Irmin Schmidt | Artist

Irmin Schmidt is a German keyboardist and composer born 1937 in Berlin. Schmidt is best known as a founding member of the band Can and as a prolific composer of film soundtracks. He studied music at the conservatorium in Dortmund, the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He was greatly influenced by the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen and attended Stockhausen's Courses for New Music at the Rheinische Musikschule, Cologne. In 1968, Schmidt founded the experimental krautrock band Can with Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli and Jaki Liebezeit. Schmidt served as Can's keyboardist until the group's disbandment in 1979. He participated in both reunions of Can, in 1986 and 1991. In their earliest days, the band was called The Inner Space and they recorded two film soundtracks: Agilok & Blubbo and Kamasutra credited to Irmin Schmidt and The Inner Space. The albums, which were not released until 2009, have an experimental psychedelic sound, hinting at sound Can would develop in subsequent years. Schmidt has scored more than 40 films and television programs, including Knife in the Head (1978) and Palermo Shooting (2008). Outside of his work with Can, Schmidt has recorded solo albums and collaborations with artists such as Bruno Spoerri and Jono Podmore aka Kumi, plus written an opera, Gormenghast, based on Mervyn Peake's book trilogy. Standout albums include Filmmusik, Toy Planet, Musk at Dusk, Impossible Holidays and Axolotl Eyes. His wife Hildegard Schmidt has been responsible for Can's management and record label, Spoon Records since the 1970s. In 2018 Schmidt and British writer and editor Rob Young published a book on Can entitled "All Gates Open: The Story of Can".

Artist Website: irminschmidt.com

Featured Albums: Irmin Schmidt

Related Artists: Can, The Inner Space

Video Clips: The Can Project, Masters of Confusion, Klavierstücke