Maeror Tri was an ambient, noise and drone music band from Germany founded in the 1980s which consisted of Stefan "Baraka H" Knappe, Martin "GLIT[s]CH" Gitschel and Helge S. Hammerbrook.

Logo of Maeror tri, authored by Helge S. Hammerbrook
Helge S. Moune and Stefan Knappe performing as a part of 1000schøen and Troum, respectively.

In a way similar to Zoviet France, they used only live instruments to produce music with an enormous number of effects applied. They disbanded in the late 1990s after releasing a number of limited-edition records. They released music on labels such as Old Europa Cafe, Ant-Zen, Staalplaat, and Soleilmoon.

Stefan and Martin continued under the name of Troum, while Helge is recording as Tausendschoen and as H.S. Hammerbrook. Stefan Knappe is also the founder and owner of Drone Records.

German band Maeror Tri was founded in April 1988 by Stefan Knappe and Helge S. Hammerbrook (in early years as Helge as Moune). The group consisted of three members who only used electric guitars and tons of processing devices to create their droning soundscapes. Their music borrowed elements from Industrial, Avantgarde, Minimalism and New Age meditation to reach a new form of transcendentalism. Very little is known about their origins, even the identity of the band’s members remains vague, except for Stefan Knappe, the group's spokesperson and also owner of the label Drone Records. Nevertheless it is for sure that all three members origin from the city Leer in northern Germany and know each other since their time in school.

The name they chose is probably an incorrect Latin expression that may be better translated as "The Mourning Three" or "The Grieving Three".

"Dedicated To A New Dawn", their first cassette, was self-released on their own Baracken Records in 1988, soon followed by many more cassette works on labels like ZNS, Tonspur and Audiofile, and a lot of compilations appearances.

In 1993 Korm Plastics (a label ran by Frans de Waard) released the very first "overground" Maeror Tri album "Multiple Personality Disorder" a concept CD divided in four long parts recorded back in 1991 that fully showcase their mastery in distorting and layering guitar sounds. It was soon followed by "Meditamentum", a collection of selected tape tracks recorded from 1988 to 1993.

"Myein", a monumental work recorded between 1992 and 1993, was released on american label ND in 1995. This work presented three long tracks that well exemplify some of the aspects of their art: the gothic droning of "Phlogiston", the ambient-electronica of "Desiderium", and the cosmic doodling of the 47 minutes long title track.

"Language of Flames and Sound", released on Italian label Old Europa Cafe in 1996, continued to chronicle the group's evolution into more abstract domains.

In late 1996, as the group was about to break into the growing experimental electronica scene, one member of the band, Helge S. Moune, decided to quit, leaving Knappe and his other partner to continue as the duo Troum.

"Mort aux Vaches", a symphony in three movements and the group's installment in Staalplaat's series of experimental electronica, and "Emotional Engramm" (on Iris Light), probably their most accessible recording, were both released posthumous in 1997.

Archive material has continued to surface over the years after the group ceased to exist: a second volume of "Meditamentum", released on Manifold in 1999, salvaged more material from the early years limited edition cassettes, while the "Hypnotikum I" and "Hypnotikum II" LPs are valid examples of the group's live attitude.

Discography - LPs/EPs/singles

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Year Title Format Label Notes
1988 Dedicated To A New Dawn MC (C-60) Baracken Records Private release
1988 Perception Kills MC (C-60) Baracken Records Private release
1989 Peak Experience MC (C-60) Harsh Reality Music
1990 Peak Experience MC (C-60) Bestattunginstitut Two tracks differ from prior version
1990 Somnia Et Expergisci MC (C-60) IRRE Tapes split with Nostalgie Eternelle
1990 Ambient Dreams MC (C-60) ZNS Tapes
1991 Fragilitas MC Drone Records only private presents were made
1991 Sensuum Mendacia MC (C-45) Direction Music
1991 Subliminal Forces MC (C-60) Tonspur Tapes
1992 Hypnobasia MC (C-45) Old Europa Cafe
1992 Venenum MC (C-60) Audiofile Tape
1992 Timeless Transcension Video (VHS)
1993 Multiple Personality Disorder CD Korm Plastics
1993 Saltatrix 7" Drone Records
1993 Yearning For The Secret(s) Of Nature MC (C-77) Fools Paradise
1993 Mind Reversal MC (C-60) Hithlahabuth
1993 Archaic States MC (C-60) G.R.O.S.S.
1994 Ultimate Time MC (C-60) Old Europa Cafe
1994 Meditamentum CD Holonom HOL01, edition of 500 numbered copies The only release of this label ran by Robert Osten, later continued as RAUM 312 and now EDITION AURINIA
1995 Physis 7" Fools Paradise
1995 Myein CD ND 1000
1995 Mystagogus 7" Noise Museum
1995 Ambiguitas MC (C-60) Lebensraum/N&B
1996 Exorbitant 7" Ant-Zen
1996 The Beauty Of Sadness MC (C-70) Direction Music
1996 Language Of Flames And Sound CD Old Europa Cafe
1997 Mort Aux Vaches CD Staalplaat
1997 Emotional Engramm CD Iris Light
1998 Pleroma Pic-10" Ant-Zen
1998 Hypnotikum I LP Soleilmoon
1998 Simulationswelten 7" Rendezvous Radikal Together with Telepherique
1999 Meditamentum II CD Manifold Records
1999 Venenum CD-R Üne
1999 Hypnotikum II LP Poeta Negra/Absurd
2000 Mind Reversal CD-R Blade
2000 Forazeihan/Broken Books and Wings Pic-7" The Disaster Area Split with Crawl Unit
2001 Yearning For The Secret Of Nature CD-R EE Tapes Reissue
2005 Hypnobasia/Ultimate Time 2CD Old Europa Cafe Reissue
2005 Meditamentum CD Manifold Reissue
2005 Myein CD Waystyx Reissue
2005 Peak Experience CD-R Blade Records/AFE Reissue
2005 Sensuum Mendacia CD-R L White Records Reissue
2005 The Beauty Of Sadness CD Tantric Harmonies Reissue
2010 The A.V.E. - Tapes / Live in Nevers CD Zhelezobeton Live recordings

Discography - Compilation appearances

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Year Track title Appears on/Compilation name Format Label
1989 Wheel The Final Compilation MC (C-60) De Koude Oorlog
1989 The Last Perception Tape Rebel 9 MC (C-30) Weed Music
1990 Growing Rotation Detonator MC (C-60) Bestattungsinstitut
1990 Ecstatic Singing Non-Nuclear War MC (C-60) ZNS Tapes
1990 Cursed Colours A Tender Tension MC (C-60) Pharaoh Chronium Sounds
1990 Chirping Crime On Family Bombed Mother And Son 2MC (C-90) Black Death
1990 Endless Space Three Into One Vol. 7 MC (C-60) Clockwork Tapes
1990 Secret Ways Of A Pyramid Three Into One Vol. 7 MC (C-60) Clockwork Tapes
1990 Tranquilizer Three Into One Vol. 7 MC (C-60) Clockwork Tapes
1990 This Is Heaven Three Into One Vol. 7 MC (C-60) Clockwork Tapes
1990 Participation Stuhlgangsblockaden LP Schimpfluch
1991 Choir Of Transcendence Devastating Templaric Sounds MC (C-60) Biotope Art Organization
1991 The Seven Signals It's Time MC (C-60) Black Death
1991 Tremor Paradoxical Paralysis MC (C-60) Bestattungsinstitut
1991 Arcana Double-Mind MC (C-60) Tears Compilations
1991 From Where Comes This Fear? Double-Mind MC (C-60) Tears Compilations
1991 Ankh Double-Mind MC (C-60) Tears Compilations
1991 Prior Magnetic Fields MC (C-60) SPH
1991 Love In A Vacuum Magnetic Fields MC (C-60) SPH
1991 Omnium Magnetic Fields MC (C-60) SPH
1991 Searcher Ninians Night Elves MC (C-90) Love Is The Reason Why
1991 Ab Inferis Motop 2 CD If Records
1992 Amygdalae A New Kind Of Torment MC (C-60) Linea Taktika
1992 Ingenium Behind Mysterious Gates MC (C-60) No Control Torture
1992 Lacus Mortis Allianz MC (C-60) Pallentin
1992 Entropy's Child In A Thoughtful Mood Keine Einzelgänger MC (C-90) Cat-Killer
1992 Exiltas Neue Muster Vol 8&9 2MC (C-40) Tonspur
1992 A Storm Of Sparks Metallverarbeitende Industrie MC (C-45) Bestattungsinstitut
1992 Ardor Behind Mysterious Gates CD No Control Torture
1993 Inner Lightning Nightporters Vol.2 MC Jeremy Bamber Tapes
1993 Droning Souls Macrocephalous Compost Video (VHS) Old Europa Cafe
1994 The Glowing Of Night Vexatio Cerebri MC (C-60) Contaminated Productions
1994 Philemon Bad Alchemy #23 MC tape-magazine
1994 Suavitas Outbreakers II CD Ebu's Music
1994 Ultramundan Veromon MC (C-60) Ant-Zen
1994 Subliminal Conversation Atmosphere & Empathy MC (C-60) Ebu's Music
1994 The Reckoning Space Notre-Dame Vol.7 MC (C-60) EE-Tapes
1994 Searcher (Fragment) Real Underground Vol.1&2 MC (C-90/60) Progressive Entertainment
1994 Searcher (Fragment) Auf Abwegen #16 MC tape-magazine
1994 Spiritual Emanations Auf Abwegen #16 MC tape-magazine
1994 The Beginning Of The Unmeasured Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy CD Fools Paradise
1994 Immersion In Emotion From The Hills Of Dream Video/MC Direction Music
1995 Fragilitas L'Ordre Et Le Chaos CD Actus Dei
1995 Inner Spheres Deceasing Invisible Domains CD Malignant Records
1995 Neophobia Pathological Resonance MC (C-60) Anomalous Records
1996 The Anaesthetise Slumbermusic CD Universal Egg Records
1997 Terraformen 1 Régénération - Dégénérescence 2CD Cynistrose

Notes

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Some Maeror Tri material is available for free download.

ZNS Tapes, long defunct tape label from Germany is offering catalogue of all music released by the label during its existence from 1987 to 1993. Some of the offered works include "Ambient Dreams" by Maeror Tri and a compilation called "Non-Nuclear War" to which Maeror Tri contributed track called "Ecstatic Singing". Link

See also

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  Media related to Maeror Tri at Wikimedia Commons