ZERO SET (WITH PLANK AND NEUMEIER)

You have Dieter Moebius (of Cluster), Conny Plank (legendary producer), and Mani Neumeier (drummer from Guru Guru). This is a fantastic team, with all these fine gentlemen coming out of the Krautrock/Kosmiche Musik scene in Germany during the late 60s and early 70s. Experimentation is their game, trying new things, combining electronics with classic instruments, and often times using non musical objects as instruments as well.

On "Zero Set" you have Neumeier banging away very energetically on the drums, and his playing may be the most valuable part of the entire record. Moebius contributes on keyboards and synthesizers, and Plank is only credited for production, though his influence on the music will be obvious to those familiar with other projects he's worked on. The album is filled with often times hypnotic drum riffs and polyrhythmic synths, bordering on insanity. Every track has a hyper quality to it, and it's impossible not to be infected with their bubbling energy.

The reason I think this album deserves 5 starts is simple, it's a fantastic album that I still haven't gotten tired of hearing, and it is quite unlike anything I have ever heard before! The meaning of "essential" to me is fulfilled by this record, because you would be missing out on something very unique if you didn't add it to your collection!