Albums of the Year # 124 Kosmischer Laufer - The Secret Kosmic Programme of the East German Olympic Program

 

One of my favourite annual trips, and one I try not to miss out on for any reason, is going to Nottingham to catch up with two great mates Walter and David. We go back a long way now, to my first time in Poland from '94 to '96, in Warsaw. Warsaw was at that point  like an odd Western frontier town, and it was often a cold and slightly intimidating place, But an exciting one at the same time like any place experiencing seismic change. It often felt like danger was imminent, particularly during the late evening in town, when something threatening might be about to loom out at you from the night in the dimly lit streets.

One of the things David, Walter and I have in common, apart from this shared past, is our general tastes In culture. In films, books and music. One time when I stayed in Nottingham with Walter they introduced me to the delights of Kosmischer Laufer and I've been grateful ever since. It's the most messianic, cathartic music you could possibly want for.

Kosmischer Laufer is more than likely a product of the 21st Century, an internet creation rather than actual realit,y though you can never be quite sure,  Its mystery is one of the great things about it. According to the given narrative, its creator, Martin Zeichnete worked as a Sound Engineer in the Former DDR (East Germany),  in the Seventies. Zeichnete was primarily fascinated by the Krautrock bands across the border in The West; Kraftwerk, Neu! and Cluster. 

As a keen runner he felt this music and its hypnotic Motorik rhythms could serve as the perfect training soundtrack to the DDR's formidable Athletic Programme, which was reaping clutches of medals in each passing Olympics, from Munich '72 onwards. Renate Stecher and all that.

The Secret Kosmic Programme of the East German Olympic Program has now reached its fifth volume. It sounds like the ones that have gone before. Why would it want to do anything else? The verity of these records is highly dubious frankly. Not that it matters a jot. They're truly wondrous headphone journeys.  Many thanks to Walter and David. for their introduction to all this. High time to plot my next weekend jaunt to Nottingham to listen to one of these together.