. “Gentle Push” (3:48)

B1. “High in Shanghai” (6:15)
B2. “The Shouter” (3:45)
B3. “Footsteps” (4:42)
B4. “Weekend” (2:54)

Hoelderlin co-produced the album in May/June 1979 at Conny’s Studio, where recent Ultravox soundman Dave Hutchins engineered New Faces amid 1979 titles by SBB, The Tourists, and former Exmagma guitarist Andy Goldner.

New Faces appeared in a single sleeve with televised infrared profiles of L’Ohr (front) and each member (back), including honorary presence Christian Grumbkow.

Intercord lifted “Somebody’s Calling” as a single (b/w “The Shouter”). Elze departed to Hagen pop-punks The Ramblers and played on their 1980 third album, Strange Life. Hoelderlin upgraded König to member status.

Fata Morgana

Hoelderlin released their sixth album, Fata Morgana, in 1981 on Spiegelei.

The album retains four-fifths of the New Faces lineup with Bernd König instated as one of four singing keyboardists along with guitarist Thomas Lohr, veteran bassist Hans Bäär, and sole founder Joachim von Grumbkow.

Lohr wrote “Lena,” “Manchmal,” and “Das alte Lied.” König and Grumbkow co-wrote “$upermarkt,” which features Ramblers/Kowalski drummer Rüdiger Braune. Bäär composed the album’s balance. Dunkelziffer saxophonist Wolfgang Schubert plays on the title track.

A1. “Fata Morgana” (4:15) [“Mirage”]
A2. “Lena” (4:17)
A3. “Hallo” (3:35)
A4. “Manchmal” (4:22) [“Sometimes”]

B1. “$upermarkt” (4:42)
B2. “Lärm” (3:48) [“Noise”]
B3. “Kamikaze” (4:35)
B4. “Das alte Lied” (5:00) [“The Old Song”]

Hoelderlin self-produced the album at Studio Langendreer in Bochum, where Dave Hutchins engineered Fata Morgana amid work with Eurythmics, Falckenstein, Ideal, and Neonbabies.

Discography: