Earthstar (band)

Earthstar
Craig Wuest of Earthstar in 1977
Background information
Origin	Utica, New York, United States
Genres	Electronic music Kosmische musik Ambient music
Years active	1977–1983
Labels	Sky Records, Moontower Records
Associated acts	Klaus Schulze Land Dennis Rea Daniel Zongrone
Past members	Craig Wuest Dennis Rea Tim Finnegan Daniel Zongrone Norm Peach Daryl Trivieri Louis Deponté Phil Novak Marla Thomson Dan Hapanowicz Andy Retscher Bob Mishalanie Melanie Coiro Rainer Böhm Christoph Lagemann John Bunkfeldt

Earthstar was an electronic music group originally from Utica, New York, in the United States. Earthstar was encouraged by Krautrock/Kosmische Musik/electronic music artist, composer, and producer Klaus Schulze to relocate to Germany where they were signed by Sky Records. Schulze produced their second and most successful album, French Skyline. Earthstar is notable as the only American band who participated in Germany's Kosmische Musik/electronic music scene while still at its height.

The Earthstar entry in the New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock describes the wall of sound on the second and third albums: "[Group leader Craig] Wuest's vision propels these two albums, his desire apparently is to create music that doesn't necessarily suggest a particular instrument, rather creates a new texture. Therefore, though there are credits for flute, guitar, bass, violin, viola, French horn, sitar and vocals, it's pretty hard to distinguish any of these..." Earthstar's style on French Skyline has been compared to Wolfgang Bock, Sangiuliano, and Klaus Schulze's own recordings. Other albums have a softer style with more distinct instrumentation.

Earthstar is also notable for Craig Wuest's heavy use of the Mellotron and the rare Birotron, a variation on the Mellotron that can sustain notes beyond eight seconds.

Earthstar was the brainchild of keyboardist/synthesist Craig Wuest. A native of Utica, New York, Wuest was heavily influenced by the German electronic music scene of the 1970s, including Klaus Schulze, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Harmonia. Around the same time, Utica guitarist Dennis Rea had founded what he describes as an "eccentric progressive rock band," Zuir. According to Rea, "...being the only two adventurous music acts in town, collaboration between Craig and the members of Zuir was inevitable."