FM
History
Irmin Schmidt & Kumo’s first album, Masters of Confusion released in 2001, was born out of the studio work around Irmin Schmidt’s fantasy opera Gormenghast when Kumo, a.k.a. producer, programmer and sound-designer Jono Podmore, was drafted in in 1997 on the recomendation of manager and impressario Jazz Summers to assist Schmidt with the creation of the work. The duo, who make an intense and unique form of music that feeds off their respective musical histories, first played live on the Can-Solo-Projects tour which marked the 30th anniversary of the group, and have since continued to play live regularly. In 2001 they created the multi-channel sound installation Flies, Guys and Choirs as a commission for the Barbican Centre in London. Their second album Axolotl Eyes - which includes a DVD of Flies, Guys and Choirs - was released in Europe Spring/Summer 2008 and in U.S and Japan later in the year.
Irmin Schmidt’s work with the seminal and highly repected Can is well documented, but between 1957 and 1964, Schmidt studied piano and french horn, composition under Ligeti and Stockhausen alongside conducting with Istvan Kertesz amongst others. As a conductor he won several prestigious awards including the Folkwang Leistungs-Preis in 1963 and the 1st Prize at the Mozarteum, Salzburg in 1964.
