E2-E4, which Manuel Göttsching recorded back in 1981, has fascinated me for quite a while. I think I first heard the melody in a remix called "Sueno Latino". When I then learned a few years later that the original is an one hour long, downright meditation around the main motif, with Göttsching playing all synthesizers, drum machines, effects and even guitar, I was sheer thrilled and E2-E4 found its way onto my record player again and again.
Then in June 2012, together with my wife and my friend Andreas Gehm, I attended the Göttsching concert in Mönchengladbach, where he performed the piece for only the second time ever in Germany. It was a wonderful evening, many friendly faces, a great open air location and hovering over everything: E2-E4. A very special evening for me, not least because Andreas passed away pretty much exactly four years later.
In 2017, I attended another Göttsching concert in Düsseldorf. After the concert, still moved by the well-known hypnotic sequence of notes, I decided that I wanted to play E2-E4 myself. In the following months and even years I experimented a lot with synthesizers of the Korg Volca series, especially to keep the setup as small and simple as possible. On 09.11.2021 I was invited to play my version of E2-E4 on the LSB TV show. I used mostly Volca synthesizers plus an Electribe 2 for the main sequence.
Today I learned of the passing of Manuel Göttsching, which really saddens me. On this occasion and to pay my very personal tribute to him, I am releasing the recording on Bandcamp. Rest in peace Manuel Göttsching and thank you very much for being an endless inspiration.
Watch the live recording on YouTube:
youtu.be/4zlOvD5v1A0
released December 12, 2022
Original by Manuel Göttsching
Played by Stefan Gubatz