HÖLDERLINS TRAUM

This group started as one of those early 70's folk rock prog groups along with Barrock, Ougenweide, Wittheuser & Westrupp (a guest on this album) etc. and produced one of the best and most stunning folk prog album ever, then disappeared for a while due to their label bankruptcy, before resurfacing as a symphonic prog band and a slightly differently-spelled name. Named after the poet, (there is another German group who did this with Novalis), the least we can say is that this album is pure poetry

This absolutely delightful record is an incredibly successful mix of medieval ambiances, stunning 60's folk rock, slight Indian music influences, the whole thing sprinkled with a tad of hippy idealism and great progressive arrangements including the odd Mellotron. From the opening Waren Wir to the closing Traum (dream), the album is invitation fly out of our realm and head for Nirvana, paradise, Eden, Babylon, with flaunts of flutes, loads of Hamonds, Trons of Mello, guitars strings by the dozens and superb vocals both male and female. If you cannot find a suitable album to get comfy and shag the partner, try this one and do not forget to put the repeat (the album is fairly short), and the trick is half-done. To name a highlight would be quite difficult, as you'd be doing injustice to the other non-mentioned tracks. Not a weak note on this album. Nanny de Ruyg's voice is right up with the cannons of the genre and the German lyrics are simply heavenly music for the mind.

One of those incredibly good-vibes record, with breathtaking beauty, this is easily in my top 50, and it would be criminal of you if it was not in yours within two months of reading this review. Run for it!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

So you love cosmic folk and your looking for some great albums to play for your friends eh ! Well here is HÖELDERLIN's first album which is not connected in anyway to their later sound. "Holderlin's Traum" is a great album full of cosmic folk prog and represents a very interesting listen with its rich mix of folk, classical and rock into seven tracks of varying effects. The standout track for me is "Requiem Fur Einen Wicht" which has a hauntingly beautiful dreamy feel in its musical elements: acoustic guitar, flute, and violin, as well as some strong vocals from the female vocalist Nanny de Ruig. This album will appeal greatly to those who like the 'progressive/cosmic' folk sounds that the Pilz label is known for. The album features guest musicians Peter Bursh and Mike Hellbach from Broselmaschine and Walter Westrupp of Witthuser and Westrupp fame. All lyrics and vocals are in German. A hauntingly beautiful album.

A ravishing album, very folk, acoustic and dreamy with delicate, fragile female voices. This is their best and unique highly recommended effort they made. Celestial and floating kraut / folk music whose approach can be compared with Broselmaschine, Emtidi and others. "Waren Wir" is a magic, majectic, melancholic composition, very acoustic with desperate voices, lyrical passages and colourful "cosmic" improvisations for flute, keyboards and drums (at the end). "Peter" is a pleasant, dancing ballad for acoustic guitar and voices. An eastern flavour is sometimes added by the use of the sitar (in "Strohhalm"). We can also notice a subtle jazzy guitar touch, mainly improvised for long solo interludes. Specials guests as Walter Westrupp, Peter Bursch contribute to make this album an inspired progressive rock item with many acoustic ingredients added in a kind of fusion style. "Traum" can be highly recommended for every prog folk lovers. A very inspired effort that is hard to ignore!

I don't know much about this band, except that this record is beautiful. I also have "rare birds", and another one, wich I hate. "Hoelderlins traum" is a very sweet, delicate album that forces me to take a step away from my ussual post rock inclinations. It has a life of it's own, and the only bad thing I can say about it is "too bad they didn't stay on that direction". I haven't heard "Clouds and Clowns" (I see it also has the 4 stars rate). Crossing fingers....

HOELDERLIN created this record of German Folk music in the early seventies, releasing this album in 1972. Mainly female vocals were used as well as lots of acoustic guitars, flute, violin, cello and drums. As a result we are treated to a gentle and delicate folky album. The opening and closing tracks are my favourites where they seem to step out of that Folk vibe.

The first song "Waren Wir" begins with female vocals for about a minute that suddenly stop, then mellotron rolls in along with flute and light drums for the rest of the song. Spoken male words late. It's great ! This would be the only song with mellotron and there is the spirit of Krautrock in this one as well. ",,Peter" is quite catchy with acoustic guitars and female singing. Acoustic guitar ends it. "Strohhalm" has this Indian flavour with the guest musicians playing tablas and sitar. "Requiem Fur Einen Wicht" features female vocals, flute and acoustic guitar. "Erwachen" is a sad Folk song with lots of flute to open and violin later. "Wetterbericht" is a highlight because of the dual acoustic guitar playing that is so good. Female vocals come in.The final song "Traum" may be the best song on here. Lots of violin and cello with the drums keeping a steady rhythm.

I originally gave this 3 stars but have since grown to appreciate what this band have created here. A very solid 4 stars for this one.

This record must be the dream of any music lover!!

This had been the debut by German band Hoelderlin (here still spelled with an "umlaut") and actually what an amazing one it was. Actually it should be considered as one of the most stunning first works by a band ever presented whereas usually it used to be rather underestimated. I've seen it rated with 9/15 on a German Prog site for example. Some people are comparing it with the style of some country fellow bands like Emtidi, Bröselmaschine or Witthüser & Westrupp (musicians of the latter two guested here actually) which is only valid in some way with the difference that this album had been far superior to anything those bands ever released. The music they presented here was a lot different from the more classic Prog style they revealed on their later (also very good) albums. Being mostly acoustic with a broad range of used instruments the seven compositions here exhibited a quite unique blend of folk, classical, ethnic and some jammin' Krautrock elements. But the latter feature comes here much more discreet and is mainly exclusively in one track ("Traum") present. Thus it's certainly not to be compared with anything from the LSD-inspired "Kosmische Szene" the band always refused to be part of and therefore had many juridical fights with their producer Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser. The lyrics (into parts inspired by their eponym) though being at times very dreamy and poetic are anything else than just misty-eyed romanticism but are containing as well many political and social comments, a fact that had been disliked as well by their manager back then. One could describe them as criticism of society packed into fabulous poetry. Most of them are sung by Dutch Nanny DeRuig in perfect German free of any accent thus I think it's quite crucial to be familiar with the language to fully appreciate this record. On the other hand there's plenty of brilliant music here to be enjoyed without taking care of the lyrics at all, played on acoustic classical-type of instruments like violin, cello and grand piano but also electric ones like organ and mellotron. Not to forget mentioning the magical flute play, the superb acoustic guitar and as well some sitar, tablas and nice percussion providing a slight "cosmic" touch. Finally I just can highly recommend this album not only to any fan of Prog Folk and Krautrock but to anyone looking for some unique and awesome music. It's absolutely flawless (apart from its short length but just put it on repeat play!) and in my opinion can't be rather lower than with the full score!

"Hölderlins Traum" is the debut album of the German progressive folk band Hoelderlin. This is a great album! The whole album has a dreamy and pastoral atmosphere and everything is kept pretty low key. Acoustic guitars and a few percussion instruments dominate the album, often adorned with some keyboards (mellotron and organ) and other instruments like flutes, recorders, violin and sitars. The vocal performances are great, very calm and add to the atmosphere of the album. It is all sung in German and even though I am a native English speaker, this greatly adds to the feel of the album and is something I miss in later Hoelderlin albums. The album begins with a hypnotic melody that really sets the mood for the entire album: slightly dark but dreamy. The music is obviously very folkish but also looks to classical music for influence in their song arranements. The more conventional folk songs ,,Peter'' and "Strohhalm" are good, but the band really shines with their longer pieces like "Requiem Fur Einen Wicht," "Wetterbericht" and "Traum". These really show their true capabilities. I would highly recommend this album to anyone looking for good progressive folk music that is a little different than what you would expect.

Standout songs: "Requiem Fur Einen Wicht," "Traum"

I´ve been listening this holderlin´s first album for several months now, and, have to admit what a pleasure each time my ears touch the headphones, and the first whirled notes of waren wir do their headwork...elegant and crispy outputs for an analog record for such years. guitars and flutes are so well married, for the keys of mellotron may enter a heavenly space. Natures sounds are omnipresent thru the album making it like an intoxicating walk over a deep forest full of mushrooms and wet peat smoke..what? ouw, birds..what else can i say? a short but grateful german folk record, easily a ranked one of the genre. may ai give another half star at the rating for a sure shot.rgds,L

This adorable folk album full of emotions really struck to the very heart of the elements building up my musical appreciation. "Waren Wir" starts the album by presenting major elements of the record, melancholia and beautiful romanticism in psychedelic context. There are lush keyboard passages over the conventional rock trio sound, flavored with enchanting violin and Rufus Zuphall sounding flutes. There is a faster part in the middle with some narrative vocals, and in the end the track is fading in and out mysteriously. "Peter" is a more conservative song with traditional medieval guitar arpeggio start and more down-to-earth polka / peasant song in the end. "Strohhalm" is a short oriental sounding number for flute, tablas, sitar and the male voice.

"Requiem für einen Wicht" is one of the major tracks here, starting mysteriously with flute, lady singer and fast run of drum plates building up tension. Acoustic guitar chords start to stir to the composition towards a marching rhythm with violins, having really great melodies and sounds, leading to a moody verse which is exceptionally great. Then there are also some classical music resembling movements for violin, guitar and bass guitar in the end, before the song returns to the starting motive. A nice film was shot from this song also for German television. "Erwachen" start again traditionally with flute on the front. After short quiet voices a slightly Spanish sounding theme for guitar & piano is presented where Nanny DeRuig joinswith her voice. A nice tune, but it sadly fades away without decent conclusion reached. Then we can enjoy some great guitar work and moody singing on the song "Wetterbericht". This is a really pretty archetype of af an hippie folk rock pastoral, my own thoughts disappeared to the visions of romantic pastures conjured by the players. Some neat quiet synths create slight carpet of mist upon the glades. Later choral voices underline the sacred emotions evoked by the scenery.

The album ends to a fabulous composition "Traum", which starts with waves of drum plates evoking mantric whirls of acoustic guitars descending below to the worlds of dreams. The guitars are joined by tablas which predict the rock rhythm section and flute to enter, making again a groove sounding quite much the album "Weiss Der Teufel" from band referred earlier as comparison in sounds. Later the faster beat collapses, and the voices reduce pace and their form swirls surrealistically for a moment before the melodic theme returns for a last time, melting then the song and entire record away. Here the fadeout works well, as it creates a feeling of ascending away from the dreamy realm, which is left to existing on unreachable plains, summoned only by playing this album. This record was probably an influence for the late 1970's Carol of Harvest album, having great instrumental jamming sequences and orientation for free impressionism along with the defined compositions. I really liked the romanticism and mystic medieval influences surged through the psychedelic frame of reference with a fine musicianship, creating yet another vintage ace album from the 1970's Germany, which I would certainly recommend for anybody liking hazy folk music with fragile female voice.

Classic dreamy prog-folk from Germany.

When I first heard this album I thought instantly of the Brit-folkie classic "Just Another Diamond Day" by Vashti Bunyan. Vashti's album is a more stripped-down affair than this one but the spirit and the beauty of the simple music is quite similar. Holderlin takes the basic template of Bunyan's classic and adds a touch of hippie rock to the folk music. The acoustic guitars and lovely, delicate vocals that make up the basic framework here are adorned with bass, drums, flute, cello, organ, and mellotron. The result is some of the dreamiest and sublime folk rock you've heard, to my ears much better than what I heard from Trees. All vocals are in German but don't let that stop you.

"Waren Wir" begins so beautifully with violin and acoustic guitar, enter the soul stirring singing of Nanny DeRuig. After the introduction the song changes a bit and we get a fairly snappy beat over mellotron with flute improvisation. In the middle of this section some male spoken vocals briefly intrude. Strange opener. "Peter" has a very traditional folk music sound and this one reminds most directly of Bunyan's album. The pleasant vocal melody carries the song over acoustic and bouncy bass. "Strohhalm" is another fairly traditional folk song with sitar, tablas, flute, and male vocals this time. "Requiem" injects some tension with the nervous violin in places and is considerably more dramatic in mood. Some room is allowed for a string solo in the middle. Make sure to watch the cool live video we have of this track on the site or on YouTube. "Erwachen" has a flute solo for an introduction, very nice. After a short pause the song continues with piano, acoustic guitar, and nice vocal. A bit of cello comes through now and again. "Wetterbericht" starts with two acoustic parts and Nanny's fragile childlike singing. The guitar work sounds simple but is actually quite well thought out and trance inducing. "Traum" continues the meditative picking of the previous track but soon adds some hopping percussion, flute and violin. The pace is much more upbeat here and would make a great track for some of that free-form Deadhead style of dance. The violin and bass interplay gets fairly crazy towards the end and then fades.

Essential for fans of our folk prog genre. The album cover is perfectly fitting. The music of Holderlin's Traum is like a dreamy summer afternoon flitted away in a meadow. When I listen to this at work it makes me want to turn off my computer, walk out the door, and drive to the country. Music like this could cost you your job. Oh well, life is short. I really encourage fans of this album to hunt down Bunyan's "Diamond Day." It's every bit as good as this although much sparser and without the proggy touches. 3.75 stars.

Hoelderlin's first is squarely in the folk prog camp with plenty of psychedelia thrown in, not surprisingly given the era. Very little of the symphonic washes that were to rule the roost a mere few years later are prevalent here. Pleasant if not very emotive male and female vocals in German, lots of acoustic guitars, some reeds, violins, and even cello predominate, with occasional mellotron adding a spacey vibe. It's an album that requires a fair bit of patience to get into, because it tends to induce a near trance-like state that allows the barely 34 minutes to pass by virtually unnoticed.

Even on first listen, the first and final cut distinguish themselves and leave one wondering what was missed in between. Both up the prog ante, with lots of mellotron and fine percussion. The way the album ends, I wonder if the second, self titled effort follows on from the more revved up style that fades out in mid promise, or if that was just an anomaly. Of the remainder "Reqiem für einen Wicht" is the best, with a middle section built on strong repetitive melody beautifully expressed by Nanny DeRuig. But ""Peter" and "Strohhalm" are fairly thin by any yardstick, and "Wetterbericht", in spite of some interesting ideas, takes too long to not fully express them.

Like a lot of dreams, Hoelderlin's Traum is hard to remember once I wake up, but like a lot of good dreams, I am left feeling happier. Even though the style was rife in 1971, this album manages to distinguish itself over and above the use of German, and that warrants a rounding up as I awaken from my catatonia.

‘Hölderlins Traum’ is the first and really the most folk-leaning of all of Hoelderlin’s albums. While the album has clear markings of German folk with its heavy-sounding Hammond and the occasional mellotron (as well as German-language vocals), there are also a number of musical treats such as the brief “Strohhalm” with its Eastern-inflected (wooden?) flute, tabla and sitar motif, and the easy-going acoustic number called simply Peter.

The band sold a surprising number of copies of this debut despite them being relatively unknown and not at all imbued with anything resembling a mass appeal sound. Great for prog folk fans today though, who have an opportunity to appreciate this rare recording thanks to Spalax’s reissue.

The recording quality is just a bit rough, even for early seventies standards, but this is only a minor distraction since most of us who seek out old prog folk music are pretty much used to substandard recording quality. But the range of instrumentation thanks to the nine performers makes up for the lack of range in sonic quality nicely.

The band is fairly naïve in their themes and arrangements, but in a charming way that music of this era tends to be. “Requiem Für Einen Wicht” for example is given a ‘requiem’ treatment simply by inclusion of stark piano chords throughout despite really being more of an almost traditional-sounding folk song made ‘modern’ thanks to heavy organ riffs and snare drums. Christoph Noppeney is particularly noteworthy on violin for this track, with most of the last several minutes focused around him.

The band shows a little Anglo influence with the medieval opening track “Waren Wir “ as well as “Erwachen”, while the lengthy title track is a rocking instrumental with more great violin and an animated and persistent rhythm track that carries the album to completion.

My only complaint is that the record is a bit brief at less than thirty-five minutes, but again this is a minor quibble and for the most part I found it to be truly enjoyable and very representative of progressive folk of the early seventies. A bit dated today, but if you are into old German prog folk bands like Ougenweide or Eden (although Hoelderlin’s later works are closer to Eden than this album), you may find this one to be pleasant and worth picking up. Four stars is a tad bit high but I think this record is just a bit better than three thanks to the variety of instrumentation and the obvious enthusiasm of the players. Recommended to most all prog folk fans.

peace

Hoelderlin - Hölderlins Traum (1972)

Celeste, Harmonium, Hoelderlin..? On our beloved site about progressive music we aren't always focussed on how beautiful music is. This 'gorgeousness'-element of music is seen as just one of the many elements that came a an album or a song good.

When I got this first album of German psychedelic folk group Hoelderlin it became clear to me that the appreciation of this record was based on both it's well-recorded authentic beauty AND it's psychedelic influences. The vocals in German haven't been a problem for me, though singing in this language has never been a favorable element before. The authentic folky female voice sounds very cute in German! Luckily Nanny DeRuig isn't to trained a vocalist, it would have ruined the authentic atmosphere.

The music. The main body of the record is based on folky guitars at percussions, whilst in the longer instrumental passages psychedelic and even psycho-beat pass me by. Most instruments are acoustic, we get to listen to some flute, mellotron and violin too. There are some male vocals on the trippy Strohalm, whilst "Peter" has a (still) modern indi-pop feel. Other songs feature a fusion between folk, instrumental symphonic rock and psychedelic music.

Conclusion. The record is a bit short with it's 35 minutes, but time also passes by very quickly when I'm listening to it. It's a very enjoyable record with an authentic and honest feel. The instruments are played professional (often problematic in the krautrock scene), the vocals are honest, the composition interesting and the concept refreshing. Furthermore the variety of instruments is good. Very recommended to fans of the progressive folk genre and the krautrock genre. Four stars!

An interesting electric folk band from Wuppertal,Hoelderlin were found in late 1970 by brothers Joachim and Christian von Grumbkow along with singer Nanny de Ruig,named after the lyric poet Friedrich Hoelderlin.A year later three more members join the band: Christian Noppeney (viola, guitar), Peter Käseberg (bass) and Michael Bruchmann (drums).In August 1971 they sign with OHR Musik and from early 1972 they begin wotking on their debut ''Hölderlins Traum''.

This is not a progressive folk album really,more of semi-electric Folk Rock with Psych and Prog twists.The opening cut is actually the most progressive track,excellent musicianship with backround mellotron,dynamic organ and riving flutes.The next few tracks are more in a Psychedelic Kraut/Folk realm,entirely acoustic with only the rhythm section showcasing a rock band,with impressive lyrical content,mainly by Nanny de Ruig and some good violin and cello work.Dynamics though are not absent,I would say the sound is often quite powerful for acoustic Folk Music.We have to wait till the end for a stunning number,the eponymous fusion- esque track,containing thrilling flutes backed by violin soloing,pounding percussion and a jazzy rhythm section.Great end!

''Hoelderlin's traum'' won't ever win a price for his ground-breaking music or be settled among the milestones of Folk Prog music in my books,but it definitely shows a band with talent,skills and lust for creating something innovative and challenging.3 solid stars,a great album for Electric Folk,Kraut Rock and Psychedelic Folk fans.

Very much on the folk-rock end of the prog folk spectrum - the rhythm section generally plays in a recognisable rock format, the acoustic instruments play in mainly a folk vein with the occasional psychedelic or proggy flourish - Hoelderlin's debut album is perfectly pleasant, and at points rather beautiful, but at the same time I don't find it to be very memorable. The injection of a little jazz fusion to spice up the concluding Traum injects a bit of life into proceedings but otherwise the album seems fairly standard for 1971 folk rock. Not great, but not at all bad.

I like this album because it's rare that your get to hear the German language sung beautifully over and with some beautiful music. This is also a remarkably well recorded and engineered album.

1. "Waren Wir" (4:51) is one fantastic song. Starting slow and simply with piano-based music being sung over by female voice auf Deutch, there is a pause at 1:12 followed by a jazzy organ-based, flute-soloing, congo-accompanied section until a male spoken voice says something in German before musicians jam till fade. (10/10)

2. "Peter" (2:57) is standard folk fare. There are some nice chord changes and guitar picking accompanying the pretty female singing voice. (8/10)

3. "Strohhalm" (2:06) reminds me of some acoustic CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG/JONI MITCHELL only with a singular male singer, small hand drums, acoustic guitar and sitar playing very prominently. (7/10)

4. "Requiem fur einen Wicht" (6:39) is a pretty, sometimes waltzy, folk song. I especially enjoy the swirling effects created by the violins. Nice lilting female vocal from Nanny DeRuig in the middle section--with the long held notes. The middle section of militaristic drumming and violin is haunting. Then everything quiets down to a more Bohemian 'gypsy' violin and guitar duet--rejoined by flute, rhythm section and vocal at the 5:30 mark. Intriguing song. (9/10)

5. "Erwachen" (4:06) opens with recorder, piano and tambourine playing a little medieval troubadour-like song, before there is a pause for nature sounds (wolf in the woods?) The song picks back up with piano, acoustic guitar, bowed bass and tambourine playing some old folk melody--joined by Nanny DeRuig's lower, more authoritative voice from the 1:50 mark on. I'm not sure if I'm more reminded of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" or some Eastern European dirge. (8/10)

6. "Wetterbericht" (6:39) is a very spacious, bare-bones true folk song that opens with multiple acoustic guitars picking. Eventually, they are joined by Nanny in one of her best performances on the album. There is an eerie Harmonium feel to this one--with some very beautiful chord changes and an awesome Harmonium-like tempo shift at the 3:30 mark--soon after which sees the background entrance of a very spacey synthesizer moving slowly from one note to another (reminiscent of Genesis' "Stagnation" though shorter and further in the background). There is then a return to the song's original sound and structure for the last minute before it fades. (9/10)

7. "Traum" (7:26) starts with picked 12-string guitar like a Genesis song from Selling England before the guitarist switches to strumming so that the rest of the band can jump in with some awesome bass, drumming, conga, flute, and violin jamming together --and, what's this? Introducing: Electric Guitar! Strumming along in the right channel while the violinist, bass, and rhythm section jam to the 4:35 mark. Then the instrumentalists seem to each go off on their own sprees--each stuck in a tremolo mode--until 5:50 when they all are brought back together by the strumming guitar. Awesome bass and violin/cello playing! (15/15)

Total Time: 34:51

Great first and last songs--totally proggy--with some otherwise very nice more standard folk fare in between.

4.5 stars; B+. This album would make an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

I did my last review about the swedish band Träd, gräs och stenar's first record which was quite bad even though it was progressive. This Hölderlin records isn't very progressive, but very good. I am new to the band Hölderlin/Hoelderlin, but I love German music and think it's a shame they sometimes sing in English.

The German Prog Folk group Hölderlin'f first record is a short one and that is an advantage beacuse the whole record is so superb. The starter and the closer tracks are the most progressive but not the best songs. The group was made up by six persons: Michael Bruchmann( drums, percussion), Nanny DeRuig (vocals), Christian Grumbkow(guitar), Joachim Grumbkow (guitar, cello, flute, keyboards, mellotron), Peter Kaseberg (bass, guitar, vocals) and Christoph Noppeney (violin, flute, piano). It also features Peter Bursch on sitar and Mike Hellbach on tablas on "Strohhalm" and Walter Westrupp on flute on "Erwachen". This record was released in 1974.

This is something for you who love acoustic guitars. They didn't thought it was enough with one, it seams they got many and that's lovely. "Waren wir" starts asking and what you love immediately is the beautiful voice of Nanny DeRuig who sings like telling a tale. This song contains rock instruments like a groovy organ for exampel. The last track "Traum" is also a rock song, instrumental and a little improvised I think. The rest is very folky, totally fantastic music I'll say. "Peter" is a pure but perfect folk song with excellent vocals and a pleasant text. "Strohhalm" has an indian feeling with beautiful flute and sung by men. "Requiem für einem Wicht" is a progressive folk song with many passages. This is folk in a symphonic way with violins and cello. Perhaps the best song on this record. "Erwachen" has some mystical sounds and "Wetterbericht" has a lot of guitar heroism. This is indeed a record I would recommend to anybody addicted to music. I think this records has something for everybody and a lot for progheads and folkheads.

Hölderlin's first LP "Hölderlins Traum" (Hölderlin's Dream) was released in 1972 on the Pilz label, which was BASF's arm for the burgeoning underground German rock scene. Recorded by Dieter Dirks, it was one of the more folk-rock oriented records that were championed by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, the producer here and head of the Pilz label. You may know him famously as the Ohr and Kosmische labels founder, and more infamously as a polarizing figure in the music business that was ultimately banished (and also subject of a lawsuit by this band amongst others).

Guest appearances on the LP feature Peter Bursch and Mike Hellbach of Bröselmaschine on sitar and tablas respective, and Walter Westrupp of folk duo Witthüser & Westrupp.

Listening to this LP, one is consumed by a dream-like, hazy quality that fills the air--aligning with its title. The first track "Waren Wir" (Have We) starts everything off in a lovely slow beat with straining violin cries and a moody vocal by Nanny DeRuig asking "have we not been here once before?" It abruptly shifts gears to a faster beat, as if the dream has suddenly changed and now the heart races. A spoken word conclusion states "And you see rooms sealed with glassy tears, you play--shut away--with the shadow of your scream."

This group named themselves after a famous German poet/philosopher and this is evident in the way they present their songs so poetically and as if in a dream state. In "Erwachen" (Awakening) "leaves laugh in the trees, they die, boats wander drunk through the hours." Pastoral acoustic guitar lines bookend the marching beat in the tune "Peter", and sitar and bongos create a lovely tapestry on "Strohhalm." "Requiem für Einen Wicht" is a dynamic and invigorating ode. It at times is a lullaby and other times is frantic--changing tempo and mood while telling it's sad story of oppression. The lonely but resolute protagonist in the story drowns in woody flute melodies and long soft violin notes.

Throughout the LP there are strains of Fairport Convention or The Incredible String Band, and small ensemble instrumental music of the renaissance period--all through a German lens. Highly recommended and an essential listen for fans of Folk-Prog, Freak-Folk or Acid-Folk, and Krautrock.

Emerging alongside the lysergically-tinged Krautrock scene of Germany's late 60s and early 70s was a less dynamic but equally compelling Kraut-folk movement which found bands like Yatha Sidhra, Tomorrow's Gift, Gila, Emtidi, Popol Vuh and Sand saturating themselves in the same psychedelic freakery as their heavier rock counterparts but expressed their escapism in a softer folk-based medium. The Wuppertal based HÖLDERLIN was one such act that was formed by the brothers Joachim and Christian von Grumbkow along with Christian's wife Nanny DeRuig. While taking on increasing elements of symphonic prog after Nanny's departure after the debut album, on the band's first offering HÖLDERLINS TRAUM which emerged in 1972, the band was on pure progressive folk mode steeped in psychedelia and acoustic instrumentation with DeRuig's feminine vocal charm. The band took its name from the poet Friedrich Hölderlin.

Comparisons to early Renaissance have been made but HÖLDERLIN sounded uniquely German mostly due to the fact that unlike the majority of other bands of the day chose to use the German language for its lyrical output. The band featured a rich tapestry of sounds with Christian Grumbkow on guitars, Joachim Grumbkow handling cello, acoustic guitar, transverse flute, piano, organ and mellotron, Christoph Noppeney brought to life the violin, viola, flute and piano with Peter Käseberg on bass, acoustic guitar and vocals along with drummer / percussionist Michael Bruchmann. In addition three guest musicians add touches of sitar, tablas and the recorder. The seven songs featured added up to about 35 minutes of playing time and displayed a very charming diverse yet cohesive mix of atmospheric symphonic rock, medieval folk, progressive rock and psychedelia.

The album was heralded by critics for being extremely unique and in many regards its was. Despite being fixated on a progressive folk trajectory, the album featured a much wider array of instrumentation than the usual prog folk album and featured very complex arrangements and to make it even more unique in the English language marketplace, all lyrics were performed in the German language but despite that the album received excellent reviews from the music press in both Europe and the USA. Apparently the intoxicating blend of lush acoustic guitars with strings, woodwinds soaked in mellotron was the perfect soundtrack for that idyllic fusion of folk, classical and rock. The grand finale was the knotty prog-rich "Traum" which offered the most demanding workouts of the entire album as DeRuig stepped out of the singing spotlight in exchange for a bonafide instrumental assault of the senses, a most satisfying conclusion to a beautifully constructed album.

While being cited as a unique contribution to the world of German progressive music, that would be true even within the band's own discography because lead singer Nanny DeRuig would exit the band after this album due to her pregnancy and after a three year break due to a meltdown with management, HÖLDERLIN returned with a completely revamped style that focused less on the folky aspects and more on the world of symphonic prog including a deemphasis of the vocal aspects. The band also took on a more British sound leaving this drifting debut to exist in a world all its own. While never repeated, this first album delivered an excellent slice of sophisticated prog folk embellished by occasional heavier rock elements. DeRuig performed the perfect vocals for the style and the musicians played together seamlessly with clever intricately designed composiitons. Definitely a highlight of the so-called Kraut-folk scene of the 1970s.