AGITATION FREE

Agitation Free - Malesch

No melodies, no song-writing, no lyrical themes - yet this album is filled with nice minimalistic, experimental and atmospheric spacey krautrock. Agitation Free adopted an Eastern or perhaps Egyptian style, which becomes appearant when you look at the art work. The recent vinyl reprint I got from my birtday is wel packaged with foto's and information about the band.

Agitation Free gets its sound with droning moogs, rhythm and blues influences and atmospheric interplay between its members. Some moments are quite mystifying and the record has a sort of continuality that won't be revealed if you listen single songs of the record. The band makes a professional impression and the recording is actually quite good, with a warm yet abstract sound and well pitched instruments. The last track 'Rcuksturz' works a short outbreak of energy, a good ending for this otherwise slowly en gently evolving album.

Conclusion. Interesting record for those who like atmospheric progressive music and ofcourse fans of krautrock and spacerock. I'll give it the big three and a halve stars.

Old Krautrockers never die, but they do occasionally drift back to Planet Earth from deep space. For Agitation Free, that return to terra firma landed the newly reconstituted band a series of gigs in Tokyo, far removed (in both time and space) from their counterculture barnstorming in late 1960s Berlin.

First the good news: this wasn't another of those strictly mercenary nostalgia tours, featuring only one or two surviving players from the original group. The core of the classic Agitation Free line-up was back, and showing little sign of their advancing age (drummer Burghard Rausch had just turned sixty; the rest of the band wasn't far behind).

They sound incredibly sharp for a bunch of codgers who hadn't shared a stage in decades, showing here what a well-balanced group they could have been with a little more studio time behind them. Keep in mind the band produced only two albums in their heyday; three if you count the 1999 semi-reunion "River of Return". The Tokyo set-list includes a couple of tunes off that later session, but most of the show exhumes their best material from the 1970s, nicely updated to the new millennium.

The Arabic "Ala Tul", for example, re-imagines material from their debut album "Malesch", enhancing Lutz Ulbrich's Krautrock guitar groove with digital sound samples unavailable 25-years earlier. And the newly composed title track is a brooding slice of the same Space Rock Orientalism common in Germany a quarter century ago.

The sound quality of the CD is also thrilling, if somewhat impersonal in its digital perfection. And therein lies my one, nagging reservation about the album: it can be just a little too calculated at times. The crowd is unfailingly polite and attentive; the performances are all but flawless; and the production is so bright and clean it could have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

It's wonderful to hear the band still alive and kicking, and with such youthful vitality. And the album succeeds in providing a comprehensive sampler for newcomers plus an exciting live document for older fans. But the mind-altering exploratory ethos of the early '70s ended ages ago, and (sadly) no one expects to change the world through music anymore. Maybe it's too late in the day to go home again, but here at least is a convincing digital-age facsimile of the original destination.

4.5 stars. A couple of bands that I have a huge admiration for namely AGITATION FREE and ALPHATAURUS have released live albums recently. Now you have to keep in mind that neither band has released anything of relevance for some 40 years, so lets just say with both bands I was a little skepticle. I certainly didn't rush out and order them, in fact with both it wasn't until I kept reading all these positive comments that I decided to take the plunge. Best dive I ever took. A rich man in Japan is the reason AGITATION FREE's original lineup got back together for three shows in Tokyo. It was their first time playing together in some 35 years, although I have no doubt they practiced a lot before these gigs. The fear of course with a recording like this is that the band may have lost the passion, skills and magic that was there in the early seventies. Well I still can't believe how incredible this band sounds after all these years. I have to say it was an emotional experience for me and that I did not see coming. We get five tracks from "Malesch" and five from "Second" while two are new and two are from the re-union album back in 1999 that Hoenig did not participate in.

The first bit of emotion comes with hearing that familiar conversation from the start of "You Play For Us Today" from the "Malesch" album. The atmosphere rolls in after a minute, then bass followed by drums then guitar. This is so good ! "Sahara City" from "Malesch" was also the second track after "You Play For Us Today" so this is significant for fans. Lots of percussion and a mid-eastern vibe. Lots of atmosphere late. "In The Silence Of The Morning" is a top three for me. This is from "Second" and reminds me a lot of ALCATRAZ's "Simple Headphone Mind" song. Just a feel good groove that is laid back. "Shubya Nights" is new and we get loud drums and guitar eventually leading. "First Communication" from "Second" opens with an explosion then it becomes spacey and atmospheric. Great sound with the guitar as the organ floats in the background. "Dialogue & Random" from "Second" is dominated with drums.

"Ala Tul" from "Malesch" has samples of voices then atmosphere takes over and it's loud. Drums and guitar follow and then it picks up. So much going on. "Laila" from "Second" is a top three and it opens with a loud bang that echoes then the guitar, bass and drums take over. This is so uplifting as the guitar solos over top. A calm 2 1/2 minutes in and then it builds. So freaking good. The guitar rips it up late Santana-like. "Nomads" is from "River Of Return" and has native-like drumming as the guitar comes in and solos. Back to the drums only. "A Quiet Walk" opens with water sounds as the atmosphere rolls in. Sparse sounds and voices too. A beat 3 minutes in then it picks up wirth guitar. Great tune. "Das Kleine Uhrwerk" from "River Of Return" has intricate guitar melodies as a beat joins in. Ukelele before 2 1/2 minutes. it's okay. "Malesch" has floating organ and keys to start but it gets fuller before a minute. Feel good music right there. "Drifting" is new and one of my favourites. The sound is spacey and drifting throughout.. Beautiful. "Rucksturz" from "Malesch" ends it and it's my final top three. Spacey winds to open as a beat comes in then guitar. My God ! So gorgeous.

I will treasure this album and hold it and pet it...er I mean I highly recommend this to AGITATION FREE fans everywhere. A must !

This (at the time) posthumous live album from Germany's Agitation Free is also one of their best efforts, striking a fine balance between the Kosmische Rock of their 1972 debut "Malesch" and the more easygoing groove of the lamely titled "2nd". Only through constant gigging could the band hope to achieve this plateau of seamless musicianship, daring to explore territory suggested but never fully realized in their two studio albums.

The mood here is darker, heavier, and the absence of any audible crowd gives the performance a curious sense of liberating detachment, as if the band was playing somewhere in the vacuum of deep space. Only three songs are featured, all of them entirely instrumental, despite the credited vocalists. The opening "Soundpool" is exactly that: an ominous free-form puddle of noises, oddly enough introducing the concert with the same trademark melody ("Rückzturz") that concluded the "Malesch" album.

After that the seventeen-minute "Laila II" takes a brief theme from the "2nd" album and expands it into an epic guitar jam, Agitation Free at their quintessential best. But it's the side-long, 23-minute "Looping" that transports the album Beyond the Infinite (borrowing a phrase from Kubrick and Clarke). This is where the band completely untethers itself from the space station and drifts slowly away into the void, enveloped within a nebula of synth drones and hissing cymbals, the latter actually an intrusion on the dreamlike aura of sound.

After a (long) while the ambient mantra is joined by an understated, urgent bass line and distant guitars, becoming subtly more aggressive while never losing sight of the heavenly chords rising from Michael Hoenig's keyboards. This is profoundly healing music: one of the great unsung Krautrock chillouts of all time, and arguably Agitation Free's finest moment on record.

There have been plenty of reunions since 1974, but really this was it: the perfect (if premature) swan song for a band that, in its prime, wasn't around anywhere near long enough.

Don't let those comparisons to The Allman Brothers or The Grateful Dead scare you away. Agitation Free was indeed an old-school jam band, but in classic Krautrock fashion they raised the convention to a whole new level. I doubt if Jerry Garcia ever transformed a guitar solo into a goofy, extended VCS3 drum break (here titled "Dialogue and Random"), or introduced an energetic instrumental workout with a long, freeform electronic drone-fest before reaching for his bouzouki, as Lutz Ulbrich does here at the start of "A Quiet Walk".

Their bluntly titled sophomore album saw the band reduced from its earlier, more communal seven-man line up to a much leaner quintet, and growing stronger for the loss. A lot of fans prefer the collage of Third World soundscapes on their debut album "Malesch", but this was where Agitation Free discovered its true voice. The music is more relaxed and casual than the cosmic cut-and-paste fusion of "Malesch", and there's an organic unity to this disc lacking from the earlier effort, giving it more of a timeless quality when heard today, nearly forty (!) years later.

From the burst of white noise at the top of the album to the matching explosion in its final moments there isn't a false note to be found. The only hint of the band's hallucinogenic Space Rock origins can be heard in the arctic mellotron and heavily treated vocals on the aptly-titled album closer "Haunted Island": an uneasy epilogue to the otherwise beautiful grooves of "First Communication" or "Laila", and the hypnotic pagan folk-rock of "A Quiet Walk".

The music of Agitation Free may lack the garage band energy of early FAUST or CAN; the single-minded momentum of NEU!; the transcendental mysticism of ASH RA TEMPEL and the kosmische musik groups. And yet this album in particular may be the ideal antidote to all those freakazoid Krautrock alternatives: proof that enlightenment can sometimes be found on the path of least resistance.

Agitation Free never quite managed to transcend their era like many of the better known Krautrock bands. But for a second-division outfit they certainly provide a blast from someone's lysergic past (not an old square like me, alas).

The group would eventually distinguish itself as one of Germany's premier jam bands, but their debut album is, for all its otherworldly charm, a bit unfocused. There's an attractive but undisciplined everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to composition and structure here that hasn't aged particularly well, a combination of psychedelic guitar noodling, musique concrete, electronic experimentation, and documentary sound samples from the back alleys of Cairo, Beirut, and Damascus.

The same Arabian-style ragas were of course the bread and butter of every underground band on Earth in the early 1970s. But these guys at least made a real effort to understand their material, travelling all over the Near East in search of inspiration (cultural and chemical, one suspects), before entering the recording studio.

That integrity of purpose gives the finished album its unique aura. And despite the emphasis (innovative, at the time) on Third World sound sources the music remains sehr kosmische, flowing smoothly from one exotic destination to the next until the rather abrupt ending to the energetic curtain closer "Rücksturz", perhaps intended as the musical equivalent of an old television cliff hanger (...tune in next week!)

The album title is apparently a common Egyptian expression meaning, very roughly: It's Cool Man...Stuff Happens, Ya Know? (or something like that). It's a perfect term for this always intriguing but often messy first effort by one of Krautrock's unsung, underachieving ensembles.

AGITATION FREE were invited to play three gigs in Shibuya/Tokio some years ago, February 2007 exactly. It was a passionated Japanese fan who sponsered their mini tour. This also connoted the first band reunion since 1974, at least when speaking of the line-up consisting of Lutz 'Lüül' Ulbrich, Michael Hoenig, Burghard Rausch, Gustl Lütjens and Michael 'Fame' Günther. So this should be regarded as a sensation for sure, so much the more in Japan. The band has a relatively big reputation there, Hoenig and Lüül both are immortalized in the prog rock section of the Tokyo Tower Wax museum for example.

Their song compilation predominantly represents the first two studio albums 'Malesch' and 'Second', besides the legendary live performances highly acclaimed while certainly contributing to the establishment of the krautrock genre. But also two new elaborations are given, which therefore even means something new to the table. 'I'll fly the airplane ... and you play for us today' - it all starts with the original airport samples recorded on their 1971 tour in North Africa. Die-hard fans will adore this renewed intro, I'm sure. However, I took the chance to see them live in Berlin March 2012 ... and the lift-off there has been way more extended and experimental - a revelation really.

Now back to Japan 2007, the origin ... or maybe 2011 because some years are admittedly gone in the meanwhile when considering the release date. No hurry, the band took all the time in the world to offer a technically flawless production finally, an amalgamation handed out by Michael Hoenig. Musically they turn into a tribal groove with excellent spacey guitar and synth interaction where the short Sahara City appears in an oriental and hallucinogenic outfit. Shibuya Nights is a completely new song, a reminiscence to the gig location called 'Shibuya O-West'.

The songs often live from the interaction between both guitars and are trimmed with a modernized approach a bit. However the spirit of the good old days is still noticeable for sure. AGITATION FREE deliver a prolific presentation of their musical legacy on 'Shibuya Nights' after more than 30 years. And there's still a shimmer of hope that this won't be the end of the story.

I already posted a recommendation to check out this album, so I figured I would review it as well. The first song "First Communication" strikes me as somewhat of a precursor to Post-Rock, in the vein of Red Sparowes. This track is a very gentle instrumental rock song and features excellent guitar work. One thing that you notice immediately about this album is the crystal-clear production. It really serves to bring out the different moods of the songs, by expressing the tone of each instrument very accurately. The second song "Dialogue & Random" is a collection of electronic noises arranged in a very trippy manner. If electrons wrote music, this is what it would sound like. A crashing piano chord finishes Dialogue & Random and simultaneously introduces the third song, "Laila, Part One". An epic guitar solo laid over a sweet groove comprises this entire song. A transition at the end of the solo opens up into the fourth song, "Laila, Part Two". As did Part One, Part Two primarily consists of a guitar solo laid over a groove. Unlike the first Part, however, this one gets slightly repetitive as the bass line and basic groove are repeated for well over four minutes. This song could also be viewed as an influence on Post-Rock. Laila, Part Two gently fades out and in comes the fifth song on the album, "In The Silence Of The Morning Sunrise". This song is more free-form that the two Lailas, and consists of a nice instrumental track with some pretty bluesy guitar soloing. I have just come to realize that one of the main reasons for why I like this album so much is that the guitar playing is ridiculously good. It reminds me of a mix of Harvey Mann and David Gilmour, with a dash of Hendrix. Morning Sunrise fades out and in comes the sixth song on the album, "A Quiet Walk: A) Listening B) Two - Not Of The Same Kind". This song opens up with what sounds like a babbling brook, and then some atmospheric and trippy noises start fading in and out. It's pretty cool, sort of like a psychedelic version of the "silence" in a forest, which isn't really silent but rather filled with a bunch of small noises. About three minutes in, a guitar solo gently fades in and out, all the while accompanied by more trippy sounds. I can just imagine how crazy this will sound in headphones. At the five minute mark, a single vocalized note floats into the song, then disappears, leaving in its wake gentle strumming on acoustic guitar. As the strumming continues, distorted guitar and bongos trade playing verses for the remainder of the song. A Quiet Walk fades out and in fades two haunting, ethereal voices, one whispering and one singing. These voices recite lines from something written by Edgar Allen Poe while cosmic noises play in the background. This is the last song on the album, "Haunted Island". After the first set of vocals finish, the instruments begin playing, while a muted and wavy voice recites more lines. This will sound wicked trippy in headphones. The second set of vocals concludes and in comes an impeccably bluesy guitar solo. My attention is drawn once more to the unusually clear production of this album. You can hear every note from every instrument perfectly. As the song winds down, the solo fades out and a distorted riff is repeated several times, when suddenly all of the instruments stop, the drums play a few final notes and then a sound like an electronic wave seems to wash over the song, ending the album... What an incredible listening experience that was. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

"Back in the '70's we were trying to tell a story, today we are able to do so" says Gustl Lutjens, Agitation Free guitar maestro. This newly issued 75 minute recording from a series of Tokyo reunion concerts in 2007 is remarkable for several reasons: it is the original line-up including keyboard man Michael Hoenig (who I assumed had long since given up `rock music') , the performance is streets ahead musically than any of Agitation Free's original 70's albums, and the recording quality and mixing is astounding.

Essentially a round up of Agitation Free's most familiar themes interwoven with a few new/ less familiar, it makes for a seamless 75 minute listening experience which reaches one height after another. Some 14 tracks are listed, but many are played in medleys, giving the music a continuous flow. This is entirely instrumental music and all the better for it. The Drums sound perfect, and the guitar and keys weave themselves around what are at times almost tribal rhythmic motifs.

`You Play For Us Today' and `Sahara City' hark right back to the opening of the first album `Malesch', swiftly followed by `In The Silence Of The Morning Sunrise' from `2nd' with new life breathed into them by older, maturer (and presumably a lot less stoned) men.

This joyful album sustains itself through a variety of moods and dynamics reaching some wonderful peaks, particularly the wonderful, building guitar soloing in `First Communication', and later on `Laila' (no relation). There are original audio verite recordings sprinkled throughout the performances lending further atmosphere, there are gentle, considered passages contrasting with the most intense peaks, showing that AF know how to put a set together.

All in all this immaculately recorded live album shows Agitation Free in a more powerful light than ever before. If you are new to them you could do worse than to start here.

After the ethnic experimentation of debut album 'Malesch' - which had come about thanks to an invitation to tour Egypt from the Goethe institute - German kraturock pioneers Agitation Free set to work on their second full-length studio album in 1973. Despite barely being together a full year, the group had enjoyed much success on the road, with their Egypt trip followed up by a performance at the ill-fated Munich Olympic games of 1972, a performance which gave the group some much needed national exposure. Featuring Stefan Diez(guitar), Michael Hoenig(keyboards), Michael Gunther(bass), Burghard Rausch(drums, Mellotron) and Lutz Ulbrich(guitar, bouzouki), '2nd' would eschew the Eastern sound of 'Malesch' for a much more tripped-out, acid-rock sound complete with bubbling synths and mystical sound effects that brought the group's sound closer to the likes of Amon Duul II and Gaa, though the melodic guitars of Diez and Ulbrich also hinted at Jefferson Airplane-sized aspirations. The key track on '2nd' is the acid-blues drenched 'Laila', a live favourite that can be found in several different - and lengthier - versions on Agitation Free's highly-recommended live albums 'Last' and 'Fragments'. Indeed, there are many similarities to be had between this sophomore studio effort and 'Last', with the live arena adding a free-form vibe that, for obvious reasons, couldn't be recreated within the confines of the recording studio, to many of the tracks found on '2nd'. Those two albums, along with the spacier and much more experimental 'Malesch', represent the apex of Agitation Free's sadly rather truncated career, which explains why many of the same tracks can be found across the group's tiny discography. Some fans may well feel a little short- changed by the lack of variety on both 'Last' and '2nd'(none of the 'Malesch' material seems to have been considered for the groups live shows) yet there is no denying the moments of pure beauty that can be found in the best parts of this Berlin five-pieces compositions. All the tracks on this release are highly recommended to those who enjoy genuinely melodic, tripped-out space-rock, though the lack of more material does tinge Agitation Free's otherwise impressive musical canon with a slight feeling of disappointment - if only because their synth-and-guitar led dynamic leaves one craving for so much more.