EISZEIT

GAM's 'Eiszeit' is an obscure kraut release that didn't see the light of day till 2004. A shame really as this is a most interesting and revealing kraut album from the latter years of the 70s, when the scene was at a creative dead-end.

The band consisted of Günter Schickert, Axel Struck and Michael Leske. From that bunch, Schickert was a pioneer of echo-guitars and also a recording solo-artist in the electronic field. Consequently, there is a high resemblance to Ashra, especially to albums like 'NAOA' and 'Inventions for Electric Guitar'. But the sound is more kosmic, and there's also something announcing New Wave in GAM, in the use of chorus effects, the delay, in the cold sounds and in certain flashes of avant-punk (such as 'Demons') where the 'off' vocals also remind of the crazier moments of Gong. Most of the material is instrumental though and very spacey, taking Floyd's 60s heritage into new and intriguing directions.

Maybe not the first album you would want to check if you're new to the genre, but for seasoned Kraut listeners this is an essential recording from the latter 70s. If you like Ashra, Neu!, early Floyd, and the bleak sounds of the early 80s (eg Tuxedo Moon) then this album comes very recommended!