NETTO

ELECTRIC ORANGE already started in the mid 1990's, but now have reached for a very productive and successful period. With the predecessor albums 'Morbus' (2007) and 'Krautrock From Hell' (2010) they have refined their neo krautrock style which is based on space rock mixed with hypnotic rhythms a la CAN as well as spheric cosmic excursions in the vein of TANGERINE DREAM - that said just exactly offered in best tradition of many German bands which began to make music in the 1960/70's with experimental and mind-expanding attitude. Better recording conditions and technical skills in times like these are for me the main reason to call this neo krautrock.

How do they manage to produce music in such a manner? Usually it all starts when masterminds Dirk Jan Müller (keys) and Dirk Bittner (guitars) contribute some loose ideas, riffs, motifs - and then the band consequently enters the studio for some jamming experience, to bring in the harvest so to say. Reduced to a quartet since last year (Josef Ahns unfortunately left) they are ambitious enough to chose whacked-out song titles again, which means modulated German expressions specifically, quirky and funny puns. Say goodbye to common song structures - 'Netto' should necessarily be inhaled in one go because this sounds like recorded in one go exactly, like one extended meandering jam - something which differs a little to the forerunner albums as for my impression.

The sound is compact, you won't find instrumental solos. Outfitted with electrifying potential they present trippy and trancy moments more than ever on 'Netto'. Sometimes with the emphasis on percussive tribal propulsion like it is on the short Basslochner or in a similar way on the irritating Perpetuum Mobiliar - basically though besides those spacey guitars the impressing keyboard input sets the note, creepy gloomy here, wonderfully melancholic there with opulent mellotron and Solina string backing, to name the fascinating Auslauf for example. Another strong and entertaining ELECTRIC ORANGE effort.