KRAUTROCK FROM HELL

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.