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STEIG AUS [ALSO RELEASED AS: THIS IS EMBRYO]EmbryoJazz Rock/Fusion |
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"Steig aus" ("Get out", "Get off") is a karautrock album sounding much jazzier than other Krautrock releases by Amon Düül II or Guru Guru for example but also features the experimental, improvisational and free form type of music. The album consists of 3 tracks, "Radio Marrakesch/Orient-Express" wich is about 10 minutes long. Also about 10 minutes is the really great track "Dreaming girls". But the highlight of the album for sure is the very experimental longtrack "call" wich lasts more than 17 minutes. I recall that there's a new remaster version of this album, but I give no warranty about this.
Embryo is a good addition to any prog rock collection for sure, but if you want to get into the world of Krautrock start with Guru Guru, Amon Düül II or Faust. Embryo is a good addition if you really like the genre.



Only three tracks on this killer album and past the the first two minutes of Morrocan-soundtrack of Radio Marrakesh, Orient Express is a great lengthy jam on which Jackson's organ and mellotrons takes first lead, than Roman Bunka's guitar, then followed by Waldren's electric piano and Hoffman's violin. Finishing on Burchard's percussions. Slowly rising like a sunset is Waldren's piano on Dreaming Girls (originally called Filles De La Mer) and is taking us on similar grounds. The 17-mins sidelong suite Call is a bit more of the same. While the jams on all three tracks are fascinating and enthusiasming, they also sound a bit the same. An exciting jam-filled album, Steig As managed in just three tracks to take the excitement of discovery. Run for it...

"Radio Marrakesch / Orient Express" opens with an actual recording the band had made when travelling through Morocco of a sample from "Radio Marrakesch" of someone chanting. Then we hear the sound of the saz. The tempo starts to pick up as percussion and drums arrive. We then get some mellotron after 2 minutes as a full sound comes in including some dirty organ and then guitar after 3 minutes. The organ and bass become prominant a minute later. They're just jamming at this point and it sounds great. Guitar starts to rip it up 6 minutes in.
"Dreaming Girls" is dark to open with bass, vibes, drums and then violin after a minute. Very atmospheric early. Piano comes in replacing the violin 5 1/2 minutes in. The song ends much like it began with a dark atmosphere. "Call" is the side long 17 1/2 minute track to end it. It opens with a catchy beat as organ comes and goes. Violin after 1 1/2 minutes. A collage of sounds a minute later. Nice. Some great bass as they jam away. Love the sound 4 minutes in as Jackson goes crazy. Drums and percussion dominate after 9 minutes. Organ and violin are back 10 1/2 minutes in.
Just a joy to listen to these jazz flavoured improvs that these amazing players create.

The music character at time when the flow was active indeed had diversity in the region for the item of Krautrock in the latter half of the 1960's. Tangerine Dream in Berlin. Or, Can in Koln. And, the activity of various bands such as Frumpy in Hamburg will have been one exactly main currents.
It is said that the exchange had already been performed having it with musicians who are related to Embryo of Chris Karrer of the kingpin of Amon Duul 2 before 1967. And, Lothar Meid of the Bass player known on business with Amon Duul 2 had the exchange with them from Embryo. Therefore, it might have had the sense that looked like the brother as a relation between them also in the flow that derived through the music that they had been doing at that time. They deepened the exchange through music while esteeming the music character.
They debuted in "Opal" in 1970. It was gradually established, and their music took the part of an original element and ethnical to Jazz Rock and aimed at the enhancement of the music character in the work.
They have been daring the tour for about one month in 1972. It is said that the band at this time was doing live by using the shape of the musical. These elements will be able to hear the expression by appearing in this album as a glimpse in Album Art.
As for "Radio Marrakesch-Orient Express", it can know the music of the band completely established for the music character. An element of ethnical and an enchantment part complete directionality and the composition of the tune. The tune dashes by a fast demiquaver. The performance of E-Piano by Mal Waldron might be splendid as the point that should make a special mention. The performance and ensemble that progresses while making the best use of the characteristic of the band might be splendid. The establishment of music that gives an original interpretation to the element of Jazz Rock has succeeded.
A piano melody to make the melody of quiet Bass anxious twines round "Dreaming Girls". The part of the hit that frequently visits the part of Violin repeatedly has an indeed sensual flow. It might be important in the point also for this tune that progresses with the part where initial Soft Machine is reminiscent to compose the album.
"Call" progresses with a racial rhythm. The melody of E-Piano has the atmosphere of Jazz Rock to the end and twines with the melody of Violin. The obbligato of Piano and the line of Bass are good each other. It is ..Jazz Rock with the dash feeling indeed partly because of the element of Groove.. finished. The tune emphasizes Groove further and dashes. An element advanced as fast and slow is put on the composition of the tune has succeeded.
The point to have transfered the register label to express the directionality of the music that this band had been doing at that time might have been convenient for the band. The band exactly made one shape in this album.

I picked up this Embryo album, STEIG AUS, as I had heard that it was a mixture of world music and jazz fusion. While bandleader Christian Burchard would go on to explore world influences to a much larger extent later in his career, there is very little of it here. What we get instead is solid jazz-fusion jamming with a Krautrock sense of freedom. That is, there is no need for melodic theme, plenty of repetition, but also some nice exploration of timbre and raw sound.
The first track, Radio Marrakesh / Orient Express starts with some nice ethnic flavors before settling back into a Santana-esque groove. Unfortunately, no one in this band has the lyric solo presence of a Carlos. The jamming is well performed but very meandering and in the end directionless. Though there is nothing wrong with the music, this is not music that demands a lot of attention. Live, this could have been great fun, as the rhythm moves and the sounds are nice and spacey, and I can see the crowd just dancing away. As a prog fan, there's not much to sink my teeth into. Later songs continue in the same vein, but without the ethnic influences.
The album gets special mention for one of the most incomprehensible covers, consisting of a doll arm and what appears to be a modern black metal singer's head popping out of an amplifier. The name of the group and album are also spray-painted on the amp. Given that the music is 70's groove-jazz, this image is completely baffling. In the words of Frank Zappa, "Now that's Cheepnis."
I actually do enjoy this album and it's nice background music for rides in the car or collapsing after a day of work. I rate it between 2 and 3 stars but for prog fans looking for something with a little more substance, I think I have to give a 2.

Embryo is band ,based on its drummer Christian Burchard 's projects with different musicians. For Steig Aus album they were not only Germans bassist Jörg Evers, violinist Edgar Hoffmann, but American jazz musicians organist Jimmy Jackson, and jazz keyboardist Mal Waldron. As a result you can hear excellent combination of keyboards free-jazz jamming passages and kraut psychedelic atmosphere.
Possibly this album could disappear early krautrock Embryo fans - music became free-form jamming against more accessible melodic earlier recordings. But this move towards jazz-fusion, still being rooted in psychedelic tradition, gave excellent result, at least for lovers of keyboards passages, African rhythms and spacey jazz fusion from early 70-s.
My rating is 4+!

The music is still a very German take on jazz-rock, psychedelic, experimental and a tad rough. Also the influence from world music has become more important, especially on the opener "Orient Express", which starts with a Turkish saz intro before developing into an enticing funky jam. The line-up on this album included two American guest players, Jimmy Jkackson and Mal Waldron, on organs and Rhodes piano respectively. The result is a very keyboard dominated album, though the opener also has large guitar parts from Roman Bunka.
"Dreaming Girls" is a more composed piece. It's an alternate take of "Forgotten Sea" from the previous album and a huge improvement, with beautiful dreamy vibraphone from drummer and bandleader Burchard. Spacey keyboards, sound effects, and gorgeous violin touches from Hoffmann make this into one of my favorite Embryo pieces.
Also the 17 minute "Call" is a marvel , be it a lot to stomach. It's largely improvised and very dense, it's first half dominated by urgent drumming, droning mellotrons and psychedelic electric piano, the second half by a slower groove and melodious accents from the violin and organs. Somehow, and despite the ethnic rhythms, it leaves an impression similar to early Tangerine Dream.
Amidst all the marvelous albums that Embryo made, it's hard to refrain from calling this another essential, but again I will leave that honor for an album further ahead in their discography.

The 10-min. opener ''Radio Marrakesh / Orient Express'' is absolutely representative of its title, the Arabic and African echoes during the opening minutes set a mood for another Folk Fusion experience, however the following parts would proove to be much different.This one ended up to be a reckless jamming session by Embryo with schizophenic electric solos, fiery drumming, funky bass lines and some superb Mellotron grooves and organ smashing by Jackson, definitely one of the most dynamic executions ever recorded by the band.The 10-min. ''Dreaming girls'' is more of a Psych Fusion affair with the typical Kraut edges, Waldron now takes its place behind the hypnotic electric piano and Hofmann delivers crying, depressive, slow-motion violin solos over a muddy, narcotic rhythm section.The mood rarely changes from its initial melancholic basis, thus this sounds a bit overstretched and not overly convincing.The flipside is totally captured by the 17-min. ''Call'', which pretty much defines what Kraut/Jazz Rock is all about.From the 60's-sounding opening organs to the blistering rhythms with Hofmann's violin shining through and from the chaotic jamming sessions with the electric piano, Hammond organ and Mellotron all thrown in a long execution of abstract, rhythmic masturbations to the spacey farewell minutes with the light electric guitars and Bunka's saz soloing, this is impressive Jazz Rock with a strong psychedelic flavor and series of instrumental madness.
''Dreaming girls'' is the weak link of this release, the pair of other tracks is absolutely efficient, dominating and angular Kraut Fusion, which belongs among the classics of the genre.If you find ''Dreaming girls'' more interesting compared to my ears, then you should add an extra point and place this one at the top of Embryo's releases.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.
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