ARKTIS TAPES

The excellent Garden Of Delights can't stop re-publish some of our favourite krautrock albums. This Arktis is an old obscurity that intensely makes an original mix of heavy garage bluesy-rockin' songs with emphasis on psychedelica sonorities. Tapes figure among the lost jam sessions of the band. This gloriously spaced out musical collective celebrates acid fuzz rock with heavy guitars, infectious grooves, really cool rhythmical sections and an hyper active sense of free instrumentation. Newrock opens the album with a surprising heavy-rockin' song with mind blowing guitar solos and with an evident influence from late 60's psych rock legends. The vocals are in the hippie-stoned like vein. High Fly figures among the strongest pieces, strictly instrumental with wha wha bluesy guitars and a massive psych-doom like heavy ambience. The GOD edition contains two interesting bonus tracks. Creative old school heavy rock with psych/prog accents. A particular contribution to the genre with omnipresent vintage, kick-ass bluesy guitars. A dynamic musical journey that also reminds some classic stuffs released by John Mayall, Peter Green, and Fleetwood Mac but with more aggressive, hell-ish guitar riffs. Recommended for those who like the heavy kraut epics of Blackwater Park and a few others.

This is the second straight self-released album by the German band ARKTIS who were trying to get the attention of a label to sign them.There would be one more self-released album after this then they gave up as no label seem interested. Because they didn't get a contract based on their debut album released a year earlier in 1974 they changed their style on this one.They would do the same for the third album as well. Lot's of instrumentals on this one and Karin has changed her vocal style unfortunately.That heavy Psyche stlye is replaced by Boogie, Beat and other styles.There's more variety here which isn't a positive in my opinion. No side long suite either unless you included the bonus tracks which I don't.

"New Rock" is a top three and it reminds me of the debut with that dark intro as the female vocals then guitar join in. I really like the guitar that comes and goes over top. "Boogie" is a catchy instrumental. It's okay.

"Small Talk" is better with the strummed guitar, bass and a beat.The electric guitar comes in before a minute. Nice.The vocals on this one trade off with the electric guitar the rest of the way. A top three. "High Fly" is my final top three as we get some heaviness with the guitar playing over top.The tempo picks up before 3 1/2 minutes.

"Walkin' With My Baby" is the start of five straight instrumentals.This one is fairly simple with guitar and a beat. "Pique-Nique" is also a laid back instrumental. "Dan 1" is strummed guitar with a beat throughout.

"Deep In" is the best of the five. "Rock n Roll" is a short vocal track in German. It's fun and sixties Beat sounding.

A step down from the debut in my opinion but it's a pretty good record still.