- Rare German Krautrock Jazz Fusion Masterpiece Featuring Legendary Drummer Curt Cress
A masterpiece of drumming by German drummer: Curt Cress. Curt Cress is a German drummer, percussionist and record producer. He is known for his work with the German jazz rock band Avanti, which was active in the 1970s. He also released several solo albums and worked as a session musician with various artists. He is considered a highly respected musician in the German music scene
In 1983, Curt Cress released Avanti, a solo statement that sits at the intersection of Germany’s Krautrock legacy and the expanding frontiers of jazz fusion. While bands like Can, Neu!, and Tangerine Dream were defining the ambient and motorik spectrum of the Krautrock sound, Cress carved out a rhythmic niche grounded in virtuosity and studio precision. At the time, Germany's music scene was thriving on experimentation. Synthpop, electronic minimalism, and complex instrumental fusion were no longer avant-garde — they were reshaping the mainstream.
Avanti is a tight suite of eight compositions where Cress explores his drum kit not merely as a time-keeper, but as the expressive centerpiece. Tracks like “Moon Walk” and “The Screamer” fuse electronic percussion with analog textures, creating layered rhythms that resonate like kinetic sculptures. The album does not indulge in lyrical narrative or vocal ornamentation — it’s purely instrumental, allowing space for atmospheric keys, slap bass, and programmed sequences to interplay with acoustic grooves.
Side One leans heavily into fusion territory, with jazz-rock tempo shifts and melodic phrasing on bass (notably from John Davies). “The Indian Call” and “Hawaiian Punch” suggest exotic inspirations — not in cliché, but through percussive coloration and thematic refrains that evoke geographical moods without appropriation.
Side Two intensifies this momentum. “Power Vein” and “Flying High” showcase a mix of Simmons drums, analog synth bursts, and ambient effects, converging in textures that are simultaneously percussive and cinematic. The album closes with “Alone Again”, a track that subtly nods to isolation and introspection, countering the more dynamic earlier pieces with restraint.
The sonic clarity of Avanti is no accident. The album was recorded at two key German studios: Arc Studio in Munich and the legendary Far Studio in Rosbach. These spaces had become known for hosting sessions that demanded high production standards. The engineering credits read like a roll call of German studio excellence: Mal Luker, Udo Arndt, Frank v/d Bottlenberg, Zeke Lund, Cedric Realty, and Jurgen Koppers. Each brought their technical sensibility to a layered and dynamic mix.
Of note is the contribution of Rainer M. Erhardt at Far Studio, who is credited with analog tape mastering, giving the album its deep sonic warmth. While many contemporaries were moving toward digital coldness, Cress and his team retained an organic core — a pulse driven by hands on skins and sticks on cymbals.
Categorizing Avanti presents a challenge. It defies the rigid lines of traditional genre boxes. It’s not simply Krautrock, despite its German origin and instrumental focus. Nor is it classic jazz fusion, though its rhythms echo the likes of Billy Cobham and Tony Williams. It belongs in the same breath as Passport, Embryo, and the more rhythmically aggressive side of Klaus Doldinger’s output — a sonic fingerprint of German rhythmic intellect and studio daring.
Avanti remains one of the most accomplished examples of German drummer-led studio projects of the early ’80s. It’s an album driven not by commercial ambition or band identity, but by the vision of a percussionist using modern tools to articulate rhythm as language. Mike Jahn once wrote that a great album reflects the moment of its creation with both clarity and distortion — Avanti does exactly that. It pulses with 1983’s optimism and experimentation, even as it hints at a world of solitude behind the studio glass.
Rock, Krauter Rock, Jazz, Instrumental
WEA 24-0133-1
12" Vinyl LP Gramophone Record
1983, Made in Germany
Curt Cress - Producer
Mal Luker - Sound Engineer
Udo Arndt - Sound Engineer
Frank v/d Bottlenberg - Sound Engineer
Zeke Lund - Sound Engineer
Cedric Realty - Sound Engineer
Jurgen Koppers - Sound Engineer
Recorded Arc Studio, Munich and Far Studio Rosbach by Rainer M. Erhardt
Jacques Sehy - Photographer
Front cover of the 1983 vinyl album “Avanti” by Curt Cress. The image features Curt Cress from behind, seated confidently on a black drum stool with a wide tripod base. His feet, clad in white socks, rest on a glowing blue floor under theatrical lighting. His arms are lifted, holding drumsticks mid-air as if ready to strike.
He is wearing a sleek, dark robe with a belt tied at the waist, and his light brown hair is backlit in turquoise hues, adding a luminous halo effect. The bold title CURT CRESS in uppercase pink-red typography crowns the top left, while -AVANTI is positioned in the bottom right in matching font, slightly slanted.
The minimalist setup, dramatic lighting, and dynamic pose emphasize the performative essence of drumming and present Cress as both artist and athlete. This design reflects the energetic, progressive jazz-fusion nature of the album.
Back cover of the 1983 vinyl album “Avanti” by Curt Cress. The design features a deep electric blue background with pink-red titles CURT CRESS and -AVANTI in the upper left and right corners, respectively. On the right side is a full-color action photo of Curt Cress seated at a white Yamaha drum kit, joyfully mid-performance. He’s framed by cymbals, toms, and a large gong in the background, wearing a striped shirt and jacket.
The left and center sections are densely filled with white German text, including track descriptions for all 8 songs across Side 1 and Side 2. Each paragraph includes technical insights into the arrangement, instrumentation, and recording process. A breakdown of Cress's drum kit setup lists Paiste cymbals, Yamaha drums, Simmons pads, and effects like Triangel and Gong.
At the bottom right, credits thank sound engineers (including Udo Arndt, Mal Luker, and Rainer M. Erhardt), photographer Jacques Sehy, and contributors. A small yellow sticker with VS CODE 85 appears in the upper right, and the WEA logo with production details is at the bottom right corner.
"Avanti" Record Label Details: WEA 24-0133-1 ℗ 1983 WEA Musik Sound Copyright
Close-up of the vinyl label from Side One of “Avanti” by Curt Cress. The label is printed on a cream-colored background patterned with repeating “wea” text. Centered at the top is the bold, multi-color WEA logo, followed by black uppercase text reading CURT CRESS - AVANTI.
Below that, to the left and right of the spindle hole, are technical specifications: STEREO, GEMA (German performing rights society), and SEITE 1 (Side 1 in German). The track listing includes: 1. Moon Walk – 3:14, 2. The Indian Call – 4:38, 3. Hawaiian Punch – 4:40, 4. The Screamer – 3:57. All titles are credited as composed by Curt Cress.
At the bottom is the catalog number 24-0133-1 (83/007-A) and the publishing label: © 1983 WEA MUSIK GMBH. Surrounding the label edge is small circular text with copyright and reproduction rights in multiple languages, along with the LC 4281 label code and the number 33 indicating playback speed (33 RPM).