Harald Grosskopf :: “Synthesist”
Born in Hildesheim, West Germany, after the Second World War, multi-instrumentalist Harald Grosskopf began his career during the humble beginnings and early stages of the late 1960s Krautrock (Kosmische Musik) and progressive rock scene that ignited something fierce and sonically sophisticated within the country’s pierced psyche. While specific structures and communities were still devastated by the influence of Nazis from past decades, to say the least, a new generation of artists, harmonic heroes and political poets began rising from the archaic ashes with visceral voices, and concrete concepts of how they wanted the narrative to be. With bands like Amon Düül, Faust, Harmonia, and Can, to name a few, exploring the endless depths of human expression, tonal trauma, and politics within the pulsating realms of sound, Grosskopf found himself smack dab in the middle of something special and unknown. Considered the first percussionist during the early stages of electronic music, Grosskopf occupied a unique place within the scene’s dynamic dawn with bands such as the Scorpions, Ash Ra Tempel/Ashra, Cosmic Jokers, Wallenstein, and countless others throughout the 1970s before recording his groundbreaking solo debut “Synthesist.” Like a poetic pilgrim searching for familiar rhythms within the earth’s damaged connection to the universe, Grosskopf bridges that galactic gap between stars by staring directly into the cryptic center of God’s masterpiece, and delivers a spiritual hand gesture for all to see and hear. While capturing the cosmic conditions of the country’s harsh history and radical resurgence in the arts, Grosskopf found himself behind a Minimoog, developing his atmospheric approach in such a way that the future of music began colliding with the present moment, causing rare energy to form this tonal tear that you can still see if you angle your ear just right.
Blending the liberating layers of Krautrock and prog music with the electronic exorcism of the 1980s, Grosskopf’s vibrant voice stretched across the airwaves, and sensational signals brought on by his pioneering efforts in the newly founded genre’s genesis. Where bravery is dressed in dreams, “Synthesist” ultimately conquers the stellar silence that fills space by occupying a universal unity in the human condition that is even more apparent once suspended from the cosmic ceiling of creation. With tracks such as the album’s title tune, “Transcendental Overdrive,” and the epic ender “Tai Ki,” simultaneously speaking through the singing skull, Grosskopf’s legacy is as legendary as it gets. From the pulsating signs cast into the electronic ecosystem of an entirely new landscape of sound, to the elemental charge of the album’s ability to conquer the senses, “Synthesist” is the soundtrack to Huxley’s “Brave New World,” Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” all in one. A radically revolutionary tale in sound, esoteric equipment, and cosmic conversation, Grosskopf achieved what many are trying to convey over four decades later in their constituted craft. While some consider the musician a father of merciless mechanics, and others a timeless teacher on the subject of synths, Grosskopf’s 1980 masterpiece is nothing short of a miracle among mortals, as we continue to learn from its highly influential interzone.
