Seesselberg – Synthetik 1.

- It's neither "Eckhart" nor "Eckhard"! It's ECKART Seesselberg! -

Synthetik 1 is in every sense possible, an extraordinary album and very much at the experimental end of the German kosmische/electronic milieu. The metal machine aesthetic of the artwork is in perfect alignment with the sounds welded within.
Though the synthesizer pioneers Eckart and Wolf-J. Seesselberg were relatively well-known in German cultural circles for their live performances in academic and art gallery settings as well as taking the occasional soundtrack commission, this solitary self-released, limited edition 1973 artefact, comprised of nine tracks is so far the totality of released recordings: which in an age that will release and/or reissue just about anything that seventies analogue West Germany put down on tape or vinyl, makes you wonder if that is all there is?
There is definitely sub-cultural capital for an album that features on both the NWW List and in 2010 enjoyed a Creel Pone Unofficial CD Reissue and a 2013 vinyl reissue by the 'ultra-cool' Spanish label and record shop, Wah Wah Records.
While it's inevitable that this album would be framed within the Conrad Schnitzler and Cluster nexus (which as places go, it's an honoured space) it doesn't begin to describe its singularity - while I could immerse myself in every single track, strewn between the advanced radiophonics and spatial drones, there are a couple that just beg for attention. 'Speedy Achmed' and the catchily titled 'Was Dir Heute Freude Macht, Das Verschieb Nicht Über Nacht!' are two examples of avant-garde techno before techno at a time when most synthesisers were twiddled by men in capes.
You can incredibly still pick up a cheap copy of the Plate Lunch CD reissue (thanks Green Brain!) and the Wah Wah vinyl reissue for not so cheap, though even the original version goes for a relative song, given its low 1000 copy run and NWW/Creel Pone cache.