DAMENBART

Guess 1971 might be a golden year for Krautrock obscurities (e.g. Zippo Zetterlink, Mittelwinternacht '71, Semool, Fille Qui Mousse). It's said that almost all of tracks in this Damenbart's only one compilation "Impressionen '71", released in 1988 as a vinyl, be recorded in 1971. It's amazing the material in this stuff has already been recorded over 40 years before (especially the first track "Innovative Schwingungen" should be one of the masterpieces in Krautrock scene we may say okay?).

Anyway, the "Innovative (Schwingungen)" masterpiece has various appearances. Sensual touches, dry-fruity and well-matured weirdness, some rhythmic confusions, dark deadlines of a music precipice, deep infernal riffs with eccentric electronic blood, and killa attacks of sadistic and brutal noises ... all of those might have been one of the most innovative adventures for them, and might have got leadership in early 70s Krautrock scene (sad to say, actually they had ended in obscurity).

"Blumen Im Haar" can be called as a dream ... sometimes mellow, fanatic, and sometimes dark, depressive. Filled with ethnic percussion kicks, fantastic brilliant meditative states of mind can go forward into another psychedelia. In "Bewusstseinserweiterung" we can go to clearer nightmare than the previous track, along with Goddess' disquieting whispers, that can remind me another Fille Qui Mousse's "Esplanade". And the last one "Marihuanabrothers" can completely be thought transference drenched in marijuana smoke. We can say this stuff could be the furthest from Krautrock world, but simultaneously could exist there definitely. A mysterious, and terrific noise ambient one indeed.

If you get interested in heavy psychedelic experimental mind-altering medication through your ears, this superb album can be recommended. Not melodic nor fashionable, but unrefined, earth-smelled, bitter one for progressive rock freaks. Listen carefully and feel various beat colours violently.

Damenbart is one of the many one-album wonder bands in our archive. I do not know much, not to mention anything, about this band. This album is also most definate in the avant-garde, bordering to noise, wing of the Krautrock scene. Most of the music has an industrial feel over it with sirens and working hammers of infernal heavy industries in the Ruhr valley as the backdrop. It feels like an infernal hell elevated to a German valley. That's the first half of the album. The final half, from thirty five minutes and out, has some Raga Rock influences and even some good jazz too.

Then I have to flesh up this review with my opinion and stars.......

Those of you into the more avant garde/noise part of the Krautrock scene, and I know that is a lot of you, should most definate check out this album. You will probably love it. I don't think this is a bad album. But this album is a bit too eclectic for my liking. Too one-dimentional and too sound collage like. It is a decent album though, but not one I will play again too often. Sorry......

2 stars