HIGH-SPEED KINDERGARTEN

Despite the misconception that the Krautrock scene dissipated after the 1975 timeline while established bands such as Can, Amon D''l II and Kraan were beginning to water down their creative output and reach for more commercial endeavors, the truth is there were many highly adventurous bands that continued well into the 80s and beyond and some even reaching levels of success at least in their native Germany. MUNJU was one such band that followed in the footsteps of Can with an avant-funk bass driven groove along with a jazzier approach complete with alto saxophone and flute. Add to that the occasional vibraphone sounds and blistering jazz guitar workouts and its no wonder this band was such the audience pleaser.

This band was the creation of J'rgen Benz who had just quite Missus Beasty and moved back to his hometown of W'rzburg where he met Dieter Kaudel (guitars, oud and vibraphone), Wolfgang Salomon (bass and keyboards) and Thomas R'mer (drums and trumpet). Formed in 1976 as an instrumental jazz-rock fusion band, MUNJU moved on to vocal oriented rock and then later took a turn towards the avant-garde. R'mer and Saloman previously played in the local band Pozzokko which featured Nina Hagen and guitarist Bernhard Potschka so with a seasoned approach of rock, jazz and even classical these guys stuck it out for ten years and released six albums.

HIGH SPEED KINDERGARTEN was the debut that emerged in 1977 and featured the core four members along with Joseph Spector adding congas on a couple tracks. The album of five tracks featured extensive jazzy jamming sessions with heavy Latin percussion and energetic sax and flute deliveries. MUNJU was well known as an excellent live band and over its ten year existence played well over 1000 gigs around Western Europe. These early recordings evoke a strong Kraan influence with vocal-free bass grooves and energetic percussive displays. Although the guitar is present, it's the least emphasized instrument with the sax and flute roles dominating the scene however the jazz guitar does jump out now and again with fiery virtuoso outbursts.

While clearly in the jazz-fusion realms, MUNJU added enough of the psychedelic Krautrock elements to steer into that movement. The band also joined the independent musician owned record label Scneeball along with Embryo, Missus Beasty, Ton Steine Scherben and the Real Ax Band. While much of the Krautrock scene was dedicated to cold, detached and even scary sounds designed to evoke the dread and despair experienced in a post-war Germany that was hurled into a globalized consciousness that not all was well on planet Earth, MUNJU was rather distinct in that it crafted a warm, organic and upbeat sort of jazzy Krautrock. While the Kraan influences are headed in the right direction, MUNJU was much more adventurous with virtuosic workouts and high speed tempos which included many moments of Latin percussive drive.

While not exactly on the top of many Krautrock best of lists, MUNJU nevertheless debuted with a stellar set of high octane tracks that featured seasoned musicians playing together impeccably all the while providing a less dismal mood than Kraut bands of the earlier decade. While much more jazz-oriented than rock, the funk-infused bass and heavy percussive drive keeps it from drifting too far into the jazz zone as well. This is an excellent album actually with outstanding performances and enough variation of dynamics to keep things sizzling the entire playtime. I actually prefer this one to most of Kraan's similar styled more popular albums but once again, MUNJU set itself apart with a keen appreciation for infusing creative twists and turns. Unfortunately this album has only seen a single release in 1977 with no reissues.