Conrad "Conny" Schnitzler (17 March 1937 – 4 August 2011) was a prolific German experimental musician associated with West Germany's 1970s krautrock movement. A co-founder of West Berlin's Zodiak Free Arts Lab, he was an early member of Tangerine Dream (1969–1970) and a founder of the band Kluster. He left Kluster in 1971, first working with his group Eruption and then focusing on solo works. Schnitzler participated in several collaborations with other electronic musicians.
Biography Schnitzler was born in Düsseldorf, Germany. His father was German, his mother was Italian. He and his wife had three children;Conrad Schnitzler (1937–2011) by Geeta Dayal (20 August 2011) his son Gregor Schnitzler, born in Berlin in 1964, is a film director.
Schnitzler, Dieter Moebius, and Hans-Joachim Roedelius formed Kluster in 1969 after the three had met at the Zodiak Free Arts Lab. This trio released three albums: Klopfzeichen (1970), Zwei-Osterei (1971) and Eruption (1971). When Schnitzler left the group, Roedelius and Moebius became Cluster. Around this time, Schnitzler also joined Tangerine Dream for their debut album Electronic Meditation (1970).
Schnitzler provided the introductory music for Norwegian black metal band Mayhem's debut EP Deathcrush in 1987, following a meeting with teenage guitarist Euronymous in the mid-1980s. The instrumental track, entitled "Silvester Anfang", was randomly selected from Schnitzler's archive of works in progress. The piece is still played at most of the band's live shows. For many years Schnitzler appeared in the comics of Matt Howarth (particularly Savage Henry) as a member of the band The Bulldaggers. His 2006 work Moon Mummy is a collaboration with Matt Howarth based on an included PDF comic.
Schnitzler died from stomach cancer on 4 August 2011 in Berlin.
Discography
1970 Electronic Meditation (with Tangerine Dream) Klopfzeichen (with Kluster)
1971 Zwei-Osterei (with Kluster) Schwarz (a.k.a. Eruption)
1973 Rot Slowmotion
1974 Blau Work in Progress The Red Cassette The Black Cassette
1978 Con
1980 Auf Dem Schwarzen Kanal (EP) Consequenz (with ) Die wandelnde Klangwolke aus Berlin
1981 Contempora Con 3 Conrad & Sohn (with Gregor Schnitzler) Conal Control Gelb (reissue of The Black Cassette as an LP) Grün Context
1982 Convex The Russians Are Coming (EP, with Peter Baumann) Container
1983 Con 3.3.83
1984 Con '84
1985 Con '85
1986 Concert Consequenz II (with Wolfgang Seidel) Micon in Italia (with Michael Otto) Face on Radio (with Wolfgang Hertz) Con '86 GenCon Productions (with Gen Ken Montgomery) Conversion Day
1987 Congratulacion Contrasts (with Wolfgang Hertz) Black Box 1987 Contra-Terrene Conditions of the Gas Giant Deathcrush (Silvester Anfang intro) (with Mayhem)
1988 ConGen: New Dramatic Electronic Music (with Gen Ken Montgomery) CS 1 – CS 13: January 1988 – December 1988 Concho (with Michael Chocholak) GenCon Dramatic (GenCon Live) (with Gen Ken Montgomery)
1989 Constellations CS 89/1 – CS 89/12: January 1989 – December 1989 The Cassette Concert (with Gen Ken Montgomery)
1990 Kynak (Camma) (with Giancarlo Toniutti) CS 90/1 – CS 90/12: January 1990 – December 1990 Confidential Tapes 00/001 – 00/004: Confidential Tapes
1991 Contempora 00/014 – 00/031
1992 Tolling Toggle (with Jorg Thomasius) Tonart Eins (with Tonart) Ballet Statique (reissue of Con) Contempora 00/032 – 00/039
1993 Clock Face (with Jorg Thomasius) Tonart Zwei (with Tonart) Con Brio Contempora 00/040 – 00/044
1994 Blue Glow Con Repetizione Contempora 00/045 – 00/053
1995 Charred Machinery Electronegativity
1997 00/106 The Piano Works 1 00/44
1999 Construction 00/071: Piano 00/063: Piano Con/Solo/1 00/121: Piano 00/139: Concert Con/Solo/2 Computer Jazz
2000 The 88 Game 5.5.85 (Concert)
2001 Conal2001 Acon (with Hans-Joachim Roedelius) 00/142-8 – MHz Records. Germany
2002 Con '72
2003 Live Action 1997 Gold Contakt
2004 Con '72 Part II
2005 Mi.T.-Con 04 (with Michael Thomas Roe)
2006 Moon Mummy Zug Aquatic Vine Music (with Michael Thomas Roe) Conviction Con 2+ ElectroCon Klavierhelm Trigger Trilogy
2007 Mic + Con 07 (with Michael Thomas Roe)
2008 Kluster 2007 (with Michael Thomas Roe and Masato Ooyama) rare tracks 1979–1982 (with Remixes by Dompteur Mooner) Erkrankung durch Musique Records 20070709 (with Bernhard Woestheinrich)
2009 Aquafit (with Big Robot) – Karisma. Norway Kluster 2008: Three Olympic Cities Mix (with Michael Thomas Roe and Masato Ooyama) Horror Odyssee (with Big Robot) – TIBProd. Italy
2010 Kluster 2009: Three Voices (with Michael Thomas Roe and Masato Ooyama)
2011 Consequenz 010B (with Wolfgang Seidel) – Mirror Tapes Kluster CMO 2010 (with Michael Thomas Roe and Masato Ooyama) Against The Grain (with Håvard Tveito, Ole Christensen, Kjetil Manheim, Johannes Stockhausen Hektoen, Fredrik Owesen, Tord Litleskare, Nils Martin Haugfoss, Marius Håndlykken, Shawn Ytterland and Vigleik Skogerbø)
2012 Endtime
2015 GEN CON Barbarella (with Gen Ken Montgomery, Arvo Zylo, Mama Baer, Kommissar Hjuler) – Psych.KG GEN CON FLUX (with Gen Ken Montgomery & Mama Baer, Kommissar Hjuler) – Psych.KG genconhjulachinsky (with Gen Ken Montgomery, Steve Dalachinsky & Kommissar Hjuler) – Psych.KG
2016 Kontraktion (with Pharmakustik) – Rotorelief. France
2018 Extruder (with Pharmakustik) – Rotorelief. France
2021 Schubkraft (with Pharmakustik) – Rotorelief. France
References
External links Conrad Schnitzler Official (CON-tribute)
Reviews of Schnitzler's work Schnitzler's entry in The Cassette Mythos Mi.T.-CON 2008 article/interview with Conrad Schnitzler at Perfect Sound Forever