DEUTER

The album flows from start to finish in and out of bright sitar-led pieces, beautifully recorded ocean sounds, and spacious guitar figures, underpinned by the aforementionned synth providing electronic drones and decoration here and there.

For 1972 this is incredibly ahead of it's time, it has a joyful spiritual centre a long way from the cliched wallpaper `New Age' music would eventually become. If you're looking for a rich, texturally beautiful late night album this might well be the one. There is a lightness and flow which add up toa sumptuous whole and never is it less than stimulating and captivating. The spirit of peace that Deuter found in India (to the extent that he found his own guru, and was able to use his dwelling as a studio) shines through on this sparkling album, which like the cover sounds blue, oceanic and genuinely blissful.

(Reactive 2010 Reissue)

Deuter may not be a name familiar to many. His extensive catalogue consists largely of what most people would describe as `New Age' music. This is not the case here, on his debut work. Coming from the motherlode of classic and forgotten Krautrock, Esoteric Records' Reactive imprint has once again uncovered a gem (see also the follow up release the very different `Aum' also on Reactive).

Originally issued in 1971 on the Kuckuck (Cuckoo) label, `D' is a fascinating early attempt at a multitracked solo album, which is interesting not least for the technical limitations it overcomes. Using a single two track Revox tape machine, Deuter overdubbed layers of instruments and `found sounds' by bouncing tracks between left and right channels to create a captivating one man work. It is a triumph in that the sound quality is superb, it is wonderful in stereo throughout and a superbly conceived set of sound pictures and layered and varied instruments. Deuter was as the excellent sleevenotes point out, working with about 1% of the technology available on a laptop today, and it is largely a triumph.

The emphasis is on the textural rather than the melodic but there is much to hold the attention. The opening 15 minute epic `Babylon' is an excellent demonstration of recording techniques using found sounds, organ, and varispeed, glissando and backwards guitar to fully realise a constantly shifting soundscape suitable for late night contemplation. The ideas come thick and fast over its long duration covering all points between `Kosmische' and `Raga' rock, all expertly spliced into a satisfying whole. Flip it metaphorically over to side two and you have a suite of captivating music influenced as much by Stockhausen as early Pink Floyd. There are echoes of Klaus Schulze in the organ work, although it is far more economical than Schulze's sometimes overlong and crude extemporisations of the era (Deuter takes five minutes to say what Schulze might have said in twenty-five).

Deuter blends natural sounds, using water for its musical qualities, and `Krishna Eating Fish and Chips' is a lovely sitar work out (despite the frivolous title) that seeks to find the beauty in the instrument rather than any superficial treatment of it. `Atlantis' is a suitably watery textural piece, and closer `Gammastrahlen-Lamm' again uses organ drones to full effect.

There are a wide range of fascinating musical movements over the course of this 40 minute album, yes it was recorded in a one bedroom apartment, but it is a triumph of imagination both in music and recording/engineering techniques and overall is a dark mystery well worth investigating.

"Babylon" opens with dark sounds then we hear a baby cry briefly as the haunting soundscape continues. It changes after 3 1/2 minutes as we get a rhythm. Another change before 6 minutes as the melody stops and it turns spacey again. Acoustic guitar before 10 minutes then the tempo picks up. "Der Turm / Fluchtpunkt" opens with percussion and other sounds. It's more intense 2 minutes in. A good rhythm arrives before 3 1/2 minutes.

"Krishna Eating Fish And Chips" is a little annoying for my taste with all the sitar. I like the spacey intro though. "Atlantis" opens with percussion and spacey sounds. This is an interesting track. Water sounds late. "Gammastrahlen-Lamm" is very spacey as sounds pulse and wash.

This would be a great addition to your Electronic collection.

This album is one of the best examples of Deuter's music. It makes listener blow away his earthly problems and sink into the music. It opens with Wings Of Love. A very nice meditative track with a bit folkish ending. Then comes 11+ minute "epic" Ecstasy. One might even compare it to Klaus Schulze. The difference is that Schulze almost always uses minor chords (not a drawback) and Deuter almost always uses majors! Night Rain is a simple sequenced moody track. Blue Waves Gold - kind of Ecstasy, just shorter. Back to The Planet follows that cosmic mood - the nice sounding guitar is added. Brazilian Love is a good acoustic guitar piece. How many guitars are there 2? 3? Well I don't care, I enjoy it. Illaha Il Allah closes the album in beautiful slow-paced way.

I think objectively this album should rank between 5 / 4 stars but it has something more just than music in it. A hidden spirituality or something else, maybe, which is in perfect harmony with my personality and the fact is that I LOVE this recording so much. So an Advice: LISTEN AND ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF!

In itself, not a bad album if you like this sort of new age stuff (Deuter is regarded as one of the originator of the style), but to me, this kind of album ricochets over the shell of my indifference. Rather useless unless falling into mystical crisis, but by no means a bad album, either. His future releases will be in the same spirit as this one, and if you must choose one of those new age albums, might as well make the one that started it all, this one.

Deuter's second album is slightly different than his then-stunning debut, but by no means any less essential. Still working alone, this album is less electronics than its predecessor but still have many tape effects. The slide is noticeable towards a more New Age sound, but nothing that obvious either. No long tracks on this one, rather a succession of short tracks that still point towards early Popol Vuh or Tangerine Dream.

A second release done after further travelling out in the mid-east, his next album (from my information will not come until 76, but by that time Celebration (the album's name), the full- blown New Age sound is present. He will have a long career in that (rather vacuous, IMHO) style.

The first side of the album is dominated by an almost 15-min Babylon soundscape that will have you completely charmed as it alternates between Indian classical music and some of the best synth sounds that TD or early Popol Vuh could've dreamed of. The stylus lifts off the wax after the second track, on a repetitive fuzzed out guitar sounds. The other cornerstone from D is the funny but aptly-titled Krishna Eating F&C. If you can resist lighting a doobie while listening to the album, you are probably not made for this type of music. Atlantis, however is much gloomier, just as you'd imagine from the mysterious tales of the lost continent > maybe my fave on the album. The album termites on a short wink to the label.

Surely, some progheads will not appreciate that much the (sometimes self-indulgent) hippy feeling pervading throughout the whole album, and I warn them, that this is VERY MUCH worth the investigation, but make sure you get an ear-load of it before making the investment.