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M.L. Bongers ProjectAn obscure band, fronted by singer Marcel L. Bongers, of whom we know virtually nothing historically. Comparable to many other fellow late-70's progressives: Second Movement, Rousseau, Pancake, et al., the strangely named M.L. Bongers Project had a slightly different angle, in that they made that spacey type of progressive, often more akin to the French band Pulsar. They were a lot better than most, with thick wedges of keyboards, guitars and lots of flute, especially the lengthy suite covering side 1 of the LP. Jacques Thysen (bass, acoustic guitars), Günter Heinz (drums, percussion), Joe Grande (guitar), J. Georg Kobeck (keyboards), Marcel L. Bongers (vocals), + Georg Michels (flute) PACIFIC PRISON (7/78) Brainstorm Brainstorm originated from Baden-Baden (in South West Germany), as the eccentric Mothers Of Invention inspired combo with the unlikely name Fashion Prick. Later, wisely changing name and becoming Brainstorm, they still attempted to shock with their debut album SMILE A WHILE, which caused such a scandal due to its outrageous cover that it was apparently withdrawn from release! The music on both Brainstorm albums was a highly inventive blend of songs and instrumentals, with a touch of Zappa, and Canterbury inspired certainly, akin to Caravan, Hatfield & The North, Soft Machine, etc., but also with a style all of their own. Highlighted by quality musicianship, notably a dizzying array of winds and keyboards, with complexly arranged instrumentals and, like the Dutch band Supersister, a penchant for eccentric tongue-in-cheek humour. Brainstorm lived up to their name, and both albums are classics of the genre. Roland Schaefer later became a bastion of Guru Guru, and Joachim Koinzer has fronted numerous fusion bands since. Eddy von Overheidt (organ, electric piano, vocals), Joachim Koinzer (drums, percussion), Roland Schaeffer (guitar, soprano/tenor saxes, clarinet, electric piano, percussion, basses, vocals), Rainer Bodensohn (flutes, bass, vocals) SMILE A WHILE (8/72) You're The One / Das Schwein Trügt SECOND SMILE (3-6/73) Brainticket The history of Brainticket is virtually undocumented, and their origins are also very confused. And, although they are considered by many to be a Krautrock band, they were really a nomad troupe, going wherever the scene took them. Basically, Brainticket were born out of the 60's jazz and soul scenes, and a variety of groups featuring Belgian born keyboardist Joel Vandroogenbroeck. Their origins can be traced back to 1968, as the nucleus of Dee Dee Barry And The Movements, with Joel Vandroogenbroeck (organ, flute), Ron Bryer (guitar), and Wolfgang Paap (drums), though this was far away from the music they were later to create. Joel, along with a few like-minded musicians active in the South of Germany, inevitably got caught up in the fertile Krautrock scene, and like many other bands from the area they formed an international combo that drew on a wide range of influences. Their debut COTTONWOODHILL (sometimes just referred to as BRAINTICKET or "SAME") has long been one of the most revered and quoted of psychedelic albums. All but for the two short dreamy surreal tracks that open side 1 of the album (which hint at the later Brainticket sound), the majority of the album is a long repetitive funky groove opus, propelled along by chunky organ and percussion. It has the spirit of Can, the outrageousness of Funkadelic, and pre-empting Faust, and for 1971 it's certainly nothing less than revolutionary. Over this musical mantra, Dawn Muir recants vividly the experience of an extraordinary LSD trip, acting it out for us, including all the paranoia, visions of ecstasy, power and confusion, the pure surreal buzz of the experience. This is topped off by extraordinary use of special effects, sound-collage and electronics. And, if that weren't enough, they also resort to all manner of trickery and surprising diversions. It all adds up to a strange and unique album that's still surprisingly startling and fresh over 25 years on, and as a result it's also been the subject of numerous homage's. Moving base to Italy, some of the band split off and formed the Swiss hard-rock band Toad, and thus a new version of Brainticket evolved. Though Brainticket were never quite so radical or eccentric again, the second album PSYCHONAUT, being by a transitional band, covered a wide range of styles. It was more your typical trippy progressive, with actual songs and compositions, sometimes in the vein of early Hawkwind, yet often closer to Quintessence and Group 1850. There are many facets to the music here, especially when venturing on to trippy folk territory, with female lead vocals, akin to Emtidi or Pentangle (a little). New members: Swiss percussionist Barney Palm and American singer/multi-instrumentalist Carole Muriel, were to become the nucleus of the third version of Brainticket recording CELESTIAL OCEAN, a bizarre mystical concept based on Egyptian mythology. It's an album that saw a diversion to weirder more electronic realms, with strong use of ethnic instruments and a wealth of surprises. Strangely, in a way, it pre-empted Nik Turner's similarly conceived SPHINX XITINTODAY project, and its influence can be heard in much of 80's space-rock. Though very different to the original Brainticket, they were still proving to be innovators. This trio apparently existed for some time touring Germany, Switzerland and Italy in the mid-70's. We know that Brainticket carried on through the late-70's, as concert tapes have been advertised by some dealers, though nothing was released again until 1980. This later incarnation, who issued the albums ADVENTURE and VOYAGE, seemed to be purely a studio project, based in Basel Switzerland, making a highly experimental music, with lots of jazz and diverse ethnic influences. For the first time, Brainticket were a totally instrumental combo, leaving the music to speak for itself. Apart from a proliferation of electronics, these albums strongly feature percussion and flute, and in the established tradition of Brainticket, these were groundbreaking stuff, again radical innovative albums, though far from the psychedelic realms of the 70's releases. (Note: the Purple Pyramid CD releases feature the wrong LP's, ADVENTURE is actually VOYAGE, and visa-versa!) In parallel, during the late-70's and through on to the 90's, Joel Vandroogenbroeck has also fronted other projects, he had is own jazz-rock band Joel, and has also done much solo work, as well as travelling the world researching obscure ethnic music cultures. It seems that he is currently earning a living by recording music for film and TV. See Joel Vandroogenbroeck entry for more information. Ron Bryer (guitar), Werni Froehlich (bass), Hellmuth Kolbe (potentiometers, generators, sound effects), Cosimo Lampis (drums), Dawn Muir (voice), Wolfgang Paap (tabla), Joel Vandroogenbroeck (organ, flute) COTTONWOODHILL PSYCHONAUT CELESTIAL OCEAN (8-9/72) ADVENTURE (5/79-1/80) VOYAGE (6/2/82) Chris Braun Band Female vocalist and band, with hints of Frumpy. Chris Braun (lead vocals), Elmar Krohn (guitars, flute, percussion, vocals), Horst Schreiber (guitars, percussion, vocals), Jochen Bernstein (bass), Bill Bakine (drums, percussion) BOTH SIDES (3-4/72) FOREIGN LADY (11/73) JEDE MENGE KOHLE ULTRABRAUN (1982) Brave New World A short-lived Hamburg based project, featuring Irishman John O'Brien-Docker (formerly of City Preachers and Marcel) and jazzer Herb Geller, along with a few top local rock and pop musicians. Brave New World's whole oeuvre was the concept of the Aldous Huxley science fiction novel. An unlikely "supergroup", and remarkably the music they created was unprecedented and original. On their LP, Brave New World blended styles, in such an unlikely manner, hinting at the music later created by the likes of Art Zoyd or Univers Zero. Virtually instrumental, blending medieval musics, electronics, jazz and rock in a dazzlingly complex fusion, a big step beyond early Between, with the Krautrock feel of Annexus Quam, Achim Reichel, Tomorrow's Gift, et al. And, dig that over-amplified stylophone! An all-time Krautrock classic. Dicky Tarrach (drums, percussion), Lucas Lindholm (bass, bass fiddle, organ, piano), Herb Geller (flutes, cor anglais, alto/soprano/tenor saxes, organ), Reinhart Firchow (recorders, flutes, ocarina, stylophone, percussion, vocals), John O'Brien-Docker (guitars, organ, percussion, vocals, wind chimes), + Esther Daniels (vocals) IMPRESSIONS ON READING ALDOUS HUXLEY (5-6/72) Breakfast An obscure mid-70's rock band, of the more mainstream type with notable American influences. Their album had its moments, with hints of Thirsty Moon and Karthago. Only of marginal interest. Ferdi Kühnel (vocals, flute, percussion), Horst Schreiber (guitars, vocals), Guntmar Feuerstein (organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals, percussion), Eberhard Voelz (bass, vocals), Bill Bakine (drums, percussion), Jürgen Kampert (acoustic guitar, vocals) IT'S TIME FOR BREAKFAST (12/75-1/76) Bröselmaschine Originating from traditional folk music, Bröselmaschine were formed in Duisburg in autumn 1968, and were fronted by renowned guitarist, theorist and writer Peter Bursch. The original band, who were inspired by Pentangle (their quote, not ours) and European folk musics, played a mixture of all sorts of cultures. They wrapped vibrant songs in a hybrid of folk, Indian music, psychedelic rock and cosmic musics, all fused together to form a delicate spacious folk-fusion of great beauty. Their style was characterised by Jenni Schücker, who has a most sensual vocal style ideally suited to such music, all ready to wisp us off to the clouds with the "heads flying by" - to quote the surreal psychedelic lyrics of the opening "Gedanken". With the exception of "Lassie" (a minor low-point, being a traditional folk song) BRÖSELMASCHINE is a delightful album, trippy and otherworldly, stylishly Teutonic cosmic folk, not least so in the addition of Dieter Dierks spooky Mellotron, sitars, zither, tablas, and the like. It all adds up to an ideal companion to Emtidi's SAAT or Hölderlin's TRAUM. The later incarnation made a different type of music, and was less of a proper band and more a vehicle for Bursch's own ego, though Willi Kismer from the original band also carried on through. Peter Bursch had become celebrated, with books published on his guitar techniques and was eager to show the world, though really neither of these later albums amounted to much. Jenni Schücker (vocals, flute, shells), Willi Kismer (vocals, guitars, zither), Lutz Ringer (metallophon, bass), Mike Hellbach (congas, tabla, spoons, Mellotron), Peter Bursch (vocals, acoustic guitar, sitar, flute) BRÖSELMASCHINE (8/71) PETER BURSCH UND BRÖSELMASCHINE (2+7/75) I FEEL FINE (5-7/77) Brühwarm A really eccentric and bizarre political theatre troupe from (we presume) Hamburg. Brühwarm were not a proper band as such, more a quartet of singer/actors, and thus on their LP releases they sought the aid of Ton Steine Scherben as musical backing, who added their aggressive rock style to Brühwarm's strange theatrics. The concoction they came up with certainly owed a debt to Floh De Cologne, though due to the overtly theatrical nature of their albums, lyrically Brühwarm can be very confusing to non-German ears! Ralph, Götz, Donny & Corny (vocals), + Ton Steine Scherben (music) MANNSTOLL ENTARTET featured on: UMSONST UND DRAUSSEN PORTA WESTVLOTHICA 1978 Bullfrog Bullfrog were a rather heavy-handed hard-rock and melodic progressive from the mid-70's, notable for their unusual Rod Stewart like gravel-voiced vocalist Gerd Hoch, but with little in the way of a distinctive style or originality. Really, they sounded British, not at all Krautrock, and only really of interest to hard-rock fans and Sky Records collectors! There was another band could Bullfrog who should not be confused with these. Sebastian Leitner (guitars), Gerd Hoch (vocals), Harald Kaltenecker (keyboards), Vincent Trost (bass), Bruno Perosa (percussion), + Ute Hellermann (choir), Jane Palmer (choir) BULLFROG (5-7/76) HIGH IN SPIRITS (8+10/77) SECOND WIND Michael Bundt Originally, as a bass guitarist, Michael Bundt started his career as the leader of the band Medusa, an obscure early-70's progressive who by a strange chain of events transmuted into the second incarnation of Nine Days Wonder. After leaving Nine Days Wonder, Michael tried on various occasions to get a new band together. One of these was Nerve, but without any success Nerve soon disbanded, and then Michael made a surprising career change into synth music, teaming up with ex-Tritonus keyboardist Peter K. Seiler as the duo Sirius. Eventually this collaboration with Peter Seiler led to the recording of the very varied synthesizer album JUST LANDED COSMIC KID, which ranged from Schulzian cosmic realms onto upbeat styles, onto many other realms too. It also included the Jarre/Baumann styled single originally credited to Sirius. Not content to stay still, his next album NEON was a dodgy diversion into electro-pop, no doubt inspired by the success of Kraftwerk. Then, two years on, it was all-change again with ELECTRI-CITY, this time for an album of highly inventive borderline industrial synthesizer based music. Based on more aggressive use of analogue synths and sequencers, it often veers towards Cluster, Asmus Tietchens or Moebius & Plank, rhythmic and melodic yet also highly unusual. Michael Bundt (synthesizers, string ensemble), + Peter K. Seiler (keyboards), Bernhard Schuh (drums), Carlos Albrecht (drums), Inge Laib (vocals), Paul de la Ware Ranson (vocals) JUST LANDED COSMIC KID NEON (2-3/78) ELECTRI-CITY Can One of the most celebrated and influential of all Krautrock bands, Can dared to bring the avant-garde to the masses and succeeded. Can certainly had the credentials to do so too, with backgrounds in serious avant-garde (studying with Stockhausen) and in jazz. Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt had known each other from their contemporary studies, though it was Holger meeting multi-instrumental talent Michael Karoli that set the formation of the band in motion. Being connected with the arts certainly had its advantages. A matter of days after getting a band together, then named "The Inner Space", they played their first concert at the Schloss Norvenich, near Cologne in June 1968. A tape of some of this was much later released as PREHISTORIC FUTURE, with a wild rock sound comparable to Amon Düül, though much more avant-garde and free-form. David Johnson (an American jazz winds player who had also worked with Stockhausen) was a member of the band at this time, and featured on some of the early Can sessions, he also acted as their engineer for a while. After the addition of black American singer Malcolm Mooney came Can proper, moving to a more straight ahead rock, that many compare to the Velvet Underground. Due to his fascination with electronics (as further evidenced on the Technical Space Composers Crew album) and his ability to handle the recording equipment, Holger Czukay also became the bands recording engineer. Can's debut album MONSTER MOVIE and the later anthology of early recordings DELAY 1968 documented a music with 60's punk energy, pacey rhythms and the manic vocals of Mooney. But, this phase of Can was short-lived, as Malcolm Mooney was forced to leave the band due to ill health. The next lead vocalist to front Can was an unlikely choice, a Japanese busker, one Kenji "Damo" Suzuki. His penchant for vocal experimentation led Can in a very different direction. The transition period was documented by the surprisingly varied and creative SOUNDTRACKS, featuring music to a number of underground films. Next was the greatest of Can albums, the monumental double album TAGO MAGO, which, although starting on safe ground, draws the listener in with a succession of even greater weirdness and invention, not least "Aumgn" with Jaki's manic drums and "Peking O." where Damo lets out some of the most agonising vocal sounds amidst a plethora of electronic and percussive effects. Weird and radical innovation, that still sounds bizarre twenty odd years on! In contrast (in fact in contrast with each other) the other two albums to feature Damo were, on the whole, less extreme: EGE BAMYASI with a collection of mostly shorter accessible songs, though still odd and uniquely Can, unexpectedly breaking-out with the wild avant-garde 10 minute "Soup" on the second side, and FUTURE DAYS which is often quoted as Can's most well-balanced and successful album, with its dreamy cosmic otherworldly atmosphere, understated songs and strong melodic content. This is the era that brought Can international success, with many tours in Britain and the continent. They also recorded sessions for the BBC's "John Peel Show" and "In Concert" programmes. After Damo's departure, the famous four continued to forge on (sometimes with a featured vocalist in concert: Tim Hardin, Thaiaga Raj Raja Ratnam and Magic Michael amongst them) and produced a quite extraordinarily powerful and very percussive album in SOON OVER BABALUMA, with compositions that were to prove to be great concert favourites, a dense and complex music that was earlier hinted at on the great "Halleluwah" and "Mother Sky". Yet, ever surprising, the next Can offering LANDED was as different again, and in many ways marked the end of an era in Can history. Here we can hear songs that hint at Holger Czukay's solo project MOVIES, one of Can's most dazzling rock extravaganza's in "Vernal Equinox", and lastly their most esoteric and brooding opus, the aptly entitled free-form avant-garde "Unfinished". Earlier, an album of unreleased recordings had been issued on UA's budget series as LIMITED EDITION, documenting the most uncommercial and off-beat Can. In 1976, together with a bonus LP's worth of further previously unissued material, it was issued as UNLIMITED EDITION. This would seem to be Can's response to THE FAUST TAPES, containing some of the weirdest Can ever. Admittedly, the later era of Can, borne by the surprise hit single "I Want More" and the overtly schizophrenic FLOWMOTION, still offered some exceptional music, yet only the ethnic fusion spiced SAW DELIGHT really shone, strongly featuring Karoli's fluid guitar lines, Schmidt's synthesizers and keyboards bordering on Schulzian realms, and Czukay's expert use of sound effects. It's easy to see why real schizophrenia stepped in on OUT OF REACH, as Holger had gone, and with the unlikely ex-Traffic Rosko Gee and Reebop Kwaku Baah in the ranks there were many conflicting elements at play. However, by the time of their eponymous 70's finale they'd created a formula that worked, all be it safe and easy going compared to the Can of yore. But still, right through to the late-70's Can proved to be innovators, especially so in concert, as documented on numerous bootlegs, and also the excellent THE PEEL SESSIONS. It's a shame that more of this excellent music isn't officially documented. After this, Can were put on ice for an unspecified period. But, not content to lay the ghost to rest however, a Can reunion was organised in 1986 with Malcolm Mooney. In 1989 it gained release as RITE TIME, a stylish yet emotionless throwback to the early Can era, understandably it was really "the wrong time" and it made little impact. Meanwhile the various Can members are still active on the scene, check elsewhere in this book! Irmin Schmidt (organ), Holger Czukay (bass), Jaki Liebezeit (percussion, flute), Michael Karoli (guitar), Damo Suzuki (vocals), Malcolm Mooney (vocals) Agilok & Blubbo / Kamera Song Kama Sutra (11/68) MONSTER MOVIE (10/68-7/69) SOUNDTRACKS (11/69-8/70) TAGO MAGO (11/70-2/71) Turtles Have Short Legs / Halleluwah (11/70-2/71) Spoon / Shikaku Maru Ten (12/71) EGE BAMYASI (12/71-6/72) FUTURE DAYS (8/73) LIMITED EDITION (9/68-5/74) SOON OVER BABALUMA (6-8/74) LANDED (2-4/75) UNLIMITED EDITION (9/68-7/75) FLOW MOTION (6/76) Silent Night / Cascade Waltz (11/76) SAW DELIGHT (1/77) Don't Say No / Return OUT OF REACH (10-11/77) CAN (12/77-3/78) DELAY 1968 (1968-69) PREHISTORIC FUTURE (6/68) RITE TIME (12/86) Hoolah Hoolah Cannock On the basis of their ROCK OFFERS contribution (the only recording that we've heard), these were a typically Teutonic lightweight but majestic progressive, akin to Rousseau or Jane at their softest, a little Pink Floyd-like, with much use of keyboards to flesh-out the sound. Hans Adolphi (keyboards), Raphaela Ciblis (vocals, percussion), Ralph Ehmann (bass), Holger Hoffmann (drums, congas), Klaus Peter Stiefel (guitar), Dieter Streck (guitar, effects) featured on: ROCK OFFERS WAITING FOR THE NIGHT FROHE BOTSCHAFT Credited to: Cannock Combo Cardeilhac An obscure heavy Swiss progressive blending British 60's styles with the typically Teutonic 70's hard-rock sound, notably inspired by Deep Purple, along with some more progressive touches. Amateurishly produced, and with little in the way of originality, Cardeilhac are good, but really only of minor interest. Rinaldo Häusler (guitars), Denis Angelini (vocals), J-C. Balsinger (bass), André Locher (organ), Gaston Balmer (drums) CARDEILHAC Carol Of Harvest A very English sounding folk-rock band, and largely acoustic, fronted by a talented female vocalist. They had little individual style of their own, recalling the likes of Pentangle or Mellow Candle, with a nice dreamy trippy feel. Beate Krause (vocals), Axel Schmierer (guitars), Jürgen Kolb (keyboards), Robert Högn (drums), Heinz Reinschlüssel (bass) CAROL OF HARVEST (4-5/78) Chameleon A jazz-rock group from the Mannheim region, Chameleon played a richly textured and melodic fusion strongly featuring (ex-Night Sun) Knut Rössler as soloist on a variety of winds. Often akin to later Release Music Orchestra, and with some notable Return To Forever type stylisms, Chameleon chose an apt name considering the wide range of influences and moods their sole album contained. Note that the Berlin Chameleon are a different band entirely. Knut Rössler (tenor/soprano saxes, flute, lyricon), Joachim Essig (pianos, synthesizers, string ensemble), Roland Herbe (basses, piccolo), Ralph Dietze (drums), + Walter Helbig (percussion) CHAMELEON Checkpoint Charlie Checkpoint Charlie (named after the notorious checkpoint in the Berlin Wall) have often been acclaimed as the first truly German rock band. They originated from Karlsruhe, and, as early as 1967, they were performing their own uniquely groundbreaking "Terror Rock" music in German! An extremely radical political rock band, especially so in their early days, Checkpoint Charlie were also innovators along with Floh De Cologne and Ton Steine Scherben of a unique German form of rock, blending all sorts of music into a complex and often aggressive rock music. Their debut was very extreme, and very difficult to come to grips with, yet later albums saw more refinement instrumentally, with complex progressive rock styles (akin to Oktober, Lokomotive Kreuzberg, et al.) making headway against the theatrics, especially so on FRÜHLING DER KRÜPPEL, which featured keyboards strongly, and lengthy instrumental sections venturing on to Grobschnitt realms even. Throughout, even into the 80's, Checkpoint Charlie have proven to be amongst the most uncompromising of Krautrock bands. Unfortunately we have not yet managed to find their more recent (presumably) reformation album GURGLERSINFONIE. Harald Linder (vocals, bass), Uwe von Trotha (vocals), Malte Bremner (guitar), Werner Walten (guitar), Joachim Krebs (organ), Werner Heß (drums) GRÜSS GOTT MIT HELLEM KLÄNG featured on: UMSONST UND DRAUSSEN VLOTHO 1977 FRÜHLING DER KRÜPPEL (2/78) featured on: UMSONST UND DRAUSSEN PORTA WESTVLOTHICA 1978 DIE DURCHSTIGEN (1979) KRAWALL IN SCHWEINESTALL (2/81) FEUER & FLAMME Checkpoint Charlie, + Joachim Krebs, Derek Haufen ECHTES LIVEBLOCKING/GURGLERSINFONIE (6/90) Cherubin These were amongst the most dismissably mainstream of "progressive" rock bands from Munich, typical of the mid-70's I suppose, with a light progressive edge, in the Audience cum Wishbone Ash type of vein. Andy Marx was previously with the similar but more folky styled Tanned Leather. Their debut is only of marginal interest, having some enjoyable moments. We haven't heard the second! Take note of the interesting cast of guests on both of these. Andy Marx (guitars, banjo, sitar, vocals), Bo Born (organ, piano, vocals), Wolf Graf (bass), Pit Trojer (percussion, vocals), Hardy Wilhelm (drums, vocals), OUR SUNRISE SAFETY MATCH Chicken Bones These were an obscure heavy progressive, who almost certainly had their roots in the late-60's, and were definitely inspired by Jimi Hendrix and early British bands, like Back Sabbath, Tractor, et al., but were notably much more free and improvised. Despite the title of their album, Chicken Bones were not at all mundane hard rock, but were highly creative and often moved very close to May Blitz, early UFO or Cargo, but with lots of nice moves and flowery guitar work-outs. Basic, and gutsy admittedly, Chicken Bones were a lot better than the reputation that preceded them, and their album became quite a sought after obscurity. Chicken Bones existed in various forms for around a decade, afterwards ending up as the vastly inferior more metal oriented Revanche, then eventually disbanding in the 80's. Rainer Geuecke (guitars, vocals), Hilmar Szameitat (rhythm guitar), Werner Hofmann (bass), Wolfgang Barak (drums) HARD ROCK IN CONCERT Choice Choice are ex-Epidaurus, in fact they were virtually the same band, though Choice played a much straighter type of rock music, starting progressive akin to Eloy and Epitaph, but becoming rather bland as the album progresses. Of very little interest really. More recently they reformed (and just to confuse things) again as Epidaurus, but this time round with an even blander offering! Günter Henne (keyboards, percussion), Gerd Linke (keyboards, acoustic guitar, drums), Heinz Kunert (bass, pedals, percussion), Ulrich Steinert (guitars), Peter Jureit (drums), Ferdi Kühnel (vocals) JUST A DREAM Circus From Basle, Switzerland, Circus had much success in Europe, with three studio albums and a document of them in concert (which we presume to be a bootleg). Formed in 1972, Circus took time to refine and hone their style, a complex rock with jazz and classical angles, and a rather unique instrumentation. Yes, remarkably, Circus played rock music without any electric guitars or keyboards, instead they used processed bass guitar and wind instruments. Undoubtedly, they were influenced by British progressive rock of the late-60's/early-70's, with references to Jethro Tull, King Crimson and (especially in the instrumentation) Van Der Graaf Generator. Their debut was a promising first step, though it didn't quite reveal their potential, being a mite too lyrical. MOVIN' ON however, has become regarded as their classic, featuring lengthy tracks, with complex arrangements, dynamics, superb instrumentals and unusually crafted songs. Three years on, and with a more conventional instrumentation, the third album FEARLESS, TEARLESS & EVEN LESS took them closer to Genesis realms. Circus, later transmuted into Blue Motion. Marco Cerletti now makes jazz and ethnic fusion, playing the Chapman Stick. Fritz Hauser (drums, vibes, percussion), Marco Cerletti (bass, pedals, 12-string guitar, vocals), Andreas Grieder (flutes, tambourine, alto sax, vocals), Roland Frei (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, tenor sax) CIRCUS MOVIN' ON (5/77) LIVE (26-27/1/78) FEARLESS, TEARLESS & EVEN LESS (3/80) City In their early days these were a very inventive and unique band. Formed by Bulgarian Georgi Gogow, City were quite original for a DDR progressive. Refining their sound for some five years, it took until 1978 to be able to release anything. Their debut (originally untitled) was an interesting blend of hard-rock and folky sounds, notable for the esoteric violin fronted side-long suite "Am Fenster", of which an edited single version became a surprise hit in both East and West Germany! Avoiding the temptation to be controlled by the state or sell-out, the next album contained even more diverse elements, particularly notable is the lengthy "Bulgarian-Rock" which strangely recalls Guru Guru with its complex guitars and unusual rhythmic structures. Later, Georgi left the ranks when the rest of the band wanted to follow a more commercial style, and thus the many subsequent albums (not listed here) lost the originality of his unique compositional style. In essence the later City without Georgi were a different band. Georgi Gogow (bass, violin), Toni Krahl (vocals, 12-string guitar), Klaus Selmke (drums), Fritz Puppel (guitar) AM FENSTER DER TÄTOWIERTE Cluster Formerly as the trio Kluster (see entry elsewhere), after the departure of Conrad Schnitzler, the duo of Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius carried on as Cluster. Actually, much touted as pioneers, Cluster are often quoted as innovators in ambient music, but in reality they were far more wide ranging, and have been important in the shaping all sorts of modern electronic music genres. As the story goes, only armed with an organ, guitar and some electronic gadgets, Cluster approached Conny Plank with the idea to try and do something different. Both their debut and second albums are remarkable feats for featuring such basic instrumentation, and the results are as much down to the technical wizardry of Conny as Moebius and Roedelius' instrumental talents. What they came up with was highly original, devoid of standard musical structures or melody - atonal, floating, oozing and pulsing masses of processed sound - a dark menacing industrial music. After an association with Neu! guitarist Michael Rother as the trio Harmonia, Michael also produced Cluster's next offering ZUCKERZEIT (actually recorded in between the two Harmonia albums), which was a radical departure from the avant-garde Cluster sound, as it featured rhythm machine, melodic synthesizers and guitars, often close to Kraftwerk yet wholly instrumental, with a slightly weirder number sandwiched into each side. The next three albums (all on the Sky label) were much more ambient keyboard based music. First was SOWIESOSO, which was very minimal and hypnotic, aptly fitting the title, which means "always the same". An earlier session of Brian Eno with Harmonia lead to two of these albums being recorded together with him. The first of these, CLUSTER & ENO, was arguably the more successful in its use of rich instrumental textures, though AFTER THE HEAT covered more new ground. Although these latter two are not purely Cluster albums, this was their most commercially successful era. Ever the surprising band, after this Cluster made the very different GROSSES WASSER (produced by Peter Baumann) which found them on more experimental footing again, with one side of shorter varied synthesizer and guitar based pieces (each an island unto itself) and the second side "Grosses Wasser" itself, a lengthy suite growing out of silence with atmospheric Florian Fricke like sustained piano tones, via bizarre crackling electronics onto almost tribal-industrial rock percussives. After this, Cluster split for a while, with Moebius venturing on to other projects, and Roedelius pursuing a solo career. They would still get together for occasional concerts however (the CLUSTER & FARNBAUER cassette is a document of one such gig). Momentarily, Cluster reappeared on the scene again in 1981, with CURIOSUM, which is one of the most unusual and restrained of their output, whist being totally strange throughout. Nowadays this is revered as an ambient classic. Dieter Moebius (organ, guitar, generator), Hans-Joachim Roedelius (organ, cello, generator) CLUSTER (1/71) CLUSTER II (1/72) ZUCKERZEIT (1974) SOWIESOSO (1976) CLUSTER & ENO (6/77) Credited to: Cluster & Eno AFTER THE HEAT Credited to: Eno Moebius Roedelius GROSSES WASSER LIVE IN VIENNA (6/80) Credited to: Cluster & Farnbauer CURIOSUM (5/81) Cobraa For such little output, Cobraa's history in fact goes back a long way! They were formed in 1966 originally as the beat group Q66. By the time of their debut single "Ride A Pony" they had changed name to Cobraa (avoiding confusion with the Dutch band Q65) and they had moved on considerably, with a hard-edged psychedelic style. This single was their finest moment as the album never really delivered, being a mellow lightweight rock with few progressive touches. Freidel Ahrens (organ, synthesizer, piano, harmonica), Wolfgang Hausmann (guitar, vocals), Bernd Kliemt (drums, percussion, vocals), Klaus Sebastian (vocals, guitar), Rolf Sondermann (vocals, bass, flute) Ride A Pony / End Of A Day COBRAA Code III Code III were never a proper band, but were an impromptu group created for an album dedicated to showcasing the amazing sound characteristics of the Kunstkopf Artificial Head Recording System. Principally, Code III were Berlin studio engineer Manfred Schunke and American multi-instrumentalist Ed Key. The music on PLANET OF MAN is a sonic depiction of the history of the Earth, from the void through to man's domination of the planet, and ultimately back to the void. A blend of atmospheric electronics with abstract use of voice and effects, via trippy folk and primeval percussives, onto a space-rock burn-out featuring Klaus Schulze at the drum stool, and returning to weird space music at the end. It all adds up to a remarkable and unique album. In addition to the LP, is the unique track "Walkin' By Train" featured on the KUNSTKOPF DIMENSIONEN sampler, which also has Klaus Schulze on drums, and is an extra piece recorded during the same sessions. Manfred Schunke (instruments, electronic effects, sounds, vocals), Ed Key (vocals, instruments), + Mary Key (vocals), Aparna Chakravarti (vocals, tamboura, harmonium), Klaus Schulze (drums) PLANET OF MAN (3-5/74) featured on: KUNSTKOPF DIMENSIONEN (3-5/74) Contact Trio On the more avant-garde end of jazz-rock, Contact Trio were an unusual combo, drawing on the new forms of jazz as developed by Wolfgang Dauner in the 60's and mixing in a bit of spaciness and ethnic flair, akin to Dzyan, Giger.Lenz.Marron or Eberhard Weber. We have never encountered their debut album DOUBLE FACE, but their Japo label releases were moody and schizophrenic, at the darker end of ECM genres, with a penchant for experimentation. Especially enjoyable is NEW MARKS. The live recording from 1983 presents them as a much more aggressive fusion combo. Evert Brettschneider (guitars), Aloys Kott (bass), Michael Jüllich (drums, tabla, flute, marimba) DOUBLE FACE NEW MARKS (1/78) MUSIK (10/80) featured on: UMSONST UND DRAUSSEN PAPENBURG 1983 Cornucopia Quite an exceptional band, of whom we know little, except that they were discovered by Jochen Petersen. Despite only releasing one album, Cornucopia (a Latin term meaning "Horn of plenty") certainly lived up to their name, as FULL HORN is a wondrous cornucopia of delights, containing a dazzlingly complex rock and fusion, overflowing with invention. Typical of the era, Cornucopia had a big sound, their songs were unpredictable, often outrageous in Zappa-esque manner with dense musical textures comparable to Amon Düül II, close to Nine Days Wonder, Gnidrolog and Grobschnitt, with an instrumental flair recalling Thirsty Moon. From the side-long "Day Of A Daydream Believer" onto the closing "And The Madness" Cornucopia ride from the weird psychedelic, via the absurd, onto raucous rock fusion with an ever-unpredictable surprise with each twist and turn. The very spirit of eccentric Krautrock - a delight! Wolfgang Kause (vocals), Wolfgang Bartl (bass, vocals), Christoph Hardwig (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Wolfgang Gaudes (drums, percussion, 12-string guitar), Kai Henrik Möller (guitars, vocals), Harry Koch (effects, percussion, voice), Rudy Holzhauer (percussion), + Jochen Petersen (saxes, flute, guitar) FULL HORN (9/72+2/73) The Cosmic Jokers The Cosmic Jokers came into being by the whim of Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, out of impromptu studio sessions made at Dieter Dierks studio during spring 1973, featuring musicians from Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein. No such band as The Cosmic Jokers ever existed, and these recordings were never actually intended for release. They were the results of sketches for new ideas, extracts from wild LSD induced jams and the like. Fortunately for fans of Kosmische Musik, music from these sessions gained release by devious means, and the three albums that resulted are quite extraordinary examples of space-rock, fleshing out the Ash Ra Tempel type sound with dense wedges of keyboards and synthesizers. Earlier similar projects often credited to The Cosmic Jokers (in retrospect, but not originally released as such) are Sergius Golowin LORD KRISHNA VON GOLOKA and the Walter Wegmüller opus TAROT. The strangest of the three albums resulting from the spring 1973 sessions is THE COSMIC JOKERS itself. Here we have the freaky "Galactic Joke" on side 1 with its synthesizer overload and feast of wah-wah guitar, sounding like Ash Ra Tempel crossed with early Hawkwind. But, especially strange is the flip-side "Cosmic Joy", which thunders off into the cosmos towards the realms of Amon Düül II's equally stunning drum driven cosmic opus "The Chasmin Soundtrack", as it becomes ever more lost within itself amidst a muddle of effects and phasing. The second album GALACTIC SUPERMARKET (which was not originally released as being by The Cosmic Jokers) has the same band augmented by two ladies: Rosi and Gille, and has a richer, more complex sound, closer to the earlier Wallenstein instrumentals with lots of Mellotron and heavy rocking passages, as well as the further ventures off into weird cosmic space-rock. Here Jürgen Dollase's Mellotron and piano ride alongside Klaus Schulze's synthesizer pyrotechnics, spurred on by Harald Grosskopf's phenomenally precise and intense drumming. In contrast (the above two albums had one track per side) the third instalment of the series PLANETEN SIT-IN amounts to a patchwork of lots of snippets from various sessions, edited and mixed to flow together, resulting in a disjointed, unpredictable yet fascinating album combining everything from twittering and bubbling electronics through to crazed drums and back to the realms of Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein. Though also released on CD as a Cosmic Jokers album, the record SCI-FI PARTY is actually a compilation featuring various Kosmische Musik artists. It does however feature a novel extract of "Galactic Joke" with over-dubbed vocals courtesy of Rolf and Gille. Other related Cosmic Jokers projects include works with Sergius Golowin, Sternenmädchen and Walter Wegmüller. The Cosmic Jokers' project eventually came to a sticky end, when the musicians realised that Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser was ripping them off. Manuel Göttsching has often commented on the experience of hearing these sessions playing in a Berlin record shop, and being shocked when he found out exactly what he was listening to! Reluctantly Klaus Schulze took the initiative and prosecuted Kaiser, and amidst much publicity the musicians eventually got the rights back. The downside of this was that all The Cosmic Jokers' albums were withdrawn from sale, the Ohr/Kosmische Musik labels ceased trading, and Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser disappeared from the scene. Naturally, as good taste prevails, and due to demand, CD's of all The Cosmic Jokers' and related releases are now widely available. Jürgen Dollase (keyboards), Manuel Göttsching (guitar), Dieter Dierks (bass), Klaus Schulze (electronics), Harald Grosskopf (drums) THE COSMIC JOKERS (2-5/73) GALACTIC SUPERMARKET (2-5/73) featured on: SCI-FI PARTY (2-5/73) PLANETEN SIT-IN (2-5/73) Cozmic Corridors A very obscure mid-70's band who made at least one album under the guidance of Toby Robinson. These were unknown until recently rediscovered. They were a mysterious and lazy relaxed band, generally abstract and moody, often with the accent on Terry Riley styled organ, along with synthesizers and guitars. Apart from some female German spoken text, the mood often reminds of some such avant-garde cosmic Italian acts like Pierrot Lunaire or Franco Leprino, though it does also bridge the realms from Cluster through to Emtidi, on a more esoteric level. Alex Meyer (organ, vocals, synthesizer), Peter Förster (guitars, violin), Pauline Fund (vocals, percussion), Hans Jürgen Pütz (cello, percussion) COZMIC CORRIDORS Cravinkel Cravinkel, lead by one Gert Krawinkel, were odd for a German band in the early-70's, as their sound was often closer to Nordic bands of the era like Culpepper's Orchard, blending in country and folk musics into Anglo-American type rock. We've heard their first album, which was deadly dull. Contrary to general trends, their second GARDEN OF LONELINESS, is reputed to be an excellent progressive psychedelic album. Whether this is true, we're yet to find out! CRAVINKEL (8/70) Keep On Running / Mr. Cooley GARDEN OF LONELINESS Creative Rock Formed in late 1969, as The Bourbon Street Paraders, and inspired by the American rock-soul-jazz movement (i.e. Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, et al.) and the likes of Colosseum and Nucleus from Britain, Creative Rock went on to develop a unique repertoire. A couple of years on, and after numerous personnel changes, but still with a nucleus of original members, a demo tape sent to Metronome gained them a contract. Promptly, they changed name to Creative Rock - a misnomer as their music contained much more jazz! Not unlike early Emergency, but with a good deal more invention and a powerful lead singer, their debut GORILLA was barely recognisable as German rock, yet despite this it was still rather good, full of complex brass arrangements and a most energetic rhythm section. LADY PIG followed in a similar, but heavier vein, with a bit more experimentation. The last we know of Creative Rock was that in 1975 they were touring with an adventurous rock ballet production called "Die Creative Rock-Dekadenz-Show". Heiko Steinsiek (drums), Klaus Weber (guitar, percussion), Rainer Erbel (vocals), Günter Schmeide (guitar, bass), Michael Maas (bass, guitar), Benny Stremmel (tenor/alto saxes, flute), Hubertus Kreutner (trumpets, flugelhorn) GORILLA LADY PIG Curt Cress Clan These, in a sense, were Curt Cress' attempt to front his own version of Passport. The idea was partly a success, partly not. The Curt Cress Clan were most notable for Volker Kreigel's guitar work, and lively keyboards from fellow Passport musician Kristian Schultze, all in a sophisticated and varied jazz-rock. On the Curt Cress (drums, percussion), Dave King (bass), Volker Kriegel (guitars), Kristian Schultze (keyboards), Ack van Rooyen (flugelhorn) CURT CRESS CLAN (1975) Crew Blues Session These were one of the earliest of German progressive rock bands (formed in 1966), and were the origins of what was to eventually become Grobschnitt. What they sounded like at the outset, we've no idea, though later they played a kind of acid-space-rock and blues, betwixt early Ash Ra Tempel and The Groundhogs, hinting at the early Grobschnitt sound. Unfortunately, Crew Blues Session never released an album, and their only recorded output (two tracks) is to be found on Eroc's EROC 3 anthology album, along with other historical recordings from related bands Wutpickel and Grobschnitt. Edd Hüber (bass), Gerd-Otto Kühn (guitar), Stefan Danielak (guitar, vocals), Joachim Ehrig (drums, effects), Kasi Klassen (vocals, harmonica) featured on: EROC 3 Cry Freedom These were originally an inventive fusion band, typical of the new lighter progressive fusion sound that was proliferating in Germany circa 1975. In essence, Cry Freedom mixed a wide range of musics into a style akin to Guru Guru of the era (i.e. fusing Latino and ethnic musics with rock, jazz, soul, etc.) on their debut album VOLCANO, which is not bad at all, comparable to the likes of Solution, Wigwam, etc. The later releases however, were gravely disappointing, being rather lame and uninspired, and saw the more commercial elements of the Cry Freedom sound take over, reducing them to a jazz-funk band of little merit. Gerhard Billmann (piano, organ, synthesizer), Dieter Urbassik (alto/tenor/baritone saxes), Rudolf Madsius (guitars, vocals), Klaus Kukla (bass), Klaus Braun (drums, percussion) VOLCANO SUNNY DAY NOBODY'S FOOL Curly Curve Curly Curve originated in Berlin in the late-60's, as an underground psychedelic rock band, and they existed some four years before recording an album. Reputedly Alex Conti was at one time a member, though no recordings with him exist. By the time of their debut LP, their style had mellowed somewhat as a heavy blues rock, obviously inspired by the late-60's British scene (of John Mayall, Steamhammer, Groundhogs, etc.), though they did have a unique style, with some slight progressive touches, and were fronted by a particularly odd gruff blues singer. Although considered collectable nowadays, their album is admittedly one of the less exciting of the Brain catalogue rarities. The FORGOTTEN TAPES features similar music recorded prior to the original album. Martin Knaden (guitar), Hanno Bruhn (vocals, guitar), Kurt Herkenberg (bass, vocals), Chris Axel Klöber (keyboards), Hans Wallbaum (drums) CURLY CURVE (7/73) FORGOTTEN TAPES (1972-73) Holger Czukay Originally, when in his early twenties, circa 1960, Holger Czukay earned the fame of being disqualified from a jazz festival, because the jury couldn't understand his music! Naturally, being a radical and free thinker, fascinated with new possibilities in music, it was logical that he went on to study composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Cologne WDR studios. There he learned studio techniques, composition and other things. But, ever wanting to try out new ideas in music, he found that Stockhausen's academic approach left him unsatisfied, which lead to him exploring new-music himself on other levels. On one hand, Holger got involved as a founder member of Can, and he also worked with the studio engineer Rolf Dammers, under the guise of the Technical Space Composers Crew (who released the album CANAXIS V, see entry elsewhere). Holger was an essential part of the Can sound, being more than just a bassist, and he stayed with them until the mid-70's as both musician and engineer. His editing techniques, use of sound effects, radio, and tape collage, within Can (learnt from those Cologne WDR studio days), constantly added an air of the unexpected to their music. It was inevitable, by the time of Can's LANDED, that Can were changing, and it seems that Holger realised this and decided to formulate his own solo concept. Holger's first solo album took several years to complete. A diligent work combining music with a complex and precisely edited selection of texts from film clips, MOVIES was musically almost like a continuation from the lighter parts of Can's LANDED album, whilst also venturing to new pastures. Much lauded by the alternative music press, even before its completion, it was heralded as a critical success at the time, and has become a much quoted influence on sampling in music. Further works followed after this, amongst them were collaborations with the pioneering new-wave band SYPH, with whom he recreated the classic Can sound combined with the energy of punk, and sessions with Moebius & Plank, Jah Wobble, and also the notoriously outrageous and macabre Les Vampyrettes. All this lead to a much more diverse second solo album, not least so because of the cast of musicians involved. ON THE WAY TO THE PEAK OF NORMAL, also featured unusual use of vocoder and Holger's uniquely odd horn playing, and in essence defined the Holger Czukay sound, eccentric and groundbreaking whilst riding the edge more commercially accessible styles. But, as a result of this move to more song based material, later albums ventured further into pop parody, a little towards The Flying Lizards or The Residents. As with Irmin Schmidt's later solos, these are very much an acquired taste. His collaborations with Jah Wobble (except SNAKE CHARMER where Holger is third in the cast) were much more interesting, in that they broke new ground. And, even more so, Holger again proved his talent as both musician and engineer, on the two very strange experimental ambient albums made with ex-Japan member David Sylvian - these were a big surprise in that they went back to the realms of CANAXIS though on a much more esoteric and modern footing. Holger Czukay (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, radio, bass), MOVIES (1975-79) ON THE WAY TO THE PEAK OF NORMAL (1976-81) How Much Are They? (1981) FULL CIRCLE (1981-82) SNAKE CHARMER DER OSTEN IST ROT (1983-84) ROME REMAINS ROME PLIGHT & PREMONITION (1986-87) FLUX + MUTABILITY (12/88) RADIO WAVE SURFER (1984-87) Da Capo A rarity in German rock, Da Capo were Inspired by the late-60's American West Coast scene, of bands like Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. Da Capo offered a light guitar based bluesy rock, with hints of country and a slightly trippy sound. Not of much interest really, until the second side of their LP, which ventures towards instrumental Quicksilver Messenger Service. Though the album DA CAPO gained the reputation of being a quality collectable rarity in the 80's, the reissue destroyed the myth revealing it as nothing special - at least not to the Krautrock or progressive fan that is! Peter Stanek (guitars, vocals), Peter Treiber (guitars, vocals), Peter Weisner (bass, vocals), Alfred Urban (drums) DA CAPO Wolfgang Dauner Despite general international apathy, Wolfgang Dauner should have been acclaimed as the most innovative force behind modern jazz and jazz-rock in Germany, in parallel to the pioneering work of Miles Davis in America. But no, Wolfgang Dauner never ever got the credit that he was due. Born way back in 1935 in Stuttgart, Wolfgang Dauner became an accomplished music student at an early age, he chose piano initially as his favoured instrument, although he was trained as a trumpeter. Working in various jazz bands during the early-60's Dauner could almost be considered a veteran of the scene before he formed his own band. His early pre-rock albums were certainly inspired by the likes of Bill Evans, Steve Lacy, Sun Ra, et al., being experimental modern jazz. Such albums from 1967 or earlier should only be approached by real jazz fans. The album FREE ACTION is really a bit early, and is listed in the discography mainly for historical interest. By 1969, however, the psychedelic era had created new possibilities! Dauner had some of the finest young jazz musicians at his aid, and instead of doing the clichéd jazz everyone else was doing at the time, they decided to break every rule they could. They were doing to jazz what Faust would in turn do to rock a few years later! The results were the outrageous album FÜR which was not really jazz at all, but a variety of experiments aimed at breaking boundaries, revolutionary just for the sake of it. The cover notes explain how they had ideas for making the record even more novel, i.e. a record that played from the centre outwards, or one that destroyed itself whilst being played! Of course, they decided that musical invention was much more important than novelties. Ever unpredictable, THE OIMELS presented Dauner and co. in a very different light, as a psychedelic pop band! Full of surprises, it even included a version of The Beatles' "A Day In The Life" alongside weird jazz, ethnic music, twisted pop and beat music. Another surprise from this era was the cool jazz fusion of RISCHKA'S SOUL (not released until 1972) on which Wolfgang also plays flute, and in sharp contrast is the very electronic sounding and avant-garde fusion of OUTPUT, which is amongst the most underground of early-70's jazz-fusion albums, and ashamedly the most ignored classic on the ECM label. All these albums proved what an innovator he was. Dauner's most exciting concept however, was the band Et Cetera (check elsewhere in this book) who were intentionally marketed as a new Krautrock band. In parallel to Et Cetera Wolfgang continued as a soloist and in sessions with other musicians. His later output has mellowed somewhat, though he's still an important figure on the German jazz and new-music scenes. Inevitably Dauner's stable group of helpers all went on to other projects, Eberhard Weber especially becoming famous, whilst others moved on to bands like Embryo, Exmagma, etc. Later, after Mood Records was established, Wolfgang recorded CHANGES alone, a fully fledged jazz-fusion album played entirely on keyboards that sounded more like a full group. He's also worked in the folk-jazz trio KID (with Kolbe & Illenberger), been active as a session musician and producer, and also established the mammoth international fusion outfit The United Jazz+Rock Ensemble. It's a shame though that not since the disbandment of Et Cetera has any classic Dauner made it on to record. Inevitably, the daring spirit of the early-70's was lost and Wolfgang went on to play it safe. Wolfgang Dauner (piano, vocals, percussion, organ, piano, melodica), Jürgen Karg (bass, vocals, tapes), Eberhard Weber (cello, vocals, bass), Fred Braceful (drums, percussion, vocals) FREE ACTION (2/5/67) FÜR (6/69) THE OIMELS MUSIK ZOUNDS (5/70) OUTPUT (15/9-1/10/70) RISCHKA'S SOUL (1969) KUNSTKOPFINDIANER (1/74) CHANGES (3-9/78) Deaf An obscure Swiss combo, Deaf were formed by ex-members of Shiver: Dany Rühle and Jelly M. Pastorini in late 1969, stepping on from Shiver, moving to heavy progressive rock. Unfortunately, Deaf recorded sessions for an album but never got to release anything. Taking blues and psychedelic elements, they had a very loose jamming style when live. Their only surviving studio recording, based on Ravel's "Bolero", is a fine example of classical rock that blends Teutonic and Italian styles. Later, Mark Storace (the singer with Tea and Krokus) passed through the band. After the band split, Güge Jürg Meier went on to Island. Dany Rühle (guitars, vocals), Bert Buchmann (bass), Jack R. Conrad (flute, vocals), Jelly M. Pastorini (organ, piano), Güge Jürg Meier (drums, percussion) ALPHA (1970-72) Franz de Byl & Heiner Hohnhaus Franz de Byl and Heiner Hohnhaus, existed as an eccentric folk, theatre and political duo, akin to Floh De Cologne's song style, yet much more basic. Their album is not of much interest, unless you have a good understanding of German. And, even then, maybe it's not that interesting! Franz de Byl has also worked as a soloist. FRANZ DE BYL & HEINER HOHNHAUS Demon Thor An international Munich based band fronted by Tommy Fortman, Demon Thor produced a rather mainstream rock on the whole, very Anglo-American, and uninspired. They did become adventurous though, on the long title track on WRITTEN IN THE SKY, mainly due to being aided by a number of notorious Krautrock musicians, for an apocalyptic rock opera suite. Only of minor interest. Tommy Fortman (vocals, piano, zither), Stephen Nuesch (organ, spinet, piano, Mellotron, synthesizer), Claude Thoman (drums, percussion), Ricardo Aebi (bass), Karl Gsteiger (trombones), Madeline Bach (vocals, acoustic guitar), Corrine Fortman (vocals), Liselotte Frey (violin, vocals) ANNO 1972 WRITTEN IN THE SKY Dennis An enigma of Krautrock, Dennis existed on the Hamburg scene for some 30 months as a collection of musicians from Tomorrow's Gift, Thirsty Moon, Kravetz and Xhol. In charge was Frumpy drummer Carsten Bohn. It seems that Dennis were never a proper band, and thus their LP was a collection of jams and impromptu encounters, remixed and compiled at a later date. All the musicians in Dennis were also involved in various other bands at the time. Carsten Bohn and Hans Pape both worked on the Uli Trepte "Inbetween" Date: 2015-12-18; view: 1524
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