Ikarus

Ikarus’ roots formed in the Beatique In Corporation, formed in 1966 in Hamburg. Their members were mostly educated in classical music, including keyboardist Wulf-Dieter Struntz and bassist Wolfgang Kracht, but as was typical of the era, they played covers and gigged wherever they could. Singer Lorenz Köhler, drummer Bernd Shröeder, guitarist Manfred Schultz and multi-instrumentalist Jochen Petersen-also a record producer with his own label-rounded out the lineup. BIC won a competition that earned them a spot at the Hamburg’s Pop And Blues Festival ‘70 (released on the Pop & Blues Festival ‘70 compilation on MCA Records), after which they changed their name to Ikarus. Their self-titled debut is a classic slice of progressive rock-although one certainly inspired by their British counterparts, especially Van der Graaf Generator. The epic “Eclipse” opens the album, guitars blazing. A sturdy bass and jazzy drumming anchor the composition, with the Hammond front and center. But when the acoustic guitars begin the piece’s second movement, look out for Struntz’s organ solo; it’s a monster. “Mesentery” features some nice string arrangements, while the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired “The Raven” swings under Petersen’s horn work before drifting into something appropriately darker. “Early Bell’s Voice” again invokes the British progressive bent, but it’s on par with any group from England; Ikarus had peers at every level of prog rock. The record was released in 1972 on Miller International’s +plus+ label. Ikarus toured throughout West Germany with labelmates Wind and Tomorrow’s Gift-the former a heavy Frumpy-type band, while the latter was a progressive blues band at this juncture. Despite a proposed contract with Metronome Records, Ikarus broke up. Petersen went on to work with Achim Reichel, Thirsty Moon and others, and was later a member of Randy Pie.