There seem to be lots of new re-issues from the likes of Faust and Neu around now - are any of them any good? Likewise Amon Duul, Popol Vuh. Try and say why anything you recommend is good.
― Dr. C, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Michael Bourke, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tom, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Omar, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Richard Tunnicliffe, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
A lot of "krautrock" has strong progrock tendencies, and this includes much of the above IMO. It always makes me laugh when some bullshit artist hipster starts banging on abt how it *just isn't prog, right* (cf thommy baby, wee bobby) Somehow, You jusy KNOW that if hawkwind, man, art bears or peter hammill had been german, they'd fucking love them (sigh.) Anyway, there's also stuff that I like, such as eloy, grobschnitt, jane, guru guru and the like that, given thee good doktor's anti prog preledictions, he'd probably best avoid. Be aware that just like british progressive/underground bands, most krautrock bands were only good up to a certain point - ESPECIALLY amon duul2!
One other important thing - if any ILM-ers based in or near leicester have contact details for thee "ultima thule" record shop, please post them. don't even waste your time with any other sources of kraut reissues. What these people don't know, isn't worth knowing.
A friend of mine recently described julian cope as being like "guru guru, if they'd been managed by malcolm mclaren" GOD how I wish *I'd* though of that!
Something else I though of - germany in the '70's was a bit like jamaica in the '70's, in that the amazing & unique music made there will NEVER happen again, because of the globalised media, MTV etc, and that it is UTTERLY futile to try to recreate what they did, not that it stops FOOLS trying, ov course. x0x0
― norman fay, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
and I'll add: - Cluster, any good? And what albums? - Of course it's prog rock. I always thought it was a bit ironic that all those punks who trashed prog-rock got into Can in a big way.
I've always hated the "If X had made it instead of Y you'd like it" argument. It presumes too much about another person's tastes, it is a dead end, and it's silly too because X didn't make it and because who makes records is part of how we respond to music - the context, the package, etc.
Still what's up with Cluster?
It just tends to piss me off that weird 1970's german bands (many of whom were great) get lionised, often by fckng posers, whilst weird 1970's british bands (many of whom were great) are "prog"=destroy. It just makes no sense, and I'm damn sure there's something more than just musical taste being paraded there (er, not here, though, it seems :)
x0x0 x0x0
― DJ Martian, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
BUY MORE HAWKWIND
― Lost Johnny, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
It's all part of being a music fan - lots of the fun is affectation.
Personally I like Hawkwind and AD II about equally = not much.
The other really big aspect is that you can hear/read the lyrics on a lot of British prog records and if lyrics are important to you that might be a turn-off. Whereas that's less the case with the Germans.
And country of origin is important. There's something heroic about Turbonegro rocking Sweden in a way that there isn't about Buckcherry rocking the US, say.
― Andrew, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― AP, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
The bit abt the lyrics is a good point - would a native-english speaking band have got away with kraftwerks lyrics? or can's?
Good point abt yer band rocking sweden too. I hope they're better than buckcherry though...er....
Anyway, Someone mentioned ashra tempel, who I forgot abt. They're also one of my favourites, "join inn" being the pick IMO. However, here's a warning - they did do two stinkers, which I'd *avoid*, even if cheap. "seven up" would be OK were it not for singing (tim leary IIRC) so k-lame it makes you feel all horrible inside, and "featuring rosi" is just a clinker. Otherwise, any ash ra tempel album featuring klaus schulze is worth picking up. One of their later albums, "blackouts", is quite nice for that 2am knackered-but-can't- sleep thang.
x0x0
More info at Brainwashed Releases
April 23rd (I think the UK releases are being imoported /issued on Gronland) * Neu! - Neu! CD/LP, Neu! II CD/LP and Neu! 75 CD/LP [official reissues] (Grönland, Germany)
May 15th for the US folk trendy electronic label Astralwerks * Neu! - Neu! CD, Neu! II CD and Neu! 75 CD [official reissues] (Astralwerks, US)
Previously these have been available from some dodgy illegal Italian label (where copyright law is extremely weak), I picked up a copy of Neu 2 last year.
If you check my weblog regularly you would have been aware of the Neu reissues earlier this month.
― Sean Carruthers, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Kris, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
As a personal preference my favorite albums are the first two Harmonia albums, which are superb. They were a kind of super group of Cluster and Neu! members, and were representative of the more mellow side of these two groups. Unfortunately they are quite hard to get hold of as you can only get them on Import from Japan as far as I know. I managed to get them from Rough Trade in Neals Yard, but on two seperate visits.
― Chewshabadoo, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― duane zarakov, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I can't really speak to how much their other albums 'rock' but Tangerine Dream are certainly krautrock; Zeit is an album that actually deserves the description 'glacial'. As far as I've heard anything from earlier on in their catalog will be good and also different enough from the others to make exploring worthwhile.
― Josh, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― james e l, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Snnap Dragon (snnap dragon), Saturday, 24 January 2004 21:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 24 January 2004 21:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Snnap Dragon (snnap dragon), Saturday, 24 January 2004 22:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 24 January 2004 22:33 (twenty years ago) link
― David Allen (David Allen), Saturday, 24 January 2004 23:16 (twenty years ago) link
Can 'Free Concert'Can 'Future Days & Past Nights'Amon Duul II 'Live in London'
― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 24 January 2004 23:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― petesmith (plsmith), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:57 (nineteen years ago) link
yeah, man. thank god it isn't cool anymore, i can stop feigning interest in it and start feigning interest in something new.
― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago) link
Remember when we were 15 and still cared what was cool?
― nathalie sans denouement (stevie nixed), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― nathalie sans denouement (stevie nixed), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― strng hlkngtn, Friday, 12 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
x-post
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Friday, 12 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
Agitation Free possibly?
― gotta lol geir (NickB), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:37 (ten years ago) link
weird that the biggest city in Germany produced so little krautrock
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:42 (ten years ago) link
Well it wasn't quite so big when it was chopped in half.
― gotta lol geir (NickB), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:43 (ten years ago) link
it was still the biggest by population
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:46 (ten years ago) link
Never heard of the Berlin School (of Krautrock) (not a physical school, of course) - which was T. Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ashra? There's lots who were based there though whether they were actually from there I know not: Agitation Free. Kluster. Conrad Schnitzler. I'm sure there's more.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:46 (ten years ago) link
Ash Ra..forgot about them..
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:51 (ten years ago) link
It's not that bad a representation, 'cos all of those artists are good, there are probably a 100 more terrible ones I can't think of right now
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:54 (ten years ago) link
I mean, Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, and what have they got? Faust... I'm struggling beyond that.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:55 (ten years ago) link
And by the way, I was in Hamburg earlier this year, and none of the people I talked to there had even heard of Faust! I'm talking musicians and people who are into music.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:56 (ten years ago) link
so which city was the krautrock capital?i had a theory for a second it was a suburban movement..
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:58 (ten years ago) link
which music are they into?xpost
There wasn't one, there was was no movement (xp)
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 14:59 (ten years ago) link
I don't know, sort of indie people I suppose. Germans (I've met) don't seem that interested in German music tbh
how old are they?
it's logical if they are young
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 15:00 (ten years ago) link
current german music isn't what it used to be.
30-40 I'd say.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 15:01 (ten years ago) link
maybe Faust is relatively more popular abroad than in Germany.
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 15:03 (ten years ago) link
Lots of the well-known bands were from Dusseldorf, Cologne or Munich... Frankfurt was poorly represented though I think.
― gotta lol geir (NickB), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
awesome stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LneduxXyt9I
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 20:57 (ten years ago) link
I thought I'd read that you could loosely separate the genre into two camps - the Berlin School and the Dusseldorf School (with various outliers of course). Berlin = Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream; Dusseldorf = Neu!, Kraftwerk, Can, Cluster.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 22:06 (ten years ago) link
Dusseldorf wind, easily
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 22:19 (ten years ago) link
wins
Yes. Plus by default you can add Harmonia and La Dusseldorf to that camp. And Faust is an outlier. Where were ADII from? Popol Vuh? Probably they just complicate my simple binary distinction.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 22:26 (ten years ago) link
both from munchen
― nostormo, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 22:28 (ten years ago) link
Berlin = Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream; Dusseldorf = Neu!, Kraftwerk, Can, Cluster.
Can and Cluster have got nothing to do with Dusseldorf though. Cluster started in Berlin!
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Thursday, 17 October 2013 07:56 (ten years ago) link
s.y.p.h. - "pst!"(1980) & "s.y.p.h."(1981) they're both available one one CD on the captain trip label. holger's on board for french horn , prod & edit duties. a sloppy, punky, minimalist step sideways from the CAN template. sounds like it was recorded yesterday & released on psf.both moebius / beerbohm (aggro 2 note synth/ drum ambient chocolate-monk stomps)& moebius / renziehausen (toytown keyboard presets create virtual reality senile muzak weirdness) discs also essential although by no means ROCK.
― massaman gai, Thursday, 17 October 2013 09:27 (ten years ago) link
Anyone looked into the 6CD boxes called "Krautrock: Music For Your Brain"? There are *5* of these boxes. Here's the first one: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=14856
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:55 (ten years ago) link
No one's familiar with the boxes I mentioned?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 26 March 2014 12:58 (ten years ago) link
tracklist for the first looks thrown together almost at random. can't see why one wouldn't just want to buy the original albums the songs are taken from.
― rushomancy, Wednesday, 26 March 2014 19:20 (ten years ago) link
I heard the first box - it's mostly German hard rock and early prog. Moving on to albums from Copey's list.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 18:01 (ten years ago) link
This series looks quite promising! I'm in for the first couple of volumes at least.
To provide an overview of the various musical styles in which Bureau B specializes, the label launches a new compilation series entitled Kollektion. Each release in this series will be curated by a musician perfectly suited to the task. The first kick-off release will be: Kollektion 01: Sky Records, compiled by Tim Gane. The erstwhile Stereolab mastermind delves through the archives of the legendary German Krautrock label. More projects to follow: Kollektion 02: Roedelius -- Electronic Music -- Compiled by Lloyd Cole; Kollektion 03: Bureau B -- Compiled by Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas) -- Double Album; Kollektion 04: Populare Mechanik -- Compiled by Holger Hiller. About Sky Records: The record company was founded in the year 1975 and went on to become one of the few German labels to reap international acclaim. It was run by Gunter Körber, who quit his job at Metronome where he and Bruno Wendel had spent four years developing and managing the legendary Brain label. About Tim Gane: No less a figure than Tim Gane, the man behind Stereolab, has delved into the Sky Records archives for the Kollektion series. Gane has never hidden his love of Krautrock; many a Stereolab song has its foundations in the typical "motorik" beat, while his latest band, Cavern Of Anti-Matter wallows in Klaus Dinger rhythms. Experimental sounds hold no fear for him, as early noise cassette releases under his Un-Kommuniti alias testify. His selection of tracks fits the pattern seamlessly: Asmus Tietchens, Cluster, Moebius, Roedelius, Michael Rother, Riechmann, Gunter Schickert, etc. All names writ large in the avant-garde scene of German progressive music, as well as underlining Gunter Körber's audacity in offering such music a forum with his label. In the booklet, Asmus Tietchens, who released four albums on Sky Records, looks back on collaborating with Gunter Körber.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 5 September 2014 14:38 (ten years ago) link
Currently reading David Stubbs's Future Days, a great read.
― goth colouring book (anagram), Friday, 5 September 2014 14:43 (ten years ago) link
Speaking of Bureau B and Sky Records, their upcoming reissue of Harald Grosskopf's Synthesist is very welcome.
― doug watson, Friday, 5 September 2014 18:05 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j0TUyukpnY
― clouds, Saturday, 6 September 2014 02:15 (ten years ago) link
There's a new collab between Harald Grosskopf (Ashra, Klaus Schulze, a billion other bands) and sometime Kraftwerk/Neu! associate Eberhard Kranemann out now on Bureau B - the album is called Krautwerk and it seems they're touring under that name too.
Thought I'd post here as I thought I remembered reading a lot of praise for Grosskopf's "Synthesist" on ILX though I can't find where. Anyway the album isn't grabbing me that much yet but it has its moments.
They've done a few shows together already, has anyone seen them? Any good? They are playing here in Oxford on Tuesday and I would normally automatically go but the timing is inconvenient, the venue's not great, etc...
― a passing spacecadet, Sunday, 1 October 2017 16:34 (six years ago) link
...apparently tonight's Grosskopf/Kranemann/Krautwerk gig is cancelled, btw, so I hope nobody had decided to go to it after reading my post there.
Not sure why or when it was cancelled or if it will be rescheduled. It's listed as cancelled on the Facebook event and 3 different ticket sites but there's no mention of the gig at all on the promoter's Facebook or Twitter, which is kind of weird imo. Hope everyone involved is OK.
― a passing spacecadet, Tuesday, 3 October 2017 11:00 (six years ago) link
There was a gig in Brighton which was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
― Chewshabadoo, Tuesday, 3 October 2017 14:15 (six years ago) link
geez that's a lame reason to cancel a show
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 3 October 2017 14:21 (six years ago) link
brighton show was booked at quite a sizeable/expensive venue iirc?
― plp will eat itself (NickB), Tuesday, 3 October 2017 14:25 (six years ago) link
Soul Jazz just announced Deutsche Elektronische Musik Vol. 3 and I'm frickin' stoked!
Klauss Weiss – Wide Open Space MotionA.R. & Machines – I'll Be Your Singer, You'll Be My SongDeutsche Wertarbeit – Deutscher WaldDzyan – KhaliMissus Beastly – GeishaAlex – DeruléAgitation Free – In The Silence Of the Morning SunriseGeorg Deuter – PearlsMichael Bundt – The Brain Of Oskar PanizzaPopol Vuh – Ja, Deine Liebe Ist Sußer Als WeinNovalis – DronszBröselmaschine – SchmetterlingNeu! – NeuschneeBetween – And The Waters OpenedLa Düsseldorf – White OverallsKlauss Weiss – ConstellationAchim Reichel – Tanz Der Vögel In Den WindenRoedelius – LustwandelPyrolator – Die Haut Der FrauCluster – HollywoodStreetmark – PassageNiagara – Rhythm GoMichael Bundt – Neon
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 6 November 2017 18:39 (six years ago) link
can’t wait for some alt-right dipshit to discover ‘white overalls’ and turn white supremacists onto krautock
― What's the range of an Iranian frogman dipshit? (bizarro gazzara), Monday, 6 November 2017 18:55 (six years ago) link
A nicely diverse playlist. Guess they really must like that Klaus Weiss album?
― doug watson, Monday, 6 November 2017 19:01 (six years ago) link
I think this is the best Deutsche Elektronische Musik yet
― paolo, Monday, 4 December 2017 21:20 (six years ago) link
Volume 4!
1. Alex – Patella Black2. Klaus Weiss – Driving Sequences3. Can – I'm So Green4. Agitation Free – Laila, Part II5. Deutsche Wertarbeit – Guten Abend, Leute6. Amon Düül II – Wolf City7. Michael Rother – Flammende Herzen8. Klaus Weiss – Pink Sails9. Virus – My Strand-Eyed Girl10. Conrad Schnitzler – Ballet Statique11. Kalacakra – Nearby Shiras12. EMAK – Tanz In Den Himmel13. Et Cetera – Mellodrama 2a14. Between – Triumphzug Kaiser Maximilian I15. Roedelius – Halmharfe16. Dzyan – Dragonsong17. Harmonia – Deluxe (Immer Wieder)18. Günter Schickert – Suleika19. Witthüser & Westrupp – Schöpfung (1. Mose 1)
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/deutsche-elektronische-musik-4
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 04:21 (four years ago) link
Bear family just started a series of 2cds called Kraut! I think it might include some of the rockier stuff that Cope was trying to exclude.
There are also a number of contemporary to the non-scene bands from elsewhere like Area and Balerno di Bronzo from Italy, Nyl from France and a few other things worldwide that if you like krautrock you should also enjoy. Though that might be difficult to predict. I hear an overlap in the sound anyway.Also US things like Larry Young's Lawrence of Newark and the much later Savage Republic Jamahiriya.Or Simply Saucer Cyborgs Revisited and things like peak Chrome that you should also check out. But hopefully you already know that.& at least 70s Hawkwind and Eno era Roxy Music should also appeal.
― Stevolende, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 08:00 (four years ago) link
Interesting that the Bear Family are moving out of their country/rockabilly comfort zone.
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 08:38 (four years ago) link
Looking forward to volume 4. For some reason I thought that 3 was going to be the last.
― paolo, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 08:46 (four years ago) link
Me too, it was the "That's All Folks" text on the back.
Bear Family also has an excellent set of NDW compilations called "Aus grauer Städte Mauern - Die Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) 1977-85"
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 12:06 (four years ago) link
That Et Cetera song is gorgeous
― brimstead, Wednesday, 16 September 2020 18:05 (four years ago) link
here's something I really dig about certain German records - stuff like Neu!, La Dusseldorf, Harmonia, Gottsching's E2-E4, etc. - it sounds like what I imagined the first albums ever released would have sounded like, if you asked me at the age of 6
― frogbs, Monday, 21 November 2022 03:26 (one year ago) link