CAMERA

This is not a joke ... if you're going to visit Berlin someday, please be highly attentive, maybe somewhere you'll be faced with a trio performing (legal or illegal) gigs in places like underpasses, railway stations, public toilets, obscure exhibitions, or similar. And if you should detect that the combo's name is CAMERA along with it ... then you know, radical krautrockers they are, underway with the ambitious approach to make this music style public at all costs. Being more than an insiders' tip in the meanwhile they already have been supported by Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius on several occasions, as they both are fascinated by the band's mechanical backbone among other things.

Initially formed without any intention of composing or recording the like of songs, there was nothing more than the idea to act from the underground exclusively. Step by step though the request manifested to develop an own abum. And finally here we are ... 'Radiate!' basically shows Franz Bargmann (guitar), Timm Brockmann (keyboard) and Michael Drummer (drums) walking in line with their peers from the 1970's. However certainly also outfitted with the purpose to sound kinda different. That means alongside with their fellow countrymen Electric Orange or Killflavour for instance, they are old school in some way but also try to bring something new to the table.

The first songs are explicitly offering a motoric Klaus Dinger drive, E-Go and Ausland for example are getting very close to the Neu! and early Kraftwerk style, where the guitar however serves a significant spacey ambiance overall. The extended gripping Lynch comes way more unique then and convinces me completely while excellently meandering, floating, decorated with a mysterious plaintive and sawing guitar. So they turn into a very melancholic direction continued by Utopia Is - full of atmosphere - which evolves into a hypnotic groove again after a while.

RFID is another wonderful melodic and tension-filled track and proves that they gradually open up forward to a distinguishable style. The dramatic Soldat has a slight agressive undertone - a well appointed title consequently. Well done, a really enjoyable album, that's my summary after some listening sessions now. If anything, there is less copy-cat attitude to state in my opinion. Krautrock lovers should pay attention - a new promising band to keep an eye on.