HERMANN KOPP - Nekronology (ristampa)

The release of this umpteenth reissue is the perfect excuse to finally put Hermann Kopp under the spotlight. A multi-instrumentalist and above all an experimental violinist, he has an old but not exactly vast discography to his name; his debut work, titled "Aquaplaning In Venedig", dates back to 1981. His latest release is "Cerveau D'enfant", an EP put out last year on Galakthorrö, the label founded by Haus Arafna, following the refined, avant-garde "Under A Demon's Mask" from 2008.

Kopp was also a member of the German electro-experimental band Keine Ahnung, and later on, around the end of the Eighties, was commissioned by German filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit to compose the soundtracks for the controversial films "Nekromantik", "Nekromantik 2" and "Der Todesking".

The album "Nekronology" is a sort of compilation; in fact, it's nothing more than an assemblage of the best passages from these three soundtracks, reportedly selected at the time by Buttgereit himself. Several editions of "Nekronology" exist: the first, now a cult object, dates from 1991; this digipack is the third reissue, presented with different graphics and artwork from the 2004 edition, again released by Red Stream Inc.

On this record Hermann Kopp shows off all his skill on the violin. In many tracks, the sounds coming from those damned, sensuous strings accompany sonic backgrounds made up mainly of field recordings, sometimes created ad hoc, other times taken directly from the films.

Try to picture a classic horror-film scene: a human body having its head and limbs sawn off, while the spurting blood is punctuated by hysterical violin lashes that build and heighten this macabre atmosphere ("The Loving Dead"). Distant voices and choirs of resignation ("Poison") and funeral marches ("Supper") provide the groundwork for more classical, melancholy violin lines; meanwhile, fluid, blood-soaked field recordings push the scenario toward even more damned and gloomy themes ("Fish In A Bowl").

Suddenly a small accordion counterbalances powerful martial themes ("Unholy"), while cadaverous noise ("Surprise"), closely related to Michael DeWitt (Korpses Katatonik, Zero Kama), seals the closing of the now-mutilated corpse inside the coffin.

Sweet, almost music-box-like melodies ("Home") aren't enough to interrupt these macabre, despairing scenarios; indeed, orchestral, mournful notes ("Zwi Sabbatai", "Drunk") bring this anguished soundtrack to its definitive close.

The homepage of his website greets visitors with this line: "Haunting sounds for extreme visions". Haven't seen the aforementioned films yet? No problem; "Nekronology" works like the transporter from the TV series "Star Trek" — in other words, it breaks the human body down into every single cell, only to reassemble it inside the film itself, in the form of a non-paying spectator.

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23/09/2011