Sahara is a German progressive rock group from München, active from 1972 to the present. The band is associated with krautrock and progressive rock, and its core members are Michael Hofmann, Günther Möll, Nick Woodland and Stephan Wissnet.

History

Sahara develops out of Subject Esq. After line-up changes in 1973, the Munich group signs to Pan, a label under Ariola, and adopts the name Sahara. At this stage, the band includes Hennes Hering on keyboards, Michael Hofmann on moog, mellotron and vocals, Alex Pittwohn on harmonica, saxophone and vocals, Stephan Wissnet on bass and vocals, Harry Rosenkind on drums, and Nick Woodland on guitar.

Albums

The band releases two albums in the 1970s: Sunrise and For All the Clowns. Sunrise is recorded in autumn 1973 at Musicland Studios in Munich. It is a complex symphonic rock album with melodic and intricate arrangements, and the whole of side two is taken up by the Sunrise suite. The album also receives a British release on the Dawn label.

For All the Clowns follows two years later. By then, only Hering, Hofmann and Wissnet remain from the earlier line-up, with Günther Möll on guitar and vocals and Holger Brandt on drums. The record is described as more polished and melodic, with long songs including “The Mountain King” and the title track.

Style and influences

Sahara uses saxophone and flute in its arrangements. Its style is linked with British progressive rock groups such as The Moody Blues, Barclay James Harvest and Van der Graaf Generator, and it is also compared with King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Curved Air and Jethro Tull.

Later years

The band is unstable through its short 1970s run, with repeated line-up changes. After Brandt and Möll leave, Sahara disintegrates in 1977.