The Group
exists since the late nineties, when Bernd Wilberg and Marco Trovatello – following the break-up of their semi-famous indie-rock outfit KRANK – started experimenting with electronic instruments while not giving up on their main instruments guitar and bass guitar. Later, they released their first album Superuser, merely equipped with two old synths, a drum computer, guitar, bass and Cakewalk. Dierk Düchting joined them in the early 2000s and they slowly drifted towards towards post-, experimental and math rock.
Some recordings slumbered on hard-disks, but nothing was released. After a two-year stay abroad of one of the band members, the band started working on their most ambitious project entitled Orgelqualität. The name taken from an 80s Orla Electric Organ, which they discovered for free via small ads. The respective small ad promised the home organ would have, well, “organ quality”.
Anyway, here were are, in the middle of the 2020s, Schmitz & Nebuhr’s earlier recordings resurfaced digitally and on tape. Furthermore, following 1.5 years of hard work, their Opus Magnum, Porz 1975, a prog meets art rock concept album was released on 2 May 2025.
Read on for further info on their back catalogue below.
With best wishes — Schmitz & Niebuhr
Write us at mail@schmitz-niebuhr.org
Porz 1975
Trillerfisch Records/Superpolar Taïps/Cargo Records
Cologne band Schmitz & Niebuhr have recorded an insane prog rock meets art pop double concept album entitled Porz 1975. Porz? Today the largest district of the metropolis of Cologne, but an independent city until 1975, where the musicians grew up and where some of them live again.
Our dogma: Only instruments – electronic, electric and acoustic – that already existed in 1975 were used. Where the band couldn’t afford the original gear, replicas had to serve.One piece for each of the 16 districts of Porz at the time. Focus on analog sound carriers: double vinyl and C-90 music cassette. Nevertheless, digital is also available. Guitar solos are occasionally included.
PORZ 1975 is an acoustic road movie through the 70s. A decade characterized by a wealth of ideas, compositional daring and the trust that listeners take time for music. The concept album also outlines the traumas of the municipal territorial reform – the accompanying upheavals and twists are reflected on a musical level, and the 16-page booklet provides an insight into this. The double album – full of references to art pop, experimental and progressive rock – also works on its own. No excessive improvisations, occasionally a few well-dosed solos. The songs are carefully composed and arranged.
More at porz1975.de
The Greatest Hits
superpolar Taïps, June 2022, cassette tape + digital
“Die gesammelten Werke des Duos Klaus C. Niebuhr & Wilfried Schmitz aus den Jahren 2002 bis 2004, nicht ganz ernst als „The Greatest Hits“ veröffentlicht, liefern einen wunderbaren akustischen Einblick in eine Zeit, als sich abseits des Berliner Indie-Mainstreams überall in der BRD seltsame kleine Zellen bildeten, die eigenwillige, geniale Homerecording-Musik realisierten.”
— Lars Fleischmann, taz Musik, 23. September 2022
“There are thirteen pieces of music on this cassette, and they are all, one way or another, inspired by the world of pop music and techno, but they arrive at crossroads of that and meet some more abstract sounds. Spacious dream pop, if you will, but with a lot more happening in the rhythm department. Each song (I am sure they’d prefer that over ‘piece’) has a couple of lovely melodies and hooks, but also elements from the world of electro-acoustic, with goofy samples and loops. A most enjoyable release! The music is very laid back, and only ‘Plukatan’ has vocals. They give another dimension to the music; I imagine this sort of vocals would bring the music to a broader audience. It may not do that when it’s all instrumental. But as someone who is never too fond of vocals, I love this all the same (and more!)”
— F. De Waard, Vital Weekly 1340, 14 June 2022
“Mongo gushing sophistipop nuggets for the hi-fi. An unexpected delight from the geniuses of superpolar Taïps.”
— Tabs Out Cassette Podcast, 23 January 2023Top 200 Tapes Of 2022 (Pos. 65)
Die Lehre vom Großen Rad (nach Dr. Borst)
Learning by Listening Vol. 8, Strategic Tape Reserve, June 2022, cassette tape + digital
Eine Audioproduktion des Hörbuch-Verlags Schmitz & Niebuhr, 2022.
Musik und Text: Schmitz & Niebuhr
Sprecher: Lothringer
Produktion: Schmitz & Niebuhr
Label: Strategic Tape Reserve
Orgelqualität
self-released, Der kleine grüne Würfel, CD + digital, released 2005/2008
“Schmitz & Niebuhr are interested in ambitious, large pop music as well as in minimal music, soundtracks, lo-fi sounddesign and cheesy 80ies presets. The production of their album ‘Orgelqualität’ took almost two years – in an almost evolutionary process they recorded the musical pieces by constantly recording, remixing, deleting and re-recording basic audio tracks as well as sample fragments.” (Label info)
You will listen to a variety sounds ranging from Glockenspiel, Saxophone, Field recordings and phone voices to Cello, Stylophon, Kalimba, cross flute, short wave radio chatter to elaborated analogue and digital Electronica. Musical elements that which are disparate but get together well and form extraordinary tracks.” (Label info)
— Editor’s note: Most tracks are to be found in a remastered version on ‘The Greatest Hits”.
Xirnos (Edit)
Various Artists: Blackbox, Autopilot Music Publishing/Emphase Records, 2005, CD
“This well balanced mix of timeless instrumental pieces and songs is the first autopilot compilation that was available in record stores. It works like a good mixtape and was made for both usage in film, tv, radio and internet and for home listening.”
— Autopilot Music Publishing, Berlin
Geheime Reise
Various Artists: Edition Blechluft 3. 2005, CD
Eine Kompilation des Blecheimer & Luftpumpe Magazins mit Schmitz & Niebuhr, Kajak, Einen Sommer, Die Rote Gerda, Die Busfahrer, Krank, Ullip, Van Zoyd und Rockformation Diskokugel.
Gute Unterhaltung! / Pops
Various Artists: Klingende Blechluft in Siedlungsgebieten. Ein Blechluft/Frische Ernte Produkt, June 2003
Ein Sampler des Blecheimer & Luftpumpe / Blechluft Magazins mit Geräuschen, Sprache und Musik von Terminus B, Schmitz & Niebuhr, Brandstifter, Suetterlin, Felix Kubin & Guenter Reznicek, Gassenhauer, Blockflötenterroristen, Ullip, The Sounds Of Bamberg, The Ernst Neger Revival Band (from Chicago), Reisefön, Ullip vs. Gaukeli, A.K.Economo, Butzmann/Putsch/Crash/Gaukeli.
Obskure Geräuschmusik trifft auf Elektropop, ambiente Elektronika, Field Recordings, Punk, New Wave … mit teils neuen, teils noch aus der 80er-Jahre-Tapeszene oder den Neunzigern stammenden Tracks so illustrer Gestalten wie Kubin & Reznicek (Radio Gagarin), Alexander Kunz aka A.K. Economo (Booksports, Entenpfuhl), Ulli Putsch aka Ullip (S.Y.P.H., Bit’s), Terminus B (Alterflow), Gassenhauer (Hirsch Rec.) uvm. Zeitlose Musik.
Schabau (Stylo)
Various Artists: ononone. Emphase Records, March 2003, CD
Superuser
Self released, CD+MP3, 2001
“Es ist wie immer ganz einfach. Das schöne Leben ergibt sich aus der Abkehr vom Ergebnis und der Hinwendung zum Prozess: Künstlerische Wertsteigerung durch Konzentration auf das Wesentliche statt maximaler Effektorientierung und verspielter Digitalität. Formanz reduziert sich unter dieser Maßgabe selbst; das Wesentliche kommt leicht zum Ausdruck, weil sich alle tragenden Teile ihrer selbst bewusst sind. Kein Minimal-Gedanke, trotzdem nicht, weil ein weiter Raum verkündet wird – aber eben nur mit leise instrumentiertem Atem. Dieses Atmen des Pultes ist warm und umfassend, der Beat bleibt ruhig bei seinen Leisten und im Zentrum verstrahlt ein zirkulierender Fünf-Töner das Wissen von einem kommenden Morgen. Wäre es gegen die Abmachung, mehr davon zu fordern?” — Christian Weisz
Soloprojekte
bleed Air
bleed Air / Hualun (花伦) split- GhostEP / Dead Man. Cassette & Digital, 2023
“The music is both atmospheric and aggressive, although the bleeping strikes me as more ambient than kosmische. Either way, a cool tape.”
Byron Coley in The Wire 475, September 2023
“These two sides are, then, inextricably and umbilically linked. They both occupy a contemporary vantage point overlooking some of 1970s German electronic music’s finest moments, completely in tune with the sonic adventuring that the likes of Conrad Schnitzler and a select pioneering few bravely undertook.”
Mat Smith, Further. / Electronic Sound Mag
120 DEN / 7000 Eichen / Achim Mohné / Andreas O. Hirsch / Andreas Wagner / Andrés Quezada / Annie Bloch / Beate & Dietmar Bonnen / Bernd Härpfer / Bettina Wenzel / Bidisha Das / bleed Air / Bob Humid / C.C. Herman / chirp.crush / Claudia Robles-Angel / Clusterhead / COMBUSTION CONSTRUCTION / Croute / DANGOLOID / dennis aycicek / Echo Ho / Elisa Kühnl / Elisa Metz / Elisabeth Coudoux / EZB / Florian Zwißler / Frank Dommert / Friday Dunard / funfon / hans w. koch / Harald Sack Ziegler / Hye Young Sin / jeandado / Joel Jaffe / Julia Bünnagel / Justin / Kai Niggemann / Luís Antunes Pena / Marcus Schmickler / Martin Schmitz / Martin Weinreich / Menelaos Tomasides / Merzouga / Michael Peters / Mik Quantius / Miyake / MME dUO / Monoteur / Nathalie Brum / Neozaïre / Nils Quak / Numinos / Pedro A. Ramírez / Peter Simon / PVNCTVM / Ralf Schreiber / Roland Schappert / Roman Jungblut / Schlammpeitziger / Sebastian von der Heide / Shuoxin Tan / Siegfried Koepf / Simon Rummel / Stefan Haagen / TBZ / That Night / Therapeutische Hörgruppe / Titanoboa / Tobias Hartmann / Viola Klein / Volker Zander / Wolfram Wire
Supported by City of Cologne
Format: CD, Audio / Mastered by Picapau / Produced & Compiled by Dirk Specht and Frank Dommert / Liner Notes: Theresa Nink / Translation: Tom Asforth / Photography: Frank Dommert / Liner Notes: Theresa Nink.
Source: reihe-m.de
Various Artists: Athenian Truckstop Issue #4, Songs for Dreaming: Full Two-Body Problem
Abstruse Theories in Occult Christian Science (Learning by Listening Vol. 4), cassette EP & digital, 2021, Strategic Tape Reserve
five Bubble criteria ( a bleed Air side project) – VI (cassette EP & digital 2022)
“Five Bubble criteria deal in a kind of dissolving fantasy Americana built on twanging guitar lines that melt into broken AM radio white noise chatter. On “Reservoir”, the addition of a spoken narrative by Chip Perkins moves the sound away from abstract, doomy ambience towards denatured horror commentary, like a video game that has swapped the living dead for the citizens of Twin Peaks. As the record closes, its style changes again, “Vays-Rays” concocting a wobbly jangle that sounds a bit like if Nouvelle Vague had covered the Smashing Pumpkins. If it’s completely odd, it’s also completely brilliant.”
(Spenser Tomson in The Wire, November 2022)
www.instagram.com/p/CjTpuUzNfSB
bleed Air – time, ferocious (cassette album & digital, 2021)
bleed Air – Ogehiko (Cassette single & digital, 2021)
bleed Air – s/t (Cassette album & digital, 2020)
Ball Geographie
Hotline / Weltempfanger (Cassette single & digital)
Live at Budokan (Cassette & digital album, 2020)
Habuk (CD-R album, self-released, 2000)
Wilberg
Wilberg / Yref (Rainer Frey) split – Professor Stabroth Macht ein Nickerchen im Zug nach Bamberg) / La Salida (Split 7″ Single, Emphase Records, Emphasolo series, 2000)
http://www.emphaserecords.com/emphase.htm
Trovatello
Not at all
I had to let God in control of ALL things