LANG'SYNE

Although formed in 1969 in Bremen, Germany, the trio of Egbert Fröse (guitar, organ, psaltery, koto, sitar, vocals), Matthias Mertler (guitar, percussion, psaltery, banjo, bass pedals, vocals) and Ulrich Nähle (guitar, flute, percussion, vocals) eschewed the entire psychedelic Krautrock scene altogether and instead was more inspired by British folk music more commonly associated with bands like Pentangle or Fairport Convention. The band name LANGSYNE should give a clue to this having come from the Scottish term meaning long ago and these days used all over the English speaking world in the popular New Year's Eve song "Auld Lang Syne."

Existing as a duo for the first seven years, in 1976 when Merler joined the newly formed trio released its self-titled debut which remained the only album until "Langsyne 2" emerged in 2016 on the Garden of Delights label. LANGSYNE's only 70s album was an exclusively acoustic affair which mixed British folk rock with eastern influences that incorporated the Indian sitar and Japanese koto along with other unconventional folk instrumentation such as a banjo, glockenspiel, Jew's harp and organ. The trio performed some excellent vocal harmonies as well with that "i know English isn't their first language" sort of accent but never revealing themselves as German in origin.

Although LANGSYNE didn't really sound German, they have been referenced to other German acts that focused on peaceful folk motifs over lysergic Kraut escapism and therefore often lumped into the German progressive folk scene with Witthauser & Westrupp, Hoelderlin and Broselmachine. What sets LANGSYNE apart from all of the following is that these guys focused on thoughtful contemplative musical arrangements that mixed the instrumentation quite convincingly and the unlikely marriage of banjos with sitars and Jew's harp with organs never seems forced in the least bit. While Indian instrumentation is used in part, LANGSYNE doesn't resonate in the same way that other raga inspired bands does and sort of existed in its own universe. The parts with banjo actually prognosticate to what modern acts like Bela Fleck & The Flecktones would create an entire career out of.

All in all this is a beautiful pastoral musical experience that sort of slips through the cracks of trying to pigeonhole it in any particular way. Yes, it's folk music inspired by the British scene but yet there is definitely a bit of a German sense of adventurism to it. While incorporating the American banjo and Indian sitar, it never drifts too far into the world of American folk or raga rock but rather crafts its own unique brand of meditative music that offered a bit of all influences involved but mostly crafted a nice set of primarily acoustic guitar driven folk tunes with lyrics sung in English. The songs are instantly addictive was the melodic developments are quite brilliant. While bands like Broschelmaschine were much more psychedelic in their folk sensibilities, LANGSYNE was more down to Earth. A nice little slice of the 70s German underground here.