''Sterntaler'' is the second studio album by the German solo artist

Michael Rother Michael Rother (born 2 September 1950) is a German experimental musician, best known for being a founding member of the influential bands Neu! and Harmonia (band), Harmonia, and an early member of the band Kraftwerk. Early life and educatio ...

. It was released in 1978 and includes the single "Sterntaler" b/w "Sonnenrad". The album was recorded between September and November 1977 in Germany at Rother's own studio in Forst and Conny's Studio. Receiving positive reviews the album was released as an LP in 1978 before it was re-released by Polydor in 1982. The album was reissued on CD in 1993 with bonus tracks and having been remastered. The artwork for the album was designed by Rike with photography by Ann Weitz.

Recording and music

On completion of ''Flammende Herzen'' his debut solo album, Rother re-teamed with

Cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Asteroid cluster, a small asteroid family * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study t ...

members

Hans-Joachim Roedelius Hans-Joachim Roedelius (born 26 October 1934) is a German electronic musician and composer, best known as a co-founder of the influential 'kosmische' groups Cluster and Harmonia. He also performed in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello, and relea ...

and

Dieter Moebius Dieter Moebius (16 January 1944 – 20 July 2015) was a Swiss-born German electronic musician and composer, best known as a member of the influential krautrock bands Cluster and Harmonia. Moebius was studying art at Berlin's Akademie Grafik and ...

and former-

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera ...

member and solo artist

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

to record a third

Harmonia In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; grc, Ἁρμονία / harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement") is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia. Her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discord ...

album in Forst in 1976. The studio sessions were productive but the recordings were left unreleased until November 1997 when they were released as ''

Tracks and Traces ''Tracks and Traces'' is a collaborative album by German kosmische supergroup Harmonia (featuring Neu! guitarist Michael Rother and Cluster members Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius) and British musician Brian Eno, initially credited to H ...

'' and credited to 'Harmonia 76'. Rother recorded ''Sterntaler'' in conditions that were similar to his debut, working again with Neu! and Harmonia producer

Conny Plank Konrad "Conny" Plank (3 May 1940 – 5 December 1987) was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was invo ...

and augmented with

Jaki Liebezeit Jaki Liebezeit (born Hans Liebezeit; 26 May 1938 – 22 January 2017) was a German drummer, best known as a founding member of experimental rock band Can. He was called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral". ...

from Can on drums. Aside from Liebezeit, the entirety of the album was written and performed by Rother utilising guitar, bass guitar, piano, synthesizer and electronic percussion. Rother also used Hawaiian slide guitar and synthesized strings, evident was an increased used on synthesizer for the main melody lines on a number of compositions most evident on the title track and an ambient drum-free approach on "Blauer Regen". "Fontana Di Luna" was later re-recorded in 1990 as "Morning Sun", a song that was recorded in collaboration with Station 17 on their self-titled début album in 1990. Station 17 is a project that gives disabled people the opportunity to work as an artist in music, movie and video.

Releases

''Sterntaler'' was first released on

Sky Records Sky Records was a Hamburg, Germany-based independent record label specializing in krautrock/ Kosmische Musik and electronic music. Some of their releases could be classified as progressive rock or art rock, experimental music, industrial, ambien ...

as an LP in 1978. The album has been re-released several times, again as an LP on Polydor after Rother joined the label in 1982. In 1993, Rother secured the rights to his back catalogue and re-issued all of his solo albums with bonus tracks and remastered sound on his own label, Random Records. In 2000, Rother re-issued all of the albums again in partnership between Random Records and BSC Music. Expanded editions include the 1993-era tracks "Lichter Von Kairo", "Patagonia Horizont" and "Südseewellen (Extended Dance Remix)". The album has since been released in the US on Water Records and as a heavyweight 180 gram LP on the 4 Men With Beards imprint. The 2000 edition runs a little slower than the original LP, whilst a 2007 edition runs faster.

Reception

''Sterntaler'' received positive reviews by the majority of critics.

Track listing

Personnel

- Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vibraphone, Hawaii-Guitar, Synthesizer, Strings, Producer, Recording *

- Drums *

- Producer, Recording * Ann Weitz - Cover Photo * Rike - Design

References

{{Authority control 1978 albums Albums produced by Conny Plank Michael Rother albums