The Krautrock Thread
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Topic: The Krautrock Thread
Posted By: rileydog22
Subject: The Krautrock Thread
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 00:26
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RIO has a thread, Zeuhl has a thread, Sympho has a thread, even Italian Sympho has a thread. But what about Krautrock? Those knob-twirling, tape-cutting boys from Germany deserve a thread too! Maybe this thread will die immediately and not make an impact, but perhaps this can become a useful tool to introduce newbies and veterans alike to obscure corners of the deep, rarely-mentioned world of experimental sound that is Krautrock. So: post your questions, comments, album reviews, obscure discoveries, etc. here so we can create a resource to aid all those desiring to broaden their musical horizons and discover some krautrock! -------------   |
Replies:
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 00:47
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my favorite genre. there are a few little known gems in there, like Annexus Quam or Between, who are very well worth a discovery.
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:03
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I like this genre a lot, though, of course, it is music of exponential acerbic nature and exaggerated experimental, profound sound-orientations and acid-"naturalizing" movement. So far, I've shared a first experience out of listening to the early music that TD and Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Tempel or the Cosmic Jokers have made, liking almost everything (the cosmic wobble in the first case, the drones and god-less mechanics in the second, the passionate rock-atmosphere crashes in the third, plus the meditation of nightmares and haunting sounds in the latter). But, lately, I've tried krautrock under an experience of listening to new music. Having got to listen to Psi (a more jazzy band than acid rock jam), Floh de Cologne (an atypical band of concept, its theatrical style oftenly being a crazy avant-garde), Code III (project in which Schulze drummed, very tough and esoteric), Neu! (strangely the most pure rock I've heard, some experimentalism does the trick), Xhol (from soul and rhythm, to acid jazz and sound delight tangle) and Kollektiv (also jazzy, but much more compositional). Since I'll continue these journeys, I might try to talk of them here. ------------- 
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:05
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Love virtually all of it. Listening to a couple of classics of the German underground as I type:
Alcatraz 'Vampire State Building' an'
Brave New World
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Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:12
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Love it. Being the old fart I am, my experience is more with the likes of Tangerine Dream, Kraftwork etc but I'd like to know who are the up and comers.
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Posted By: NotSoKoolAid
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:16
| I'm okay with Krautrock, but from what I've heard there doesn't seem to be much diversity in the tempo from group to group. Can anyone prove me wrong? |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 03:28
there is a lot of difference in tempo; just compare tracks like "God's Endless Love for Men" by Guru Guru, "Sleepwalker's Timeless Bridge" by Amon Düül 2, "Pinch" by Can, "Radio Marrakesch / Orient Express" by Embryo, "Osmose III" by Annexus Quam, "A Day in my Life" by Dzyan, "Utopia No. 1" by Utopia, "In den Gärten Pharao's" by Popol Vuh, "Why Don't You Eat Carrots?" by Faust, to name but a few sound files in the archives ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
NotSoKoolAid wrote:Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 06:37
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Love the stuff i heard so far (Can & Amon Duul II) but im still pretty new to this very experimental type of music, Faust and Neu! are gona be my next picks, i orderd Fuast IV. And was thinking about trying to get Neu! 75 later. ------------- 
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Posted By: victor77
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 17:11
| I find more interesting the cosmic side of kraut rather than the most accessible one. Their role in the history of modern musci is well deserved, pioneering in an absolutely unknown world, on both composition and experimentation, although some works from that era are a bit outdated nowadays. But the influence of bands like EMBRYO, NEU!, CAN, TD, ASH RA TEMPLE and KRAFTWERK is still present, from ambient music to industrial, in songwriting and in musical developments. May I say, I love this side or rock! |
Posted By: Paradox
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 18:19
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I'm not as familiar with Krautrock as I would like to be, but I've got albums by a fair few bands. I absolutely adore Amon Düül II and Can (they seem to be the most popular artists when it comes to Krautrock, and with good reason). Does anyone else think that Neu! 4 is complete rubbish? ------------- 
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 18:48
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Shouldn't we start with the understanding of the name KrautrocK????
Are we talking only about experimental/ psychedelic/ jazzy german bands?
like FAUST, AMON DUUL 2. GURU GURU, CAN, etc.......
Or can we add other German bands such as GROBSCHNITT, NOVALIS, ELOY,JANE , WALLENSTEIN.HOLDERLIN, WITHUSER, SFF and many more.....???
It seems there are 2 school of thoughts about the meaning of the word Krautrock; personaly, i go with the second one.
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Posted By: Paradox
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 18:52
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As far as I'm concerned Krautrock is the name given to any German prog bands..? -------------
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 18:59
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set me up with an album that sounds like Floh de Cologne's "Mumien" please =)
------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 19:01
Sounds good to me
 , but other than you and me might differ. Get ready! |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 20:28
| I have a question for you Krautrock experts. Which Amon Düül II album should I buy: Phallus Dei, Yeti, Tanz der Lemminge or all three? |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 20:37
All three. In that order. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 20:38
All good, but my favorite is the next one:: WOLF CITY
 This is more concise and straight than the first 3cds, but as good minus some self indulgent parts you won't find with Wolf City.
Would be a good thing that you read the reviews here on PA to give you a feel about each one.
Anyway if you have money to spare , buy them all 4; after, the quality is going down, but VIVE LA TRANCE is still OK.
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 20:39
If the albums are half as awesome as the samples on PA, it will be money well spent!
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 20:46
they are... plus Wolf City as well. A more refined album... but all of them are simply great albums ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 22:27
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I've never been a big fan of Wolf City or Yeti, but Phallus Dei and Tanz Der Lemminge are certainly amongst the premier Kraut albums in my collection. ------------- |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 08:03
Im not the one who ceares for sub genres very much but.. Tangerine Dream & Kraftwerk are not Krautrock they are Progressiv Electronic.  -------------
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 08:29
that could be argued; the first albums of Tangerine Dream (up to "Atem") are definitely Krautrock, and I would even include "Phaedra" and "Rubycon" into Krautrock too. the reason is that on these albums the music is freely flowing, which is one of the characteristics of Krautrock. the instrumentation is rather conventional on the early albums too. "Ricochet" is a borderline case; from "Stratosfear" on the albums became composed through, and I agree with you that Tangerine Dream's music should be classified as "progressive electronic" after that some may argue that the early albums were composed though too and point out that there is a score of "Alpha Centauri" on the inner sleeve of the original vinyl version of the album; that score, however, was written after the album had been recorded ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 09:24
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I think that Electronic Meditation through to Atem are without question Krautrock, even though personnally I am very uncomfortable with the term as its roots are in a disparaging English insult.
(Then maybe I'm over-reacting and the German people are as immune towards such insults as we Poms/Tommys/Rosbifs/Limeys are - but I doubt it)
I prefer Kosmische Musik, (Cosmic Music), as that is a more apt description of the music that I like, rather than the regional source of the musicians, though Google translates Krautrock as Herb Skirt - which is a brilliant hashish induced pun. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 09:30
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Agreed with BJ and Ddean, the early movement of Tangerine Dream can be considered kraut rock, till at least the transition of Atem (and Green Desert, who sounds like an exploitable sort of dark sequence music). To a slight difference, this period won't reflect the drone-like machine-traums of Schulze, nor the great schizmas of reality and dark fantasy of Ash Ra Tempel, but surreal, scorching and penetrating cosmic analogies, sound-experimentalism and ambience-distortion. Electronic Meditation seems to me a totally independent sound-music taste, I mean the brink of alienation is very close, even for those that aren't purists of the kraut/electronic lascivious development. -------------
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 10:08
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I am as much into HerbSkirt as the next! Sounds like a tasty genre. Had a lot of German friends back in London and also Japan who were more surprised that anyone knew anything about German underground music than cared about the genre name. Think it originally came from a Melody Maker hack but as Faust and Amon Duul 2 embraces it it's kinda stuck now.
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 10:12
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And while Klaus Schulze is on the agenda what about his drumming on Ash Ra Temples' 1st and Join Inn and Code III ! Jesus!
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 10:15
Jesus! meaning bad or good? The Ash Ra Tempel tapes will show that Klaus Schulze has more influence and likable style than simple drumming...though there are places he will...simply drum. Code III is a very eccentric and mind-hurting experiment of sound, ethnic atmosphere and incantations - Schulze drums a lot, yes, but the album doesn't represent him. -------------
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Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 10:51
I am totally agree with this description. In my opinion the 70's TD Krautrock's albums are one of the best music that I listen to!!! ------------- 
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Posted By: philippe
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 11:10
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^ interesting view. I've heard anything published from 70's krautrock era and I must say that my impression is similar (thinking about enjoyable trips: ultima thule, Francfurt 1971, Koln 1972, Alpha Centauri, Zeit...) For me the band died after the trilogy Pheadra / Rubycon / Ricochet
...also atomic, heavy psych exhibitions from the dark stoned German Oak, Mythos (first only) Gaa, Brave New World...
CAN is the most overestimated band in krautrock history , 3/4 of their music is garbage. I wonder what a genius as Holger Czukay is doing in this band ------------- 
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 11:16
Jesus as in good. Very good. Farkin' amazing actually. Listen to him on Ash Ra Tempels' first. Impossible! Geezer is a legend!
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 11:28
The whole band were geniuses to me. Agree that they probably lost it a bit after
Soon Over Babaluma. Other than that I don't know what to say.
Overated? Where? Possibly the most underated rock band in history.
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 14:40
 Ash Ra Tempel's first is monumental and uniquely artistic. The others suffer from less perfect music and less repeatable such wild achievements of sound and cosmic perforation. But I do enjoy the albums with Rosi, Seven Up or Le Berceau Du Cristal (the latter being electronic and dark ambient). Good Ash Ra! -------------
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 14:54
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We are probably hitting the same band from different directions.
What makes me crazy about Ash Ra (and you can throw TD and Kraftwerk and Popul Vuh and Vangelis and Jarre and anybody else you care to mention) is the sheer don't give a fuuck atitude they were all brazenly displaying at the time.
Makes the scene even more enjoyable for me
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 14:58
You mean that they had the proper...psychedelic and acid rock attitude of revolutionizing the music? Absolutely!!  You guys should really dig some Kluster. What they do in Eruption (practically the trio's composition with a more special mix done by a fourth musician) is purely brilliant; one of the greatest albums that are made of pure noise, scorching experimentalism and hallucinant emotions.   -------------
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Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 15:24
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Yep, more K/Cluster in the world would only be a good thing.
I'm not the biggest fan of solo keyboard madness but I have a cracker on my hard-drive. Sheer insanity. Check the non-prog longue for the most unlikliest of sources
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 16:30
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did you know that John L., the guy who sings on Ash Ta Temple's "Schwingungen", used to appear naked and with a painted penis on stage and had himself whipped there during the performance? another one who appeared naked and with painted body on stage was Limpe Fuchs of Anima. in another thread someone said that Hawkwindf's Stacia was the first to do so, but these two beat her by 2 or 3 years ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: angelmk
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 17:58
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i love krautrock.great prog, my favorites are ash ra tempel, the cosmic jokers, neu, amon dull 2, a.r and the machines,gila.
------------- www.last.fm/user/angelmk 
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 18:13
Can released virtually no garbage until Landed, which was about 50% good and 50% mediocre. After that it's garbage, but they put out 6 brilliant albums and one solid album, which seems like a damn good career to me. ------------- |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: August 19 2007 at 18:16
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BTW, did you guys hear the news about the new Harmonia live album? In October, they're releasing a live concert of Harmonia (basically Cluster+Rother) from 74 which is supposed to be really superb. All signs point towards lengthy krautrock jams!
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: August 20 2007 at 00:05
I ordered quite a bit of kraut this weekend including Agitation Free's Malesch, Popol Vuh's Affenstunde and Earth & Sky, and Mythos's
debut. Haven't been into kraut for too long, maybe 3 months, but I
know quite a bit already. Before that, I never gave it much a chance, but now I'm looking forward to explore it some more (among other things).
Sounds quite bizarre to say the least... it'll be hard to listen to those bands the same now ------------- 
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: August 20 2007 at 00:42
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Haven't you had that A.R. and Machines avatar for more than three months, Bluesaga? Achim Reichel is brilliant, BTW. The only guitarist in existence who might be able to beat Manuel Gottsching at his own game. ------------- |
Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: August 20 2007 at 05:16
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Two extreme great Krautrock release that I have reviewed: ../artist.asp?id=1841 - FRANCO BATTIATOSulle corde di Aries(Studio Album, 1973) 
My review is produced using this release: BMG Ricordi S.p.A. 74321-58555-2Rating: 9/10 Well... Franco Battiato a Krautrock artist? In this "Sulle Corde Di Aries" yes. I think that this album is an impossible album if in reference of Italian scene. But in Krautrock scene... Is simply an amazing album. So "Sequenze E Frequenze2 is simply one of the more experimental italian song, a good Krautyrock, like "Aries". is a strange Italian version of Popol Vuh. Vice versa "Aria Di Rivoluzione" is catchy. Is, also, a strange POP song with the good voice of Battiato. "Da Oriente Ad Occidente" plays in my head like a strange Arabic Krautrock (!!!) more near a mix between Third Ear Band/ Aktuala and Space Rock. It is true this album is marvellous in reference of Krautrock. And like Krautrock album that I recommended "Sulle Corde Di Aries". Is a Krautrock album, to take or to leave. Accessible like Krautrock, but extreme interesting. So is a very recommendable album. ../artist.asp?id=684 - BRAINTICKETBrainticket (CottonWoodHill)+ Psychonaut(Boxset/Compilation, 2002)
My review is produced using this release: Red Fox Records RF 612Rating:9,5/10+ 8/10 (9/10) This package of pyrenees' label Red Fox Records consist in the repackage of the first two Brainticket LP's "CottonWoodhill" and "Psychonaut" on one CD with one LP's cost. Well, Brainticket is one of my favorite psychedelic band. The first album "CottonWoodhill" is a great Psychedelic/ spacey Krautrock album. Sure the more Psychedelic and spacey album that one band has produced. In practice it splits the brain. Believe me, the Krautrock is a Brain Ticket... "Brainticket" song (not suite!!!) is 3/4 of this incredible album with various rumors (between the other a pneumatic hammer!!!) and it is based on the infinite repetition of two tune and feminine voice. Pratically the more ostic composition that I have listen in my life. The other two songs are more normals (well... for what farewell the definition "normal"). "Psychonaut", vice versa is more accessible album. Start with a Raga Rock with sitar and flute song "Radagauca", a simply Tyrannosaurus Rex song, have his bestmoments in "Watchin' You" and "Like A Place In The Sun", Rock and very accessible songs. But in general the music is a very good Krautrock for a visionary theater. In this sense is very good "One Morning" and "Coc'o Mary". This remastered edition is published under license by Italian label Durium that in Italy has published this two LP. Durium is also the main label of the second album "Psychonaut", recorded, between the other, proper in the Durium studios in Milan. If you don't know Brainticket this edition is what it does for you. In any case a band to rediscover. -------------
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Posted By: victor77
Date Posted: August 20 2007 at 09:42
1. TANZ DER LEMMINGE, the best record of the band
2. PHALLUS DEI
3. YETI
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: August 20 2007 at 12:16
Perhaps, I don't really keep track. I started getting into it around the very end of school so it's been 2-4 months around. A.R. and the Machines were the first kraut band I really got into, a bit of an unusual introductory band, but just as great as the classics I'd say. Yeti and Tanz der Lemminge haven't fully hit me yet. I like them, but since they're double albums and hard to digest, it will take a while before I can completely appreciate them. Phallus Dei is a meisterwerk and Wolf City is really cool, although different and accessible, too. -------------
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Posted By: paolo.beenees
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 10:47
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... I missed this one out ...
Of course I like KRAUTROCK! Popol Vuh's "Hosianna Mantra" is one of the absolute masterpieces in rock music, and I'm particularly fond of Amon Duul II and Neu! (preferring their '75 album). German bands were so free and had such an anarchic approach that, in their hands, every kind of prog became something different. Just listen, for instance, to what hard prog became in Fumpy's second album, or what Kraan could do with fusion. Everything used to sound so forward-looking... I'll never understand how it could come to an end (with Germany coming to the forefront only with the laughable Blind Guardian and Helloween, the unexpressive Rammstein and the foolish Tokio Hotel). I'm lately discovering Gila and digging Connie Veit's incredible guitar... Manchmal hör'ich die Schmetterlinge lachen... ------------- 
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 16:50
Kind of forgot about this thread. Even Landed is brilliant. I think its more like I/4 of an intelligent person's opinions and taste are garbage. And Phillippes attitude towards Can, belongs in that 1/4. Listening to Klaus Schulze: Irrlicht right now. Can't get much colder than that. Maybe except for Cyborg...and maybe some of that 80's slick jazzfusion. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 17:02
For some reason this thread has reminded me, we need to get out to Le Petitie Auberge or The Village Corner in Stone Mountain for some German food! Octoberfest baby!  Fahn fahn fahn on the autobahn... ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 17:06
Vor uns liegt ein weites Tal Die Sonne scheint mit Glitzerstrahl...
Got Ege Bamyasi today, and I'm lovin' it! |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 17:13
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Vision Creation Newsun by Boredoms is really really really really good krautrock.
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 17:16
German food is the werst! 
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 18:30
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OK, I thought that was good joke but maybe you're all a bunch of weenies.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 21:02
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I wish I had some kraut! ------------- 
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: October 06 2007 at 21:05
 ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 07 2007 at 04:49
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Last week I found a fresh CD copy of Erlkoenigs only album. I like the keys on that album a lot. I also noticed that they released only one album, but played live for over 6 years. Anyone here ever been to one of their gigs in the 70s? I'll do a review of the album, but it's a 4 star for any Krautrock collection in my opinion. ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: FruMp
Date Posted: October 07 2007 at 08:16
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I highly recommend Dzyan's album 'Electric Silence', it's very psychedelic.
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Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 07:39
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I just read Julian Cope's book Krautrocksampler. Quite interesting stuff. The books explains a bit of the Krautrock history of different bands, and there's some album reviews at the end.Rottenhat
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: Thandrus
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 08:34
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Krautrock is perhaps my favorite Prog-Genre... or at least most listened recently. Having read "Cosmic Dreams At Play" I started to download the bands from this bookt I could find on internet. So for past 2 or 3 years Krautrock makes about 75% of my listening time.
Can't really name definitely my fave band, there are so much out there. Maybe it's Ash Ra Tempel/Ashra/Manuel Gottching, maybe Kraftwerk, Kluster, Klaus Schulze, or other famous or less famous bands. I can't really decide.
I see here arguing about whether we should consider every German Prog band as Krautrock. You know, having listened many diversely sounding bands (eg. Kraftwerk, Schulze, Kluster, Embryo - diametral opposites) I come to conclusion that despite this polar opposity, the spirit is SAME!!! I don't know, maybe it's my subjective opinion, but Kluster, Schulze, Guru Guru, Triumvirat or Floh De Cologne all carry this depressive/paranoid insane and naively sincere spirit.
HEIL KRAUTROCK!!!
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 11:55
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I just like German bands from the seventies in general. Although the term Krautrock has become accepted over the years back in the late sixties when the term was first coined some bands took offence to it most notably Guru Guru. Mani Neumeier has said in many interviews that back in the early days of Guru Guru they prefered the term "acid space". Many people apply the term to any band from Germany which is apparently not the case. I don`t think I would call the Scorpions Krautrockers although they started out on the Brain label. Some great music came out of Germanyin the early seventies without question. Cluster II is one of my all time faves along with Solar Music Live. It`s such a pity some of these bands really didn`t make it outside of continental Europe. So much great music. Jane Live At Home is one of my favourite live albums as is the live Hoelderlin album. Anyone heard of a band on the Bellaphon label called Geronimo? They`re not on the archives but sort of like a German version of Paul Riviere and the Raiders, cool stuff. Wow I could go on and on. a good chunk of my album collection is made up of Krautrock/German bands. ------------- |
Posted By: electricsilence
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 20:44
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I guess I could say I like Kosmiche Music mostly; I'm not a big fan of Popol Vuh or Yatha Sidhra, they sound too much like new age to me. But I think some of TD's Alpha Centauri and Cluster's II are amongst the most the most impressive and original music ever made. I mean between them and Deuter the practically invented modern electronic music. Is it just me or Electronic Meditation sounds a lot like Saucerful of Secrets at times? I mean I love the album and it certainly was a seminal record but some of the sonic landscapes sound like they were directly copied from Floyd's record at times. |
Posted By: Teh_Slippermenz
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 21:21
| Great genre, although I've mainly only heard Can. |
Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 22:45
The first two Popol Vuh albums are definitely not new age. -------------
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Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 23:04
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talkin abt Popul Vuh, Supersilent's latest album 8 is very very Kraut from what i'm hearing thus far, just w a more improv-jazz slant to the whole thing.
Lovely stuff, a must must get!!!
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Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 23:06
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Kraut? Dont know much or own much.
But Can's Ege Bamnassi is great! -------------
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Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 23:12
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electricsilence wrote: Is it just me or Electronic Meditation sounds a lot like Saucerful of Secrets at times? I mean I love the album and it certainly was a seminal record but some of the sonic landscapes sound like they were directly copied from Floyd's record at times.
'Krautrock' def didn't appear by itself, the Floyd and Velvet Underground were very influential i.e. the space/psych-outs, the noise n' motorik etc........
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Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 08:13
Yup and a great start for krautrock newbies i whuld say, even tough i dont have that much kraut myself so far, i say try some Amon duul II next get >Yeti. -------------
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Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 08:17
I've lost count of the number of Kosmiche albums I've heard that include a piece that sounds a bit like "Saucerful...", or "Astronomy Domine", or "Set the Controls..." ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 08:53
Some of it is absolutely pants but it's not complete rubbish. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: FruMp
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 09:31
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Sand - Golem is a great album too.
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 10:36
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I was just listening to some Frumpy this morning. Inga Rumpf was ( and is ) the greatest. Her new album " Easy In My Soul" just smokes. One thing I`ve noticed is that there are a lot of people who are into CAN on this site. I dunno. I have a few of thieir early albums but they just don`t cut it with me. Just like Genesis. Unlistenable. Haven`t heard NEU! 4. Second side of NEU! `75 was kind of shaky. Have to drag it out and give it a listen.. ------------- |
Posted By: electricsilence
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 13:29
Hosianna Mantra sounds like something a yoga instructor would play in some sort of relaxation excercise. |
Posted By: Thandrus
Date Posted: October 25 2007 at 15:09
| What do you guys think about Asmus Tietchens' and Conrad Schnitzler's solo stuff? I'm a big fan of those two. |
Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:29
Can's first five albums are all masterpieces to me. Tago Mago is controvesial, but I loved it after a few listens and it was my first album by the band (even my mom liked parts of it and she has pretty subpar taste). Anyway, I'll probably check out Faust's debut soon. It's pretty essential stuff, I know, but I don't want to start with their 2-in-1 CD since I don't like those (I'm weird, yes), and am pretty much convinced that the LPs are way out of my price range. -------------
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:30
It's quite meditative, yes, but that would be some awesome yoga studio. -------------
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:35
I'd extrapolate that one and a half albums and say that the first SIX Can albums were masterpieces and number seven was damn close. Faust's debut is incredible, though quite different from Can. I'd recommend the two-fer even if you don't like those, as you get two incredibly good Faust albums for a quite reasonable price. ------------- |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: November 10 2007 at 12:52
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The thing that bothers me about Can is Damo Suzuki's vocals. I like the music, don't get me wrong. I liked Mooney's vocals better.
But as always,that's a matter of taste.
Rottenhat
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 11 2007 at 12:18
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Anybody else hear the new Harmonia live album? It's quite good, reminds heavily of NEU!.
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Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: November 11 2007 at 12:23
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Exiting genre! My favorite band is Ash Ra Tempel.
All i have on CD is "Faust IV", "NEU 2" & "Tago Mago", though!
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: November 11 2007 at 12:30
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Wonderful genre, Faust and Amon Duul II especially. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: electricsilence
Date Posted: November 11 2007 at 17:43
| Are there are any modestly know bands doing Krautrock (in any of its sub genres) nowadays? |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: November 12 2007 at 19:29
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How about you guys try some modern Krautrock? ../artist.asp?id=3051 - CIRCLE (FIN) I know that there are many conservative fans in the genre so I'll recommend their krautrockiest (hehe) albums of their discography: ../album.asp?id=15836 - Hissi ../album.asp?id=15847 - Guillotine ../album.asp?id=15863 - Forest ../album.asp?id=15864 - Empire ../album.asp?id=15840 - Pori The rest of their albums are still Krautrock (or Krautrock at heart), but mixed with other genres like http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15862 - Heavy Metal , http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15860 - Punk , http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=16626 - Black Metal , http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15859 - Jazz , http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15841 - Prog , even http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15842 - Zeuhl and http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15835 - m http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15845 - a http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15846 - n http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15854 - y http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=15851 - more ! They've also delved into Progressive Electronic territory with ../album.asp?id=15860 - Panic ,but the album also has Punk in it (or as they like to call it: speed kraut.) so beware if you're not into that kind of music. Music fans with an eclectic taste will enjoy http://www.circlefinland.com/ - Circle 's music. ------------- 
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Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: November 13 2007 at 11:48
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yes modern Krautrock indeed!!! if you like things more electronic and even more motorik gotta check out:
Kriedler
To Roccoco Rot
Radian
they carry on the spirit of Neu and Kraftwerk but with nods towards the postrock of Tortoise.............
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 15 2007 at 22:14
Sounds interesting! Can you recommend one or two albums? It's kind of hard to pick from a list of five when there are almost no reviews at all for them. ------------- |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: November 16 2007 at 06:25
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Knowing your taste I'll recommend their most inaccessible album, ../album.asp?id=15847 - Guillotine and also ../album.asp?id=15863 - Forest which is one of their most drugged-out records (and being mostly acoustic). Sorry for the lack of reviews. It's a big discography and I'm only one guy taking a shot at it. -------------
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Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:49
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Yeah! My first encounter with Circle was a Live performance in Jakobstad, Finland, many, many years ago. I was into progressive rock then already, listening to Gong and Gentle Giant on the ride to the venue with my brother.
I fell in love with Circle's perfomance there, right on the spot. Weird instumentation and long hypnonic chanting and jamming. The consumed alcohol did have a positive effect also, I think :)
Strangely, it took many years after that before I got my hands on their studio recordings.
Now, I really love some of their recordings. But I still find that I have to be in the right mood to listen to them. They can be quite minimalistic and the groove just repeats over and over again in the classic motorik krautrock style.
Rottenhat
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 14:13
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^^^^ Oh, how I envy you for seeing Circle live... As you can see by my signature I'm a huge fan of Circle. I'm also a big fan of minimalism so that's why their music gets me hooked. I have to admit that I sometime spend weeks or even months without listening to them, but when they release a new album (they've released 7 in this year alone) or just want to listen to them again I get the Circle mania and I listen to their albums nonstop! I was previously watching a http://video.google.com/url?docid=605252757699302113&esrc=sr9&ev=v&len=1102&q=circle%2Bfinland&srcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D605252757699302113&vidurl=%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D605252757699302113%26q%3Dcircle%2Bfinland%26total%3D136%26start%3D0%26num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsearch%26plindex%3D8&usg=AL29H21kucrxw-kNK6Pz62WOuE7eJUTbsg - Circle video down at video.google.com and after it finished I quickly grabbed their debut and started playing it. I'm listening to it right now.  The video isn't that interesting, but it made me want to play some of their albums again.EDIT: Here's a better video of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FWftvvaVok - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FWftvvaVok That song is from their Sunrise album, their most heavy metal influenced album they've made. More punkish and less spacey. -------------
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Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: December 01 2007 at 06:42
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Thanks for that video Chamberry :)
I'm listening to the strange live album Rainio. Rainio is Ruins in english.
They should be banned for messing with people's heads :)
Rottenaht
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: December 01 2007 at 18:12
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Cheers Rottenhat. Raunio is a freak of an album. You should check out Guillotine which is their weirdest, druggiest and most experimental album to date. There are some seriously disturbing songs in that album as well as 10+ minute hypnotically rhythmic songs. -------------
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Posted By: electricsilence
Date Posted: December 02 2007 at 19:09
| Are classic krautrock bands known by the average german joe? |
Posted By: superprog
Date Posted: December 03 2007 at 22:10
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ahahah maybe at most Can.
its funny sometimes how little ppl know or care abt their own countrymen's stuff............. i met this German guy who was talkin abt his fav music, i mean his tastes are quite 'normal' & mainsteam but i asked him abt Can, krautrock even Einsturzende Neubauten and he gave me this look like wadda fook bwahahaha!!!!
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Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: December 04 2007 at 08:02
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^^^ Being from the country or not, those bands aren't actually "mainstream". I bet that if you ask them about their country's pop singing sensations they'll definitely know about them. The same thing happens everywhere around the world. -------------
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Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: December 21 2007 at 11:01
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On Youtube: A Band called Hotzenplotz. I presume they're German, but they doesn't seem to be added to PA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUr2HBEyFM - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUr2HBEyFM
They sound seems to be maybe more Jazz/Fusion or Canterbury than traditional "Krautrock". A German Soft Machine?
Deserves to be added to PA in my opinion.
To Chamberry: Thanx for the tips.
 Rottenhat ------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: December 21 2007 at 12:53
Good spot  Hotzenplotz was renamed to Volks-Musik after some time. They had very political lyrics in the vein of Floh De Cologne, Eulenspygel, Sparifankal, Ton, Stein, Scherben. Albrecht Metzger (vocals. percussion) later went to the television show of Rockpalast and was know for the legendary announcement "German Television proudly presents ..." ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: nightlamp
Date Posted: December 21 2007 at 18:46
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Krautrock, as a musical genre tag, needs to die. In its initial usage the term was largely geographical by nature,
and had little if anything to do with musical style. It was applied across the board to motorik trance-rock, noisy avant-garde-isms, jazz-rock
fusion, heavy acid rock, folk-rock, progressive rock, space rock, and proto-ambient
music; the only unifying characteristic was German origin. Don't get me wrong, I love and enjoy a lot of this inspiring music; I just think that the label needs to be discarded. One can look at American or British rock genres and point out certain stylistic similarities; if someone were to lump all Anglo-American rock music-- progressive and otherwise-- into a single category we all know what would happen. There would be a tremendous outcry from the various camps (progressive, metal, psych, alt/indie, etc.), wailing and gnashing of teeth, etc. Just look at how subdivided "progressive rock" is... Why can't the German bands be interfiled with their counterparts from the rest of the world? |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: December 22 2007 at 04:07
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Yeah, nightlamp, you may be right about that. The label doesn't really say that much about the music. In fact, it is hard to put any label on any band, especially if it has made many records. For example, a quite common thread in the life span of a prog band in the 70's seems to be they go from psychedelic to prog to more mainstream rock.
Rottenhat ------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: dholl
Date Posted: December 23 2007 at 02:43
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Hmm...Krautrock as an offensive term? I would be offended if called a Kraut by a stranger, so can well understand the initial outcry from some way back then...but not all German bands, or indeed fans, were offended. There is a sense of alternative coolness some Germans feel when allowed to embrace a term in irony given to them in compliment by the English-speaking world. It is a sense of recognition. It certainly is interesting: Punk, Funk, Grunge, Gothic et al are genre names that represent an image. Ambient, Progressive, Alternative, Folk are genre names that represent a style of music. Kraut is...well...Kraut is either a cabbage or a disparaging term for a German person. However, a lot of non-German peoples are interested in this music...and most non-German people can normally speak a bit of, or a lot of, English. The term "Krautrock" is English-friendly, and is to-the-point. Unlike "kosmische Musik", which sounds like it was invented by clever Englishmen, rarely used as it is by Germans. Half the bands mostly sing in English anyway and would probably prefer "spacecake music" among dozens of other possible terms. The term "Krautrock" is useful in that it makes it easier to identify and discuss a scene: in my eyes Krautrock describes late 60's to mid 70's West-German experimental and avant garde music (not just rock) incorporating one or more of instruments such as: bass, guitars, keyboards, organs, drums, samplers, tapes, feedbacked mics etc. I think for bands that originated from the 80's onwards that sound like Krautrock can not be classified as Krautrock simply because the scene is missing. Krautrock was of its time and did not describe a style, or even genre, of music...but a localised scene within an era of time. For the record I am still discovering music from this fascinating scene, so far my favourite albums are: Can - Tago Mago (good fun vibes, groovy, likeable vocals) Harmonia - Musik von Harmonia (infectious & evocative instrumental drives) Am looking forward to checking out both Amon Düüls, Ash Ra Tempel and Neu!. I would steer clear of the first Klaus Schulze (Irrlicht) unless you're a music history buff, there is nothing here apart from a drone that lasts one hour. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: December 23 2007 at 08:07
But what a drone it is! ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: December 23 2007 at 08:55
You just lumped them all together in a single category - "all Anglo-American rock music". I think everyone realises the wide range of differences within a genre (see the recent progressive metal split). Nobody's trying to say that Can sounds the same as Faust or that Amon Duul sounds like Neu! However, I haven't heard many non-German bands of the 70s that sound like Krautrock. There's something about Krautrock bands which, to me, groups them together in a way similar to Italian Symphonic Prog bands, where there are enough differences to list them separately from other symphonic prog. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Thandrus
Date Posted: December 23 2007 at 10:30
Absoluterly right A B Negative.
I'm lucky to have progger girl in college group (In Georgia, the chance of this to happen is as big as of winning a 1 000 000 $ jackpot). So I gave her Schulze's Irrlicht to listen... When I askeed about her opinion she honestly told me that all she heard is zzzzzzzzzzzzh.....
Well, really can't blame her. I think it's not good if a teenager girl likes Irrlicht . But anyway ,she looked quite sceptically when I told her it was one of my fave albums... And about "Krautrock" tag: as I've said here before, this tag shows more spirit for me than a certain type or style of music. Maybe it's not very exact name to all that, but it's very flexible.
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Posted By: dholl
Date Posted: December 26 2007 at 18:19
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Maybe it's a good idea to shout out a Krautrock-related review we've just done on this thread. I've just wrote up one for Musik von Harmonia (which only had 2 reviews previous to that). Let's beef up the reviews for the kosmische komische Musik they and we affectionately call Krautrock |
Posted By: nightlamp
Date Posted: December 27 2007 at 17:00
Hm, I guess my point regarding the origins of the term wasn't about "offensiveness", it was about journalistic laziness; that a term which initially had no musical descriptive value somehow became this catch-all descriptor and mutated into a "genre".
http://www.gemueseorchester.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=7&Itemid=40 - Cabbage rock sounds delicious! http://www.gemueseorchester.org/ -
Exactly. While I wouldn't use the term "scene" to describe 1960s-70s German avant/experimental rock (a bit too localized, I'd say "movement"), there was certainly a certain "spirit of the age" that pervades a lot of the music of the era; unlike purely musical characteristics which can be easily reproduced, that spirit can only be emulated--never wholly recaptured... |