RFI: tropicaliakraut connexion

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vaguest question ever! but here goes ...

is there a pre-stereolab connection between tropicalia and krautrock?

were any krautrockers doing the loose-limbed tropical rock thing? any tropicalia artists every stretch out into cosmic motorik jams?

this is sort of inspired by gilberto gil's jammy "canto da ema" (almost grateful dead) and can's "flow motion".

― renegade bear shot by cops on frat row (vahid), Monday, 29 May 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe something on Caetano Veloso's Araçá Azul?
There's some freaky jam thing on it towards the middle,
but it might be more VU/Beefheart than Krautrock.
I'll have to give it a listen tomorrow.
It's been a while.

― Marcus Barr (Marcus Barr), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 04:11 (nineteen years ago)

Lula Cortes to thread...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 04:32 (nineteen years ago)

no, there is no connection. just some coincidental resemblances.

― GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND (yournullfame), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 05:38 (nineteen years ago)

Michael Karoly sounds at times very much influenced by Brazilian stuff (but not really by tropicalia) in his rhythm guitar playing.

― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 06:23 (nineteen years ago)

What about Niagara? Close?

― Treblekicker (treblekicker), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 09:57 (nineteen years ago)

I don't imagine many people in Germany were aware of Brazilian music in the 70s and vice versa - you had to seriously search out music in those days, not like now when it's all available

― No Ring Goes Like a Ringo Goes (Dada), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 10:02 (nineteen years ago)

I've never associated Stereolab with Tropicalia. They display more of a Bossa Nova/kitsch lounge influence.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

you had to seriously search out music in those days, not like now when it's all available

But that is why we now live in the best of all possible worlds!

― Ned Pangloss (Ned), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

Pangloss, please!

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

The first Glucklich compilation on Compost immediately sprung to mind but on a quick listen I'm reminded that these jams were aimed at Brazilian-esque dance jazz.

Niagara, or at least their first lp, is a great suggestion though I recall it being more about batucada rhythms than any sorta tropicalia rock. (Second lp finds 'em delivering jazz-funk fusion. Never heard the third one.)

Given that tropicalia's days ended in 1969 when krautrock was still nascent-- as well as the likely lack of awareness by German musicians of the Brazilian movement, as dadaismus notes above-- my guess is that the only place you'll find such an overlap is with the current hordes of "record collector rock" bands. I'll pass, thanks.

― doug watson (solid air), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 22:27 (nineteen years ago)

The track I was thinking of off Araçá Azul (1972) is called
"De Cara Eu Quero Essa Mulher." It features some pretty wild,
fuzzed-out guitar playing by Lanny Gordin and was co-written by
Gordin with Veloso. The opening riff sounds like Beefheart and
then the song rocks out in a kind of Velvet Underground meets
a Santana jazz fusion type groove.

The song wouldn't have sounded too far away from home
had it been on Can's Tago Mago, and I think it's because
it's influenced by some of the same music from which
Krautrock evolved. Lanny Gordin apparently had some
very diverse tastes in music and "De Cara..." certainly
is an oddity in Caetano's catalog. I've never heard him
rock so hard on anything else.

Yet, I'm really no expert on Krautrock, so I'm hoping
that others who have heard this song come forward with
their opinions. I really wish I knew who the drummer is.
Duane Zarakov to thread!

― Marcus Barr (Marcus Barr), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 22:31 (nineteen years ago)

i'd disagree on it's tago mago-ness, but it is an amazing song. almost as if he wanted to stick his most amazing rock song in the middle of the album to reward those who 'sat through' the first few voice experiments. in fact it's probably one of the best brazilian rock songs ever, in my experience.

― GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND (yournullfame), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 22:53 (nineteen years ago)

i'd disagree on it's tago mago-ness...
-- GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND

Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just the closest thing I could think of...the first thing that came to mind. But I listened to Tago Mago again today and any similarities I was hearing are now seeming very thin. Yeah, it is a great song. I still remember the first time I heard it. Araçá Azul is such a strange and wonderful album, and perhaps the strangest thing of all is how "De Cara..." is placed within such an odd context. It really works though.

Maybe Karnak's next album will be Tropicalia-Krautrock fusion. Hah hah...yikes! Actually, those guys could probably pull it off, but the contrivedness of it all would be awfully hard to stomach as Doug suggests above.

― Marcus Barr (Marcus Barr), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 23:51 (nineteen years ago)

Can - future days (play it fast!).

― jon p, Thursday, 1 June 2006 20:50 (nineteen years ago)

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