Biography
Though scarcely acknowledged by most devotees of Krautrock, Günter Schickert maintained a steady behind-the-scenes output while establishing himself as a noteworthy figure. Alongside Achim Reichel, he developed the echo guitar technique, allowing repeated tones to build dense, overlapping layers that pushed the instrument far outside conventional boundaries.
Throughout much of the 1960s Schickert participated in Berlin’s free jazz community, yet his debut album, Samtvogel, did not appear until 1974, when he issued a limited self-released pressing. The recording’s distinct character prompted the Brain label to acquire it for a 1975 reissue. Its approach of stacking guitar tones to generate hypnotic new surfaces closely paralleled Manuel Göttsching’s Inventions for Electric Guitar.
Schickert formed the trio GAM in 1973 with guitarist Axel Struck and percussionist Michael Aleska; handling guitar, vocals, and trumpet himself, the group produced an idiosyncratic strain of space rock. Jam sessions from 1976 eventually surfaced on cassette in 1986 under the title Gam 1976, while an album recorded in 1978, Eiszeit, remained unreleased. During this period he also composed for a theater company and appeared onstage in several productions. In addition, he worked as a roadie for Klaus Schulze and occasionally joined the electronic pioneer in live performance.
Sky Records released Schickert’s second solo album, Uberfallig, in 1979; drummer Charles Heuer supplemented the echoed guitar textures. Theater work continued through the 1980s, as did involvement with the bands No Zen Orchestra and Ziguri Ego Zoo. His third album under his own name, the fully solo Kinder der Wildnes, emerged only on cassette in 1993 and featured Schickert on guitar, tapes, vocals, percussion, and trumpet, revealing a broader stylistic range. The 1995 CD Somnabal gathered material spanning the preceding fifteen years. Despite the scarcity and elusiveness of his recordings, particularly the debut Samtvogel, Schickert remains an inventive creator whose contributions merit wider recognition.
Throughout much of the 1960s Schickert participated in Berlin’s free jazz community, yet his debut album, Samtvogel, did not appear until 1974, when he issued a limited self-released pressing. The recording’s distinct character prompted the Brain label to acquire it for a 1975 reissue. Its approach of stacking guitar tones to generate hypnotic new surfaces closely paralleled Manuel Göttsching’s Inventions for Electric Guitar.
Schickert formed the trio GAM in 1973 with guitarist Axel Struck and percussionist Michael Aleska; handling guitar, vocals, and trumpet himself, the group produced an idiosyncratic strain of space rock. Jam sessions from 1976 eventually surfaced on cassette in 1986 under the title Gam 1976, while an album recorded in 1978, Eiszeit, remained unreleased. During this period he also composed for a theater company and appeared onstage in several productions. In addition, he worked as a roadie for Klaus Schulze and occasionally joined the electronic pioneer in live performance.
Sky Records released Schickert’s second solo album, Uberfallig, in 1979; drummer Charles Heuer supplemented the echoed guitar textures. Theater work continued through the 1980s, as did involvement with the bands No Zen Orchestra and Ziguri Ego Zoo. His third album under his own name, the fully solo Kinder der Wildnes, emerged only on cassette in 1993 and featured Schickert on guitar, tapes, vocals, percussion, and trumpet, revealing a broader stylistic range. The 1995 CD Somnabal gathered material spanning the preceding fifteen years. Despite the scarcity and elusiveness of his recordings, particularly the debut Samtvogel, Schickert remains an inventive creator whose contributions merit wider recognition.
Albums
Singles
