Conrad Schnitzler's Control and Convex Reissues Out Now on Bureau B

Reissues from 1980s see Schnitzler using sample and hold generators (S/H) and peripheral technologies while building his vast sonic universe

January 15, 2026

Hamburg, Germany, January 15, 2026 — Bureau B announces two new reissues from Conrad Schnitzler, available on CD / LP / Digital. The first one, Control, was originally released in 1981 during a phase in which he was experimenting with new electronic sound generators such as sample and hold (S&H) machines, and other peripheral technologies. The second reissue, Convex, which he self-released in 1982, contains almost no information on the cover except the word "Convex" on the front cover and seven 'untitled' tracks.

Control - part of Schnitzler's vast sonic universe
Control is just a small part of Schnitzler's vast sonic universe, which is practically impossible to document in its entirety. The sheer volume of official releases (LPs, CDs, cassettes) of Schnitzler's work is almost unfathomable. Added to this are the small editions released by Schnitzler himself, which are not included in the many of the official discographies. Beyond this, there are the holdings of various archives, which have only been partially evaluated so far. However, for fans and others who appreciate his music, journey is its own reward - and the journey promises to be a long one.

Control was created during a phase of Schnitzler's work in which his friendship with Peter Baumann (formerly of Tangerine Dream) allowed him to experiment with new electronic sound generators and peripheral technologies. He never used these innovations merely for their own sake, but always put them at the service of his artistic flair for experimentation. The album seems to be a kind of compilation of different musical approaches. Tracks 5 and 9, for example, are classic Schnitzler: sparkling cascades of electronic sound particles, interspersed with longer and shorter glissandi, constant movement in all directions. But then there are tracks 1, 8, 11, and 12, where it seems as if Schnitzler wanted to combine a few elements of traditional harmony with his own sound aesthetic in these pieces.

There is no spacing between the tracks on the original LP, which was originally released in 1981 by the DYS label in the US. The A and B sides are originally titled simply ‘Control A’ and ‘Control B’, and the thirteen pieces are strung together without interruption. The fact that each piece is relatively short, averaging three minutes in length, some even shorter, creates the impression of sketches. But these sketches give the listener clear information about where each point was in his musical universe. Since there were many stops along his journey, he never lingered at any of them for long. His artistic restlessness and curiosity were his lifeblood.

Convex: controlled chance
Convex is one of a series of LPs that Schnitzler released himself in the 1980s. Some of the covers of these LPs contain useful information such as track titles, instruments, date of origin, and more. Sometimes the LPs also come with DIN A4 or other format sheets printed with text and artwork. Convex, however, is one of Schnitzler's LPs that convey virtually no visible information: only the title is printed in large letters on the cover of Convex, and in tiny letters that are easy to overlook, it says “Cover Conrad und Richard.” The labels on the original LP indicate that one side is called ‘Convex’ and the other “Concav", and that's all the information there is.

As on many of his other albums, Schnitzler uses sample-and-hold generator (S/H generator), a device that converts sounds stored as desired into random sequences of tones. This is important to know because this album features non-keyboard music, and it was not 'played by hand'. Instead, in this case, the experimental setup consists of a synthesizer, sequencer and S/H generator. Whether Schnitzler could foresee the respective results for each piece, or whether he let himself be surprised in each case is uncertain - but one of the cornerstones of his artistic concept is controlled chance.

One of the things that makes this album so special is the slow tempo of the music. Schnitzler certainly never had ambient music in mind, as his music is defined throughout by transparency and dynamic movement. However, Convex does meet some of the criteria defined by Eric Satie for “musique d'ameublement” and also the concept of “ambient” further developed by Brian Eno: its calmness and apparent uniformity – both of which require no attention and yet are a pleasant addition to the atmosphere of a room. A prerequisite for this, however, is a discreet volume level. All in all, with “Convex,” Schnitzler remains consistently true to himself.

Convex raises questions that cannot be answered with certainty. But that is precisely why Schnitzler's music remains so interesting - no one has the authority to interpret it; every listener can and should let their imagination run wild, because Schnitzler never gave any listening instructions. And it's impossible to misunderstand Schnitzler: either you understand him or you don't - there is no in-between.

To learn more about these and other Bureau B releases, please visit https://www.bureau-b.com/releases.

About Bureau B
Bureau B is platform for exciting varieties of electronic, free-spirited music. The spectrum ranges from pop to avant-garde, and the label has amassed an impressive catalogue of reissues and new productions in recent years, including classics from the genre of electronic music in the 1970s and early 1980s popularly classified as Krautrock (Cluster, Roedelius, Moebius, Plank, Schnitzler), alongside new recordings by such formative artists as Faust, Kreidler, Roedelius, Tietchens, Moebius, to name just a few. Bureau B is based in Hamburg, Germany.