eclipsed: How did the Manikin label come into being? What role did you play?
Mario Schönwälder: That was at the end of 1991, when I decided after two CDs on the label MI to go my own way. I was, so to speak, the leading actor who wanted to do something new.
eclipsed: And how did you yourself come to electronic music as a musician?
Beautiful woods: It was a mixture of curiosity and disappointment about the music of my "Heroes" at the beginning and middle of the 80s. The curiosity was so great that I learned the technical basics and playing as an autodidact. On a Korg MS-20 - today again a synth that is "in".
eclipsed: How would you describe Manikin's style - also in contrast to other electronic labels like Spheric Music? Second or third wave "Berlin School"?
Beautiful woods: The emphasis was certainly always on electronic music in the style of the so-called "Berlin School". There were few excursions into other genres. The most striking was probably the release of Electric Orange's first CD.
eclipsed: Would you say that Manikin continued the classic "Berlin School" or at least kept it alive in a certain way?
Beautiful woods: Others may please decide whether I have my small part in the continuation or even in the further development of the "Berlin School". In any case, she has always played a major role in my musical work and continues to do so.
eclipsed: 25 years Manikin - how do you see the development of your label in this time? Are there or were there special activities for the anniversary?
Beautiful woods: Thanks to special circumstances I was able to quickly establish a small label that caused a stir with its releases. Today I limit myself essentially to my own musical projects. For the 25th anniversary I will open and enjoy a good bottle of wine. Perhaps also a concert, an unusual release. I'm not sure yet.
eclipsed: Would you have to specify three central manikin releases, which would that be and why?
Beautiful woods: That's a hell of an answer. Certainly the first CD release of Klaus Schulzes is "... Live ..." has been a very important release. Ash Ra Temple's "Friendship" was also important. Detlef Keller's "Masquerade", a musical accompaniment for a circus, brought us into completely different listening circles. All three were certainly not leading in the sense of revolutionary, but they were important for Manikin Records.
eclipsed: Which of your own releases are you particularly proud of?
Beautiful woods: I still think "Red" by Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder (abbreviation: BK&S) is a very dense and strong CD. No less good, but stylistically completely different is "Analog Overdose 5" by Fanger & Schönwälder feat. Lutz Graf-Ulbrich. Consistently "Berlin School" is "102" of filter coffee. I am particularly proud of these three CDs. And of course to the next one, which is always the best.
eclipsed: Which musician would you have liked to have engaged to Manikin, but didn't get him?
Beautiful woods: I am very satisfied with what I have achieved. I would have liked to have had a longer collaboration with one or the other artist, but to talk about it is pointless. It's all good the way it came.
eclipsed: As a rule you play in collectives, with Broekhuis and Keller as the main actors, also with Fanger etc. - why is that so, and will there ever be a pure solo record of you?
Beautiful woods: I like working together, I like stimulating each other with musical ideas. I like being with good friends. Have fun with them. This is the inner motor for this cooperation. At the very beginning there were solo projects, and there will be more in the future.
eclipsed: Which musically different parts do each of you play on the synthie machines?
Beautiful woods: Bas [Broekhuis; note] is the rhythmic part, Detlef [Keller; note] the harmonic part, and I'm responsible for the wacky, crazy sounds, wild solos, and peculiar sequences. Each according to his strengths. But everyone can also play the other parts.
eclipsed: How did the collaboration with electronics pope Klaus Schulze come about? And why didn't you expand on that, and are you still in touch?
Beautiful woods: This is a long story of circumstances that were unforeseeable at the time. We worked together for seven very nice years. After that it simply drove us in different directions for different reasons. Unfortunately the contact has become sporadic, but all my good wishes are with Klaus.
eclipsed: What publications are there by Schulze and Manikin?
Beautiful woods: I enumerate the releases from 1995 to 2002 chronologically: 10 CDs "Historic Edition", 2CDs "... Live ...", the CD "Moondawn ... The Original Master", 25 CDs "Jubilee Edition", 50 CDs "The Ultimate Edition", 10 CDs "Contemporary Works I", the CD "Friendship" by Ash Ra Tempel, the CD "Gin Rosé", also by Ash Ra Tempel, 2 CDs "Live at Klangart", 5 CDs "Contemporary Works II".
eclipsed: Were you in contact with TD and Edgar Froese, to whose music you are very close - and what did he say about your music?
Beautiful woods: I had contact with Edgar, Christoph, Johannes and some other members of the band, but never asked anyone about my music. So I couldn't be disappointed, and I didn't force them to answer anything they might not want to give.
eclipsed: Edgar Froese has passed away, Klaus Schulze very ill and has said goodbye to the stage, Jean Michel Jarre is currently extremely productive for it - where does the EM stand today with regard to its main actors?
Beautiful woods: To answer this question, one must first define who the main actors are. Are important people like Kraftwerk, Vangelis and Steve Roach counted in my eyes/ears? After techno, trance and ambient, is there still "the EM"? Isn't almost all music today "electronic"? I honestly don't know where "the EM" is, but I'm sure it will always be there and it will develop.
eclipsed: The development of electronic music has changed dramatically since the seventies. Electronics has conquered the dancefloors in new styles like Techno, House, Trance etc., nowadays they are sampling and cloning. What significance does traditional electronic music with a more meditative, spherical character still have?
Beautiful woods: A dear media person once said that our music would (again) be hip when the youth, who populate the dancefloor today, got older and wanted to continue listening to the familiar electronic sounds at home. Just without beats. More meditative. Let's see if he's right.
eclipsed: How do you see the little hardcore fan base for EM?
Beautiful woods: These are a lot of nice people who like my music, among other things. Without them there would be no concerts and festivals and probably no CDs from me.
eclipsed: How do you see the future of Manikin (or generally small electronic labels)? Is this economically viable?
Beautiful woods: The advantage of the small labels is that they are independent and can sell directly to the end customer. Everyone has to check the economic efficiency for themselves.
eclipsed: What releases are next?
Beautiful woods: CD-Releases from BK&S, Filter-Kaffee and Fanger & Schönwälder, but also from a new artist, who is not known in this form of the scene ...
eclipsed: What about your live activities? What can be implemented?
Beautiful woods: I am with BK&S in November twice in Germany live on stage. Then in 2017 it will continue with concerts in Germany (10./11.3.) and England (13.5.). Performances in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are in preparation. A concert with filter coffee is planned for 20.5.2017 in Belgium.
* * * Interview: Walter Sehrer
