Sterntaler
Sterntaler is the second studio album by the German solo artist Michael Rother. It was released in 1978 and includes the single "Sterntaler" b/w "Sonnenrad".
The album was recorded between September and November 1977 in Germany at Rother's own studio in Forst and Conny's Studio. Receiving positive reviews the album was released as an LP in 1977 before it was re-released by Polydor in 1982. The album was reissued on CD in 1993 with bonus tracks and having been remastered. The artwork for the album was designed by Rike with photography by Ann Weitz.
Recording and music
On completion of Flammende Herzen his debut solo album, Rother re-teamed with Cluster members Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius and former-Roxy Music member and solo artist Brian Eno to record a third Harmonia album in Forst in 1976. The studio sessions were productive but the recordings were left unreleased until November 1997 when they were released as Tracks and Traces and credited to 'Harmonia 76'.
Rother recorded Sterntaler in conditions that were similar to his debut, working again with Neu! and Harmonia producer Conny Plank and augmented with Jaki Liebezeit from Can on drums. Aside from Liebezeit, the entirety of the album was written and performed by Rother utilising guitar, bass guitar, piano, synthesizer and electronic percussion. Rother also used Hawaiian slide guitar and synthesized strings, evident was an increased used on synthesizer for the main melody lines on a number of compositions most evident on the title track and an ambient drum-free approach on "Blauer Regen".
