DELUXE

Second (and last) Harmonia album and released in 75 on the green Brain label, Harmonia represents the living passerelle between Cluster and Kraftwerk. It's indeed hard to believe these three projects did not "compete" in some way, shape or form, because their respective electro-pop is not only fairly close to each other, but also influenced the music scene a half-decade later in the early 80's during the new wave era.

As said above, this album is sometimes closer Kraftwrk (and involuntarily Vangelis in the title track) in the two lengthy tracks on the A-side of the album. Although there is mych repetitive and a certain form of minimalism, these two tracks are probably the highlight of the album. Indeed, on the flipside, the three shorter tracks are a combination of Vangelis meets Tangerine Dream on sleeping tablets and don't bring much interesting except that again, they're a few years ahead of the pack. But definitely more interesting is that Harmonia's Can and Neu! influences are also perceptible , for example in Monza (the racetrack), the longer (7-mins) track of the flipside is rawer and more aggressive.

This album has been re-issued by Brain in a brilliant digipak with pictures of their studio-in-a-mansion and a few more pics of the original back sleeve with the tacky parasol, but also plenty of texts about the group.