**2020 stock** "In the mid 1960s East German Minister for Sport Manfred Ewald closed all state sport facilities to the prying eyes of the outside world and enacted State Plan 14.25. A systematic doping regime which brought great Olympic success to the DDR throughout the '70s and '80s but with little or no thought for sportsmanship or their athletes long term health. What few knew is that as well as doping and utilising one of the most sophisticated scientific sport programmes ever devised some more 'esoteric' methods to gain sporting advantage were employed.
Enter Martin 'Z' Zeichnete. In the early 1970s Martin was working as a sound editor for DEFA, (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft), the state-owned film studio. Like many young East Germans of the time he would listen furtively to West German radio at night and became infatuated with the Kosmische Musik or 'Krautrock' epitomised by the likes of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Cluster emerging from his neighbouring country. Martin, a keen runner, hit upon the idea of using the repetitive, motorik beats of this new music as a training aid for athletes. As Martin relates, 'I discussed this idea, perhaps foolishly, with colleagues at work. Days later a car with two state agents appeared at the studio and took me away. I feared the the worst. However, I was instead taken to an athletic camp on the outskirts of Berlin, questioned about my ideas and incredibly I was set to work immediately'. Installed in a cold Berlin studio with the few electronic instruments the state could supply, (Martin asked for a Moog but was refused), he began one of the strangest journeys in music. Know to the government as State Plan 14.84L, Martin and his fellow musicians informally called it 'Projekt Kosmischer Läufer' (Cosmic Runner). 'We lived in a time of fear and repression yet here I was given the chance to write this crazy, modern music for the very state which would never have granted me a license to play it anywhere else.'
For the next 11 years Martin would be spirited to Berlin to produce music with little notice. He created hours of music fusing traditional rock instruments with early drum computers and tape slicing and looping techniques he and his engineer formulated themselves. His output included tracks for running at various paces, warm up pieces, 'ambient' music to play in gyms during training and pieces for artistic gymnastic routines. Now over 30 years later Unknown Capability Recordings is proud to begin releasing the secret cosmic music of the DDRs Olympic Program.
Kosmischer Läufer Volume One contains a program for a relaxed 5k run consisting of a mix of electronic and live pieces: 3 Minutes Stretch/Warm Up - 26 Minutes For Running at 156bpm - 3 Minute Warmdown. (The song titles are working titles used by Martin in the studio.)

Martin 'Z' Zeichnete. Born 1951 near Dresden. Began work as a sound editor at the DEFA-Studio for Animation in Dresden in 1971. Studio musician for Amiga records. Played keyboard on recordings for Dean Reed AKA the 'Red Elvis' 73-75. Sent to Fernsehen der DDR (State Television) in 1983 to write music for TV shows. Fired less than a year later, coincidently when 'Kosmisher Läufer' was shut down. Now lives in the Pankow district of Berlin. He still runs.