After midnight, early eighties: listening to BBC Radio, the tune they just played is called „Nightporter“. What a nice but curious sound, a bit like Brian Ferry singing. Something I never heard before. The mysterious studio guest musician is mentioning Jean Cocteau and a certain „difficulty of being“. I am broad awake. Talking on some kind of „Japan“ now. Trying to save some fragmentary information to my short-term memory account, because the plan was made immediately and clear as the daylight to come: the following morning I was going to present those loose-end snippets to the record dealer of my trust, just to let him build a conclusive picture of that puzzle. „Nightporter, the splitting of a cultband and a solo debut – does this make any sense to you?“ Coming home then with an album called Brilliant Trees and, studying fine arts at that time, with another one called Oil on Canvas as a bonus – a Frank Auerbach painting on its cover, from a band I never heard of, containing this song called „Nightporter“. Listening to that brilliant fresh stuff I was happy and surprised. A shy, evasive and sophisticated guy with philosophical ambitions, a Pentangle bass player at his side, music that was at the same time folk, avantgarde, funky and ambient. A singing poet fearlessly setting sail, new beginnings. Courageous and romantic attitude, bright beauty spiced with doubt and darkness. Aren´t those the ones that really count who sing their own songs, single-handed written, telling about their true experiences, giving sincere insight to their unique life? What a fine guideline it was! A mirror, a Lifer. These were years with a genius for living.