Shamall
Shamall ( Shamal, literally translated: hot desert wind ) is a progressive rock band from Germany to the musicians and producers Norbert Krueler.
History
Back in the early 1970s used Norbert Krueler simple radio amplifiers, microphones and a normal acoustic guitar to create new effect sounds of it. A concert promoter from the Westphalian space in 1976 attention to the artists and allowed him the preliminary program of many bands of the krautrock scene, including Rough cut, Kin Ping Meh, Birth Control, Kraan contest. At the same time began in Germany the nightclubs boom, which led to Norbert Krueler initially swapped the live stage with a DJ booth for financial reasons.
The end of 1984 Norbert Krueler began again "own" to make music, he joined new technical possibilities, light and sound and used it as experimental rhythmic original compositions as background music a light and laser show for his club audiences. These titles were left alone his club audiences reserved, the material was never published.
The recording industry was finally aware of his works. However, to make this even radio friendly, it was inevitable after former market strategy to provide the title with singing.
Under the name Shamall the debut single My Dream was produced in 1986 with the assistance of Detlef Reder and Michael Jaspers, reaching a chart position in the DJ Top 40. Shortly after, Michael Jaspers left the project. Norbert Krueler and Detlef Reder produced in 1987, the second Shamall single ' Feeling like stranger ', which is also as the debut single was able to record a chart position and like its predecessor, is attributable to the genre Italo - Disco. Two years later, Detlef Reder left the project. Since then, there Shamall as ' virtual band ' with a variety of musicians.
Style
After the first two singles in the style Italo Disco a musical change of direction took place. The album Journey to a Nightmare ( 1989) is the first of many subsequent instrumental albums.
The second album Moments of Illusion is the most successful Shamall album and includes the song used by T-Online and Time Life Physical Visions for promotional purposes.
The following albums Mirror to Eternity (1993 ), In Search of Precision ( 1994) and Iceland This Earth ( 1997), " characterizes music with amazing sound and emotional depth " of the American music critic and author Matt Howarth as.
1999 appears " Influences ", to which the Progressive magazine Durp writes that Shamall is music for prog fans with interface electronics.
Overall, nearly a decade psychedelic elements, atmospheric sounds and symphonic electronic music dominate the style of Shamall.
And thus heralds a musical break: In 2001 appears " The Book of Genesis ". The formative work of this album New Age Krautrock Symphony is chosen by the listeners of the former WDR broadcast vibrations directed by Winfried Trenkler " the best title of the year 2001 ".
The previously moved more in the area of electronic music project is now down to earth. Vocals and guitar play a larger role wear from the concept album about the war in Iraq Who do they think They Are ( 2003). The following two concept albums ambiguous points of view ( 2006) Questions of Life ( 2008) are characterized by the trade magazine Eclipsed as works with "extremely much Narcotics and hypnotic qualities " and assigned to the genre of psychedelic rock and progressive rock. In addition to stylistic originality to the music style of Shamall move somewhere between Pink Floyd and Alan Parsons.
Shamall has collaborated over the years with many musicians. Names that come up to today is that in many publications, are the guitarist Matthias Mehrtens and drummer Mike Bach.
The texts of Shamall often deal with issues of life. Often, however, also current political issues or environmental issues are addressed.
Nominations / Awards
In June 2009, announced the American Music Organization Just Plain Folks that Shamall was nominated for a JPF Music Award four times. Norbert Krueler was nominated for album Ambiguous Points of View, once in the category of " Progressive Rock Albums" and three times in the category " Progressive Rock Songs".