Category Archives: Krautrock
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT.
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT. Back in 1969, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dieter Moebius and Conrad Schnitzler founded Kluster, which would become one of the most important groups in the nascent Krautrock movement. Kluster went on to release two albums between 1969 and 1971, Zwei-Ostere and Klopfzeichen. However, in 1971 Conrad Schnitzler announced that he was leaving Kluster. So Hans-Joachim Roedelius …
HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS- AWARDS, HARMONIA, CLUSTER AND QLUSTER.
HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS- AWARDS, HARMONIA, CLUSTER AND QLUSTER. The words pioneer and innovator are often overused. However, it is a fitting description of Hans-Joachim Roedelius. He is, without doubt, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of the past fifty years. His music has influenced and inspired several generation of musician. That’s why recently, Hans-Joachim Roedelius was awarded a Schallwelle …
NICKLAS SORENSEN-SOLO.
NICKLAS SORENSEN-SOLO. Back in late 2010, Copenhagen based instrumental rock trio Papir, released their eponymous debut album. Papir was released to critical acclaim, and in the process, launched the career of one of the rising stars of the Nordic music scene. A year later, in 2011, Papir returned with their sophomore album Stundum. It was …
SULA BASSANA-SHIPWRECKED.
SULA BASSANA-SHIPWRECKED. Nowadays, most musicians are content to release an album every year or two. It’s a far cry from the sixties and seventies when bands would regularly release two albums a year. That most people thought, was a thing of the past. However, it’s not. Dave Schmidt is proof of this. His three groups …
BAUMAN/KOEK-BAUMAN/KOEK-VINYL EDITION.
BAUMAN/KOEK-BAUMAN/KOEK-VINYL EDITION. By 1978, German music was changing. The Krautrock era had ended in 1977, and there was a move towards electronic music. This wasn’t new. The Berlin School had been around since the early seventies. It was also a precursor of ambient music, and went on to influence future generations of ambient musicians. Among the …
DIES IRAE-FIRST.
DIES IRAE-FIRST. For many new bands, their main objective is to release a “record.” They want to do this as quickly as possible. For them, it’s a sign that they’ve “arrived” and have one foot on the musical ladder. Sadly, for some bands, that’s as far as it goes. The album fails to sell and …
BAUMAN/KOEK-BAUMAN/KOEK.
BAUMAN/KOEK-BAUMAN/KOEK. By 1978, German music was changing. The Krautrock era had ended in 1977, and there was a move towards electronic music. This wasn’t new. The Berlin School had been around since the early seventies. It was also a precursor of ambient music, and went on to influence future generations of ambient musicians. Among the founding …
IKARUS-IKARUS.
IKARUS-IKARUS. In Greek mythology, Icarus, the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who created the Labyrinth, met a tragic ending. Icarus and Daedalus were desperate to escape from Crete. So Daedalus constructed wings made of feathers and wax. As Icarus prepared to make his escape, Daedalus warned his son of complacency and hubris. Icarus shouldn’t …
GURU GURU-UFO.
GURU GURU-UFO. By the late sixties, the members of many British and American bands were well on their way to becoming multi-millionaires. Especially groups like The Beatles and Rolling Stones. They had been at the top for the best part of a decade, and were now enjoying wealth beyond their wildest dreams. To look after …
KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV.
KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV. Musical history is littered with bands who only ever released one album. Often, that album fails to find the audience it deserves. This can come as a bitter blow, and sometimes, can lead to the band breaking up. By then, the rock star dream is over. The only option left, is to return to …
IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET-IMPORT.
IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET-IMPORT. One of the most eagerly awaited box sets of 2015 was Irmin Schmidt’s twelve disc career retrospective, Electro Violet. It was released by Mute Records in December 2015. However, only 1,000 copies of Electro Violet were available. They were like gold dust and finding one of the Electro Violet box sets wasn’t …
AGITATION FREE-2ND.
AGITATION FREE-2ND. Berlin, 1967. That was where the Agitation Free story began. That was when Lutz ‘Lüül’ Ulrich, Michael ‘Fame’ Günther, Lutz ‘Ludwig’ Kramer and Christoph Franke formed Agitation. This new band quickly established a reputation as one of the pioneers of Berlin’s underground music scene. When Agitation played live, their sets were like the …
THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS OF 2015.
THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS OF 2015. The final category in my best of series is live albums. For some reason, live albums seem to divide opinion. While some people love live albums, others loathe them. There seems to be no middle ground. Partly that’s down to how an artist approaches a live album. It may be …
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART TWO.
THE BEST 55 REISSUES OF 2015-PART TWO. EJI OYEWOLE- CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. In the sixties and seventies, the Nigerian music scene was thriving. New bands were constantly being formed. Similarly, new artists were making an impression on Nigerian music. This included Eji Oyewole. However, the flautist, saxophonist and future bandleader was different from his …
THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 1.
THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 1. For the last few years, Norway has one of the most vibrant music scenes. Gradually, groups from other parts of the Nordic region are beginning to make waves. So it makes sense to add a new category to this 2015’s best of series, the best Nordic …
THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 2.
THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 2. GORAN KAJFES SUBTROPIC ARKESTRA-THE REASON WHY VOLUME 2. For the last three decades, Goran Kajfeš has been a key figure in the Swedish music scene.There’s a reason for this. Goran Kajfeš has constantly been releasing groundbreaking, genre-melting music. To do this, Goran has pushed musical boundaries …
HARMONIA-DELUXE.
HARMONIA-DELUXE. In June 1975, the three members of Harmonia returned to their studio in Forst for the recording of their sophomore album, Deluxe which was rereleased by Grönland Records on 18th December 2015. Deluxe would become the followup to Musik Von Harmania, which had been released in January 1974. Sadly, this groundbreaking album had failed …
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC.
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC. During the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving. It was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being released by German bands. This included the holy trinity of Can, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Along with Amon Düül II, …
HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA.
HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA. Just a week before Christmas, the album that caused Brian Eno to call its makers “the most important band in the world” was reissued on CD by Grönland Records. Sadly, that album didn’t go on to sell millions of copies. Far from it. Musik Von Harmonia, the debut album from German supergroup …
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