KRAUTROCK Listening Klub! - New Albums Every Wednesday

I suppose if its a good album it doesn't matter?

^ exactly. a very well-executed hoax! the story almost makes me appreciate it more tbh

Yeah, I somehow don't really mind. It is interesting.

Verdammte Englanders!

I think the Golem album is quite good regardless - as is the similarly-impugned album by the band "Pyramid" - but I will admit to thinking it more impressive if it is in fact 20 years older. No big deal.

Is there room for me to take a shot at another week? End of the line is fine by me.

Sure, anytime.
7/07 - Matt #2
14/07 - Alan N
21/07 - Ian
28/07 - psychgawsple
04/08 - pfunkboy
11/08 - Tom D
18/08 - von kelson

Matt #2 if you're around you can post now if you like.

Not seen him post in a while actually. Not in here anyway.

Yeah sorry for being quiet, gimme a minute even though it's 2.45 am here

OK, sorry for the lack of download links, if someone wants to help me out with that feel free as I am a luddite.

KLAUS SCHULZE – Cyborg
http://www.insideoutshop.de/images/Cyborg72dpi.jpg
Schulze's second album was a double one, consisting of four 25-minute long pieces of dark, sinister and spacey progressive electronics. You got to be quite a hardcore fan of this kind of progressive music to manage to listen through this monster in a row, but it would be ultimately rewarding if you are. The first track "Synphära" is a gloomy and sinister composition that sounds quite a bit Wagner-ish, and it's no big secret that Wagner is one of Schulze's favourite composers. "Conphära" is based on a flowing carpet of electronic sound with improvisations by a mellotron-sounding orchestra on top of it. "Chromengel" is a beautiful track with spacey electronic sounds built around a floating and warm organ. "Neuronengesang" is probably the spaceiest track on the record, with lots of primitive spacey electronic sounds that surrounds the orchestral improvisations. "Cyborg" is a monumental slice of early German progressive electronic music in its heaviest form.

ORGANISATION – Tone Float
http://www.poecker.homepage.t-online.de/02/2bocdorg.jpg
PERSONNEL:
Ralf Hütter – Hammond organ.
Florian Schneider-Esleben – electric flute, alto flute, bell, triangle, tambourine, electro-violin, percussion
Basil Hammoudi – glockenspiel, conga gong, musical box, bongos, percussion, voice
Butch Hauf – bass guitar, shaky tube, small bells, plastic hammer, percussion
Alfred Mönicks – drums, bongos, maracas, cowbell, tambourine, percussion
Konrad "Conny" Plank – sound engineering
Tone Float is an LP by the German band Organisation. Organisation was a pre-Kraftwerk band, having only produced and released one album, Tone Float. After the release, members of the group went on to form Kraftwerk.

The album has not been officially reissued on compact disc.

The album sold few copies on its UK-only release in August 1970, and is remembered because two of the band members, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, later went on to form the group Kraftwerk. It was produced by Konrad "Conny" Plank."
The studio was in the middle of an oil refinery. When we came out of the door we could hear the sound of those big flames burning off the fumes – all kinds of industrial noises." —Ralf Hütter
Sales were poor and RCA opted to drop the band, which then dissolved.

ANIMA-SOUND – Musik Für Alle
http://www.discogs.com/image/R-150-130347-1124346456.jpg
Paul and Limpe Fuchs music, better known as Anima, represents the most original and obscure event among German Kraut Rock. Here they play a wonderful and very inspired duet on Paul Fuch's self-built instruments with the pot-production collaboration of Will Neubauer's Echolette Ringmodulater. Privately issued on LP record in 1972 for the artists' own label Altepfarhof, these two 17 minute long improvisations titled 'n da da uum da' and 'traktor go go go' can surely be considered as one of the best psychedelic experiences ever created.

“In the summer of 1971 the authors of this record parked their wooden stage caravan, hauled by a Hanomag tractor, in front of Willy Neubauer's recording studio in Dusseldorf. They had been travelling for 6 months at a speed of 20 km/h through the country, chugging and building up their stage. After touring, they spent three isolated days in the studio and let Willy and his newly discovered electronics add wings to their minds.”

Would appreciate links for that Anima-Sound album!

hmmm my bookmark didnt work.

here is the Klaus Schulze spotify http://open.spotify.com/album/0TH15JSqX9JMYlyTPxhCRp

here is ANIMA-SOUND – Musik Für Alle
http://open.spotify.com/album/7JmMtuSvCx4WKRQvdCHLPb

Non Spotify links at all?

What I do is just upload the albums to Megaupload - which is easy and free

well i dont have them. plus its up to the person picking the albums to do that if they so wish. I think many would rather however give legal links to avoid the wrath of stet. But if i do see links of said stuff others uploaded then i dont mind posting links to the blog (until stet or someone says not to,i would think oop or rare stuff might be ok)

Suppose if you can find it on Spotify it isn't rare, but surprised you found Anima-Sound on there

2010 release it says. Spotify is good with reissues.

Also it's bloody bizarre

And i mean bizarre. Tom, I think you might dig it.

I've heard one of their albums before, but I think I'd prefer this one, the other album was too much like music

lol

Alan N is up next
14/07 - Alan N
21/07 - Ian
28/07 - psychgawsple
04/08 - pfunkboy
11/08 - Tom D
18/08 - von kelson

so, ignoring my request for a turn???

no, i guess I forgot to add you. Would you like to take my turn or go on the 25th August?

25th would be fine.

apologies - I'll post my picks later this afternoon. (particularly busy at work.)

ok - got a minute.

running theme will be underrated albums from some of the big players.

here goes!

harmonia - live 1974 (1974, 2007)
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/tapehiss/61HleCYfNtL_SS500_.jpg

killer live set comparable in quality to the two studio albums - which is saying something!

they're working in long-form mode on here and it is wonderful. the tracks streeeeeeetch into infinity. love this stuff.

ashra - blackouts (1977)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LrzVEXjp5mA/S6P7uqOI7tI/AAAAAAAADTM/30eN16zkwN8/s400/image.bmp

I believe this is all manuel göttsching's doing, which would make sense since it was later reissued under his name.

as you might expect from ashra/solo göttsching, you're in store for a slab of mellow electronics with clean soloing on top. but this is a particularly great example of the style. I probably listen to this more than anything else in the ash ra tempel/ashra/göttsching family.

quality youtube comment for standout track 'midnight on mars':

Good hypnotic sound to escape from the shit of society - For awile anyway.

amon düül II - wolf city (1972)
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000O78BEQ.jpg

ok, this is no yeti but a solid album nonetheless. epic psych rock. you know the drill.

Live 1974 and Wolf City are both incredibly good.

totally. all three of these picks have gotten much play from me over the last few years. live 1974 in particular.

was also tempted to pick circle's prospekt but wasn't sure if it would ruffle purist feathers. but seek it out if you haven't heard it!

^^Holy SHIT I love all three of those records A LOT.
Those are definitely my favorite records by by Amon Duul II and Ash Ra.
I really think Wolf City is a more consistent and listenable record than Yeti, I listen to it way more.
I also really REALLY love Vive La Trance, but that may have something to do with finding a cheap original VG vinyl copy of it.
I should listen to that live Harmonia record again soon. It's really really good.

lol xpost^

wolf city is definitely more consistent than yeti (not including a side of sprawling improv will do that) but I still think that the highs are higher on yeti.

in any case, both records RULE.

I only know the song "wolf city," which is probably my favorite ADII song I've heard.

Sleepwalker's Timeless Bridge may be my favorite ADII song.
I mean...besides Archangel's Thunderbird, which is pretty unfuckwithable, of course, but everyone knows that one.

Hurrah, all of these are on Spotify!

Ashra: http://open.spotify.com/album/140BMrMHrJKORgGdutEFde
Amon Duul II: http://open.spotify.com/album/2F6AmLF30r4QZbU59SQPUW
Harmonia: http://open.spotify.com/album/2F6AmLF30r4QZbU59SQPUW

Wolf City is ADII's last good album. After that they range from patchy to abysmal.

i have listened to blackouts more times than i care to remember. amazing album.

for some reason i've never heard wolf city! i need to change this

ok, this is no yeti but a solid album nonetheless. epic psych rock. you know the drill.

Ya bastard, "Wolf City" was on my list for my next picks. FWIW this is probably my favourite ADII album, certainly the one that gets played most. Band was sort of falling apart all the time by this album, so it's like four different bands on one album, Side 2 doesn't even sound like ADII for the most part. Also greatest use of Jimmy Jackson and His Amazing Choir Organ on this album, outside of Popol Vuh's "Aguirre".

:-o

fwiw, I didn't know the back story behind wolf city until now or much of the ADII history in general. interesting stuff.

which reminds me, can anyone recommend a good book on this scene? obviously, there's julian cope's book but it's way oop and pricey. I've seen pdfs online but I don't think I would care to read the whole thing on a computer or screen of any sort.

anything else worth looking into?

i love wolf city, tom you can do tanz.. next

Nah, I'm actually not that a big a fan of ADII.

yeah, yeti and wolf city are the only ADII I listen to as well. given cursory listens to the rest of the early stuff but none of it ever clicked. not ruling them out but not in a rush to re-evaluate either.

love "between the eyes" tho:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSAk1O0B6sg

the riff 1:14 into that live clip is all-time.

^That is a good one.
I was looking for a video for the AD2 song "Trap" from Vive Le Trance, it's a really great pop-rock song.
Couldn't find one.

tanz der lemminge is great. As is Phallus Dei, Yeti & wolf city. Not heard vive le trance for years but i seem to recall liking it

and i like this later period song a lot. Closest they got to a pop song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSVgOFO2ng

tbh I play "Made In Germany" far more often than I play "Dance of the Lemmings"!

you would!

21/07 - Ian
28/07 - psychgawsple
04/08 - pfunkboy
11/08 - Tom D
18/08 - von kelson

what happened to this week's jams?

and this weeks???