Sand is a Berlin-based band from Saxony, known on the German scene for their cult album Golem.
Sand was P.O.T. (Part of Time) in the late ’60s, opening for Can in 1969 in Düsseldorf, the proto-Golem tracks created during this period (1969-1972) never having been released until the Rotorelief label publishes them on the albums Sylph Ballet, His first Steps…
Sand, made up of the trio Ludwig Papenberg and his brother Ullrich Papenberg, and Johannes Vester, is both an experimental proto-industrial avant-garde band and, when augmented by a few other members, has a more rocking feel in the vein of Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, making Sand a visionary experimental mix, a truly unique entity in the history of music and records. Sand doesn’t depend on a classic krautrock style, but is nonetheless part of this wave of psychedelic cosmic German bands.
At that time, Klaus Schulze developed a special recording process with sound engineer Manfred Schunke, which was called Artificial Head Stereo Sound,,, It wasn’t until 1974 that the first album “Golem” was recorded and released on the Delta Acustic label, then reissued several times from 2010 onwards by Rotorelief.
Sand says that Manfred Schunke and Klaus Schulze were his great mentors.
Sand doesn’t depend on a classic krautrock style, but is part of that wave of psychedelic cosmic German bands. This band is also the genesis of industrial music, cerebral-cosmic-strange-dark at once with acoustic guitars, synths, sound generators, short-wave radios, factory noises, dock hammers, farm machinery, sand whirls and a strange, supernatural atmosphere, the story of Sand and its Golem, their first album released in 1974.
As of 2010, French label Rotorelief is releasing five albums by Sand (INXOM) with two additional albums by Nurse With Wound and Current 93, Sand having been unearthed by Steve Stapleton (Nww) and brought to light by David Tibet (C93).
Golem / Desert Navigation / Sylph Ballet / North Atlantic Raven / His First Step
+ Chromanatron (Nww) and When The May Rainb Comes (C93)
Today, 50 years later, here the cool sound jugglers, the 3 founders, go again (Ludwig and Ulrich Papenberg, Johannes Vester) then Sand is active in a creative frenzy timeless…
In 2020, Rotorelief releases a brand-new album, “Vibrating Cloud”, to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary, 1969-2019, with cover art by the famous and talented cartoonist Enki Bilal.
INXOM 5-part story of the Golem and its evolution | INXODEM 5 parts + 2 supplements
“His First Steps” (I) / is a previous, unreleased and variety album (1972 & 1973) of “Golem”
“Golem” (N) / legendary album composed in 1972 and 1973 (released in 1974)
“Desert Navigation” (X) / unreleased album, titles composed in 1973, 1975 and one track from 1982
“Sylph Ballet” (O) / unreleased album, titles composed in 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976
“North Atlantic Raven” (M) / unreleased album, titles composed in 1973, 1975 & 1976 (+ bonus 1982)
“Chromanatron” (E), by Nurse With Wound composed in 2013 with sounds and extracts from Sand
“When the May Rain Comes” (D), 2 varieties of the reprise title “May Rain” of Sand by Current 93 in 1992
New album 2020
“Vibrating Cloud”
