KICK UP

SPACEBOX was the project of Uli Trepte who was the original bass player for GURU GURU, playing on their first three studio albums. He has help here from Edgar Hofmann the former EMBRYO member who adds a lot here with nagaswaram, mouth organ, sax, flute, violin and clarinet. We get a guitarist, as well as Lotus Schmidt on drums. "Kick Up" was their second and final album released in 1984, while their self titled debut, although recorded in 1979, it wasn't released until 1981.

Krautrock in the eighties eh? Uli played with FAUST early in his career, and they seem to be his inspiration here. I understand the SPACEBOX debut is very difficult, very experimental and raw. Both are tagged with the free rock and free jazz styles. Both were recorded live in studio and as they mention in the liner notes they would get it right on the second "take", so they were in the studio for only a couple of days. So yes, tons of improvs going on here, and so experimental! I mean listen to "Blue Blues", "Kick Up" and the "Earmike Song" and tell me what you think?

SPACEBOX by the way was Uli's term for his "effects system". It was after their debut that some of the members joined Lotus Schmidt's project LS BEARFORCE, including Edgar Hofmann and Winfried Beck who shared drumming duties with Lotus Schmidt on SPACEBOX's debut. LS BEARFORCE released their only album in 1983. And three drummers on it! Only one of them plays drums though. And Trepte did the cover art for that one. "Kick Up" might be a step up from the debut, but man this is tough going to say the least.

Fans of FAUST perhaps would be drawn to this, everyone else run! More like 2.5 stars, but out of respect for Uli I'm bumping this to 3 stars.