KRAUTROCK FROM HELL

Yeah, they did it once more. While the forerunner album 'Morbus' was presented with a provocative album cover ... this time it's the title ... 'Krautrock From Hell'. If this stuff is really coming from the hell floor, why should we ever reach for something like a paradise, for the promised place in heaven, eh? So there's no other choice ... when you're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea you have to question all your habits when starting to listen. Behaving against the wind ... against the mainstream. This will be clear at the latest when you're wondering about this crazy narration, provided with an Austrian accent, which directs you into the album. Time to fasten your seatbelts ... sorry, headphones of course.

Tom Rückwald's repetitive bass line and the stoic drums steer the course on Bandwurm (tapeworm in English - which will ever find a way, right?) spiked with a bunch of effects, modified by a Leslie speaker I'm quite sure. An enthusiastic voice is encouraging the other band members for the following Sundos ... where it all surprisingly turns out to bear a reference to Bo Hansson's 'The Sun'. I don't believe in coincidence here - oh ... ELECTRIC ORANGE dare to work in my preferred song from 'Magician's Hat'! No - not as a simple rehash at all - it took some time until I began to wonder about the relation, especially because there is a hurry-up interlude placed which is really puzzling. The main theme though is decorated with Hammond, Josef Ahns' flute and decent guitar reminiscent to this excellent Swedish keyboarder - well done.

There is something new about the line-up - as for the the drummer we have one change here, compared to the recent albums. Georg Monheim is aboard (concerning the live performances since 2008 in fact). Don't want to compare or to complain why - he does a great job and is very present, even applying to the mix - and that's important in the end. For example speaking of his excellent percussion work including congas on Chorg - the first spacey ride and the first to cross the ten minute mark. Wonderful, especially the second half - hooked by a trippy drive soaring Mini Moog, Solina String Ensemble and guitar are wrapping you up - nearly working like a krautrock ballad (don't blame me for this term). Definitely a highlight because ELECTRIC ORANGE arrange such a gorgeous mood here!

By the way - Dirk Jan Müller uses a wide range of keyboard instruments, including diverse analogue synthesizers. Man ... this is surely responsible for much variety. On the other hand - the guitar work is more subtle in general - but important so much the more. Just listen to Hers and you will know what I mean. The song is provided with a hallucinogenic intro where synths and guitar are meandering seemingly aimless - and even more so the following short narration. Maybe something for the couch doctor ... wait, not really necessary though because they soon get you going with a groove - including good vocals surprisingly. And now we are on a really charming psych tune furthermore - hooooh, what a swirling organ!

The spacey Kunstkopf follows - a floating improvisation decorated with many analogue effects - just to prepare for Neuronomicon - the album's centerpiece. A grooving rhythm alternates with restrained gripping parts - this song holds a lot of variations. An acoustic guitar opens this twentyfive minute epic. You will find piano interludes, weird vocoder modified voice samples (uahhhh ... coming from the devil himself), fuzzy guitars ... especially for the use of varied keyboard/synth impressions they reach the top here - impressing! Wurmloch (wormhole - Einstein is convoying us) - kosmische musik - this makes you feel like gliding through a foreign galaxy. Using my imagination a bit ... a new episode of Star Trek probably ... whilst Captain Picard orders to broadcast Tangerine Dream over the board loudspeakers. It's the combination of an electronic beat, some flute here and there, weird effects ... and finally fulminant drums working like a timbal.

Available via Sulatron Records 'Krautrock From Hell' is caring for a compact flow - solos as such are (nearly) missing. You shouldn't expect a rollercoaster trip - as for that ELECTRIC ORANGE's arrangements are too spacey, hypnotic, repetitive. Anyhow - here we have an efficient proportion of composition and improvisation once more. Just another situation to think about a masterpiece rating. I'm sure now after some rehearsals - perfectly linking to the predecessor album 'Morbus', the band have reached for the innovative elite of progressive rock. You shouldn't miss a visit to hell!

Maybe this is the correct way and I'm not exactly the right person to listen these Krautrock tunes (well, more like German psychedelic, which can tell more to people not knowing about meaning of this word). First I though I'll not like it, because of German speech intro (why to deny it, it is well known "not nice sounding" language to most people. And then not so interesting riff (too monotone, through all song long), I was getting slowly (very slowly, maybe too much slowly) better and for example Chork is showing nice sounds (how to call them anyway) and, well, I can't tell a difference between normal Psychedelic and Krautrock, especially this song sounds very close to classic Neo Psych (like Quantum Fantay), but to simplify it let's use this graph: 1. Bandwurm 3(-) 2. Sundos 3(+) 3. Chorg 4(+) 4. Hers 4(+) 5. Kunstkopf 4(-) 6. Neuronomicon - good 7. Wurmloch - good

4(-), while last two tracks are hard to define, but I like them.

This is the best album title that I think i've ever seen (haha). "Krautrock From Hell" is the latest offering from Germany's own ELECTRIC ORANGE and it's a good one. I don't think it's as good as their previous album "Morbus" but that's just my opinion. Once again we get this dark,trippy psychedelia with samples and mellotron thrown in the mix. This is a trip that is over 78 minutes long.

"Bandwurm" opens with German spoken words followed by drums and bass that come in before a minute. Spacey sounds too. Great bass as different sounds, effects and samples come and go. Outstanding ! "Sundos" opens with drums as vocal expressions and other sounds join in. Organ and flute too. It's more intense 2 1/2 minutes in. Killer organ 3 minutes in. "Chorg (Cpt. Gyrok's)" features a beat that kicks in before a minute. Some nasty organ before 1 1/2 minutes as the guitar comes and goes. An amazing sound kicks in before 4 minutes. It settles back again with some nice guitar. The song trips along to the end. Excellent track. "Hers" is dark with distorted guitar in the background. Spacey sounds join in. A beat kicks in before 3 minutes. The song stops briefly as spoken words come in. It kicks back in with vocals quickly. This section sounds almost normal (haha). Deep bass before 7 minutes as it settles. "Kunstkopf" opens with floating organ as a beat joins in along with spacey sounds. Spoken words can be heard in the background. It settles before 3 minutes then builds before settling again. It ends with spoken words.

"Neuronomicon" is the longest track at 25 minutes. Acoustic guitar early then it kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes. Heavy drums follow as it settles some. It kicks back in at 4 minutes before settling a minute later with piano. Heavy drums and bass after 6 minutes. Organ too. Great sound ! Spoken words 7 minutes in. The guitar before 10 minutes sounds outstanding. It settles with spacey sounds. Mellotron 14 minutes in and it continues until around 16 1/2 minutes. It turns dark. Vocals too. Mellotron before 20 minutes then it settles after 21 minutes. It kicks back in and the synths here remind me of PORCUPINE TREE. "Wurmloch" is dark, spacey and experimental. Heavy drums and bass join in half way through. Some flute follows.

A must for fans of Krautrock.

ELECTRIC ORANGE is a Neo-Kraut band from Germany led by keyboardist Dirk Jan Muller . They've been around since early 90s, releasing some stuff from time to time, and jammy "Platte" (2003) was their most balanced and enjoyable album, to my taste. "Krautrock from Hell" wears its influences on a sleeve, and sometimes it sounds "almost like -insertKrautrockbandnamehere-": some Damo Sudzuki madness, some ASH RA TEMPEL soundscapes, some AMON DUUL horror atmosphere, some KRAFTWERK loops...I can't accuse ELECTRIC ORANGE in being unoriginal (it's almost impossible to stay original within the genre based on jamming and proto-Electronica soundeffects), but such "collage" approach is a bit too obvious. Anyway, it's a pretty good record, even though a little bit too long

Krautrock is a term applied to the early 70s experimental/psychedelic art-movement in Germany, so I was quite skeptical finding this relatively new band being advertised as Krautrock. Would this be "Neo-kraut" then? A logical contradiction of sorts for me, as how can music cloned from other examples keep up the whole idea of creativity and artistic expression that is so essential to progressive music, not in the least to kraut.

Hell no! This band has a history as an experimental electronic act and they brought along their sense for experimentation, creating a rocking album that not only sounds like Krautrock, but that also represents the true spirit of it. That being said, I will of course slam a few names around to get an idea of what you might expect.

Bandwurm is a short mid-paced instrumental that brings Neu! to mind with its insistent beat and repetitive bass line. Heavily processed organ sounds and droning feedback add a thick atmospheric layer on top. Sundos is more melodic and composed, with varying melodies and tempos, nice psychedelic organs, flutes and feedbacking guitars here. Chork is the first of two epic masterpieces on the album, a little brother to the majestic 25 minute Neuronomicon that follows later on. Both are slow-paced with beautiful sweeping melodies, bubbling synths and big mellotrons. The effect is highly psychedelic and emotive, and with their dry rocking sound and dark melodies those two pieces also remind me of Anekdoten.

Hers starts with guitar noises, familiar from post-rock but obviously going back to the real sources being early Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. After the intro, an actual song follows with dreamy vocals and a percussive beat. Somehow it reminds me of The Beatles' Tomorrow never knows. The next track Kunstkopf is another Neu! tribute. Both songs are OK but hardly the best on the album. Considering the entire album is 78 minutes long they create a bit of a lull that makes the album too long really. Neuronomicon and the closing Wurmloch more then make up for it. The last one is kind of interesting as the band strikes a vibe here that sounds very much like what Tangerine Dream's Green Desert album might have been like had it not been tampered with in 1986.

Overall an excellent album for lovers of Kraut/psych/space rock and one that has fired my interest to discover some of this artist's back catalog.

I can't believe that an album like this has been released in 2010. Before it I didn't know anything about this neo-kraut band, not that I know much even now, but at least I know this album that's extremely good.

I want to start from the best: the last two tracks are an epic and a spacey drone the first is a 25 minutes track full of different things, the other is very reminding of very early Tangerine Dreams. What is very remarkable is that the instruments are not "so much" electronics as one could expect. They have flute, guitars, percussions, they are closer to Electronic Meditation than to Atem.

All the other songs are good, with a strong old-krautrock fashion. Ash Ra, Can and Amon Duul II can be some references.

Now by order: "Bandwurm" is opened by German speech, not infrequent in Krautrock, then a bass riff comes from behind toether with some electronic noises. The production is typical of Krautrock but the track is more easily listenable than most of the 70s krauts It's not as challenging as some Can's tracks for example. The bass riff is a sort of 70s spy movie soundtrack. The noises are not dissonants and the last part of the song with more drums sounds like early Pink Floyd.

"Sundos" is not very different, but there's an upbeat section in the middle that shows its modernity. Try to imagine it with some distorted guitar and a bit of growl. Drums and organ are in evidence on this song.

"Chorg" starts with a bass organ note, but when guitar and drums enter we are in proximity of a Tsunami. I mean the omonimous track of the Dutch band 35007(LOOSE). At half the song, it's again the bass which starts repeating its riff, quickly joined by guitar, organ and drums. It's just a passage to another section more relaxed. A very good and hypnotic track.

"Hers" opens between Syd Barrett (Lucifer Sam) and Amon Duul II (is it psychedelic enough?) but after about three minutes we are back to the 60s in the psychedelic period of the Beatles. Amazing.

With "Kunstkopf" we are again in the Barret's territory. The opening has the same flavor of Astronomy Domine but after the drum crescendo instead of an acid guitar it goes repetitive, even more acid. At about half of the song the drums stop for a while. If you like this part, give a listen to a 80s band called "Felt" and their "The Splendour of Fear". The last minute and half is very Floydian instead.

A Paraphrase of the HP Lovecraft's invented grimoire Necronomicon gives the title to the epic "Neuronomicon". A simple acoustic guitar harping occupies the first minute and half, then a rhythm a-la-Jarre brings in chord passages a-la-Senmuth. Just one minute and there's a part with the drums in the frontline just backed by the other instruments. The guitar sounds "end 60s" but not properly acid. At minute 5 there's a bit of piano solo. Just chords (and harpsichord?). then drums and keyboards. A bass note over a slow rhythm and few bass, like the intro of Floyd's Obscured by Clouds on which there's some distorted speech in the background, maybe recorded reversed. There's a crescendo including a more than decent guitar riff while the bass becomes obsessive. until at minute11:30 the music stops and there's time for bass and keyboards. Here the sound is cold and subtle. It reminds me to Bo Hansson's Lord of the Rings, but in general the band is never too distant from Barrett or from the early Waters. The sounds used are "retro" enough to make it sound like it was written 40 years ago. A long slow hypnotic part in 6/8 (I think) proceeds for some minutes. At 16:00 its coda leaves only a ooh keyboard and some noises behind. It's a transition to the following part which starts with a sequence of long guitar notes. Well, it can be a guitar with a lot of sustain or a keyboard. The Korg M1 has a similar sound in its default bank. On those six notes we proceed repeating and adding drums, bass and violins (keys). It slightly develops in a slow crescendo. Tracks like Camel's Nimrodel come to my mind until the drums stop leaving only spacey sounds and drums behind. At minute 22 another section. The six notes are now six chords, not exactly the same as before but similar. The tempo is increased and we are now in the Ozric Tentacles realm, with a touch of Porcupine Tree. All the instruments leave one by one, the drums slow down and the track ends.

There is still time for a travel in the deep space inside a wormhole (Wurmloch). Think to a starship approaching a black hole, the noises produced by the structure under the pressure of the gravity, All around is dark and silent. In the vein of Zeit and Aplha Centauri this could be considered a drone, but as in the works of the pink period of Tangerine Dream it's not just a keyboard. The bass is a constant presence, we can hear an ethereal flute while the drums add some accents here and there. In the middle of the track it's like the second section of Saucerful of Secrets but when at minute 9:30 a sequence of bass supports a drum riff, the track is more reminding of Phedra and Stratosfear. The flute is always present and even in the background plays a very important role in this track. Probably this part represents the passage in the wormhole, so that one may wonder what the starship will find out of it. The track ends suddenly with some drum hits. The starship is out. No information about what's next. Hopefully another great album like this.

This band has interpreted the best of the German electronic (and not only) music of the 70s, composing and playing like the time was not passed, taking into account the various influences but creating something fresh and technically speaking at the level of the best Tangerine Dream. It's a band that I will surely explore more deeply. If the whole album was on the same level of the last two tracks I would not hesitate in rating it five stars. It's "only" 4 but it's one of the best things that I have heard in the last two years.

Does the idea of Krautrock still make any sense in the 21st century?

The original movement, in all its many forms, was very specifically a product of its era: the music of an angry young generation rebelling against the post-war hypocrisies of its elders. That same attitude is more valid today than it ever was. But the underground is a lot closer to the surface now, and the current of social unrest that powered the engine of classic Krautrock no longer exists, at least not in this facetiously titled 2010 recording by one of Germany's more popular Neo-Kraut outfits.

It might not even be Krautrock at all, except geographically, and in the ultra-Teutonic bluntness of its song titles: "Bandwurm"; "Kunstkopf"; "Wurmloch" et al, milking that German identity for all its worth. But it's still a thrilling album on a superficial level, even so far removed from the historical context that originally made Krautrock so vital. The band is very much in tune with the spacier textures of analog '70s Psych-Rock, and they have that motorik repetition thing down to a science, thanks in part to a drummer who probably snuggles into bed at night with visions of Jaki Liebezeit dancing in his head.

This is a group that enjoys working a single chord to the edge of oblivion, or grinding out a simple 4/4 rhythm with industrial precision. And I do mean grind: the sound of Dirk Jan Müller's organ is like molten sunlight flowing over rough concrete, abrasive and shimmering at the same time. They can even indulge in a bit of old-school, Pink-era Tangerine Dreaming, during the pulsating album closer "Wurmloch".

And yet there's something arguably too detached, almost dispassionate, in even their liveliest instrumental trips, including the epic 25-minute "Neuronomicon", with its fractured jamming and massive Space Rock mellotrons. This isn't a band of copycats, but they do at times play with the unruffled efficiency of a weekend Krautrock cover band. Or maybe I'm over-thinking here, as usual, and the question posed at the top of this review is meaningless. After all, authenticity doesn't need to be the final goal of creative music making. The music alone can be rewarding, despite its lack of deeper meanings.

Imagine the album as one of CAN's Ethnological Forgeries, but with the band itself as the subject of its own pastiche. In other words, hardly original but still unique, and totally unconcerned by the contradiction.