DREAMLAB

Cosmically dreamy ensemble combining experimental classical space influences with that 70's underground German psychedelia. "Dreamlab" was MYTHOS' 2nd album, from 1975, and was originally released on Cosmic Couriers. "Dreamlab" is somewhere between YATH SIDRA and ASH RA TEMPEL with some ethnic percussion carrying a earthy feel throughout. Vocals are in English but are not used all that often (and that is a good thing) as the strength of this music is clearly in the instrumentation. I treat this album as a classic and regard it highly as a tremendous piece of work. Moog and Mellotrons also help create those lush analog atmospheres which when combined with the array of hand drums and electric guitar accents will put you into a permanent "Dreamlab".

As in their self title album, the strange, various music developed in Dreamlab retains the attention of the listener. It contains intricate guitars/ flute/ vintage keyboards based instrumentals occasionally harmonised by vocals. This band shows one more time that he belongs to the wake of krautrock market, bringing to the fore a vast quantity of weird experimental and electronic elements currently used to express their original space/rock. This is true krautrock music whose interest comes from the extraordinary attraction for constant changing moods, cosmic grooves and electronic gadgets. Not an imitation and a real proof of the German typical rock culture which emerged during the seventies. This album is maybe more accessible than the previous freaky adventure, providing more turbulent, rock soundscapes. Surely the link between their ethnic free psychedelic music and their later heavy rock period! Perfect!

Mythos was a fairly minor Krautrock band that made a few decent albums. Definitely at the jammy, trippy spacerock end of the spectrum, they probably spent a lot of time listening to Floyd's "More" soundtrack while getting super high. Most of this is basically jamming, with Tullish flute soloing, reverby guitar, electronic bleeping and occasional mellotron. When the songs are structured, they aren't that impessive- holding a drony, cosmic mood was definitely this band's strong point. The vocals on the tracks "Expeditions" and "Eternity" are frankly laughably horrible, and I'm glad there aren't any more vocals on this record. The effect of all this is certainly psychedelic and entertaining, but this sort of thing was done way better on Dom's "Edge of Time" album. As Mythos' best album, this is an obligatory Kraut-fan purchase, but certainly not for anyone else.

This is more laidback than the debut as flute and gentle guitar lead the way. The lyrics are very cosmic, which fits the music perfectly. Tough to choose between their first two records, both are excellent.

"Dedicated To Werner Braun" is an outstanding song that is quite spacey for the first 2 minutes before a very ASHRA-like flavour takes over. His guitar playing here really reminds me of Gottsching. "Message" is very spacey with flute. It settles down 3 minutes in as flute and drums dominate the soundscape. It changes a minute later with some brief vocals then the tempo picks up. Vocals are back after 5 minutes and some nice guitar 6 minutes in. "Expeditions" is another outstanding track. It opens with acoustic guitar, drums, flute and bass in this mellow soundscape. The guitar sounds amazing 1 1/2 minutes in as vocals join in at 2 minutes. The flute is beautiful. Simply a gorgeous song. Tasteful electric guitar after 3 minutes.

"Mythalgia" is a short flute led track with mellotron 1 1/2 minutes in. It blends into "Dreamlab" with the flute continuing to lead the way. Percussion then drums in this great sounding tune. Bass and synths come in as the tempo picks up. The melody stops after 3 minutes as it turns quite spacey, then an acoustic guitar melody arrives as spacey sounds continue. Flute is back after 7 minutes. "Eternity" is led by the flute and drums early before bass then vocals arrive 1 1/2 minutes in. Love the vocals on this one. The temp picks up after 3 minutes as synths and guitar join in. Flute is back leading the way 5 1/2 minutes in. The song stops 6 1/2 minutes in then mellotron waves roll in to end it.

A must have for fans of Krautrock and spacey music.

Opening like Floyd's 'Pompeii' dvd I thought I was in for a treat during my first listen of this at the top of a mountain in Scotland in 1999. Unfortunately, this, more than any of their other albums is crucified by the voice of Stephan Kaske. Jeez! if only he'd sung in German this album would have much more credibility... My biggest gripe with Kraut bands is the fact that they (more or less) didn't use their own language.

Listen to 'Dreamlab' to discover how bad lyrics can translate into English. It's SO corny you wouldn't believe it. Pigeon English is used throughout where half the words are undefinable and if so, are laughable.

Not that I would denigrate Stephan Kaske's flute playing. That's what made Mythos what they were... A good, solid, lesser well known Kraut band who had a bunch of great ideas in their heads, but stupidly, in my opinion, decided to sing in English in an attempt at commercial glory.

It's not like anyone over here has even heard of them. I could ask 300 people - "who were 'Mythos" and guaranteed - I'd get blank stares all round. I don't care... I think they're great - just gonna sack that voice Mr Kaske!

This is not a masterpiece in any way shape or form, but is an album I'm happy to listen to. It's all basically moments of excellence interspersed with periods of embarrassment.

Mythos was one of the also-rans in R.U. Kaiser's Kosmische Musik stable. But they did their best to match the psy-fi standards of the time, with a little help from the Kaiser's muse, Gerlinde 'Gille' Lettmann, aka 'Starmaiden' (please don't laugh), who was credited with "presenting" the band's second album, and who also no doubt had a say in Peter Geitner's cosmidelic artwork.

To an impressionable teenage boy (like me, when I first heard the album) the cover illustration of the two Aryan sex gods was probably more attractive than the music itself, which was never more than the tamest Space Rock. Dedicating a song to Wernher von Braun, the reconstructed Nazi-turned-NASA space cadet, was a convenient way for the band to fake its cosmic credentials, but the track actually contains the best music here, opening the album in certified ASH RA TEMPEL territory.

Too bad that model rocket ran out of fuel so quickly, descending to shallow fantasy wish- fulfillment in the two-part "Message" ("Listen to what we say! We are brothers, throw your weapons away!"), and the Hawk-windy "Expeditions". The latter track ends with some of the album's more effective guitar work, but the only real message in the former was an emphatic invalidation of Stephan Kaske's singing skills. It doesn't help that the mix was so poor: the drums are barely audible, and Kaske's flute tethers the music to earth in a way that might have worked better in a Jazz Rock context.

Side Two is an improvement, in part because the embarrassing lyrics were kept to a minimum. And veteran Krautrockers can safely assume the 'Harald' thanked in the album credits was the ubiquitous Harald Großkopf...that liquid cymbal sound effect heard in the song "Eternity" was borrowed from recent WALLENSTEIN albums, another band under R.U. Kaiser's controlling thumb.

With a little more determination Mythos could have rivaled Ash Ra in the German cosmic rock sweepstakes. Just because many other bands were doing the same thing better is no reason to completely dismiss them, but it's true: many other bands were doing the same thing better.

A much more cohesive and aggressive offering than MYTHOS' debut, "Dreamlab" simply won't allow the listener to drift off or float up. The early PINK FLOYD influences are retained, and it's as if DSOTM never happened as far as MYTHOS was concerned, which is entirely a good thing. This was probably retro at the time, but the intervening years have barely furrowed a wrinkle.

New here are Stephan Kaske's flutes that are genetically modified versions of IAN ANDERSON's theoretical marriage to THIJS VAN LEER. Robust at one end and breathily romantic at the other, they are surprisingly melodic and on best display in the brief "Mythalgia" and the more involved and wondrous title cut. Still, the absolute stunner is "Expeditions, with its acoustic guitar and flute buildup, surprisingly purposeful and earnestly blended vocals. and reveling lead guitar in a manner that puts even JANE to shame. Where have you been all my life?!

Lest I give the impression that MYTHOS is all copy and no original, I should add that I believe "Dreamlab" played its role in the coming waves of ambient music and even the German symphonic and space prog that endured to the end of the decade. From the MYTHOS laboratory, this experiment came closest to fulfilling the dreams of investigators and fans alike.

Shortly after the release of Mythos' debut Harald Weisse and Thomas Hildebrand left Kaske as the only remaining member.Hildebrand went on to join Metropolis and he was replaced by Michael Krantz, while Axel Bauer was the new drummer.This new formation, established in late 72', was prooved to be short-lived and Kaske revamped Mythos with newcomers Robby Luizaga on bass/acoustic guitar/Mellotron and Hans-Juergen Pluta on drums/percussion.Working for about a year on a new album, Mythos eventually returned in 1975 with ''Dreamlab'', a work released on Ohr's division label Kosmische Musik.

It couldn't be a better choice of a label with Mythos presenting a largely different sound than on their debut, stripped down from the evident Classical influences and leaning towards a folkier direction, always surrounded by the typical Kraut Rock rhythmic tones.This time the focus is on psychedelic experiments, hypnotic soundscapes and pastoral arrangements with acoustic/electric guitars in evidence and constant use of flutes, delivering smooth textures with poetic singing and trippy synthesizers, which are every now and then overpowered by an already familiar JETHRO TULL attitude, based on harder electric riffing.''Mythalgia'', which is also the longest track, appears to be the only evident link with the previous album, although coming in a much more cosmic enviroment, featuring a more pronounced Mellotron, fiery flute drives but also a stretched, psychedelic soundscape with synth effects, pastoral flutes and acoustic guitars after the middle.Unfortunately Mythos would never reach the absolute inspiration of their debut, as this one's missing the unpredictable twists and tension of ''Mythos''.''Dreamlab'' has also a stronger Kraut Rock vibe with a bit of a loose execution and an obvious sense of abnormality during its pieces with nonetheless some clever ideas on combining Psychedelic Rock, Folk Music and Kraut Rock.

Nowhere near the monumental debut of the band.But this does not mean that ''Dreamlab'' is far from satisfying.It's well-played Kraut/Psychedelic Rock with powerful flute work and nice electroacoustic moments, not to mention Kaske's original voice.Recommended.

This was their second album, for some strange reason, a three year gap between the last album. This time the Ohr label was renamed Kosmiche Musik so that's the label Dreamlab was on. It's strange that in those three years the, while the band featured a totally different lineup, except for Stephen Kaske, the sound hadn't really all changed that much. Musically this is a bit like Achim Reichel & the Machines, Ash Ra Tempel, and Jethro Tull. Lots of echoey flute and guitar. I will have to say I never cared for "Expeditions". It's because it's a lousy song in which Stephan's nasally, raspy voice really detracts bad, plus the song itself is pretty cheesy. Luckily much is the rest of the album is instrumental and Krautrock at its finest. Even the when the vocals reappear, they're thankfully much more brief and the music was much better than "Expeditions". Still worth having in your collection, and I'd give it five stars if it weren't for the dreadful "Expeditions", so four stars it is.