Tone Report Weekly 200 | Page 29

Conny Plank Where do I even begin with this technical, conceptual and visionary explorer? The iconic German producer steered the ship on so many of my favorite musical journeys. His work with Neu!, Eno, Moebius, Can, Killing Joke, Ultravox, Devo and so many more, traverses decades, genres, styles and technologies. For me however, it is Michael Rother’s 1977 masterpiece Flammende Herzen that encapsulates my passions for his production prowess. The vista comes into view from the title track with a contemplative cosmos of a riffage from Rother. It starts clean, with locomotive power chording underlying a melancholic, yet majestic arpeggio that swirls in 3-D as it pans round the skull of the listener. As the iconic motoric 4/4 beat comes into the mix, we are set to sail the serene sea of sound that appears before us. Rother’s searing sustained fuzz-tones propel the melody into the stratosphere as glacial glissandos shimmer crystallised chords of synth that freeze into frame and melt away with the wiping of slide guitars. This is the power of Conny Plank. He can set off without destination and explore uncharted tonal territory, while magically maintaining course and never losing direction. Captain Conny was a man guided by a musical compass and much inspiration is to be found in the territories he discovered. ToneReport.com 29