Dopplereffekt
Encyclopedia
Dopplereffekt is an electronic music act which has been active since at least 1995 (year of first release). It is named after the German word for the Doppler effect
. While the musical style and the act's image changed radically during a non-release period from 1999 to 2003, two steady characteristics are the display of a thematic affiliation with science and the obvious use of pseudonyms and the hence rumoured but unconfirmed identities of the members.
The main member during all periods has probably been producer/ artist Gerald Donald
alias "Rudolf Klorzeiger". Donald is generally accepted to be also the author of the acts Heinrich Müller/ Der Zyklus, Japanese Telecom and Arpanet as well as one half of the band Drexciya
(with James Stinson
). During that period the sound of these two acts showed strong similarities, in their detroit electro sound that took influences from industrial, new wave, electro-pop and others, reforming them in a style which is musically complex, often using jazzy modal sequences, and alongside other Detroit based acts on the labels Underground Resistance
and direct beat they were highly influential in the 90s' revival of electro. The 1999 compilation of all Dopplereffekt releases from this period, Gesamtkunstwerk, depicted Donald with a new member, "To Nhan Le Thi", who most likely had not been involved with the old material but was given credit anyway and who has been a steady and visible member since, giving occasional live performances.
This second period of the band, very contrary to the mid-1990s releases, has been characterised by what sounds like mostly digital sound synthesis and processing, the implication of a connection of the band's music composition to contemporary physics research via track titles and sleeve artworks, and oftentimes the absence of danceable drum rhythms and / or tonality, hence resembling Contemporary classical music
styles, especially musique concrète
and early pioneers of electronic music with analogue modular music systems / synthesizers. However, the compositions are still mostly based on short sequenced riffs/ loops, and the instrumentation is often still based on the traditional scheme "drums + bass + main riff + background synth pads". These traits (free form in some aspects, pop music tradition in others) are contradictory from a mainstream point of view, but are acceptable in the context of the ambient
genre or film music.
There are no known interviews of Donald or other members concerning Dopplereffekt at this time, except for a feature in the October 2009 issue of new music magazine The Wire, containing exchanges with two people purporting to be associated with the group.
Doppler effect
The Doppler effect , named after Austrian physicist Christian Doppler who proposed it in 1842 in Prague, is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to the source of the wave. It is commonly heard when a vehicle sounding a siren or horn approaches, passes, and recedes from...
. While the musical style and the act's image changed radically during a non-release period from 1999 to 2003, two steady characteristics are the display of a thematic affiliation with science and the obvious use of pseudonyms and the hence rumoured but unconfirmed identities of the members.
The main member during all periods has probably been producer/ artist Gerald Donald
Gerald Donald
Gerald Donald is a Detroit techno producer and artist. He is most famous for his work as Drexciya with James Stinson. He is prolific and is involved in many groups and artists.- Arpanet :...
alias "Rudolf Klorzeiger". Donald is generally accepted to be also the author of the acts Heinrich Müller/ Der Zyklus, Japanese Telecom and Arpanet as well as one half of the band Drexciya
Drexciya
Drexciya was an electronic music band from Detroit, Michigan. The late James Stinson was the only officially identified member of Drexciya, but it was considered an open secret that he had a partner, Gerald Donald.- Style :...
(with James Stinson
James Stinson
James Marcel Stinson was an electronic music producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is known for his contributions to electro and Detroit techno music....
). During that period the sound of these two acts showed strong similarities, in their detroit electro sound that took influences from industrial, new wave, electro-pop and others, reforming them in a style which is musically complex, often using jazzy modal sequences, and alongside other Detroit based acts on the labels Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. They are the most militantly political example of modern Detroit Techno, with a grungy, four-track musical aesthetic and a strictly anti-mainstream business strategy...
and direct beat they were highly influential in the 90s' revival of electro. The 1999 compilation of all Dopplereffekt releases from this period, Gesamtkunstwerk, depicted Donald with a new member, "To Nhan Le Thi", who most likely had not been involved with the old material but was given credit anyway and who has been a steady and visible member since, giving occasional live performances.
This second period of the band, very contrary to the mid-1990s releases, has been characterised by what sounds like mostly digital sound synthesis and processing, the implication of a connection of the band's music composition to contemporary physics research via track titles and sleeve artworks, and oftentimes the absence of danceable drum rhythms and / or tonality, hence resembling Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
styles, especially musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
and early pioneers of electronic music with analogue modular music systems / synthesizers. However, the compositions are still mostly based on short sequenced riffs/ loops, and the instrumentation is often still based on the traditional scheme "drums + bass + main riff + background synth pads". These traits (free form in some aspects, pop music tradition in others) are contradictory from a mainstream point of view, but are acceptable in the context of the ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
genre or film music.
There are no known interviews of Donald or other members concerning Dopplereffekt at this time, except for a feature in the October 2009 issue of new music magazine The Wire, containing exchanges with two people purporting to be associated with the group.
Discography
Not listing alternate versions and re-releases. Refer to the discogs.com link below for these.- Cellular Phone 7" - Dataphysix MDX2 (1995)
- Fascist State LP - Dataphysix DX001 (1995)
- Infophysix LP - Dataphysix DX002 (1996)
- Sterilization 12" - Dataphysix DX003 (1997)
- GesamtkunstwerkGesamtkunstwerkA Gesamtkunstwerk is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so...
2x12" + 7"/ CD - International Deejay Gigolo Records (1999; compilation of all previous releases plus one new track) - Scientist Mixes 10"/ 12" - International Deejay Gigolo Records
- Myon-Neutrino/ Z-Boson (12") International Deejay Gigolo Records
- Linear Accelerator 2x12"/ CD - International Deejay Gigolo Records (2003)
- Calabi-Yau Space 2x12"/ 5" CD - Rephlex (2007)