WE KEEP ON

This album can be seen two ways: the fourth album as a successor to FSHG or their fifth or sixth if you'll include their Brain releases, but anyway it is a companion to RockSessions and Steig Aus, and the album's title is such a delight if you know these three albums. Production-wise WKO is definitely up two notches from the improvisations of the Brain releases, but I wouldn't quite call this a slick production. Released on the BASF label (UA/Liberty dropped them after all) with a superb egg artwork with a cloud almost taking the shape of an Embryo, the group recorded this album is Ascona, Italy under the patronage of Dieter Dierckx.

Opening on the Moroccan-laden Abdul Malek fusion track where Embryo sings and scats until heaven arrives. The unusual Don't Come Tomorrow starts out on uneasy Bunka vocals and accompanied by a delightful piano and Mariano's amazing flute, the whole thing underlined by a few tasty licks of mellotron. Grandiose and garanteed musical orgasms!! The following Ehna Abu Late returns to an ethnic background, but the scalding of the name is provoking some semi-voodoo-type of hypnotics, which the fantastic backdrop music is enhancing to allowBunka to pull off one of Embryo's most brilliant solo on any instruments. Hackbrett Dance is again relying on mid-east or Maghreb-type of adventures

The flipside opens on the 12-mins+ No Place To Go is a 100mph track where the group solo their hearts away, first Mariano, than Bunka, Mariano again (but on sax this time) then ex-Missing Link and future-Missus Beastly Miekautsch's pianos (there is some Traffic and Xohl in that solo) laced in the with Bunka's guitar again. Fantastic stuff. The album closer the 6-minutes Flute & Saz is an ethnic Magrebin tracks were oimprovs are having the better role.

The Cd version of WKO (on Disconforme label) comes with a superb pair of bonus tracks, both remaining in the wild jazz-rock realm, with tons of sizzling leads, torrid solos, layers of mellotron etc. and both absolutely staying completely faithful in style and quality with the rest of the album, thus ensuring that WKO last another 23 minutes of pure happiness, beit ethnic or not. Yet another astounding Embryo album that most progheads should at least be aware of.

We always keep on ...

'No place to go' is one of the best jams they ever made - this is true, similar to their terrific live performances. Great work from Roman Bunka on guitar! Influences from Ethno-Rock-Jazz with Saz and flute as a result of intensive interest in music from Turkey and Asia.

A brilliant mix of different styles. Highly recommended!

Hmmm, EMBRYO...

I can't but recall for the moment a wonderful concert they played around 1982 or 1983 in the popular Skenderija Dancing Hall in my hometown of Sarajevo! They came out of the blue and without any announcements succeeded to attract enough audience (maybe up to 1500) to fill the hall. They played full three hours and we knew that was Chris Karrer (of AMON DUUL II reputation) who played guitar and sax, accompanied by a bunch of freaks who showed what was a real improvisation and fusion jam session. I remember the silence after the concert ended - no one could possibly utter any comments, the prog/kraut fans remained speechless. EMBRYO continued (or they actually were coming back from, I don't remember) the Asian/Middle Eastern tour.

Now back to the present - I only recently listened to "We Keep On" and was amazed how fresh and innovative they still sound nowadays. That is what I would call - a timeless music! It is a perfect blend of jazz-rock improvisation, ethnic-fusion rhythms and odd instruments like saz or bamboo flute, performed with "krautrock" sensibility. "Don't Come Tomorrow" is a singing piece that reminds me of the later style utilized by New Wave avantgarde artists TUXEDOMOON in the early 1980s. If only the flute were replaced with saxophone, I would comfortably put it on the "Desire" or "Holy Wars" albums.

Christian Burchard, Roman Bunka, Dieter Miekautsch and Charlie Mariano recorded this gem back in December 1972 in Italy and presented one of the better albums of jazz-rock style in general. A perfect album that must be heard by any serious fusion/krautrock fan.

Largely made of improvised jazz rock melt with ethnic percussions, Indian "raga" scales (for the beginning) and "ritualistic" bamboo flute parts, this album can represent a great interest for those who want to discover "world" fusion jazz music. "Abdul Malek" starts with a rising African percussion part rapidly followed by a dynamic jazz rock with tumultuous, brief sitar sequences. Horrible vocals are added to the mix. " Don't come tomorrow" is a mysterious composition made of jazzy piano accompaniment, solo flute parts and xylophone passages. A spacey, calm "exotic" composition punctuated by Mellotron passages. One of the best moments of the album. "Ehna, Ehna, Abu Lele " is distinguished by "amazing" vocals sustained by tribal percussions mixed to drums. The track progressively lets the place to a freaky out improvisation dominated by electric keyboards and sax sequences. "Hackbrett-dance" delivers a strange mix of many "world" influences, reaching the listener into an original, colourful universe. An escape composition. To sum up things, this is a complex "world" jazz fusion item whose music is perfectly played!! (ho yes, the order of tracks mentionned on this page is totally wrong if we judge by the last CD reissue)

After releasing two jam-loaded albums for Brain records, Embryo made a move to the major BASF and produced their masterpiece. Aided by the most professional production they got so far, the band shines in all aspect of their sound, offering short and krauty vocal songs as well as long instrumental jazz improvisations. Also the ethnic influences had never before been integrated so effectively.

The band is down to its nucleus of Burchard (drums) and Bunka (guitars), notable absentee is Hofmann (sax) who's replaced by Charlie Mariano. Dieter Miekautsch provides the electric piano.The CD release is the one to get as it has been respectfully mastered and offers 2 extra bonus tracks clocking in at almost 25 minutes. It's quite rare now though...

First track on the CD is "Abdul Malek" which is a heavily African inspired track with remarkably emotional vocals, or should I say random wails. It's quite unique and weird, full of ethnic influences but still recognizably kraut-y. "Don't Come Tomorrow" is a more laidback loungey jazz song with attractive instrumental parts led by melodic flutes, piano and vibes. The African influence returns in the into of "Ethna", before it explodes into a sizzling psych-jazz improvisation led by soloing saxphone and guitars.

A short Eastern-tinged instrumental follows before we get the band firing on all cylinders on the sizzling "No Place To Go". Heavy on guitars and intricate rhythms it almost reminds of the heavy kraut debut of the band. More world music on "Flute and Saz" and on the bonus track "Flute, Saz and Marimba", both titles kind of describing what you might expect. For the fans of psych-jazz rock the CD also feature the marvelous 16 minute bonus "Ticket to India".

"We Keep On" finds Embryo at their creative peak and creates a perfect blend of the kraut as well as the jazz-rock and world music aspects of the band. Because of its eclectic nature and mystical atmosphere this could be quite a weird and demanding title but I find it absolutely stunning. One of my top jazz-related releases.

First and most importantly thankyou Bonnek for allowing me to finally hear this album. I tell you this band is one of the most impressive bands in all of Germany, mixing that Jazz / Rock style with Krautrock along with that ethnic flavour.Their first six albums are absolute classics and i'm really looking forward in the next few weeks of spending time with all six to come up with some sort of a 1-6 list. Released in 1973 "We Keep On" has a gorgeous cover and the music to match. Honestly I was moved a few times emotionally by what I was hearing. And man the electric piano sounds amazing on here.

"No Place To Go" is drum led and quite imressive I might add early on as the guitar comes in and lights things up.Vocals follow and this is all surprisingly aggressive.The sax replaces the vocals then the guitar returns and it's on fire.The sax and electric piano lead 4 minutes in. So good ! Piano after 7 minutes then sax after 9 minutes before the flute and guitar arrive before 11 1/2 minutes.

"Flute And Sax" has these sparse sounds of percussion and ethnic sounds.The flute joins in then it picks up 3 1/2 minutes in. Sax before 5 minutes.

"Ehna, Ehna, Abu Lele" is my favourite track. Vocals and percussion to start then the sax comes in after 1 1/2 minutes along with electric piano. Nice. Love this section that actually continues right to the end of this almost 9 minute song. In this section we get some sax and it turns dissonant before 5 1/2 minutes then the guitar follows. An absolutely incredible track !

"Hackbrett- Dance" has Indian aboe, African percussion, mirimba and these dulcimer-like sounds (thanks Gnosis). "Abdul Malek" opens with percussion and then another percussion comes in followed by drums then vocals. It's fuller before 1 1/2 minutes. Sax 3 minutes in to end it.

"Don't Come Tomorrow" is vocal, piano and flute led early and is laid back. Bass and light drums join in then mellotron after 2 minutes.

"Ticket To India" is a 16 minute bonus track. Love this trippy track with those spacey sounds. Electric piano is prominant as well. Guitar comes in after 5 minutes then the sax rips it up before 7 1/2 minutes. It settles back with mellotron then the sax returns with other sparse sounds as the mellotron continues.Great song ! EMBRYO were one of the best bands to come out of Germany and this is my favourite album by them. 5 stars !