In East Germany in the early 1970’s Martin Zeichnete worked as a sound editor for DEFA, (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft), the state-owned film studio. Like many young East Germans of the time he would listen furtively to West German radio at night and became infatuated with the Kosmische Musik or ‘Krautrock’ epitomised by the likes of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Cluster emerging from his neighbouring country. Martin, a keen runner, hit upon the idea of using the repetitive, motorik beats of this new m...
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In East Germany in the early 1970’s Martin Zeichnete worked as a sound editor for DEFA, (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft), the state-owned film studio. Like many young East Germans of the time he would listen furtively to West German radio at night and became infatuated with the Kosmische Musik or ‘Krautrock’ epitomised by the likes of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Cluster emerging from his neighbouring country. Martin, a keen runner, hit upon the idea of using the repetitive, motorik beats of this new music as a training aid for athletes. After sharing his concept with colleagues Martin was taken from his studio to East Berlin, quizzed by the authorities about his ideas and, fearing the worst, was surprised to find himself put to work by the Nationales Olympisches Komitee immediately. Installed in a cold Berlin studio with the few electronic instruments the state could supply, (Martin asked for a Moog but was refused), he began one of the strangest journeys in music. Know to the government as State Plan 14.84L, Martin and his fellow musicians informally called it ‘Projekt Kosmischer Läufer’ (Cosmic Runner). For the next 11 years Martin would be spirited to Berlin to work on tracks with little notice. He created hours of music fusing traditional rock instruments with synthesizers, early drum computers, tape slicing and looping techniques he and his engineer formulated themselves. His output included tracks for running at various paces, warm up pieces, ‘ambient’ music to play in gyms during training and pieces for artistic gymnastic routines. http://kosmischerlaufer.bandcamp.com/ 1951 – Born Pesterwitz near Dresden. 1971 – Began work as a sound editor at the DEFA-Studio for Animation in Dresden. 1972 – Work on Projekt Kosmischer Läufer begins. 1973 – Studio musician for Amiga records. Played keyboard on recordings for Dean Reed AKA the ‘Red Elvis’. 1983 – Sent to Fernsehen der DDR (State Television) to write music for TV shows. Fired less than a year later, coincidently when ‘Kosmisher Läufer’ was shut down. Now lives in the Pankow district of Berlin. He still runs. (The biography and history is suspected to be a hoax: http://www.spin.com/2013/06/olympic-sized-hoax-lost-krautrock-warm-up-tapes-mysteriously-surface/)
