Stephan Micus
Stephan Micus is a German multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer, born in 1953, who has recorded for ECM and its JAPO imprint since 1977. He made his first journey to Asia at 16 and has since studied instruments and vocal traditions with local musicians in Asia, Africa and Europe. He is known for solo albums on which he plays every part himself, combining instruments from different cultures and multitracking his own voice into choirs. Micus released his first LP, Archaic Concerts, on Virgin in 1976, and Implosions (1977) and Till the End of Time (1978) followed on JAPO.
Traces in the Sand
Stephan Micus' 27th solo album for ECM, dedicated to the sea: a dozen instruments from Borneo, Japan, India, Armenia, Africa and beyond, from hang and kalimbas to shakuhachi, duduk, sapeh and sho.
Twilight Fields (LP)
Original German edition on ECM of the 1988 album of lovely music for flowerpots, dulcimer, zither, shakuhachi and ney.
Darkness And Light (LP)
Original German edition on ECM of the 1988 album of lovely multi-tracked music for traditional ethnic instruments from around the world (dilruba, kortholt, suling, ki un ki, sho, etc.). With insert.
Behind Eleven Deserts
In Behind Eleven Deserts, Stephan Micus braids suling, sarangi, sitar and bodhrán into a quietly radiant ritual, a 1978 desert mirage where distant traditions dissolve into one slow, breathing, unmistakably Micusian song.
The Music of Stones
Tip, tip tip! *2024 stock. Deluxe packaging* Listening to the music of Stephan Micus – which is as itinerant and wide ranging as his life – is one of the most profound experiences possible today. Beyond categories and labels, this German artist was already way ahead of trends when he released his first album in 1976. Fifteen recordings later The Garden of Mirrors, his first CD since the phenomenal Athos, seems on the surface to be heading in a stylistic direction pointing towards the Orient. But…
Thunder
Stephan Micus is a unique musician and composer. He collects and studies instruments from all around the world and creates his own musical journeys with them. This is his 25th solo album for ECM and its sound is dominated by the four-metre long Tibetan dung chen trumpet, an instrument he has recently learned and is using for the first time. It was the thunderous sound of this instrument that led to the album’s name and its nine tracks celebrating deities around the world. “I dedicate this music …
To The Evening Child
Solo album by Stephan Micus, recorded January-February 1992 at MCM Studios, in seven parts for steel drum, voice, dilruba, suling, kortholt, nay and sinding, all played and sung by Micus. First released by ECM in 1992 as ECM 1486.
Ocean
Solo album by Stephan Micus in four parts for voice, hammered dulcimers, nay, sho, shakuhachi and Bavarian zithers, all played by him through overdubbing. Recorded January 1986 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg. ECM 1318, 1986.
To The Rising Moon
Stephan Micus' 26th solo album for ECM, centred on the Colombian tiple with dilruba, sattar, bowed sapeh, tableharp, nay, Cambodian flute, chord zither and voice, all played and sung by Micus. Recorded 2021-2023 at MCM Studios.
Winter's End
Stephan Micus's 24th solo album for ECM (2021), recorded alone at MCM Studios between 2018 and 2020, with the Mozambican chikulo, tongue drum, kalimba, sinding, nay, nohkan, suling, sattar, charango, 12-string guitar and voice.
Inland Sea
Solo album by Stephan Micus, his 22nd for ECM: ten original pieces led by the Swedish nyckelharpa, with balanzikom, shakuhachi, genbri, chord and bass zithers, steel-string guitar and voice, all played by Micus and recorded 2014-2016 at MCM Studios.
Nomad Songs
Eleven pieces composed and performed alone by Stephan Micus on nine instruments, including the Moroccan genbri and the San ndingo, both new to his work, plus voice. Recorded 2012-2014 at MCM Studios; his 21st album for ECM.
Bold As Light
Solo album by Stephan Micus in ten parts, layering raj nplaim (Laotian free-reed pipe), nohkan, sho, zithers, kalimba, shakuhachi, sinding and up to nineteen of his own voices. Recorded 2007-2010 at MCM Studios; released 2010.
Snow
Eight-part suite by Stephan Micus, who plays every instrument and sings every voice: duduk, bass duduk, Bavarian zither, sinding and doussn' gouni harps, charangos, hammered dulcimers, nay, gongs. Recorded 2005-2007 at MCM Studios; his 18th ECM album.
On the Wing
Ten-part instrumental suite by Stephan Micus, who plays every part through multitracking: sattar, mudbesh, hné, nay, suling, sho, shakuhachi, mandobahar, sitar, guitars, hang and gongs. Recorded 2003-2006 at MCM Studios. ECM 1987, 2006.
Towards The Wind
Stephan Micus's first album with the Armenian duduk, an eight-part suite for duduk, kalimba, shakuhachi, dondon, sattar, guitars and voice, all played by Micus. Recorded 1999-2001 at MCM Studios, released by ECM in 2002.
Desert Poems
Fifteenth solo album by Stephan Micus, who plays every instrument and sings every voice, among them doussn' gouni, kalimba, dondon, sarangi, dilruba, sattar, nay and shakuhachi. Recorded 1997-2000 at MCM Studios, Mallorca; released by ECM in 2001. CD edition.
The Garden Of Mirrors
Stephan Micus's fourteenth album, built on two West African harps, the bolombatto and the sinding, with voices, steel drums, suling, shakuhachi, nay and tin whistle, all played by Micus. Recorded 1995-1996 at MCM Studios, released by ECM in 1997.
Athos
Stephan Micus's cycle of three days and three nights inspired by a stay on Mount Athos, with zither, sattar, shakuhachi, suling, ney, flowerpots and his own multi-tracked voice, recorded at MCM Studios between November 1993 and February 1994.