MISOPHONIA

Before and after ... how about your mental constitution, eh? ELECTRIC ORANGE are taking us by surprise each time, obviously ... so what the hell were they thinking by choosing 'Misphonia' as the album title in this case? [Wait, Doctor Psych dissents, you should take note of the fact that this specific sound is not intended to make you sick or crazy, no, not at all!] So what? This is health-promoting? You are sure? Please tell me, who will stop this organized suffering once for all? Who is able to look at the cover sleeve for more than one minute? Where are those promised puns regarding the track titles? ...

... you might get an answer for each particular question anytime soon, lucky you, but meanwhile two new others will come up. Welcome to the ELECTRIC ORANGE club! I mean, I'm wishing you well when it comes to (mental) health care on this occasion. Well, all right, why bother too much. I'll better slip into my (age) demented role ... taking the headphones instead, align myself for the voyage and stop puzzling about the direction mother earth is rotating afterwards. By the way, recently they were on a vintage trip slipping into some spaced-out dance music with Bossa Nova leanings, and the swinging Shattered de facto sounds like a leftover or deliberated transition.

But now reaching for something computable eventually ... never change a winning team! ... the band's line up remains stable since 2010. A reliable constant, such as a proven spaceship crew, which makes you feel safe about coming back to earth, always. What strikes here in any case is the strong and multi-faceted presence of Dirk Jan Müller's keyboard tools, be it the Tangerine Dream alike spheric patterns, farfisa and hammond drenched moments or those eerie synth outings. Maybe this can be called the band's all-embracing element, not in the meaning of something oppressive of course.

On the contrary, as Dirk Bittner, traditionally rather focussed on guitar and percussion, digs up more and more other instruments with each album. For example the trumpet decorating the title track and especially due to the use of a zither on the beautiful indo/raga styled Opsis. In addition Georg Monheim's fascinating drum playing is to notice, somewhat contradictive, while hypnotic and tribal either, but definitely varied during the whole course. Even bass player Tom Rückwald, often acting more restrained by nature in the past, has his flipped out moments.

'Misophonia' appears as an uncommon, unusual, magical affair. Can't believe if this was something coming impromptu. What still stays is the formidable challenge when trying to describe their music. ELECTRIC ORANGE always avoid trodden paths, no repetition please, are on a further expedition here. Especially when starting with the second vinyl they are offering new facets regarding their experimental approach, but seemingly never ever will loose contact to their (krautrock) base. Another must-have. Already waiting for the next bottledrone event.

As someone who remembers the classic era albums as new releases, I firmly believe some of today's 'retro' bands rival their Old Masters in quality and, paradoxically, originality. And this new Krautrock release from the 21st century's leading practitioners of the sub-genre is a prime example. I haven't heard a better Krautrock album since the mid-1970's. It doesn't sound like any other Krautrock exemplar, but this is definitely, definitely Krautrock.

Nothing has impressed me more about Prog Archives than the 'hit' status accorded to Electric Orange's excellent 2014 release 'Volume 10'. This is testament to the open-minded cultural vision of fans on this site. The only thing that has held me back from reviewing 'Volume 10' is the fact that my own rating would drag down its consensus score (slightly). Well, with 'Misophonia', Electric Orange have taken an artistic quantum leap - and it has the 'Wow!' factor I look for in awarding 5 stars. Their best album since the brilliant 'Morbus' of 2007 - and musically the two albums hardly sound like the same band. As others have said, Electric Orange never stop progressing.

Krautrock is not everyone's cup of tea, and I would not pretend there is any special musical cleverness required to appreciate this off-the-wall sub-genre. Really it is more a question of one's psychological state. But if you enjoyed 'Volume 10', you should love 'Misophonia'. And these albums are all on Bandcamp to hear - there is no excuse to avoid checking them out.

Verdict: A 21st century Krautrock masterpiece.

Coming in at over 72 minutes long, Misophonia represents another monster of an album from Aachen's Krautrock/Kosmische Musik stallwarts, ELECTRIC ORANGE.

1. "Organized Suffering" (18:09) opens with rolling bass line, guitars, drums and high pitch drone revving up, taking about forty seconds to get into full gear. Then, at 2:16, everything shuts down for some synths and three "explosion" distorted guitar/bass strums spread out over about twenty seconds. Synths then take over the lead above drums and occasional distorted bass notes. Heavily treated, animal-like vocalizations pop in and out of the soundscape toward the end of the fifth minute. Then things quiet down again around 5:20. Militaristic drums slowly build from there with bass, vocalizations and synths continuing their play. Psychedelic lead guitar play is slowly, sparsely added into the drum-dominant mix. Things quiet down again around the eight minute mark with guitar, quiet drums, and slowly penetrating mid-pitch synth note working its way into the soundscape, into our minds. At 9:30 there is a subtle shift as rolling bass, synth chords and drums return. At the end of the eleventh minute guitar and synths start to do some interesting if occasional things but at this point this is really a drummer's show. In the thirteenth minute the bass and synths begin some new activity--both attracting more of the listener's attention--but the, just as quickly, everything drops out (again) as if to reset. Modulated synth (or organ?) goes freaky on us while simple drum and bass lines play modest support. The organ really begins to dominate (finally!) and the bass and drums capitulate to create the song's first melodically based groove. The key/chord change at 16:20 almost blows it, but then they get back into it. This sounds almost like a 1960s DOORS or PINK FLOYD jam. Not a great song as it never seems to really get off the ground nor does it truly establish any kind of 'hook' to engage and maintain our interest. (7/10)

2. "Bottledrone" (11:48) starts out as slowly and uneventfully as the opening song--totally synth-dominated--but really kicks in delightfully by the halfway point and remains full and interesting to the end. (9/10)

3. "Demented" (7:51) opens with some spacey Blade Runner-like synth noises before an Indian-like rhythm section jumps into the field at the thirty second mark. Now, this is Kosmisches Musik! The drummer is in an awesome groove in the low end while his cymbal activity is all creative and playful. Slow space synth movement is gradual and constant while heavily treated guitars and basses flit in and out of the soundscape. The synths remind me exactly of Tony Banks' synth play in the second half of GENESIS's "The Waiting Room." I love it! By the sixth minute the bass has actually committed to a steady rhythm track while the guitar and cymbals continue their free form contributions. The instrumentalists slowly recede to allow for a quiet end to the song. (8/10)

4. "Misophonia I" (8:58) opens with deep synth notes and low end bass play with a kind of metronomic, Native American-like low end drum beat. For the first three minutes I can definitely picture native American tribal dancers around the campfire--maybe readying themselves for war. The disturbing and discordant shift during and throughout the fourth minute leads to the establishment of a kind of groovy Buddha Lounge song at the four minute mark. Bass, drums and guitar riffs are all on fixed groove mode while the bouncy synth sounds like he's performing at an Ibiza all-night rave club. Horn-like sounds are layered and echoed during seventh minute to nice effect. This turns out to be the song's last real surprise or shift as things begin to slowly fade over the course of the next two minutes. Interesting song. I'm not sure of its intentions or reasons--nor am I certain if it really works. It is, however, unusual. (8/10)

5. "Shattered" (4:40) opens like a jazz song with some synths, bass, drums and wah-effected guitar riffing his chords over a cute hypnotic groove. The synth and drum play don't quite fit in, but this could almost fit in with some of the 1970s Black Exploitation film scores. The guitar and synth play feel at odds--as if they're in different universes--or, at least, different sound studios. Not a song that I care to hear again. (6/10)

6. "Misophonia II" (1:19) is a brief interlude which sounds as if it could almost be a classical piece that has been heavily, heavily treated and distorted in the psychedelic fashion. (8/10)

7. "Opsis" (5:25) has more of the feel and sound palette of the music from EO's 2014 masterpiece, Volume 10. The zither and horn sounds and calmer, more steady rock rhythm tracks are so nice to hear again! Beautiful if subtle melody! (9/10)

8. "Misophonia III" (17:36) I keep reading about the power and centrality of this song to this album and I have to say, I agree. It is one monster of a song, with an awesomely powerful opening from the keyboard master, Dirk Jan Müller. The development is slow but seemingly methodical, well-planned, and the keyboard drenched soundscape is joyfully drenched with Müller's strokes and washes. It's funny to enjoy so much the minimalist inputs from the band's other three members and just have the keys going solo over the course of the first six minutes. Once the rest of the band join in and establish their trepidous support, Dirk Jan continues to play around, but gradually his keys become more integrated into the weave, even seem to fade to background a bit--though there are the occasional really cool low end chord staccato hits. In the tenth minute, when things feel like they're starting to stagnate, Dirk Jan turns up the gas, puts on the horn synth, thrashes out a few heavy handed chords. Man! is he giving a great Berlin School keyboard exhibition! Volume levels all around amp up at the 12-minute mark, but then back off, leaving a little "Lucky Man" fade into the 13-minute mark. The bass, guitar and constant drum pattern keep it going, though, while DJ Müller again goes on his creative binging. More this, EO! I love it! (10/10)

While I enjoy all of the electronic space experimentation going on beneath the "lead" instruments by keyboard specialist Dirk Jan Müller, I find this album less cohesive and engaging than either Volume 10 or Morbus. I often find myself feeling as if the oceans of synth heaven going on beneath and the instrumental action above (or below) are disconnected--like sea and air--sea and mud.

Still, this is a nice 3.5 to four star album which I'm rating up for the monster epic "Misophonia III". A nice addition to any prog rock music collection.

Offering in their twenty-five-plus year career everything from colourful retro-prog, electronica/dance and even psych-pop party blowouts (the cool stop-gap release `Nein! HITS à Gogo!' from 2015!), unpredictable German group Electric Orange delivered a masterwork in 2014 with their moody and atmospheric Neo-Krautrock stunner `Volume 10', and they're back two years later with another refinement of their sound, `Misophonia'. This time around, the instrumental band offer a heavily- improvised collection of eclectic sounds that moves through everything from ambient, Post-Rock, drone and psychedelic flavours, even some light New-Wave touches all woven to their lengthy Krautrock jams, with the band constantly displaying a masterful control of mood, build and atmosphere throughout.

Eighteen-minute opener `Organized Suffering' is constantly rhythmically driven, frequently racing with an up-tempo momentum by way of rippling psychedelic cascades, parched guitar clamour and hovering electronic drifts, with little traces here and there even calling to mind the Delerium Records-era of Porcupine Tree. Dirk Bittner's guitars slink with everything from a cool Eighties sleekness, bluesy bends and stuttering spasms, Tom Rückwald's heavy bass grumbles seductively, and the closing section hums warmly with toasty thick Hammond organ and congas. `Bottledrone' opens as a lulling ambient drone over fuzzy embracing guitar caresses that reminds of the Ash Ra Tempel, Ashra and Manuel Göttsching before catching fire with Dirk Jan Müller's bleeding vintage electronics unravelling over Georg Monheim's rising energetic drumming. 'Demented' is a percussion-driven piece over shimmering ambient washes and murkily grooving guitar strums, the loose New-Wave flavoured guitar-driven `Shattered' almost grooves in the manner of the `Beat-...Perfect Pair' King Crimson era, and `Opsis' glistens with chiming mandolin mystery.

The almost thirty minute title-piece `Misophonia' is spread out over three tracks at various intervals throughout the disc. The first piece opens as a dusty distorted drone that grows in relentless power from ringing bluesy guitar and heavy dreamy electronics, the second is a hazy rumbling interlude, but the third and final act is a full-blown seventeen-minute epic. This album closer starts as a howling and wavering throb that spontaneously explodes to life with rattling drums, roaring guitar snarls, seeping electronic bleeds and looping Tangerine Dream-like machine repetition. It's a masterclass in brooding intensity and spiky danger, with delicious little traces of that precious early Pink Floyd fragility emerging throughout.

Once again mastered by frequent EO collaborator and Grobschnitt's leader/drummer Eroc, `Misophonia' perhaps doesn't quite reach the defining atmospheric heights and carefully sustaining mood of `Volume Ten', but it absolutely presents a band still exploring, refusing to merely recreate the sounds of the past, and challenging both themselves and their listeners. Electric Orange successfully bring vintage Krautrock sounds rumbling into the modern age and fuses it with a range of other styles, and this intoxicating, slow-burn hypnotic album ranks amongst their best releases to date.

Four stars.