The Music of Stephan Micus

Last updated 1996

Stephen Micus is a German musician who has spent time in Japan and other countries. He has spent a great deal of time investigating musical instruments from various regions and then bringing them into his own understanding of music.

Jazz? World Music? New Age?

For some reason, likely because of his long association with ECM records, Micus is often classified as a Jazz musician. I admit that categorizing Micus is hard but his music is about as similar to Jazz as it is to Disco. Micus is really in the category of "modern acoustic experimental". He fits in well with other people who are exploring the edges of music and sound, and his fellow travelers are people like Brian Eno and Steven Roach.

The significant records from Micus are:

• Twilight Fields: This was the first record of Micus that I found and I liked it a great deal. The key instrument on this record is some pots of water struck with mallets. With many pots of water all carefully tuned to different notes, he has very unusual and really lovely music device.

• Darkness and Light: This CD has three musical sections, the middle one features a very odd Siberian wind instrument. I don't like the middle piece that much but the two pieces on either side are wonderful. Overall, this is my favorite Micus record.

• East of the Night: Another great record, this one features guitar, there are just two pieces, both are lovely. Very good meditation music, or music for thinking.

• Athos: This is Micus's most recent CD. It has some wonderful moments of multi-layered vocals but somehow the whole CD doesn't fit together well. For committed fans only.

Lesser Works

Not everything that Micus has released has hit the mark in my opinion. Some of his experiments just don't work and others don't have a spirit that moves me. It is a fine line in his music between recordings that really work, and others that don't have an essential quality.

• Ocean: There are some nice pieces on this CD but some are not that interesting. Micus makes use of a Japanese instrument called a Sho on several of the pieces.

• To the Evening Child: Quite obviously dedicated to his own child this CD features the steel drum. Again, there are some very good sections to this CD but overall, it is not a big success. As a steel drummer, he doesn't compare to Andy Narell.

• Music of Stones: This record uses stones as the primary instruments. Quite simply, I thought this was a near total failure. Musically, stones just don't make good instruments, or at least Micus couldn't coax good music out of them. As he admits, some of the stones he uses were intended as sculpture not as music making devices, he should have left them alone.

• There are a number of other CDs available, some only from Japan, which I don't own and haven't listened to.

The only other web site I know of is on ECM's own site. It has some music fragments from Micus albums but it is rather low on content. Micus on ECM's Web Site.

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