Tag: Krautrock

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Doc Wör Mirran – Second Try

Doc Wör Mirran got its start as a multi-disciplinary project out of Nürnberg, Germany in around 1985, and for nearly 40 years, the band have continued to produce strange, intriguing avant-garde rock and experimental music.  From their Bandcamp site:

“Contrary to most compilations which compile the greatest hits of an artist, “Second Try” is a compilation that highlights the drumming talents of DWM’s drummer Stefan Schweiger. He compiled, edited and partially remixed this album himself of his favourite tracks, and added new sounds and samples to make some of the tracks quite different from the “normal versions”. Stefan also contributed the cover and label art for this, one of DWM’s more guitar and rock oriented releases.”
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La Compagnia Digitale – La Compagnia Digitale

This is a weird little gem.  The three tracks on this album point not only to La Compagnia Digitale’s roots as an Italian progressive rock band, but there are even elements of the Berlin School which would make Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream proud.  Think of this as a more Krautrock-infused Goblin.

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Backspace – Human Nature Architecture

It’s bands like this that the blog was initially made for.  Finding a Krautrock band who mix in surf and psychedelic rock coming out of China is a magnificent thing.  Backspace are one of the more brilliant bands to come out of the Middle Kingdom in some time, and I say this as one who is a fan of so many incredible bands popping up everywhere there.  The way they mix these sounds, along with good, punchy, clear production make this instrumental gem an instant favorite.  If it’s released on Maybe Mars Records, it’s a sure sign of quality.

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Various Artists – REQUIEM: Klaus Schulze Tribute

This release, procured by Aural Films, is a tribute to Krautrock and Berlin-School legend Klaus Schulze, who passed away in April of 2022, and who would have been 75 years old today, far too young to have left us.  From the compilation’s Bandcamp site:

“Over a year ago, Jack Hertz approached me with the idea of following up his popular Klaus Schulze tribute compilation IN LOVE WITH THE MOON (2018) with a sequel. I suggested waiting a little longer and to focus on Klaus’ upcoming 75th birthday. Jack thought it was a great idea – who could have guessed that Klaus would not live to see this anniversary?

What could be more natural now than to honor not only Klaus’ birthday, but his whole life – that was the starting signal for REQUIEM. And once again, artists from all over the world came together in no time at all, ready to reignite the flickering flame of electronic music and shout one last musical hello” to Klaus.

Electronic sound experiments, expansive ambient atmospheres and meandering sequencer orgies alternate with contemporary chill-out rhythms and modern electronica excursions – there is no aspect of Klaus Schulze’s music which is not paid tribute to, be it for 3:00 or even 30 minutes. It’s alive, the Berlin School, even if its founding father has retired. And they have done their homework, the (partly not so) young rascals. Klaus’ spirit lives on – in his music, in our memories and in the music of those he inspired.

And Klaus? He is probably sitting relaxed with Edgar, Conny, Hartmut, Rainer, Wolfgang, Pete, and Bob together in the celestial studio to “finally make a long piece”… may it be eternal.”

Indeed, may Klaus’ memory be ever eternal.

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Music Youtube

Klaus Schulze – Köln 1977 (RIP)

Today is a very sad day for us here at MYNTH.  Klaus Schulze, the legendary composer and keyboardist, passed away on the 26th of April.  He was 74.  We wish to acknowledge his passing by posting one of my favorite performances.

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monobeat original – Rough Mixes

One of the true founding fathers of Krautrock, Zappi W. Diermaier, is still going at it with a new album slated to be released in December of 2021.  The tracks blend together the Krautrock Zappi is obviously known for, while adding psychedelic, progressive and even post-Industrial elements into the brew.  For what should be a rather brutal sounding mix of sounds, it’s actually makes for a hypnotic and lovely listening.  Much respect to our friends at áMARXE Records for releasing this record.

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Music

Various Artists – Made with love, Peter Zinovieff – Tributes

Peter Zinovieff passed away on June 23, 2021, but he left quite a mark on avant-garde music.  The British-born son of Russian aristocrats, he sold his wife’s tiara for his first computer, and from there, he would work with some of the greatest bands of the 20th century including Pink Floyd and David Bowie, Todd Rundgren and a host of Krautrock groups before going into composing for computer on his own.

This compilation of artists pay homage to the little-known but highly respected performer.  All this came together, apparently, as an idea to give Peter a proper sendoff on Facebook.  The social media giant is hideous for many reasons, but in this case, their existence served a good purpose.

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Primitive Air – Creation Hymn

The spirit of Krautrock has spread well beyond the German-speaking world, and has for some time now.  Primitive Air is an American collaboration between Drew Piraino, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and Emil Amos reminds me of the more freaky (yet still gentle) parts of bands like Popol Vuh and modern bands like The Myrrors.  This is a blissful little record, and it would have sit comfortably among the greats of German psychedelic music of the late 1960s and early 1970s had these folks been around during those heady days.

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Music

Wilfried Hanrath – The Sweet Scent of Dreams

This album has to be one of the more intriguing releases I’ve heard this month.  Wilfried Hanrath is a composer based in Wuppertal, Germany (home, if I remember correctly, to free jazz legend Peter Brötzmann as well), and grew up surrounded by some of the most radical music imaginable: Krautrock, jazz fusion, early German electronic music and perhaps a large dose of progressive and psychedelic rock.  The album showcases his influences in a stunning way, though I understand this album is more a reinterpretation of the works of others rather than a purely original album.  He crafts each song as though it were part of some non-existent soundtrack.  Really, another artist worth following.

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Harald Grosskopf & Ramón Amezcua – Quetzalkrautl

¡Demasiado kosmiche…!  Two absolute legends in electronic music grace these pages with a combination whose name cracks me up, but whose music entinces.  Ramón Amezcua is best known under his nom de plume Bostich and is known as the godfather of the Nortec scene which combines hard electronic music with Norteño music and banda into a radically different form of the sort of electronica produced either Stateside or in Europe.  Harald Grosskopf played drums for progressive rock bands like Wallenstein, Ashra and appeared on quite a few albums by Klaus Schulze, as well as releasing Synthesist, which is today considered a classic in electronic music.  Decades on, both composers are still at the height of their compositional powers, though I must admit to liking the slightly nostalgic feel of some of these tracks.  It’s definitely music for the 21st century, but the old Kraut (and Norteño) in me can’t help but reminisce at how good these musicians have been for so very long.