HAU-RUK

With an album title as enigmatic as the band name, this German outfit created a very alluring psychedelic jazz-rock album. Recorded live, these free-form based jams will probably sound a bit indulgent to some listeners, but fans of Soft Machine's "Third" or Annexus Quam's "Osmose" shouldn't hesitate to check this out.

While "Hau-Ruk" doesn't match the quality of the two named albums it is still a very imaginative album, with two long improvised tracks full of strong psychedelic organs, intuitive drumming, smooth bass work and saxophones from Tim Belbe and Hansi Fisher. The latter would turn up again on Embryo's "Rache" album. The first track is the most consistent; the second has a very psychedelic and impressive first half before it changes to a rather dull take on BB King's "Rock Me Baby".

A nice album if you like that meeting ground between kraut and jazz/rock, where free-form improvisation, jazz and psychedelicca blend together without effort. Also fans of the experimental side of the Canterbury scene might dig this.