Harald Grosskopf - The Official Website

The official homebase of Harald Grosskopf - drummer, producer, musician

Harald Grosskopf Last modified on: 02/03/10 20:17

• At the last year’s Schallwelle award presentation, which took place for the very first time on 21 March 2009, Harald has been one of the prominent laudatory speakers.

• Sonic Curiosity recently published a review regarding the Sunya Beat CD release The Jelenia Gora Sessions. Read the review here.

• Harald has written a tour report concerning the last Ashra Performance @ Metamorphose Festival in Japan 2008. You can read the report here (in German only).

• The video below is an excerpt from Ashra’s performance in Japan 2008:

• Interview with Harald @ Electronic Circus Bielefeld, 2008:

• Found on Youtube - Gomera Sunset Drumming with Harald:

Harald Grosskopf Born on 23rd October 1949 in Hildesheim.

Harald Grosskopf has been the first drummer and percussionist in the world of electronic music who performed with sequencers, first with Manuel Göttsching’s cult space-music band ASHRA (ASH RA TEMPEL) during the Seventies as well as WALLENSTEIN, THE COSMIC COURIERS and, of course, KLAUS SCHULZE.

He has released five solo albums until today, the latest one, Yeti Society was released in October 2004. Besides, he took part in more than 70 records with other artists.

Apart from his own solo projects and participations in other music productions, he also realized seperate band projects with friends. In the 90’s, for instance, he started with Axel Manrico Heilhecker the bandproject SUNYA BEAT. Their latest album “4 x 3” adds a third member: STEVE BALTES - who founded with Harald the band project “ N-Tribe” in 1996.

SUNYA BEAT has continuously developed its music over the years, and after several live successes including one show for 30.000 spectators at the Burg-Herzberg-Festival in Summer 2001, the trio are motivated to stay out of the studio for a while and concentrate on live work.

The following sections contain all historical facts about the drummer, composer and producer Harald Grosskopf:

• Live Solo Performance “Cyber Metals” @ art exhibition “HEAVY METAL - Die unerklärbare Leichtigkeit eines Materials” @ Kunsthalle Kiel on December 07, 2008.

• Ashra CDs Belle Alliance plus, Correlations Complete and @shra + @shra Vol. 2 released on MG.ART.

• Harald Grosskopf played live @ ELECTRONIC CIRCUS in Bielefeld on September 20, 2008 with guest musician Bernhard Wöstheinrich

• Ashra live performance @ Japanese “Metamorphose” festival in Shuzenji, near Mount Fuji, in front of 30.000 expected visitors on August 23, 2008. > tour report (in German)

• Harald Grosskopf feat. Steve Baltes and Axel Heilhecker performed live @ The German EM Festival “Satzvey Castle 2008” on April 19, 2008. Read the full review here (in German only).

• World Of Quetzal has been re-released by MellowJet Records.

• Album “Two Moon Music” by Fishmoon (Axel Heilhecker) has been released by Phonokultur and Herzbergverlag. Harald played the trash drums on tracks one & four. details...

• A Burg Herzberg Festival compilation - “Electric Milkandhoneyland” - has been released at Herzbergverlag. It contains a track by Sunya Beat from 2001. more...

• Sunya Beat - Comin’ Soon released by Phonokultur and Herzbergverlag. The album contains live recordings of great concerts at Herzberg-Festival, Ricochet Gathering Poland, E-Live Eindhoven.

• Lutz Ulbrich (Lüül) www.luul.de from Ashra released his adventure-filled, exciting and amusing memoirs printed in a book by publisher Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf (ISBN 3-89602-696-8). Harald is mentioned on pages 133, 143, 146, 177, 178, 182, 185, 207, 242, 272, 273, 319, 323, 331, 333, 350, 351, 360 and 403.

• On the occasion of this book release, there was a session with long -standing friends and 40 musicians (Lüül All Star Band) at the “Quasimodo”, Berlin’s legendary jazz club, on April 20, 2006.

• 17 Hippies CD feat. Marc Ribot and Jakob Ilja (Elements Of Crime) has been released on 03 February 2006. This record contains the WDR radio event from December 2004. more...

• Sunya Beat: THE JELENIA GORA SESSIONS released, containing live-recordings from ‘Ricochet Gathering’ Poland (2004). Read a review here.

• Interview: The Online Music Magazine Mouvement Nouveau asked 15 questions to Harald Grosskopf

• N-Tribe: TOWER OF POWER re-released on Groove Unlimited

• Harald’s fifth solo album YETI SOCIETY released on GROOVE UNLIMITED. The CD contains 2 Quicktime® movies, Quicktime® player and wallpapers for MAC and PC. A limited DVD edition of YETI SOCIETY was also available.

• 17 HIPPIES PLAY GUITAR - feat. MARC RIBOT event @ Stadtgarten Cologne, broadcasted live by WDR/Funkhaus Europa on 19 December 2004

• 4x3 (Four Times Three) re-released on Groove Unlimited

• Live act with Sunya Beat @ E-Live 2004 Festival, Eindhoven (Netherlands)

• Sunya Beat live at ‘Ricochet Gathering’ Festival in Jelenia Gora (Poland)

• Sunya Beat live at Herzberg Festival in Wilhelmstal (Germany)

• “Zeit-zu-Leben” seminar in Coesfeld

• Harald became father! His wife Anke gave birth to twins, Sky and Beck, on 19 March 2004. Click here to take a look of these chubby cherub’s...

• OCEANHEART re-released on Groove Unlimited

• Sunya Beat live act @ original culture scene - a garage, near Mainz on 27 September 2003. A review of the event was published by “Allgemeine Zeitung” click here... (German only...)

• TV appearance @ comedy show OLM!, acting as a Hippie taking guitar lessons. See

• Live act with N-Tribe @ the opening of Mischa Kuball’s “Seven Virtues”, Diözesanmuseum, Limburg/Lahn, 18 July 2003

• N-Tribe live performance @ Club 16 Tons, Moscow > Tour Report

• Harald got married to his longstanding girlfriend Anke

• Recording sessions with Steve Baltes for new solo CD

• Drumming workshop in Coesfeld 01 to 07 August 2003 more...

• TV appearance in comedy show OLM! on RTL (more...)

• Fourth solo album released on AMP Records: DIGITAL NOMAD

• Interview with Krautrock Towers

• Drumming with Harald @ 38th Zeit zu Leben workshop, Coesfeld/Germany (more...)

• Performance with N-Tribe @ Kunstwerkhof, Bad Rappenau

• Drum Making workshop on Greek Island Corfu (more...)

• Release of Compilation CD First Decade 1992 - 2002 , on the occasion of 10th anniversary of Manikin Records containing an old track by Harald from 1976

• Ashra CD releases: THE MAKING OF (on 3CDs - see also entry below) and @shra Vol.2 (Live in Japan - Vol. 2) both on MG.Art

It was my first year in Berlin. For the production of „Correlation“, that was suppose to be made in summer 1978, we were looking for rooms to be able to prepare ourselves undisturbed for this event. By accident we discovered the old former UFA -Film-Studios in Berlin-Tempelhof. I still remember that old morbid ground, where a few years’ later people moved in to demonstrate for an alternative life style.

Walking along there caused mixed feelings for me. Exactly at this point only 50 years ago, numerous films were produced under the most intolerant eyes of the Nazis secretary of promotion and culture Joseph Goebbels.

It’s hard to believe. Most of these rotten buildings looked more like shacks, unspectacularly small in small. Above all, they were not glamorous at all. Here all the stars like Heinz Rühmann, Hans Moser, Zarah Leander, Hans Albers and lots of other big UFA-Stars must have walked around and got involved in many films that helped the Nazis to erase the terror of war out of peoples mind. The whole scene seemed to me very bourgeois and appropriate for such small minded times. Our rehearsal room was perhaps some sort of reception hall. It had lots of glass, penetrated by big round rising stairs. Perhaps the notorious fuehrer had stood exactly here on this ground during film premier parties, eating his vegetarian snacks, making small talk with highly ranked Nazi leaders, movie stars and starlets.

During break times my curiosity again and again pushed me into neighbouring rooms of that bright, relatively huge building. Most doors were broken. Under tumbled racks lay open film boxes and other relics of wars end and the chaos.

We set up our then quite sparse equipment in that foyer and had, even in this dark historical environment a lot of fun. I hope our music had some cleansing effect on these grounds.

For our needs, so as to have musical and technical control, to be able to listen to ourselves, we set up a REVOX tape recorder and one dynamic microphone at some distance. The mono recordings of those sessions contain that charm of innocence. That might be due to the fact that we had no intention to publish it ever.

Harald Grosskopf - April 2001

• Sunya Beat performance in front of 30,000 listeners @ BURG-HERZBERG Festival, Germany

• CD released: 4 x 3 (Four Times Three) with music by Steve Baltes, Harald Grosskopf and Axel Manrico Heilhecker

• Release of compilation CD: Music For The 3rd Millenium with new single track “Digital Nomad” on AMP Records, London

• Live performance @ marketing event “SAP for Small Business” (arranged by Deutsche Telekom and other companies) in October 2001

• Travelling Thailand and India

• Music for Mischa Kuball’s art event “Yellow Marker” performed live by Steve Baltes and Harald Grosskopf @ locations in Boenen and Rossenray > released on N-Tribe CD: Yellow Marker

The left image shows a night shot from Mischa Kuball’s permanent light installation @ industrial area Bönen

• Sunya Beat live @ Millenium Festival, Altenburg (Germany)

• Release of N-Tribe’s 4th Maxi-EP: The God Of Drumming @ Overdose label made in Frankfurt

• US-Tour with Phonoroid in Santa Fe / New Mexico

• Travelling USA / New Mexico , Utah (Monument Valley)
Arizona (Grand Canyon)

• Performance with N-Tribe for Mischa Kuballs art exhibition Genesis, Carmelite Church with “seven virtues”, Munich/D

• Live act with Sunya Beat @ Burg-Herzberg Open Air

• Release of the limited CD SPRACH-PLATZ-SPRACHE , produced by Harald Grosskopf for book edition/art catalogue: “Mischa Kuball - Sprach Platz Sprache” by Bernd Kaufmann & Ulrich Krempel, Reihe Cantz Ostfildern - Weimar, Europäische Kulturhauptstadt 1999

• Release of Phonoroid CD: NOT ON THE MAP

• Recording session with Andreas Ludwig and others, e.g. Axel Heilhecker, Stefan Krachten, Jaki Liebezeit > CD CALLINGS OF THE NIGHT

• Recording session with 17 Hippies > CD: WER IST DAS?

• Second Sunya Beat CD released: DELHI SLIDE

• SYNTHESIST re-released on Think Progressive

• Travelling India

• Foundation of Sunya Beat with Axel Manrico Heilhecker, release of CD debut: SUNYA BEAT

• Sunya Beat performance @ Burg Herzberg Festival

• US-Tour with the 17 Hippies (South By South West Festival, Austin/Texas) and several tours in France

• Videoclip production with Phonoroid @ Mojave Desert, California (USA)

• Guest and interview @ Brandenburg’s radio station Radio 1 hosted by Olaf Zimmermann & broadcasted on 15 June 1998

• CD release of THE BEST OF THE PRIVATE TAPES by Manuel Göttsching containing some rare drum play by Harald

• Third N-Tribe Maxi-EP released: N-TRIBE VOL. 2

• Music for Mischa Kuball’s art event “Tower Of Power”, Hannover, performed by N-Tribe (Harald Grosskopf, Steve Baltes) released on CD TOWER OF POWER

• Recording session with Steve Baltes for Steve’s 2nd solo album: RHYTHM OF LIFE

• Release of the CD @SHRA (Live in Japan - Vol. 1) containing live recordings from the Ashra Japan Tour ‘97

• Ashra Japan Tour @ locations in Tokyo and Osaka > Tour Report

• Germany Tour with Phonoroid

• Live performance with Phonoroid @ Fete De La Musique Festival, Berlin

• Live act with Ashra @ KLEMdag97 Electronic Festival in Nijmegen, Holland on 11 October 1997 > released on CD: SAUCE HOLLANDAISE (1998)

• Ashra live performance @ Burg Herzberg Open Air, attended by 22,000 spectators

• Production of the CD: HOLO SYNDROME , released 1997 as an N-Tribe side project by Harald Grosskopf and Steve Baltes

• N-Tribe live performance @ Ratinger Hof, Düsseldorf

• Release of the second N-Tribe Maxi-EP: N-TRIBE VOL.1

• Travelling India

More pictures

• Foundation of N-Tribe with Steve Baltes (Cyclone Tracy), release of the first Maxi-EP: PHREAKWAVES

• 6 CD set by Manuel Göttsching released, on THE PRIVATE TAPES VOL. 1 you can hear Harald partly on drums

• Ashra CD sampler released: SUNRAIN - THE VIRGIN YEARS

• Live act with Phonoroid @ Rhenania Festival Cologne, “Homage to Nico”, arranged by Stefan Krachten and film producer Susanne Ofterdinger

• CD-ROM STADTGARTEN-LIVE released containing live recordings of the same named radio session with Bernd Kistenmacher @ WDR in 1991

• Recording session with Steve Baltes @ Realistic Studio > CD released: PICTURES IN RHYTHM

• Recording session with Mind Over Matter @ QUASAR Studio > CD released: PALACE OF THE WINDS

• Live act @ Universe - The Tribal Gathering ‘94 on old airport Munich Riem, 1st October 1994 in front of 25,000 ravers - with Paul Alexander Schulte (drums, Earth Nation, Eye Q)

• Recording session with Oliver Lieb (The Ambush) in Offenbach near Frankfurt am Main > LP/CD released: AMBUSH

• Live act with The Ambush @ Montreux Jazz-Festival, performed by Oliver Lieb with Marlon Klein, Bas Broekhuis, Markus Richter, Harald Grosskopf, and the dancers Marvin Smith and Bridget Quinn Fearn, accompanied by a pyro-tech show and wicked stage-deko. The event was videotaped

• Release of limited CD Edition LILLI BERLIN

• Live act with Ron Boots, Eric van der Heijden (>MORE) and Klaus-Hoffmann Hoock @ KLEMdag 1993 in De Vereeniging Hall in Nijmegen (NL) on 20 of November, in front of more than 1200 spectators

• Release of the compilation CDs ZUKUNFTSMUSIK & REISE NACH INNEN with several solo tracks by Harald Grosskopf

• Travelling Thailand

• Third solo record released on CD: WORLD OF QUETZAL

• Live act with Ron Boots and Eric van der Heijden @ 3. Klangwelt Festival, Zeiss-Gross Planetarium Berlin 04 April 1992

• Live performance @ ATEM art event, Gallery 55/51, Mönchengladbach

• Travelling Thailand

• Performance with Bernd Kistenmacher @ Stadtgarten Cologne arranged and recorded live by German Radio station WDR. The live recordings were released on CD (Rom) Stadtgarten - Live in 1995

• Live act with Bernd Kistenmacher @ Radio Station RIAS Berlin

• CD collaboration with Bernd Kistenmacher: CHARACTERS recorded @ SONIC System Tonstudio, Berlin

• Live act with Ashra in Cologne in front of the Cologne Cathedral during Rhein’s Cultural Days in cooperation with German Radio station WDR broadcasted live on the evening of 11 May 1991. Klaus Schulze and Blue Chip Orchestra also played on this big event attended by thousands of people. Ashra’s and Klaus’ part were videotaped

• Spontanous concert with Ron Boots, Bas Broekhuis and Klaus-Hoffmann Hoock @ KLEMdag, Breda NL, 21 September 1991

• Travelling Thailand and Greece

• Live act with Central Europe Performance @ Radio DT64 “electronics” Open Air in Merseburg (former GDR), 1990

• Several live acts with CEP in Berlin & Cologne, arranged by German Radio stations WDR (Cologne) and SFB (Berlin)

• Recording session with Mario Schönwälder for Mario’s second solo CD HYPNOTIC BEATS @ ORPHEUS Studio, Berlin

• Compilation CD: BEST OF HARALD GROSSKOPF on Sky

• Joining the project Central Europe Performance (CEP) by Udo Hanten with Marco Cancian, Albin Meskes, Frank Mevissen and Guests. CD released > BREAKFAST IN THE RUINS (on Erdenklang, 1989)

• Second solo album released: OCEANHEART (1986)

• Performance @ art exhibition “DIE ANDERE EVA” by painteress Barbara Heinisch, Duesseldorf, 1985

• Live act with ASHRA @ festival UK ELECTRONICA, Sheffield (GB). Parts of the show were recorded and filmed, but never released.

• Recording session with Ashra for TROPICAL HEAT

• Live performance for art event by Material & Wirkung e. V. @ Pankehallen Berlin, 1984

• Live act on Claudia Skoda’s fashion show “Fights-Veits” on 9 October 1983 @ Lichthof Technische Universität Berlin, based on composition for guitar orchestra by Manuel Göttsching & performed by:

Manuel Göttsching (guitar), Lutz Ulbrich (guitar), Harald Grosskopf (drums), F. J. Krueger (guitar > guitar player of the famous German band IDEAL), and DJ Zak Preen (percussion)

• Recording session with Lilli Berlin > LP released: HUH HUH

• Several single releases with Lilli Berlin: OLD SHATTERHAND DEIN T-SHIRT BRENNT / GELACHT / NIKOTIN

• 7” single release TRUE LOVE (Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly) performed by Lilli Berlin and Jürgen Zeltinger

• Second LP with Lilli Berlin: SUESS UND ERBARMUNGSLOS

• 7” single release with Lilli Berlin: LIEBE IST WAS GROSSES

• 7” single release with Lilli Berlin: OSTBERLIN-WAHNSINN

• Recording session with Erich Virch for LP ALLTAGSWAHNSINN @ Lilli Berlin Studio

• Lutz Ulbrich’s first solo album released: LÜÜL feat. Nico, Harald Grosskopf and Christoph Franke

• Film music with Manfred Opitz for movie “Deutschland Bleiche Mutter” directed by Helma-Sanders Brahms, 1981

• First solo record: SYNTHESIST on Sky Records

• Recording session with Stefan Waggershausen >LP HALLO ENGEL @ AUDIO TONSTUDIO, Berlin

• Recording session with Lilli Berlin @ DELTA Tonstudios, Brokdorf > album released: LILLI BERLIN (1980, re-released on CD in 1996) & Lilli Berlin: LIMITED EDITION (LP 1980)

• Foundation of German New Wave Band Lilli Berlin by Lilli Berlin & Jürgen Barz (Insterburg & Co.) with Harald Grosskopf (drums) and Manfred Opitz (keyb)

• Studio production with Joachim Witt for LP SILBERBLICK @ INNERSPACE Studios, Cologne

• Live performance with Klaus Schulze (track ‘Sense’ @ Meta Musik Festival, Berlin 1976) released on KS Double-LP ...LIVE... (1980)

• Recording session 1979 with Ashra for BELLE ALLIANCE (1980)

• Recording session 1978 with Ashra in Berlin for CORRELATIONS - see also ‘The Making of Correlations’ above > LP/CD released on VIRGIN

• Recording session with Klaus Schulze @ Studio Panne-Paulsen in Summer 1978 > Double-LP released: “X.” (1978), the 10th solo album by KS

• Touring with Manuel Göttsching and Lutz Ulbrich as Ashra through Switzerland, France and Belgium (over 20 shows)

• Harald Grosskopf and Lutz Ulbrich joining Manuel Göttsching for an open air concert @ London’s Regents Park on 14 August 1977 on the occasion of the Virgin release of New Age Of Earth by Manuel Göttsching / Ash Ra Tempel in 1977

• Record release: BODYLOVE VOL. 2 (1977) by Klaus Schulze

• Live performance with Klaus Schulze @ Meta Musik Festival, Berlin Nationalgalerie on 05 October 1976 (see also track “Sense” on KS record “...Live...” from 1980)

• Recording sessions with Klaus Schulze @ Studio Panne-Paulsen, Frankfurt/Main, 1977/76 > LPs released: BODYLOVE (1977) and MOONDAWN (1976)

• Recording session with Wallenstein for LP STORIES, SONGS AND SYMPHONIES (1975)

• Several recording sessions with The Cosmic Jokers @ Studio Dierks > LPs released: COSMIC JOKERS and PLANETEN SIT IN (1974)

Parts of these sessions were remixed & overdubbed later @ Studio Dierks and released 1974 on compilation LPs (see also the RECORDS for details...)

• Several tours with Wallenstein (Classic Rock) all over Europe, TV Appearances in France, Austria and Switzerland

• Live act with Wallenstein @ German Rock Festival Krefeld, 16 September 1973

• Studio recordings with Wallenstein > LP COSMIC CENTURY (released in 1973)

• Recording session @ Studio Dierks with Ash Ra Tempel > LP STARRING ROSI (1973)

• Recording session @ Studio Dierks with The Cosmic Jokers & Walter Wegmüller for LP TAROT (released in 1973)

• Recording session with Wallenstein in Summer 1972 > LP MOTHER UNIVERSE @ Studio Dierks, Stommeln

• Recording session with Wallenstein members joining (Bernd) Witthüser & (Walter) Westrupp on LP BAUER PLATH @ Studio Dierks in 1972

• First recording session with (now:) Wallenstein @ Studio Dieter Dierks, Stommeln near Cologne, in the end of 1971 > LP released: BLITZKRIEG (1972)

• Foundation of the German rockband Blitzkrieg by Jürgen Dollase in late Autumn 1971 - with Harald Grosskopf (drums), Bill Barone (guitar) and Jerry Berkers (bass). The provoking band name changed later into Wallenstein for legal reasons.

• Joining Rudolf Schenker and his Scorpions for some months in 1967. The Scorpions were completely unknown at that time and became a big hard rock band in the 80s

• Start as drummer playing Beat Music with first band The Stuntmen - Lots of weekend gigs