Xabec

Manuel G. Richter was born 1974 in Mühlheim, Germany as the son of the musicians Helga and Gerd Richter. He grew up near Hannover, outside the city in a beautiful landscape with animals and nature around. In the age of ten he began to study the drum set, continued learning for eight years and played in different pop and rock projects and for a long time in a classical drum ensemble. In the age of fourteen he started to explore the world of electronic sounds with a Yamaha DX 11 synthesizer, an effect processor (Hohner RDM 1000), a drum computer (RX-17), a four track recorder of his father, one microphone and later an Atari 520 ST. Over the years he bought his own equipment and it got more and more. Parallel to his drumming, he integrated his electronic music into the sound of his band ONE STEP DIVINE. It was a very intensive style of guitar based music. Influences were the bands Neurosis, God Machine and Kong. "OSD" were active from 1990 to 1998. The cd "Eyecolated" (1996) is still available. In the last years of existence, "OSD" needed no words between the three musicians. Music was the only language - that was enough. Around 1997 a new and different style took part in Manuels musical and personal life. He sold lots of equipment, to force himself to create a more personal, deeper and more "handmade" style of electronic music, different from the stuff he has done before. The beginning of XABEC. More and more the new style lost the usual song structures and sounds of pop music like bass, drum and melody sounds. The first Tape "Klänge [M]einer Zeit" (´98, lim. 100), released by his own small label and mail order [VerkochtComm] and got very positive reactions in the european underground scene. XABEC is pure sound experience. Over the years the collage developed as the most used way to compose songs. Most tracks, timbres and even rhythms are collaged un-synchronised, one over another to keep the self-dynamic of the sounds and the music. The aim is not to have the maximum control over every parameter, the aim is to get a dynamic, living musical structure. The selection of sounds has never only been some kind of concept, if a sound is good, it´s taken. One of the most used instruments for live and studio is the Doepfer analog-modular-synthesizer A-100, ´cause it´s very flexible and gives a "real" feel while turning all the knobs and buttons and working with dozens of cables. And it grows together with the musician. In 2001 Manuel finished an education in music therapy. A new way of exploring sounds and music in another, a different context. Another chapter in his sound-life. He´s working with children, handicapped people and giving Workshops in improvising and creative communication with music.