Schnitzler, Conrad
Slow Motion
All manner of trailblazers shaped the soundscape of the era. Conrad Schnitzler (born 1937) and Karl Horst Hoedicke (born 1938) - longstanding members of the official artistic canon - were multifunctional artists who painted, performed, sculptured, made films and music. They were always to be found on the edge of the "permissible" and invariably went beyond "modern" perceptions of art. Schnitzler, Hoedicke and many of their contemporaries arrived at a completely new definition of the avant-garde. The circumstances of Schnitzler and Hoedickes first meeting are unknown, but it should come as no surprise that it was Schnitzler who composed the soundtrack for Hoedickes film entitled "Slow Motion" in 1976. The two artists were cut from the same cloth, routinely crossing any boundaries they happened to encounter. Schnitzler wrote music for each of the films 14 sequences, linking them together in a logical progression of minimalist imagery. Each piece of music quite brilliantly accentuated the preceding one. Schnitzlers musical sensibility was wholly compatible with Hoedickes approach to film. "Slow Motion" is an important document in Schnitzlers oeuvre, seamlessly taking its place alongside his many other releases, whilst also highlighting his constructive input as an equal partner in an experimental film production. What makes "Slow Motion" particularly worth listening to is the fact that Schnitzler surrenders none of his aesthetic independence at any point in the project. It is an enduring document of its time.