Formed around 1970 by Christian Bollmann and Torsten Schmidt, Midnight Circus emerged from the Cologne area as a duo centred on vocals, guitars and original songwriting. Bollmann, a trained Jazz musician, also contributed trumpet and recorders, giving the group’s otherwise Folk-oriented material an unusual instrumental dimension. The duo’s first recordings were made with the support of a number of musicians from the wider German Rock scene.
Their self-titled debut was released by bacillus records in 1972 as BLPS 19108. Recorded at the Dierks Studios and produced by Peter Hauke, the album expands the basic duo format with drums, percussion, bass, keyboards and additional guitars. Dieter Dierks served as engineer, while musicians including Thomas Engel, Veit Madaus, Dave Crocket, Rainer Marz, and Jan van Roosendaal contributed to the sessions.
Musically, Midnight Circus occupies a distinctive place between Progressive Folk-Rock, Psychedelia and the more exploratory side of the early bacillus catalogue. The songs remain rooted in acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies, but are complemented by Mellotron, flute, trumpet and restrained electric instrumentation. The long-form “November Church” is particularly characteristic of this approach, moving from a quiet Folk-based atmosphere into a darker and more expansive arrangement.
The album consists of seven original compositions by Bollmann and Schmidt, ranging from the concise “Mr. Clown” and “Indian Impression” to the extended “November Church.” Unlike many of the heavier Progressive and Hard-Rock releases issued by bacillus during the same period, Midnight Circus represents the label’s quieter and more pastoral side, connecting its Rock-oriented catalogue with the contemporary German Progressive Folk tradition.
Following the release, Midnight Circus toured in Germany and Switzerland before Bollmann and Schmidt went on to pursue other musical projects. Bollmann subsequently developed a long career as a composer, multi-instrumentalist and pioneer of overtone singing, while Schmidt later founded the German Rock band Virus D.
Midnight Circus therefore documents a relatively brief episode in the history of two musicians, while also capturing one of the more unusual facets of bacillus records in the early 1970s: a Progressive Folk-Rock sound that could sit comfortably alongside the label’s Psychedelic, Experimental and harder-edged productions without belonging entirely to any one of them.
This release is part of the bacillus records archive on Bandcamp.
Purchase “Midnight Circus” on Bandcamp: https://bacillusrecords.bandcamp.com/album/midnight-circus-1972
Tracklist:
01. The Light 05:53
02. I Had a Dream 03:29
03. November Church 08:53
04. Mr. Clown 02:57
05. Indian Impression 02:18
06. Disappointed Love 03:54
07. Meditation 05:23
Lineup:
Christian Bollmann / Vocals, Guitars, Trumpet, Recorders
Torsten Schmidt / Vocals, Guitars
Thomas Engel / Drums
Peter Hauke / Drums, Percussion, Producer
Veit Madaus / Keyboards
Dave Crocket / Bass
Rainer Marz / Guitar
Jan van Roosendaal / Guitar
Dieter Dierks / Engineer
Helmut Wenske / Cover Design
“Lingua Latina” recorded at the Dome of Bonn.
“Birds” recorded in “the gardens” of Christian.
Written and arranged by Midnight Circus.
Recorded at Dierks Studios.
Produced by Peter Hauke.