DZYAN

The prevailing style was still the Canterbury Fusion of that first LP, with Gerd Ehrmann's frenetic saxophone the primary instrument on most tracks, and percussionist Jochen Leuschner providing the bluesy lead vocals. But the ace up their collective sleeve was new guitarist Eddy Marron, recently enlisted but already making an impact, even in a relative supporting role.

Under his galvanizing influence the music was beginning to show a harder edge, in tracks like "Steel's Electric": an obvious signpost toward the MAHAVISHNU intensity of the "Time Machine" sessions. Listening to Marron's absolutely torrid solo at the end of "Dragonsong" (a holdover song from the first album) it's easy to imagine the jaws of his bandmates falling to the studio floor in flabbergasted awe, as the guitarist shredded his fretboard into ragged tatters.

In this track and elsewhere you can hear the later, psychedelicized Dzyan trying to break free of its Jazz Rock shell, especially when Marron begins strumming his beloved Turkish saz, in the song of the same name. The more exploratory instrumental jams show their age best, and the band itself no doubt felt the same. After this rehearsal 'concert' the way ahead must have seemed clear: ditch the singer and the sax, and continue as a trio (but with a more sympathetic drummer).

The title track is an odd droning entr'acte from bassist Reinhard Karwatky (recording date unknown), and the incomplete "Celestial City" is the only selection actually performed on stage. It was included here as a bonus track, but really the entire album is a welcome bonus, 38-years late but worth the wait.

What might have been a merely routine collection of Jazz-Rockish jams spiced up with token Oriental textures (de rigueur in the early '70s) became something altogether more adventurous, thanks in large part to Eddy Marron's discordant electric guitar. The combination of mellotron strings and atmospheric sitars made this a real meeting between East and West, further reinforced when Marron indulged his love for the Turkish zaz, the same instrument that gave his (highly recommended) pre-Dzyan project VITA NOVA its distinctive voice.

Bassist Reinhard Karwatky and drummer Peter Giger joined the vision quest as well. Karwatky doubled on synthesizers and something called the 'Super String', an undefined electronic device invented by a protégé of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Giger added an assortment of ethnic tablas, steel drums, and tuned African woodblocks to his percussion arsenal, and was even allowed a brief, accompanied solo (with himself) in "For Earthly Thinking".

The music throughout is often oblique, usually unstructured, and typically weird in a way almost guaranteed to excite the synapses of any dedicated Krauthead. The adjective 'spacey' wouldn't be inappropriate, but not in the far-out sense of boilerplate Kosmische Rock. Here the word describes a wider, uncluttered soundstage, and the broad scope of the music itself, with each of the trio of players allowing the others plenty of room for their own explorations.

The album as a result may not seem as immediately assertive as its predecessor. But it can prove equally rewarding in other, more introspective ways. This LP and "Time Machine" are both short enough to fit on a single compact disc, and in fact were (illegally) re-issued together in the mid-1990s, by the pirate label Germanofon. I would recommend hearing them back-to-back, for the best complimentary effect, but the album by itself is still a trip worth taking.

The new band quickly jettisoned the more obvious Canterbury sound of the earlier album, along with the bluesy vocals, in favor of something more challenging: a blend of nascent Krautrock, Oriental ragas, Jazz Rock fusion, and the sort of free improvisation practiced by the likes of CAN, KING CRIMSON, and other groups operating outside the functional straightjacket of mere 'jamming'.

The change in direction is obvious from the opening notes of "Kabisrain", an eight-minute Near Eastern improv as compelling as it is formless. In stark contrast, the aptly-titled "Magika" comes wrapped in layers of tightly-arranged, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA intensity. Here and elsewhere the range of playing shows exactly what the band gained by hiring Eddy Marron, possibly the most underappreciated guitarist in Germany (if not all Europe) at the time.

The pinpoint accuracy, tricky time signatures, and startling instrumental creativity of this track alone are something to hear. But check out the hyperactive John McLaughlin-like prelude to the side-long (on vinyl) title track, introducing a 17-plus minute series of blistering solos over a rhythm section that can't stand still. All of which makes the gorgeous acoustic guitar interlude of "Light Shining Out of Darkness" an even more effective detour.

It's hard to call this music Jazz Rock, or just Rock, or something else entirely. Either way it's the sound of a band re-born, and one that should have had a much higher profile. This is one of those rare albums that, even forty years later, is almost impossible to overrate.

Opening with a slow building and immersive eastern influenced ambient piece, `Kabisrain' is a heady mix of acoustic guitar, sitar and ethnic percussion that, with it's occasional frantic and tense outbursts, creates a very disorientating mood. But nothing prepares you for the thunderstorm of dirty bass, spasmodic violent drumming and maddening repetitive jagged guitar playing that is `Magika'! Very oppressive improvised jazz with a slightly sinister tone, with complex rhythms weaving in and out of the dissonant and atonal noise. Some sections remind me of the extended aggressive guitar workouts on Guru Guru's `Hinten', with groovy moments and jammy solos squeezed in too. Totally addictive and sure to drive you up the wall - in a good way, of course! `Light Shining Out Of Darkness' is a warm acoustic diversion with confident guitar playing and gentle percussion. There's some lovely and memorable musical themes throughout the short piece, alternately reflective, sad and joyful.

The improvised side long title track is an explosive electric guitar, aggressive drumming and pummeling bass atmospheric jazz assault. Overloaded with liquid bass runs, wailing guitar solos and loose jazzy drumming, the jammy piece has a propulsive and fiery fusion sound that drives it along. It's frequently up-tempo and constantly changing directions, and a real showcase to the talent of the musicians. Some brief sections of the piece become stuck in a repetitive and plodding groove that is quite maddening!

On the first few listens, the album is quite jarring and messy. The odd combination of ambient ethnic pieces placed next to alternating guitar heavy and jazzy experimentations means the album is strangely unbalanced. Some listeners may enjoy some of the pieces, but not other ones. A few replays reveal an addictive work you can't wait to listen to again, and I think anyone with an interest in progressive rock will find something interesting amongst the whole album. The band would better incorporate all the conflicting different styles together on the next album `Electric Silence', which is even stronger than this one, but `Time Machine' is still an incredible and original work filled with energy and imagination. It's also aged exceptionally well, and is highly recommended for psychedelic, jazz-rock and Krautrock followers.

Both this album and the follow-up are available on a single value priced CD, which is a steal considering both of them are superb. Well worth snapping up for almost 75 minutes of incredible progressive musicianship.

Again, thanks to Doug and John for the initial Dzyan recommendation I took a chance on!

`Back To Where We Came From' opens with bubbling electronics, marimbas, tension-building almost tribal percussion, then floating bass and groovy guitar that weaves through the piece. It's a slow burner like much of the album as it gradually builds in mood and form, with the band really taking off in the second half. `A Day In My Life' is an Indian styled tornado of sitar and tambura with harsh electronics that quickly builds in urgency. The darker and more eerie free-form `The Road Not Taken' has disorientating effects, tuneless jagged guitar stabs, chaotic and furious drum-work and creeping bass lurking amongst the track.

Spacey raga piece `Khali' is a deeply hypnotic Mellotron/sitar duet, with a rising electric guitar solo drifting among the background. Very immersive and easy to become lost in. The more experimental and fusion styled `For Earthly Thinking' has a slightly sinister opening, with impossibly hard, deep drawn out bass notes and fiery jazzy guitar play, before maddening steel drums and heavy percussion whip up a storm. It finally collapses into an addictive mess of suffocating and exhausting noise! The title track is a jazz flavored heavy guitar and stormy drum workout with lots of jamming and soloing. It gives the last minutes of the album a fitting finale, a real showcase to the talented band members, but it's way too short and seems to fade out too abruptly with the band still in full flight. The album barely runs 37 minutes, so time constraints was not an issue.

`Electric Silence' sounds quite different than the previous album `Time Machine'. That one also had the Indian/ethnic elements, but they were on separate tracks altogether to the alternating guitar heavy and atonal jazzy experimentations, resulting in a strangely unbalanced (although addictive!) album. Here, however, all those elements are blended together, resulting in a better realized and varied vision. The band certainly captured a very original and imaginative sound. The two albums are available on a single CD, outstanding value considering both of them are superb.

A truly inventive spiritual and spacey Krautrock stunner, `Electric Silence' is an intoxicating mixture of progressive rock, world music and psychedelic atmosphere, music to truly become lost in.

Thanks to Doug and John for the recommendation in the first place!

I'm not sure what attracted me to this album compared to all the other Krautrock choices I could have jumped on. Perhaps it was the strange alien illustration on the cover. Probably it had something to do with the reviews referencing world music. In any case, I am so glad I found this album. Of all the albums of jamming I own (and there are many in the J/F, Krautrock, and Space Rock categories), this is probably my favorite. The musicianship is superb, the pacing is well done, and the variety of textures is simply astounding. This is an album that can sit in the background, fill a darkened room, or weather direct and careful inspection. While this is a far cry from composed Symphonic Prog, I think any fan on this site can appreciate the masterful artistry found here.

Every track has something unique to raise the interest level above that of other space-jam artists. The first track, "Back To Where They Come," opens and closes with a watery fast mallet part similar to what King Crimson uses on LTiA. "A Day in my Life" is overtly raga-derived, with very well executed sitar and tabla parts. (I am a huge tabla fan. Any band the effectively incorporates tabla is going to get extra points from me). However, the piece evolves to include electronic space elements that add just a little extra spice. "The Road Not Taken" is more free form, with a humourous spring sound from the bass that is used to tie the piece together. A whole album of this style would have been tedious, but after the fast, ultra-rhythmic track preceding it, it works perfectally. "Khali" is another raga-derived song, but boasts soaring mellotron and is much more open and airy. "For Earthly Thinking" veers more toward Weather Report / fusion range, and boasts some virtuosic bass playing and gamelan style percussion. "Electric Silence" ends the album on a more Pink Floyd, rock vein.

Not everyone is going to like long meandering jams. It's a specific style of listening experience and may bore some. To be certain, ELECTRIC SILENCE is not an album with specific direction or clear big-picture planning. But if you like textural pieces that also sport top-notch playing ability, this may be your album. Again, to this writer, it may be the best of its kind.

'For Earthly Thinking' is a 9 minute dramatic musical montage of jazz meets space rock. The dissonance of odd time sigs and jazz frenzy at the intro is improvised expertly. The percussion of Giger is an amazing accomplishment and the jangly guitar of Marron is terrific. As the song progresses we get conga drums squealing sax, and Karwatky's synth effects and pulsing improv bass work. The percussion solo is frenetic jazz metrics that fly off the handle; Giger is a master drummer.

'Electric Silence' is another of the gems on the album that resonates well with the listener. Simply brilliant musicality and structure throughout. The guitar harmonics ring out beautifully. The drums are sporadic and the bass changes time sigs with the drums constantly. It is beautiful chaos. This is an album that is important to Krautrock but is a one off for Dzyan. It definitely is worth checking out even if it is just for one or two treasures.

Germany meets India. The most notable feature here is the long passages with sitar and tabla midway through the album. These passages is preceded by a rather interesting jazzy bit and then some more jazz and space rock at the end.

The Indian stuff is not familiar stuff. But it makes this album very interesting. It reminds me a lot about Agitation Free's excellent Melesh album. But the songs on Dzyan's attempt on Indian.... or Arabic music as Melesh was, is not as interesting and dynamic as Melesh. The excellent melodies are missing on Electric Silence. But this is still a very good album and recommended.

3.5 stars

Their sound was quite eclectic for the time,a weird mix of guitar-driven Kraut Rock with plenty of Ethnic inspirations and organ-driven Progressive Rock with jazzy leanings and a fair amount of sax explosions.All these can be heard mainly on the longer tracks,which feature nice organ breaks, jazzy saxes in the vein of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR and PASSPORT, complex bass lines, improvisational passages and plenty of ethnic-vibed percussion work,not unlike EMBRYO.There is also some prominent fuzz guitar work to be heard throughout the tracks.Surprisingly for a German band,Dzyan featured an excellent vocalist singing in non- accented English with a couple of fantastic performances.A few tracks show the softer side of the band with strong lyrical moments and an obvious psychedelic edge.

This was a nice entry back then,the album still sounds somewhat fresh even today and gives a good picture of the real Kraut-Rock sound of the 70's with a nice balance between different styles but always with a tendency for jamming and experimentation.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.