HOENIG & GÖTTSCHING: EARLY WATER

A classic Berlin Electronics album that I didn't even know existed until a short time ago. Similar in many ways to Tangerine Dream's 'Ricochet', 'Early Water' is one huge 48 minute track utilising sexy analogue arpeggiators.

Manuel Göttsching of 'Ash Ra Tempel' - adds plenty heavily treated and highly original Gibson guitar experiments throughout. Not only that, but he turns his hand to Farfisa Organ (Farfisa Compact), ARP (Odyssey) and ARP Sequencer.

Coupled with Michael Hoenig's keyboards, we're given something quite special. A beautiful car journey through an uncontaminated 1976 sunny countryside without a human being in sight. Entirely electronic from beginning to end with Göttsching's guitars sounding uncannily like those of Edgar Froese from around the same period but more tastefully played and less in your face.

A missing link for Tangerine Dream fans who wondered what the hell went wrong after 1976... It's just a pity it's so long... 48 minutes is too much to take in one sitting for a singular electronic musical concept. It's great as background music but doesn't stand up to a full on listen. For this reason only it's downgraded to three stars.

It is very pretty though...