Robbie Basho, John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Peter Lang (the "old TAKOMA-
school") Bola Sete, Ralph Towner, Egberto Gismonti, Bill Connors, Ali
Akbar Khan, S.Balachander, Brij Bhushan Kabra, Chinese and Japanese
traditions, John Gibson, John Adams, Steve Reich, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Lou Harrison ,Toru Takemitsu, B.Smetana, Ned Rorem, Virgil Thomson, Charles Ives, music of the '70s.....
Sounds Like
German acoustic guitarist Steffen Basho-Junghans has so convincingly furthered the Takoma-era steel string concepts of John Fahey and Robbie Basho that in his hands the instrument's potential once more feels limitless.
- The Wire -
Steffen Basho-Junghans, painter, guitarist, composer and free author, living in Berlin and Thuringia -one of the innovators and protagonists of the guitar- scene in East- Germany since the late '70s.
-1978 -co-founder of the folkband WACHOLDER/ solo-concerts since 1979
-1981 -father of the first GDR All-style Guitar-Festival in Potsdam, Initiator and
organizer of various projects, workshops and festivals
-1984 -Organization and Direction of the All-style Guitar Festival in Berlin
-1986-1991 -Head of the Berlin Guitar-Center
-1991-1995 -2nd Chairman of PROFOLK,Germany
...Music on 6 & 12 strings, between "Folk-Western-Raga" & "Minimal-Trance-Folk"
- The real 12 string and open tuning master fascinates with unorthodox styles and sound-ideas,combining northamerican steelstring traditions, european classic, american indian, oriental, northern and fareastern influences and textures, celebrating archaic sounds of the steelstring 6 & 12, sometimes nearly hypnotic and orchestral, to express a wide range of emotions and colours.Playing techniques of Indian stringed instruments like Vina and Sarod were blended on Guitar with American Indian and Oriental scales and rhythms into atmospheric paintings.In his newer works he often uses uncommon playing techniques to develop new possibilities for his compositions like at "Landscapes in Exile" where he uses "wrong playing techniques" and "sounds of mistakes" as basic elements for the developement of the music, or he explores the possibilities of a new stringed, but still untuned 12string guitar - the result is the 3,5 hours long "Virgin Orchestra No 1".
Like the gamelan or any number of ritual musics from around the world,
Junghans seems to be calling the spirits down to earth.
- All Music Guide
Steffen Basho-Junghans hosts the Robbie Basho-Archives:
www.robbiebasho-archives.info
IN CONVERSATION WITH STEFFEN BASHO-JUNGHANS
part1
part2
Lisbon at galeria ZDB, 14.2.08
Siësta Session4 at les ateliers claus 11/01/'09
DISCOGRAPHY
12 String Solo - (MC/Blue Moment Arts 1989)
In Search of the Eagle..s Voice - (CD/Blue Moment Arts 1995)
Fleur De Lis 1 - (CD/Blue Moment Arts 1996)
Fleur De Lis 2 - (CD/Blue Moment Arts 1996)
Song of the Earth -(CD/Sublingual Records 2000)
INSIDE - (CD/The Strange Attractor's Audio House 2001)
Landscapes in Exile -(CD/Blue Moment Arts 2001)
Waters in Azure -(CD/The Strange Attractor's Audio House 2002)
Rivers and Bridges -(CD/The Strange Attractor's Audio House 2003)
7 BOOKS -(CD/The Strange Attractor's Audio House 2004)
UNKNOWN MUSIC I-Alien Letter -(CD/Sillyboy/Italy 2005)
UNKNOWN MUSIC II-Transwarp Meditation -(Preservation/Australia 2005)
In the Morning Twilight -live at Hagateatern Göteborg/Schweden July 2005 -(CD/Kning Disk/Sweden 2006)
Last Days of the Dragons - (CD/Locust/ 2006)
Late Summer Morning - (CD/Strange Attractors/ 2006)
brandnew:
"Unknown Music III - O Som Naha"
(cassette/ Beartown Records/UK -Jan2010 )
O SOM NAHA is the third instalment in Steffen's "Unknown Music" series and a true assault on tradition and stagnation. Two microphones, two bottles, one night and one steel-string guitar are the ingredients. On the menu, 90 minutes of devotional melody-collapse, and percussive hypno-symphony. A listening experience that is both meditative and challenging awaits, time is swallowed up as the gentlle tick-tock rhythm entrances, disorientates and mesmerises.
Edition of 40, with austere insert and transparent cassettes.
some voices.. about Late Summer Morning:
Left Hip Magazine...German guitarist Steffan Basho-Junghans has a command of harmonics that would dazzle even Lenny Breau, and a complex sound that would appeal to fans of Steve Reich's mesmerizing minimalism, William Ackerman's beautiful new age guitar, or Junghan's own mentor Robbie Basho, John Fahey and any of the experimental acoustic guitarists that are in vogue these days.. Terrascope/UK...A must for any collection..
..Last Days of the Dragons:
boomkat.com ...,Junghans runs through a showcase of just how expansive his vocabulary as a guitarist is. It's this variety of approach that makes Last Days of the Dragons such compelling listening, regardless of how many solo acoustic guitar records you've already heard this year. Road Records..absolutely beautiful stuff and technically out of this world..
...Unknown Music I:
· ear rational For us, Alien Letter is another fascinating chapter in Junghans' outstanding musical career - and one of the most mysteriously intriguing. Alien Letter has probably more in common with the healing power of Albert Ayler and surely it is a deeply personal missive from one of today's greatest acoustic guitarists.
...7 BOOKS:
· Foxy DigitalisI can't remember the last time I heard so much drama performed with only an acoustic guitar..."7 Books" is undoubtedly a masterpiece. · Jazzwise Magazine/UK This music begins where Robbie Basho, Ry Cooder (at his most Wim Wenders) or John Fahey put their guitars down to recuperate. These are sonic adventures, delivered by guitar but grown tall because of rudra vina and sarod sensibilities.
...Rivers and Bridges:
· Wayside Music / USA -This is a solo 6 and 12 string guitar album of really rich depth and emotion. Stunningly beautiful and intricate as well... Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Americana-style solo acoustic guitar.
..LANDSCAPES IN EXILE (BMA 006):
· All Music Guide-Landscapes in Exile is a pure sonic exploration of unknown aural landscapes that Basho-Junghans undertook as dictated by the verb "listen." It's a brilliant work that will be looked at for years to come and will no doubt influence many.
...INSIDE (Strange Attractors Audio House):
· -All Music Guide"..the 1st important guitar album of this century" · K-Music (USA)..an album of iconoclastic solo acoustic guitar work by German experimental folk master Steffen Basho-Junghans. Inside is one player on one instrument, composing a symphony of otherworldly dimensions.
...Song of the Earth (Sublingual Records):
· Henry Kaiser.. in EAST BAY EXPRESS (11/2000/USA)...one of the 10 best CDs of 2000
........
FOR BOOKING PLEASE CONTACT KARLA FORD AT BLUE MOMENT ARTS:
INFO@BLUEMOMENTARTS.DE
Steffen Basho-Junghans's Friend Space (Randomized)
IT'S A PLEASURE TO LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC FROM YOU. LIKE WIND IS GOOD AND AZUR TOO. I NOTICE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING MANY VISITS UNLIKE IN THE BEGINING... (Visit me, I have a new 5th album)
YOUR GUITAR IS IN FACT HIPNOTIC, TRANCE INDUCING AND BRAIN STIMULATING. NORBERTO LOBO SPEAKS PRECISELY OF THIS IN HIS LATEST EXCELLENT INTERVIEW. YOU SHOULD BE MORE KNOWN. SEE CANDYRAT RECORDS AND CANADIAN GUITAR FESTIVAL
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