Thomas Fehlmann

 

This Monday Khayem over at the excellent Dubhed posted a video by the Orb. There was a short appearance by Thomas Fehlmann on the decks. Watching this I thought it is necessary to look back at his career. Fehlmann is a 1957 born Swiws composer/producer and lived in the early 80's in Hamburg studying arts. He was there when in 1981 in Germany post-punk turned into new wave (not that stupid, horrible but mass-compatible NDW) and was founding member of Palais Schaumburg and overlooked new wave band. They were one of the first experimentalize with electronics, drum computers and funk to create a new kind of genre. At least they were a kind of prototype of the upcoming electronic dance-floor scene. This songs might sound strange and weird but listening several times you might see how many ideas Thomas Fehlmann and Holger Hiller (the other head of PS) included in this sound.

After two years the band was history and they disbanded because they couldn't commit on a way, every member could agree with. Fehlmann moved to Berlin and soon became a permanent fixture in the burgeoning club culture. Not least because he was part of the line-up of British rave pioneers The Orb from 1990 after meeting Alex Paterson. In 2007 he released Honigpumpe, for me his masterpiece. One of those records you can dive in and get lost in it. A journey into electronic sounds where Fehlmann leads us with his magic fingers on the rulers into another musical spheres. In the best times you can imagine that a DJ switch later in the evening playing Schaum in a club of your choice.