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code iii - planet of man - wah wah records / supersonic sounds - vinyl

New Copy

Genre: Wave / Pop / Rock - Kraut / Cosmic / Synth

1. Formations/The Genesis - Codes/Evolutions
2. Dawn Of An Era - Drohung/Der Mensch Kommt
3. Countdown - Hope/Disillusion/Escalation Of Violence
4. Phoenix Rising - Germination/Nova Vita

Brothers Manfred and Wolfgang Schunke were pioneers of the Kunstkopf Stereophonie (artificial head, dummy head) binaural recording system.

This recording technique was created in the Technical University of Berlin in 1974 with the aim to reproduce real stereo sound as the human ears perceive it. Human ears listen to the sounds in a concrete way that is affected not only by the sound frequencies themselves but also by the position of the listener in respect to the different sound sources. The Schunke brothers wanted to experiment this recording technique, and as early as 1974 they set their own kunstkopf recording studio, Delta Acustic, with the help of Klaus Schulze.



Code III was the vehicle for Manfred Schunke to explore the possibilities of kunstkopf recording. To do so, he joined forces with two Berlin-resident americans: Ed and Mary Key. Lyrically, Planet Of Man verses on the big theme of the creation of Earth, as The Crack In The Cosmic Egg book details it: "The music on PLANET OF MAN is a sonic depiction of the history of the Earth, from the void of empty space, via the formation of the planets, the evolution of life, through to man's domination of the planet, and ultimately back to the void. The opening and closing excursions, involving atmospheric electronics, injections of a dreamy folk song, and disembodied resonant female voice, hint a little at Brainticket's CELESTIAL OCEAN, although the mood is much spookier. Confusingly "Dawn Of An Era" (the lyrics are sung in the previous track) involves what sounds like demented Neanderthals involved in some weird drum ritual. "Countdown" adds up to a blend of atmospheric electronics with abstract use of voice collage and effects (and Indian music), onto a remarkably clever accelerating space-rock burn-out featuring Klaus Schulze at the drum stool! Returning to weird space music at the end, it all adds up to a remarkable and unique album."



Planet Of Man was one of the six releases on the Delta Acustic label (among them there was the legendary Sand Golem LP), all recorded using the Kunstkopf Stereophonie techniques. After that, the Schunke brothers would quit the studio and move to new adventures. Manfred continued experimenting with dummy head recording, he would work, among others, on albums by Can and also use his binaural engineering experience on Lou Reed's 1978 Lps Street Hassle and Take No Prisoners, among many others. There were originally two different versions of the album, the Wah Wah edition reproduces the longer, uncut one.