Biography
My Solid Ground long ranked among the lesser-known acts in Krautrock despite the lasting reputation attained by their lone, self-titled album of 1971, even though much of the music adhered to fairly conventional hard-rock conventions. Bernhard Rendel formed the band in Russelsheim near Frankfurt, Germany, in 1968 when he was only fourteen. His mother had already nurtured his early passion for the guitar and continued to back him once the music grew louder and more aggressive. Rehearsals took place at his parents’ house, and the family also assisted in securing live engagements. Combining their instrumental ability with an elaborate lightshow, the musicians quickly drew local audiences throughout the Frankfurt area. Following several personnel shifts, the lineup stabilized in 1970 around Karlheinz Dorfler on bass, Andreas Wurching on drums, and Ingo Werner on organ. In late October of that year the group cut the track “Flash” at Morfelden Studio in Frankfurt and used the recording to finish second in an amateur contest organized by Sudwestfunk (SWF) Radio.
The self-titled album was taped at the same SWF facilities during February and April of 1971 and appeared on the Bacillus label before the year ended. In June the band returned to the SWF studios in Baden-Baden for a live radio session; legal restrictions prevented them from performing any material from the recently completed LP, so they presented an entirely new set. Although the group now enjoyed nationwide recognition, members continued to depart. By 1972 Rendel remained the sole original musician and relocated the project to Frankfurt, where it continued until 1974, at which point he disbanded My Solid Ground in order to concentrate on academics. He later became a lecturer in music at Muinz University and worked as a producer and composer. When Long Hair Records issued the SWF broadcast on CD in 2001, Rendel was persuaded to return to the studio and record an LP’s worth of additional tracks that constituted a 2001 edition of My Solid Ground; those pieces were included on the disc.
The self-titled album was taped at the same SWF facilities during February and April of 1971 and appeared on the Bacillus label before the year ended. In June the band returned to the SWF studios in Baden-Baden for a live radio session; legal restrictions prevented them from performing any material from the recently completed LP, so they presented an entirely new set. Although the group now enjoyed nationwide recognition, members continued to depart. By 1972 Rendel remained the sole original musician and relocated the project to Frankfurt, where it continued until 1974, at which point he disbanded My Solid Ground in order to concentrate on academics. He later became a lecturer in music at Muinz University and worked as a producer and composer. When Long Hair Records issued the SWF broadcast on CD in 2001, Rendel was persuaded to return to the studio and record an LP’s worth of additional tracks that constituted a 2001 edition of My Solid Ground; those pieces were included on the disc.
Albums