― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)
― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 04:06 (twenty-two years ago)
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 04:09 (twenty-two years ago)
― phil turnbull (philT), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 05:47 (twenty-two years ago)
the harmonia+eno tapes were home recordings/demos/jams never meant for release and shouldn't be judged by the same standards, although they are also completely beautiful in their own right.
― (Jon L), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 08:24 (twenty-two years ago)
― willem (willem), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 08:46 (twenty-two years ago)
― evan chronister (evan chronister), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)
First Rother solo LP has Jaki Liebezeit on drums: hardly new age boredom, but there is maybe a little too much tasty guitar for me.
― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― joni, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)
― direct_program, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)
The Begegnungen compilations compile the more experimental/ambient side of the trio's experiments, and also feature Eno in a somewhat tacked-on role.
― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)
― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)
― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)
The Begegnungen compilations did get me started on this stuff; I ended up buying every single last album featured on those records.
Moebius - Plank - Neumeier's 'Zero Set' from '84 is also a high point of the catalog. Still one of the most successful examples of live drums integrated into sequenced electronics.
― (Jon L), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul (scifisoul), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)
― Harpal (harpal), Sunday, 1 October 2006 22:00 (nineteen years ago)
― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 1 October 2006 23:22 (nineteen years ago)
― am0n (am0n), Sunday, 1 October 2006 23:26 (nineteen years ago)
― brg30 (brg30), Monday, 2 October 2006 19:20 (nineteen years ago)
― Harpal (harpal), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 03:00 (nineteen years ago)
― less-than three's Christiane F. (drowned in milk), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)
― HUNTA-V (vahid), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 17:38 (nineteen years ago)
There have been some doubts expressed about this. Probably somewhere on the No New York thread...
― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 22:56 (nineteen years ago)
― LC (Damian), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)
I saw a copy at aquarius, the cover is a second or third gen photograph of the original, if it is legit then for some reason they did it without access to the original materials.
It's still a gatefold though, and the center spread picture of their huge country studio with arcane stacks of electronic gear stacked high in the center of the room, that image = the music, you don't know this album if you haven't seen it
― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 00:03 (nineteen years ago)
― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 00:17 (nineteen years ago)
WOW. From Michael Rother's website:
Harmonia live 1974 On 22nd October 2007 a rare live recording of Harmonia (Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius) dating from 1974 will be released for the first time. The album will be available on cd and vinyl in Europe through Gronland Records and in the USA through Water Records. Read a review by John Mulvey at UNCUT Magazine (UK). More information will follow soon.
― Bill in Chicago, Friday, 10 August 2007 19:03 (eighteen years ago)
gibber!
― zappi, Friday, 10 August 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)
FUCKIN A, I AM SO THERE
― sleeve, Friday, 10 August 2007 21:10 (eighteen years ago)
and it's from 1974, when they were still improvising, instead of the later shows when they felt the pressure to recreate deluxe live -- so this is basically going to be an album of all new music
Which brings us to a new Harmonia release, amazingly. There's been some assiduous foraging of the Krautrock archives these past few years, that's fetched up the "Harmonia 76" sessions with Eno already. This one, "Live 1974", is a gig recording that appears to capture Rother, Moebius and Roedelius jamming with that typical impassive euphoria to an entirely empty room.
In fact, Michael Rother claims in the press release that the show (in a former railway station in Griessem) was attended by a good 50 or so people, who were too stoned to even applaud, or who couldn't work out where the songs ended. That makes sense: the five lengthy tracks here stretch out to between nine and 17 minutes each, but have an enveloping momentum that makes them feel like they are - or at least should - go on forever.
I must admit I haven't played the two studio Harmonia albums for a year or two, but from memory "Live 1974" is more in the vein of the first one, "Musik Von Harmonia". If you're familiar with the work of Harmonia's constituent bands, Neu! and Cluster, but not Harmonia themselves, imagine the humming seascape pieces from "Neu! 75" augmented by the gently chattering rhythm patterns of Cluster's "Zuckerzeit".
Perhaps Cluster are fractionally more dominant; Rother's always subtle guitar strafe is, if anything, more discreet than ever, though he does have a mild freak-out on "Arabesque". Anyway, it all makes a very soothing start to the week.
― Milton Parker, Friday, 10 August 2007 23:45 (eighteen years ago)
was that you in italics, Milton? or is that quote from somewhere else?
― sleeve, Friday, 10 August 2007 23:55 (eighteen years ago)
it's the john mulvey review, posted in case the above link goes dead later
there was word of this coming out on Ryko as a followup to Harmonia 76 about 10 years ago, I'm glad it's finally seeing light
― Milton Parker, Saturday, 11 August 2007 00:00 (eighteen years ago)
No shit?
This is causing Die Grosser Exzeitmunt!!!
(Deluxe is always in my top three K-rock releases).
― Jon Lewis, Sunday, 12 August 2007 15:12 (eighteen years ago)
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2461/cdcoverharmoniamini2ko8.jpg
― Bill in Chicago, Friday, 24 August 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)
WAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTT
― am0n, Friday, 24 August 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)
& in tandem with the Cluster US tour this coming october, the final step
>>>From www.michaelrother.de: >> >>"Berlin will see the first Harmonia concert since 1976 on 27th >>November 2007 when Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Roedelius >>and Dieter Moebius will open the Worldtronics festival at the "Haus >>der Kulturen der Welt" with their live appearance as Harmonia. >>More information will follow soon."
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 05:59 (eighteen years ago)
info on cluster tour?
― Catsupppppppppppppp dude 茄蕃, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 06:15 (eighteen years ago)
ZOMG. Harmonia tour? Please!
― Bill in Chicago, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 12:46 (eighteen years ago)
"cluster tour" more like one gig in california
― am0n, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 14:30 (eighteen years ago)
Oh, I heard this months ago. It's really really nice. Forgot I had it, must dig it out again.
― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago)
Cluster played here in Chicago ten years ago and it was amazing. I'd love to see Harmonia though. Actually, I'd die to see, Don't Look Back: Harmonia Plays Musik von Harmonia.
― Bill in Chicago, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 15:39 (eighteen years ago)
Wow -- I missed the 96 Cluster tour bc I was out of the country. I was seriously bummed until I heard the live record they released which was total shit.
If this comes anywhere near DC, I'm totally there.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 17:12 (eighteen years ago)
Saw a great show by Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius in London a couple of years back. Please someone put Harmonia on the UK. PLEASE!
― rockford, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 17:25 (eighteen years ago)
I was seriously bummed until I heard the live record they released which was total shit.
the 96 shows were much better than either live record. whoever compiled the discs went entirely for mellow & smooth, the live shows had many menacing / strange moments. I made it to three shows and each one was radically different.
they're still in negotiations for other dates beyond the Big Sur / Ojai shows, but it doesn't look likely they'll make it to the east coast this time
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)
promising 16 seconds of moebius / rother live 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsEwvLwdPhI&NR=1
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:10 (eighteen years ago)
well, they're playing Utrecht in november.
― willem, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)
Worldtronics: Eröffnung Harmonia
Konzert Di 27.11.2007 20:00h Eintritt: 13 Euro, ermäßigt 10 Euro, Festivalpass 30 Euro erhältlich Onlineticket
Oder Ticket direkt im:
" Haus der Kulturen der Welt Abteilung Kommunikation John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10 10557 Berlin"
At the beginning herb skirt was not - electronic music without the German sound of avant-garde of the 1970er years. And in such a way WORLDTRONICS 2007 begin with Harmonia, the legendary Krautrock Supergroup, 1974 formed from Dieter Moebius and Hans Joachim Roedelius, the cluster musicians, and Michael, red ago ex again! and ex power station. The radical Pop pioneers created the schlagzeug for a Drum Machine on the search for singular sounds off, hunted frog concerts by filter, echo, Verzerrer, mixed spielerische texts with strict form concepts, played Ambient music in front. The sound Tueftler occasionally also still got support from Brian Eno. With WORLDTRONICS they are to be experienced now for the first time for 30 years again together and in the concert, short after release of "Harmonia live 1974", a so far unpublished Mitschnitt of the electronics godfathers. There is it shown, how Julian Cope lies correctly in its standard work "herb skirt Sampler": Harmonia is "himmlische music, only temporarily in the real world rings out." By the way: As special attraction of the Popelektronikerin Barbara morning star will improvise led choir of the cultures of the world a title together with Harmonia.
http://www.berlinista.com/en/article/harmonia-at-worldtronics-berlin/3505/
― Milton Parker, Friday, 9 November 2007 02:58 (eighteen years ago)
and now in english :p
"In the beginning there was Krautrock. For there would be no electronic music without the German avant-garde sound of the 1970s. Consequently, WORLDTRONICS 2007 starts with Harmonia, the legendary Krautrock super-group, The band was formed in 1974 by Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, the Cluster musicians, and Michael Rother, ex-Neu! and ex-Kraftwerk. In their search for unique sounds, the radical pop pioneers ditched the drums for a drum machine, played frog concerts through filters, echoes, distorters, mixed playful texts with strict formal concepts and anticipated ambient music. For a time, these sound-tinkerers found a supporter in Brian Eno. At WORLDTRONICS they will be playing together again – in concert – for the first time in thirty years, and only shortly after the release of Harmonia Live 1974, a hitherto unreleased cut of the electronic godfathers. It just goes to show how right Julian Cope was in his standard work Krautrock Sampler, where he describes Harmonia as playing heavenly music that resounds only temporarily in the real world. Incidentally, as a special attraction, the Choir of World Cultures, conducted by pop-electronics lady Barbara Morgenstern, will be improvising a title together with Harmonia."
morgenstern + harmonia = why don't i live in germany wahhhhhhhhhh
― zappi, Friday, 9 November 2007 03:52 (eighteen years ago)
wow!
― haitch, Friday, 9 November 2007 04:07 (eighteen years ago)
'herb skirt'
― braveclub, Friday, 9 November 2007 09:53 (eighteen years ago)
I don't get to see all three together, alas, but I am pretty excited to see Rother and Moebius tomorrow at the lovely Audioscope charity alldayer in Oxford (UK). http://www.audioscope.co.uk/
― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 9 November 2007 10:21 (eighteen years ago)
CLUSTER CALIFORNIA TOUR 2008 :: www.donutsparty.com
― donuts party, Friday, 25 April 2008 20:01 (seventeen years ago)
Ah, this one's more recent than finally heard harmonia
I was asking if anyone's compared the 2007 Harmonia (and Cluster's Rother-produced Zuckerzeit) compared to the early 90s German issues.
I'm liking the Rother solo albums, probably more the Neu, but not quite as interesting as Harmonia.
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 13:40 (seventeen years ago)
Sorry, was referring to the Revisited reissues of Music Von Harmonia and Deluxe.
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 13:42 (seventeen years ago)
There was a nice message board that had all the top 50 KRock albums as picked by J.Cope, as d/l YS, er I, links of similar. I did have the link for ages but deleted it recently, so maybe someone can help...
Also, the images top and bottom are, um, NSFW tbh...
― Mark G, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 13:43 (seventeen years ago)
The out-of-print book, The Crack In The Cosmic Egg was expanded on CD-Rom (how 1996), and has a scaled down online version. The entry on Rother is annoyingly brief and dismissive. Has anyone seen the expanded version?
Originating with the band Spirit Of Sound, Michael Rother spent a short time with Kraftwerk before establishing with fellow Kraftwerk member Klaus Dinger, the dynamic duo Neu! Michael also worked in the band Harmonia, with Cluster musicians. As a soloist, Michael's output has never quite lived up to what most people expected. A talented guitarist and explorative musician, yet even his debut FLAMMENDE HERZEN sounded like a diluted Neu! Though notable for Jaki Liebezeit's precision drumming, and exceptional quality production, it was the start of a trend that ended up with later albums becoming very mellow. Amusingly, one could say some ended up sounding like Hank Marvin interpreting Neu! The recent CD reissues all include remixes and new tracks as bonus material and attempt to promote Michael Rother as the father of techno!
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 17:25 (seventeen years ago)
... that's looks like fair comment to me
― Tom D., Tuesday, 27 May 2008 17:29 (seventeen years ago)
Read what it says about Man Machine!
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 02:04 (seventeen years ago)
I'd say the comment is lazy and unfair. I've listened to Flammende Herzen and Sterntatler several times this week and what I hear is Rother continuing his muse, creating something more personal and emotional than anything in Neu or Harmonia. While I'm sure I'll still favor Neu 75 and Deluxe over them, I think they have more to offer more than most of the first two Neu albums. Working with Can's Jaki Leibzeit instead of Dinger is hardly a drop in quality. Flammende Herzen (Flaming Hearts) actually inspired a movie of the same title, created around the album as a soundtrack. That would be interesting to see.
― Fastnbulbous, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:04 (seventeen years ago)
Hardly lazy or unfair to say he mellowed out, he did
― Tom D., Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:08 (seventeen years ago)
Also, this description "like Hank Marvin interpreting Neu!" is excellent!
― Tom D., Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:12 (seventeen years ago)
fastnbulbous, how do those two solo records sound in relation to neu 75 / deluxe? i'm feeling a strong temptation to buy them immediately...
― cw, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:26 (seventeen years ago)
I say lazy and unfair because Rother was not trying to sound like Neu, so it's no more watered down Neu than Harmonia is. Keep in mind I still prefer Neu 75 because of Dinger's rough edges and double drums on half the album. And I like the almost psychedelic variety of Deluxe. Rother solo is mellow, but the subtly shifting melodies sound pretty sublime to my ears. At domestic price, I'd say at least the two I have are well worth it.
― Fastnbulbous, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:37 (seventeen years ago)
His first 4 albums are all worth having
― Tom D., Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:39 (seventeen years ago)
mellow as in downtempo? less rocking thatn 75? are they keyboardy?
i think i will give Flammende Herzen a shot
― cw, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:42 (seventeen years ago)
They're less keyboardy! Less rocking, very melodic, lush, lots of layered guitars, tasteful - "like Hank Marvin interpreting Neu!" sounds facetious but is a good description
― Tom D., Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:46 (seventeen years ago)
when first getting into Neu!, those Rother albums always sounded too soft, but now they sound exquisite, poignant. perhaps chalk that up to my own mellowing with age? regardless, Rother's four solo albums are incredibly lyrical, a fine amalgam of his Chopin influences for sure. really glad these got reissued and brought to my attention. if you're at all on the Harmonia/ Cluster axis, i fail to see how any of these would fall short for you. they sound perfect driving on a sunny day outside of the city.
― beta blog, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 15:33 (seventeen years ago)
astonished & even a little pissed off at the lack of reviews since Water reissued the first four last year, but seeing as many people have tempered first impressions of them maybe it's just as well people didn't rush their tame opinions into print. I thought they were a little too light compared to Harmonia when I first heard them but I have listened to 'Flammende Herzen' & 'Sterntaler' far more than Neu! 2 or 75 over the last 15 years, especially on road trips. Side 1 of 'Flammende Herzen' basically picks up right where the first three tracks on 'Deluxe' left off.
best thing about the duos with Moebius that bode well for Harmonia reunion: Rother's brought his old guitar sound out again
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 18:08 (seventeen years ago)
the Stop Smiling review that I wrote, but yeah, little ink spilt on them.
― beta blog, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 20:17 (seventeen years ago)
nice review. this one made the inset box under last week's article to plug the Cluster gigs.
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6409&catid=107&volume_id=317&issue_id=379&volume_num=42&issue_num=34
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 20:28 (seventeen years ago)
Well done on the Stop Smiling review. I noticed it's dated April 28. I wondered why the reissues were supposed to be available last fall but I never heard about it. Was the actual release delayed or anything?
― Fastnbulbous, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:17 (seventeen years ago)
I love Flammende Herzen. Didn't know the others had been reissued, will have to check them out.
I saw Rother and Moebius the day before that youtube was filmed, I think, and yes, lots of the old Rother guitar sound, even from a cheap guitar borrowed from the support band (guess it's time I stopped telling myself I'd have a nicer tone if I spent more), and really heartwarming to see them genuinely beaming at each other at the end, like they weren't sure if it would go well but it really did.
― a passing spacecadet, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:25 (seventeen years ago)
That is awesome! Love that rougher sound - that's what I missed most when I saw Moebius & Rother a couple of years back. This sounds much more powerful & confident.
― willem, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:31 (seventeen years ago)
Quite a heavy beat on that clip, too...
― willem, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 21:36 (seventeen years ago)
this has probably been posted but this recent clip of the 3 of them is dope http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbN_bMZbzS4
― am0n, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:02 (seventeen years ago)
my fave from rother is sonnenrad from sterntaler. and he played it at the the [url=http://musik.antville.org/stories/1722138/>last concert in frankfurt</url>. divine stuff.
― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:24 (seventeen years ago)
link doesn't work. another try. only in german... http://musik.antville.org/stories/1722138/
― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:31 (seventeen years ago)
i was gone for about three months, and they were waiting in this mountain of promos upon my return in march. easily the jewels of the lot, but i have no idea when they came out.
― beta blog, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 23:43 (seventeen years ago)
Flammende Herzen arrived this morning, sounds lovely on first listen, bleeds pretty seamlessly into the more downbeat, bucolic bits of deluxe, amazing drumming on the first song.
― cw, Monday, 2 June 2008 11:50 (seventeen years ago)
FH is wonderful, katzenmusik will be next on my list..
― electricsound, Monday, 2 June 2008 12:02 (seventeen years ago)
Roedelius & Tim Story's Inlandish is out July 15, on Gronland. I could live without the first track, but the rest of it has good mellow momentum, and I can even tell the tracks apart!
― dow, Monday, 2 June 2008 19:29 (seventeen years ago)
I just learned that Harmonia have been performing again. They'll be at the New York <a href=http://www.atpfestival.com/events/atp-ny/line_up.php?view=1072>All Tomorrow's Parties</a> on September 20 with the likes of Om, Polvo, Wooden Shjips, and the next day My Bloody Valentine. They also play on July 25 in Pasadena. I hope they come to Chicago, though to be honest, their music works just as great as a backdrop to reading/housework/sexytime/bedtime. Too bad Dinger is gone, a joint Neu!/Cluster (who played Chicago last week but I missed 'em)/Harmonia/La Dusseldorf tour would have been AWESOME.
Video of a recent Harmonia performance: http://mog.com/fastnbulbous/blog_post/165215
My updated Kosmische piece: http://www.fastnbulbous.com/krautrocksampler.htm
― Fastnbulbous, Monday, 2 June 2008 19:51 (seventeen years ago)
so I just bought a Lilith repress of Deluxe, was this a gatefold in the 1st press? cuz my Music Von... sure is. and this new Deluxe isn't.
― sleeve, Monday, 2 June 2008 23:07 (seventeen years ago)
no gatefold with original Brain pressing
― Milton Parker, Monday, 2 June 2008 23:25 (seventeen years ago)
thanx Milton
― sleeve, Monday, 2 June 2008 23:33 (seventeen years ago)
are there any other splinter records drom the cluster/harmonia orbit as good as these Michael Rother solo lps?
― cw, Monday, 9 June 2008 14:44 (seventeen years ago)
There aren't any that sound like them. Check out the various Cluster threads here.
― Tom D., Monday, 9 June 2008 14:46 (seventeen years ago)
i like the sound of Tonspuren and Durch die Wüste. i just realised i don't have grosser wasser so maybe the solo stuff needs to wait. summers here and my sowisoso itch needs scratching...
― cw, Monday, 9 June 2008 15:10 (seventeen years ago)
fuck these guys sounded awesome live on monday nite
― Lemonade In Hammocks (electricsound), Thursday, 15 January 2009 00:34 (sixteen years ago)
sure did. good to see they aren't stuck in 1975 either... that said the big motorik numbers got the biggest cheers.
― GERMANY-world leader manufacturer of humans clones (haitch), Thursday, 15 January 2009 03:08 (sixteen years ago)
musik von is sooooo good. listened on the way to work this morning, and then listened again.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 6 October 2010 22:11 (fifteen years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqPp6RnxTzw
― ( -- ( .) - ( .) / (am0n), Tuesday, 21 February 2012 18:14 (thirteen years ago)
cool
waking up the moebius thread to post that 37 minute solo gig as well
and it doesn't look like this is on this thread yet: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/11/harmonia-live-a.html
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 21 February 2012 19:01 (thirteen years ago)
seeing rother w/ moebius & lampe next month!!!
― the majestic ned? (electricsound), Wednesday, 22 February 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)
Hey that guy coughing in Live 1974 scares the shit out of me every time.
― Will the waveform be unbroken? (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 22 February 2012 07:10 (thirteen years ago)
LIVE 1974 IS SO GOOD
― tylerw, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 14:27 (eleven years ago)
i like the guy's stefan schneider records
― mustread guy (schlump), Tuesday, 1 April 2014 17:18 (eleven years ago)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_p-E9PrNygBo/S7KU0YgBN9I/AAAAAAAAUXY/XxjquOH6QUQ/s1600/Harmonia%2520De%2520Luxe%2520Cover%2520highres.jpg
― A frenzied geologist (Tom D.), Wednesday, 7 May 2014 17:38 (eleven years ago)
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/21/harmonia-at-home-watch-previously-unseen-footage-of-the-group
― no lime tangier, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 21:28 (ten years ago)
photo at the top of the piece looks like a live show with mani neumeier on drums!
― no lime tangier, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 21:31 (ten years ago)
four new tracks on 'documents 1975' surpass all expectations
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 21:48 (ten years ago)
yeah they are totally excellent. looking forward to checking out the video!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 21:49 (ten years ago)
Sweet
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Wednesday, 21 October 2015 21:59 (ten years ago)
sprawling & epic!
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/krautrock_legend_michael_rother_talks_about_the_new_harmonia_box_set_plus_e
there was a sort of battle going on sometimes—I felt that Roedelius and Moebius were, to be quite honest, in a way sabotaging my efforts in creating the spirit that I like to create in concerts, by playing the wrong harmony, the wrong key, something like that.
pretty much! but always in the most musical and appropriate ways
I totally mess with the Live 2008 ATP mp3s, I would have been completely fine with those getting an official release in this box. I would love to hear more of those six 2009 shows they did; you can tell with Möbi on board it would have been fairly different every night regardless of Rother's backing tracks
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 22 October 2015 23:00 (ten years ago)
fyi - former ilxor geeta, who wrote the liner notes for the box set, is doing one of those patreon things for her music writing.
https://www.patreon.com/geetadayal?ty=h
― sarahell, Thursday, 22 October 2015 23:19 (ten years ago)
Anyone pre-order? My shop didn't bring it in because of cost...but man, really want this. Wonder if they are going to do single LP releases as I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally want that extra live set. $130 is tough though.
― dronestreet, Friday, 23 October 2015 01:57 (ten years ago)
The passage near the end of that Rother interview about Moebius—sitting at his funeral, reflecting on him—is really lovely. Thanks for posting, Milton.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 23 October 2015 04:42 (ten years ago)
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee could have done with a warning on Shirtless Rödelius.
Now I'm going to have to buy this thing I guess.
― Dröhn Rock (Branwell with an N), Friday, 23 October 2015 07:02 (ten years ago)
tempted to buy it just cos of the pop-up
― schlep and back trio (anagram), Friday, 23 October 2015 07:53 (ten years ago)
Vinyl only tho. Can't I just buy the book and poster and the downloads?
Thanks for that interview alerting me to Michael Rother playing London again, though:
https://underthebridge.ticketabc.com/events/michael-rother/
― Dröhn Rock (Branwell with an N), Friday, 23 October 2015 08:40 (ten years ago)
Oh, they did that with the Neu box, vinyl only..
I cheated: They had a small promo box with a DVD in, and a promo of the Neu 86 CD, so I recorded my LPs to CDR and made nice little sleeves for 'em, and now I have something I can use/play in the car.
― Mark G, Friday, 23 October 2015 08:56 (ten years ago)
Yeah I'd have prefered the thing on cd. But I have at least one of the main lps, possibly both and the Live '74 set. Would like a copy of the lp with Eno on that has Broken Head on since I used to have it on vinyl.
NOt sure what is in box so not 100% sure what I'm missing
― Stevolende, Friday, 23 October 2015 10:00 (ten years ago)
Groenland is putting out a cassette + download version of 'Documents 1975' for those who don't want to go crazy on this fairly expensive box
It's half an hour, four tracks; two of them are basically rough demos for side one of 'Deluxe', recorded with the Elka drum machine instead of Neumeier; the precise midpoint between the laidback jamming on the first album and the more meticulously composed second. 'Tiki-Taka' is amazing; I hear Rother doing some seamless crossfading / editing to create some of these transitions. The two long live tracks add Neumeier, sounds like it was recorded by an open mic in a magic room, so many people have tried to sound like this in the 40 years since then, but I guess you can't skip the part where you are them living at Forst. At one point Rother references the first half of the riff from Neu!'s Weissensee; all of this stuff ties in together. There's an quiet clicking sound occasionally on the two live tracks I was hoping were just mp3 artifacts but I played the LP on my radio show last night and they're there too, so I guess they were on Asmus' tape. Regardless, too good.
I was worried about 'Live 1974' being 60 minutes on a single LP but it sounds good. All the LPs look great, much better image quality on the covers than some of the recent reconstructed LP reissues. The record labels are clones of the original green Brain label. Geeta got wonderful quotes out of everyone for the liners, tells the story like a fable with the facts. Most of the book is just casual pictures of them hanging out in muddy paradise. The pop-up is ridiculous, the huge schoolhouse with the Sowiesoso riverside tree behind it. Might bring it to the office for a while.
― Milton Parker, Friday, 23 October 2015 18:44 (ten years ago)
I might buy the box just for the downloads if the remasters of deluxe + musik vom + tracks traces are well done. Groenland also released the czukay reissues right, which were shitty. Any sound quality insights yet Milton?
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Friday, 23 October 2015 19:00 (ten years ago)
I didn't hear sound quality issues with the reissues, I just thought Czukay's radical re-editing of certain tracks on those reissues were confusing.
I do wish Groenland did a better job with the ID3 tags; the mp3's lack album & artist & track # information, as well as album art; if you load them all in at once, you'll hear everything across albums in alphabetical order, I don't think they understand what they're selling there yet. Haven't side by side compared the mastering jobs.
― Milton Parker, Friday, 23 October 2015 19:25 (ten years ago)
Slightly off-topic but what was that?
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 23 October 2015 19:33 (ten years ago)
Deletion of whole tracks on On The Way To The Peak Of Normal for starters
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Friday, 23 October 2015 19:55 (ten years ago)
As Milton says, it was czukays doing. Convo was on the main czukay c/d thread earlier this year
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Friday, 23 October 2015 20:08 (ten years ago)
The individual remasters for s/t and Deluxe are for sale as downloads on emusic now. I bought Deluxe and just listened to it. Have not directly compared to the CD I've owned forever but this sounds really good, very warm with lots of nice mids on the synths and drums. Man I wanna read the book so bad!
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 20:28 (ten years ago)
So this would be why Deluxe and Music Von turned up on Spotify this past week.
― Dröhn Rock (Branwell with an N), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 20:44 (ten years ago)
yeah
i assume there are not newly-upped versions of Tracks+traces and Live 1974 because the ones that have been available digitally for awhile are the same masterings as the new box (tracks+traces was just remastered a couple years ago).
I love this shit so much
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 21:11 (ten years ago)
held off on pre-ordering this due to the mahoooossive shipping fee direct from gronland, but one is now winging its way to me.
― voodoo rae jepsen (haitch), Thursday, 29 October 2015 02:55 (ten years ago)
want to temper what I said upthread about untagged mp3's; it's true of 'Documents 1975' and the Czukay downloads I've bought from them before, and all the files lack album art, but the other Harmonia albums all include track numbers in the song titles & album titles so they load into your player ok
remaster of 'Musik von Harmonia' is a little louder & more separated than the original 90's Brain CD I've had for the last 20 years, the other ones are comparable to 2000s CDs.
'documents 1975' nonstop pretty much
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 29 October 2015 10:48 (ten years ago)
I traded the Japanese '95 Musik Von CD for the '04 reissue when those came out and found i didn't like the newer one as much. Maybe I'd just got used to the one I'd had.
― Noel Emits, Thursday, 29 October 2015 11:09 (ten years ago)
Which MVH is on Spotify? There are two issues of Deluxe, oddly – one dated 2015 and the other 1975.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 29 October 2015 11:39 (ten years ago)
I'm on UK spotify so I've got a 2015 Deluxe and Music Von, and a 2009 Tracks and Traces (which used to be the only genuine Harmonia record, amidst a sea of German classical choir ensembles - which, I know, was the joke in the name. But still annoying.)
― Dröhn Rock (Branwell with an N), Thursday, 29 October 2015 11:48 (ten years ago)
Is there a download only for Documents 1975 or am I to go and buy the tape? I think I probably know the answer to this.
― Noel Emits, Saturday, 7 November 2015 22:41 (ten years ago)
Tape? As in cassette tape?
You know, I actually inherited a cassette player/digital encoder from the room of obsolete technology when my office recently moved, so if they are selling genuine cassette tapes, I might have to get one, just to have something to play on it.
― La Düsseldork (Branwell with an N), Monday, 9 November 2015 08:57 (ten years ago)
https://stimulusprogression.bandcamp.com/merch/harmonia-documents-1975-limited-edition-cassettehttps://bleep.com/release/64784-harmonia-documents-1975
― Milton Parker, Monday, 9 November 2015 09:34 (ten years ago)
"Includes download code" it says
but not available digitally without the tape, it seems.
― koogs, Monday, 9 November 2015 09:45 (ten years ago)
I did went and got the tape (yes, compact cassette) and I'm very glad I did. The download link however is for a 192kbps mp3, what is this 1975? The tape sounds much better to me.
― Noel Emits, Monday, 9 November 2015 09:59 (ten years ago)
Not because 192kbps mp3 is inherently much worse than cassette tape but it seems mastered differently and rather harsh / brittle.
― Noel Emits, Monday, 9 November 2015 10:02 (ten years ago)
There's a post on Progressive Ears forum from a few months back where the guy from Wayside Music mentions pre-ordering Documents 1975 on CD but I can't remember my login right now to ask if that was really a thing or if it was actually the tape.
― Noel Emits, Monday, 9 November 2015 10:08 (ten years ago)
What have these guys got against CDs? Vinyl, digital, cassette. Every format except CD.
― schlep and back trio (anagram), Monday, 9 November 2015 10:23 (ten years ago)
Guys, someone, anyone who has the book...
What year did Cluster move to Forst?
Cluster Wiki says 1973: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_%28band%29
Harmonia Wiki says 1971: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_%28band%29
I know Michael Rother didn't move there until 1973, but when did Moebius and Roedelius decamp?
― La Düsseldork (Branwell with an N), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 10:57 (ten years ago)
Never mind; website has it as 1971:
http://www.harmonia1973.com/story/
― La Düsseldork (Branwell with an N), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 11:07 (ten years ago)
I got the Documents 1975 cassette+download. Sounds great; well worth the money since I couldn't throw down on the box!
― dronestreet, Tuesday, 8 December 2015 14:18 (ten years ago)
But the boooooook :(
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 19:37 (ten years ago)
Documents 1975 seems to be getting a proper standalone release (er, today):
https://boomkat.com/products/documents-1975
― koogs, Friday, 18 March 2016 14:06 (nine years ago)
vinyl is currently £9.99 on amazon, can't say no at that price
― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Friday, 18 March 2016 14:23 (nine years ago)
the cd, somehow, is £18.99 on amazon. madness.
― koogs, Friday, 18 March 2016 14:56 (nine years ago)
It's only £9.99 on Boomcat, as linked?
It's also on Spotify. I started listening, thinking it was going to be barrel-scraping bits like that "live" NEU! record, but my goodness, 5 minutes in, I had already ordered it. It's not just live and demo odd-jobs, it's whole different workings of the songs.
― Sehr Kornisch (Branwell with an N), Friday, 18 March 2016 15:12 (nine years ago)
Gee, thanks Groenland. Anyone want to buy a tape?
― Noel Emits, Friday, 18 March 2016 16:51 (nine years ago)
documents 75 is totally epic. these four jams are a lost harmonia album, every bit as transporting as the first one and deluxe. if you love these guys do yourself a favor and get on this
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 7 April 2016 23:57 (nine years ago)
It's a great release – though I'm a bit miffed that I dropped 17 bones on a cassette + download, and now I know I'm gonna grab that wax. It's that good+essential, though.
― dronestreet, Friday, 8 April 2016 02:50 (nine years ago)
Didn't realize there was a non-cassette standalone release! So long, $12.
― spastic heritage, Friday, 8 April 2016 11:52 (nine years ago)
(Inadvertent triple post, sorry)
― spastic heritage, Friday, 8 April 2016 11:53 (nine years ago)
Got the CD for Documents 75. They fixed the little digital clicky artifacts that marred the mp3s and the vinyl pressing on tracks 2 & 4. Kind of cant believe they didn't catch that first time around, but glad they got it this time. CD version is the perfect version.
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 04:53 (nine years ago)
http://imgur.com/Gdrm87c
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 11:09 (nine years ago)
ah good to know those clicks have been fixed up... wasn't sure if they were permanent parts of the original tapes or something. didn't ruin it, but they were occasionally vibe-killing.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 14:32 (nine years ago)
I heard a track from the Harmonia/Eno '76 album yesterday. Beautiful stuff. I never knew a Harmonia/Eno record existed!
― i;m thinking about thos Beans (Michael B), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 14:34 (nine years ago)
wow, 35 Euros for Groenland to ship a CD to the US? I'll pass, jerks.
― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 15:29 (nine years ago)
I still have the old Tracks & Traces, I imagine crossgrading is well worthwhile?
sleeve - I know Wayside stock the Gronland stuff if that helps.
― Noel Emits, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 15:39 (nine years ago)
thanks, I figured SOMEBODY had to carry it in the US
― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 15:45 (nine years ago)
nope, not the Documents CD anyway. it's new, there's still hope.
― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 15:50 (nine years ago)
"temporarily out of stock" but hey
http://www.amazon.com/Documents-1975-HARMONIA/dp/B01AYQ6GZM/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1460476503&sr=8-1
― adam, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 15:55 (nine years ago)
The ticks sound like a noise from the recorder or tape mechanism picked up by the mic. I wouldn't say they've been eliminated from the CD, unless there was some other issue.
― Noel Emits, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 16:54 (nine years ago)
amoeba.com has it. Free shipping in the US and currently a 15% discount advertised on the front page of the site, which brings the price to the same as amazon. (I am not an employee of amoeba, just offering info).
― bryan, Tuesday, 12 April 2016 18:07 (nine years ago)
thanks y'all, I think I got a used one on Amazon but if that falls through I'll hit Amoeba up
― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Tuesday, 12 April 2016 18:16 (nine years ago)