released June 1, 2020

About this record and how Limpe and Paul Fuchs got together with Friedrich Gulda

In 1968, the Austrian Classical and Jazz pianist Friedrich Gulda organized the First International Music Forum of Ossiachersee with the theme “Improvisation in Music – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. Influenced by current musical movements such as Free Jazz, Freak-out and Free-form Improvisations, the festival rapidly gained recognition.

During the third edition of the festival, Gulda got to know the band Anima-Sound and was fascinated by their “absolute free music”, which they played on home-made instruments. Anima-Sound was Limpe and Paul Fuchs, who had already released two albums in 1971, Stürmischer Himmel (Stormy Heaven) on Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser’s OHR label (now re-released as play loud-47) and the self-released Musik für Alle (Music for All; play loud-51). Musik für Alle developed during a 4,000 kilometer tour throughout Europe when the band and their two children hitched a handmade mobile home and stage to an old Hanomag tractor, bringing their anarchic, uncompromising improvisations to an impromptu public free of charge.

German documentary filmmaker Helga Tiedemann captured part of the tour for the film Mit 20 km/h durch Europa (VOD pl-72). Friedrich Gulda’s excitement about Anima-Sound could be seen throughout the seventies, and they often toured together. The band became regulars at Gulda’s festivals of Free Music. In 1972, they released the simply titled LP Anima (pl-52). In 1973, Tiedemann captured one of the shows, and the film Gruppe Anima in Salzburg has also been released on play loud! (pl-72).

The International Music Forum of Ossiachersee ended in 1974. In the same year, Gulda and Limpe and Paul Fuchs went on tour with some of their festival musicians and recorded the double vinyl LP It’s Up To You (see info on reverse*). Also in 1974, they recorded a 7” single at the famous Munich Jazz club Domicile (**). Throughout the seventies, Friedrich Gulda and his partner Ursula Anders cherished Free Music. The festival in Ossiach attracted top-class guests, including among others Pink Floyd, Weather Report, Tangerine Dream and many great Jazz and World Music musicians.
The follow-up festival, Tage Freier Musik (Days of Free Music) at Castle Moosham in the Lungau region of Salzburg, Austria in 1976 again offered a high-class bill: Albert Mangelsdorff, Cecil Taylor, Ursula Anders, Barre Phillips, Stu Martin, John Surman and Friedrich Gulda himself. A year later in 1977, the guests were Don Cherry and Moki, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, The Revolutionary Ensemble, Otto Muehl, Günther Rabl, Paul Fickl, Makaya Ntshoko, Andy McCloud, and Anima-Sound with Limpe and Paul Fuchs.

The recordings you are holding in your hand were made during the 1977 festival and have been restored and are released for the first time ever.

The music critic Baldur Brockhoff wrote for Süddeutsche Zeitung about the Anima-Sound concert:

"Paul and Limpe Fuchs played superbly. As archaic as the instruments may seem (sand shovel, circular saw, hand-knitted crumhorn, sheet metal), as simple as the musical patterns and structures are, far from all virtuosity, the two have meanwhile found a complete harmony in making music together. The most beautiful thing about this music is probably the unfamiliar; no role model is used here".

In 2010, play loud! initiated the LIMPE FUCHS ARCHIVE and would like to thank all their supporters over the last ten years. A very personal thank goes to Limpe Fuchs, Ursula Anders, Zoro Babel, Tammy Mitzi, Tobias Frindt, Holger Adam, Stefan Bremer, Michael Kanehl, Margret Raspé, Richard Fontenoy and Joerg Fukking.

We are discovering more and more newly rediscovered Anima-Sound recordings which we would love to release. We count on the support of fans and music lovers, and would like to revert to our well-established pre-ordering system to be able to release certain records digitally as well as on vinyl and CD. Since the LIMPE FUCHS ARCHIVE is completely self- financed by play loud! (Lucía Palacios and Dietmar Post), people are also asked to donate money.

The next releases can already be pre-ordered at our Archive & Store: www.playloud.org/archiveandstore/en/49-limpe-fuchs-archive

(*) It’s Up To You: double LP of improvised live music by Limpe Fuchs, Friedrich Gulda, Paul Fuchs, Ursula Anders, Barre Phillips, Albert Mangelsdorff, Mounir Baschir and Leszek Żądło. Originally released in 1974 on Preiser Records. First re-issue planned for 2021.

(**) Anima (Domicile Live 7.1.74): 7“ single recorded live at the Munich Jazz club Domicile. Featuring Limpe Fuchs, Paul Fuchs and Friedrich Gulda. The original was limited to 80 copies, which were handed out for free during concerts. Re-release planned in 2021.

Anima Live at NDR Studio 1974: double LP, first-time release. Featuring Limpe Fuchs, Paul Fuchs and Friedrich Gulda. Planned in 2022.

Fans also can make their own suggestions regarding possible releases.
Please contact us at info@playloud.org with the subject line LIMPE FUCHS ARCHIVE.