Metropolis -

Metropolis was a German symphonic-rock band that released a self-titled album in 1974 on PAN.

Members: Ute Kannenberg (vocals, percussion), Thomas Hildebrand (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Helmut Binzer (guitar, backing vocals), Manfred Opitz (keyboards, vocals, acoustic guitar), Michael Westphal (bass, backing vocals), Michael Duwe (vocals, guitar)

Background

Metropolis formed in early 1973 in West Berlin, spearheaded by guitarist and vocalist Michael “Micky” Duwe, a veteran of Berlin’s 1960s underground and one-time member of Agitation Free and Ash Ra Tempel (appearing on Seven Up with Timothy Leary). Duwe assembled the group after returning from Switzerland, drawing on musicians from parallel Berlin scenes. He joined forces with drummer Thomas Hildebrand, fresh from Mythos and previously active in the psych-beat combo Lovely People. Bassist Michael Westphal and keyboardist Manfred Opitz entered from Zarathustra, a Berlin hard-psych band they had co-founded in 1969, later operating under the name Stage. These four became the core of Metropolis.

Later that year, they added jazz vocalist Ute Kannenberg—recently disillusioned with her Schlager career under the name Tanja Berg—and guitarist Helmut Binzer, a former guest musician with Prof. Wolfff. This final lineup entered production on their self-titled debut album, released in 1974 on PAN.

Metropolis

Metropolis released their self-titled album in early 1974 on PAN.

The album presents a wide-screen symphonic-rock approach driven by the interplay between keyboardist Manfred Opitz and guitarists Michael Duwe and Helmut Binzer. Duwe alternates between electric and acoustic textures, while Opitz layers piano and organ passages with shifting tonal weight. Binzer reinforces the harmonic structure and occasionally steps forward with sharp, ascending lines. Vocalist Ute Kannenberg joins Duwe and Opitz in alternating lead roles, while brass and woodwind elements subtly enter the frame on extended tracks.

Metropolis opens with “Birth,” a sequence of slow organ pulses, suspended percussion, and male–female narration that gradually expands into surging electric passages. The vocals fade under distorted keys and rising guitar leads, building tension before breaking into a brief but wiry solo exchange. “Superplasticclub” follows a more fragmented structure: a quickened pace gives way to rhythmic narration and back-and-forth vocals, alternating between theatrical fragments and brass-accented instrumental interludes. “Metropolis,” the album’s longest piece, moves through staged chapters—first with ambient washes and isolated sonic details (bells, strings, music box tones), then shifting into a layered middle section with tight unison vocals and mid-tempo electric instrumentation. A final comedown brings solo piano and drawn-out vocal refrains.

“Dreamweaver” begins side two in uptempo form, blending overlapping vocal lines with agile turns in structure. Guitar solos pass through short instrumental interludes, flanked by bursts of organ and midrange orchestration. “Glass Roofed Courts” leans on woodwinds and gently paced acoustic figures, gradually filling out with oboe, flute, and layered vocal textures before diverting into a subdued Spanish sequence. “Ecliptic” returns to episodic structure, moving from hushed narration and organ into percussion-led sections, eventually culminating in a drawn-out instrumental finale marked by pulsing keys, string phrases, drum breaks, and extended guitar work. Frequent tempo shifts and segmental structures thread through the album, often driven by Manfred Opitz’s shifting keyboard palette and the dual guitars of Duwe and Binzer.

A1. “Birth” (5:30)
A2. “Superplasticclub” (4:24)
A3. “Metropolis” (10:01)
— a. “Haven’t You Heard?”
— b. “Nostalgia”
— c. “The Dream”
— d. “I’m Leaving the City”

B1. “Dreamweaver” (6:30)
B2. “Glass Roofed Courts” (4:52)
B3. “Ecliptic” (9:41)
— a. “Spaziergang”
— b. “Panic”
— c. “Reassurance”

Metropolis recorded and mixed the album in December 1973 at Studio 70 in Munich, during what they dubbed the month of “Kohoutek.” Producer Fritz Muschler oversaw the sessions, assisted by engineers Dave “Mow-Mow” Siddle and Uwe-Ewu. Guest flutist Heinz Loch and oboist Giuseppe Solera appear on select passages, complementing the chamber-like textures arranged by Hartmut Westphal with input from Opitz. The sleeve design and inner layout were directed by Manfred Vormstein, with notes by broadcaster Barry Graves.

PAN lifted a single edit of “Birth” (4:11) backed with “Superplasticclub.”

Postlude

After the split of Metropolis, Michael “Micky” Duwe launched his solo project Mickie D’s Unicorn in 1978, marking the beginning of his long association with electronic composer Klaus Schulze. The album sessions initiated a series of high-profile collaborations that extended into the 1980s, involving artists such as producer Conny Plank, guitarist Manuel Göttsching, bassist Hellmut Hattler, drummers Michael Shrieve and Jaki Liebezeit, and multi-instrumentalist Eff Jott Krüger.

Keyboardist Manfred Opitz pursued various musical ventures in the latter half of the 1970s, including a collaboration with Morgenrot, a group formed by former colleague Ronnie Bosien. In 1980, he joined the backing band of Stefan Waggershausen and teamed with Harald Grosskopf in Lilli Berlin, a Neue Deutsche Welle band led by Uschi Lina.

Discography: