Category Archives: Krautrock
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-PSYCHEDELIC SPACELORD.
Black Moon Circle-Psychedelic Spacelord. Label: Crispin Glover Records. New Album Of The Week. Six years ago, brothers Øyvin and Vemund Engan founded the psychedelic space rock band Black Moon Circle, and since then, this talented band from Trondheim, in Norway, have released five albums. Soon, five will become six when the newly expanded lineup of …
MOUVEMENTS-MOUVEMENTS.
Mouvements-Mouvements. Label: Mental Experience. In the late-sixties, self-taught guitarist and jazz aficionado Christian Oestreicher, who was later described as: “a savage in the era of twist and free jazz,” met artist and painter Richard Reimann who was famous for his optical art, at the renowned Aurora art gallery in Geneva, Switzerland. This was the start …
PYRAMID-PYRAMID.
Pyramid-Pyramid. Label: Mental Experience. Although Winston Churchill’s said: “it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” in the context of Russia, what’s become one of his most famous quotations can just as easily be applied to Robin Page’s Pyramid Records which has been the source of heated debate for over twenty years. …
AQUASERGE-DEJA VOUS?
Aquaserge-Deja-Vous? Label: Crammed Discs. Release Date: ‘27th’ April 2018. One of the hardest things for a new band is coming up with a name, and often, it takes long and fruitless debates before someone plucks a name out of the ether. After this eureka moment, the band is belatedly christened and they can get on …
DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK: EXPERIMENTAL GERMAN ROCK AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC 1972-1983.
Deutsche Elektronische Musik: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Music 1972-83. Label: Soul Jazz Records. Nowadays, the period between 1968 and the early eighties is regarded as a golden period for German music, and is remembered as period when groundbreaking artists and groups like Amon Düül II, Can, Cluster, Deuter, Faust, Harmonia, Neu!, Popul Vuh and …
KLAUS SCHULZE-CRIME OF SUSPENSE.
Klaus Schulze-Crime Of Suspense. Label: MIG Music. By 1998, fifty-one year old Berlin School pioneer Klaus Schulze had been making music for twenty-nine years, and had achieved more than most during a career that already spanned four decades. His career began in 1969 when he was the drummer in Psy Free, and met Edgar Froese in …
ELEPHANT9-GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.
Elephant9-Greatest Show On Earth. Label: Rune Grammofon. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums with legendary Swedish guitarist Reine Fiske, a new chapter began for Elephant9 in October 2017 as they began work on their fifth studio album Greatest Show On Earth at Studio Paradiso. This was the first album that the core trio of Elephant9 …
THE BEST VINYL RELEASES OF 2017 PART 1
The Best Vinyl Releases Of 2017-Part 1.. Bettye Swann-The Money Masters. Label: Kent Soul. Bettye Swann had the talent and potential to become one of the greatest soul singers of her generation. A remainder why can be found on The Money Masters which covers Bettye Swann’s time at Money Records, and includes singles, B-Sides and …
THE BEST VINYL RELEASES OF 2017 PART 2.
The Best New Vinyl Releases Of 2017 Part 2. Eric Clapton-Slowhand-Vinyl. Label: Polydor. When November 1977, Eric Clapton released his much-anticipated fifth album Slowhand, the reviews were mostly positive. Critics were won over by an album where Slowhand’s playing was much more subtle and understated on an album where he sometimes laid bare his soul. …
THE BEST VINYL RELEASES OF 2017 PART 3.
The Best Vinyl Releases of 2017 Part 3. Motörhead -What’s Worth Words. Label: Big Beat Records. When Motörhead released What’s Worth Words on the ‘5th’ of March 1983, critics called the album one of the greatest live albums ever release. That was no exaggeration. What’s Worth Words featured a barnstorming, speed fuelled performance from Motörhead …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 1.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 1. At this time of year, the lists of the best albums of the previous year are published. This year, I’ve delved deep into the all the releases from 2017 and picked my 100 Best New Albums Of 2017. 1982-Chromola. Label: Hubro Music. Norwegian power trio 1982 celebrated their tenth anniversary with the release …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 3.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 3. Cluster-Konzerte 1972-1977. Label: Bureau B. Although Cluster released seven studio albums between 1971 and 1979, they were also a legendary live band, whose marathon concerts usually lasted six hours or more. Sadly, Cluster never released a live album during the seventies. The nearest most people got to hearing Cluster …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 4.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 4. Erland Dahlen-Clocks. Label: Hubro Music. When Erland Dahlen recorded his third solo album Clocks, he followed in the footsteps of American composer, music theorist and creator of bespoke musical instruments Harry Partch. He successfully transformed everyday items into musical instruments and inspired Erland Dahlen when he came to record …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 5.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 5. Gjermund Larsen Trio-Salmeklang. Label: Heilo. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Gjermund Larsen Trio, they return with their fourth album Salmeklang. Just like previous albums, bandleader Gjermund Larsen writes most of the music on Salmeklang. The result is an album where the music is atmospheric, melodic album …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 6.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 6. Jon Balke and Siwan-Nahnou Houm. Label: ECM Records. Eight years after releasing their debut album Norwegian keyboardist, composer and arranger Jon Balke and Siwan return with Nahnou Houm, which marks the debut of the new lead singer Mona Boutchebak from Algeria. She joins a multitalented band and plays …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 7.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 7. Linda Perhacs-I’m A Harmony. Label: Omnivore Recordings. Three years after releasing her long-awaited and much-anticipated sophomore album The Soul of All Natural Things in 2014, the Queen of psychedelic folk Linda Perhacs returns with I’m A Harmony. It’s a flawless genre-melting album that veers between ambient and atmospheric …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 8.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 8. Nordic Circles-Under The Clouds. Label: AMP Music and Records. Over the last few years, the Scandinavian jazz scene has been enjoying another golden period. Proof of that is Nordic Circles which is a relatively new Norwegian jazz project whose raison d’être is to create unique jazz recordings where well-known …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 9.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 9. Schneider-Kacirek-Radius Walk. Label: Bureau B. In 2017, two of the leading lights of the German music scene Schneider-Kacirek returned with their sophomore album Radius Walk. It features Sonia Jernberg on three soundscapes, which was something of a masterstroke, as she’s a truly talented singer who has honed her own inimitable …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 10.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 10. The Souljazz Orchestra-Under Burning Skies. Label: Strut Records. Fifteen years after The Souljazz Orchestra was founded in Ottawa, Canada, in 2002, they returned with their seventh album Under Burning Skies. It’s without doubt, the finest album of their career, which has been said before. However, with every album they …