Die Welttraumforscher: exhibition, book, LP, 7"

When the Welttraumforscher* set out on 14 July 1981 no one could have realized that their journey would not be over soon. For more than thirty years now, Swiss Christian Pfluger(*1963) has been working on drawings, texts and songs for the fascinating universe of the imaginary trio, which is well populated with characters like Leguan Rätselmann (Iguana Puzzleman) or Kip Eulenmeister (Kip Owlmaster) and his astronauts of the spirit. In the course of that journey, among other things, over 35 music cassettes, LPs and CDs have been released, with music that the Welttraumforscher themselves call “Bretzelberg Pop” and “Space Folklore”. I think many of the approx. 400 songs the Welttraumforscher published are number one hits on faraway planets.

I have been fascinated by this cosmos for a long time and now I had the pleasure to curate the first big retrospective exhibition of the Welttraumforscher and edit the first monograph.
The exhibition takes place at Kunsthaus Langenthal in Switzerland until November 10th. Many of the drawings, sketches and archive bits have never been exhibited before.
There will be one of the rare Welttraumforscher concerts and a talk with Christian Pfluger on November 8th.

The bilingual (German/English) book “The World Dream Researchers. Songs, Signs, Explorations” is published by Traversion. There's also a special edition with a vinyl 7” single «This Could be the Greatest Love in Town/Mira II».
Content: Christian Pfluger in conversation with Raffael Dörig and Michael Hiltbrunner. Sebastian Reier (B-Music, Golden Pudel Club) “Space Folklore. Cosmic Music, or the Cosmos of the Welttraumforscher”, German/English (including translations of song lyrics), 50 images, 96 pages.
CHF 36.–/ EUR 28.–, special edition with 7” CHF 42.– / EUR 33.–
Get it directly from the publisher, via your local bookstore or through amazon.

At the same time, the fine people of A Tree In A Field Records and Planam have published the second of a series of beautiful LP issues of early Welttraumforscher cassette tapes. They also sell the back catalogue of die Welttraumforscher (online soon, I think) i.e. the original LPs and CDs that are still in stock.

*"World Dream Researchers" or "Space Explorers" (the German name Welttraumforscher is a play on the term Weltraum = space / Welt Traum = World Dream)


A previous Dispokino-post on the Welttraumforscher with some songs can be found here.
If you understand German, please visit the Welttraumforscher's own encyclopedia on their website. 150 Welttraumforscher related terms explained.


Inside the book:

Promo sheet for the first cassette "Herzschlag Erde", 1981

Cover of "die singende Sternlaterne", Cassette, 1983 (now rereleased on LP)

Cover of unpublished zine supplement to 1983 cassette "Reise nach Bretzelberg"

drawing from the "Bretzelberger Bilderbogen" series (1984-2002)

drawing from the "Bretzelberger Bilderbogen" series (1984-2002)

Promo sheet for the first LP, 1989

LP sleeve "Folklore des Weltalls", 1989

CD cover "Sideria" 1995

Drawing from the "Grosser Bilderbogen" series (2002-now; 50x70cm)

Drawing from the "Grosser Bilderbogen" series (2002-now; 50x70cm)

Leguan Rätselmann's cone house, sketch 1996

From "8 Tage unter Planeten", 1981

the library of Andreas Züst

A book lover's dream weekend.

N. and I stayed for a weekend at the Alpenhof in the Appenzell region in the northeast of Switzerland. A few years ago, the run down hotel was taken over by people from the art and literature scene. It is still a hotel, very nicely renovated with an amazing panoramic view, but also hosts events, exhibitions, lectures - and since 2010, it is the home of the library of Andreas Züst. Andreas Züst (1947-2000) was a "glaciologist, weather watcher, photographer, painter, creature of the night, publisher, film producer, bibliophile, art collector, and patron of the arts", an important figure in the Swiss art scene.  His library contains 12'000 books on topics ranging from art, literature, photography, music, film, meteorology, glaciology, ethnology, space travel, to UFOs and drugs.
After a brief first visit some time ago, I could finally spend a few hours in the library. Here's my meandering, patchy tour through this wonderful collection, with an emphasis on the cover designs.

(I also happen to have grown up  in the village where the Alpenhof is, but long before it became the interesting place it is now.)

There were several books by the Swiss UFO-believers of the FIGU society, previously featured here.

Need a break? Take a look out the window. It was a foggy day, not much to see of the beautiful panoramic view. 

Back to the books then.