Looking to get into Krautrock. What are some essential albums?
Looking to get into Krautrock. What are some essential albums?
Ege Bamyasi
Future Days
Faust
Cluster
first 3 Neu! albums
Amon Duul - Yeti, Wolf City, Phallus Dei
Can's discography up through Babaluma
Faust but listen to Faust IV before s/t
Can:
Future Days
Tago Mago
Ege Bamyasi
Faust:
Faust
Faust IV
Amon Düül II:
Yeti
Tanz Der Lemminge
Neu!:
Neu!
Neu! '75
Popol Vuh:
In Den Garten Pharaohs
Hoisanna Mantra
Kraftwerk:
Kraftwerk 1
Autobahn
Ash Ra Tempel - s/t
Guru Guru - Hinten
Harmonia - Musik Von Harmonia
Tangerine Dream - Zeit
Xhol Caravan - Altena 1969
This is a good list to begin with - I'd add Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation though
What's the appeal of Krautrock? I love prog rock but don't get it.
Krautrock is usually either more erudite or laidback than non-German prog and people who are into it tend to prefer one (or both) of those things.
I like the repetitiveness
Krautrock is an umbrella term for all experimental rock that was made in Germany during the late 60's/early 70's. As such there aren't really any musical stylistics that are inherent to krautrock, except for maybe the apache beat. Other than that each band is wildly different and should be approached as such.
The appeal is this immense drive for experimentation and sounding different from all existing contemporary music, which was largely fuelled by a desire to leave the stereotypes of post-war germans behind them. These were musicians that grew up just after the world war II had finished and their whole life had been confronted with the fact that their country used to be nazi Germany. With this stream of new experimental music they tried to get as far away from this idea people had of Germany by no playing any of the popular musics there, such as schlager, but going out of their way to make crazy shit.
Krautrock should really be judged on a band by band basis, because no two krautrock bands sound even vaguely alike. As i said, the only clear similarity is the use of the apache beat, or motorik, which Neu!, Can and Faust all loved.
...
thx
Thanks a lot. But what's the apache beat? That 4/4 dut dut tat dut thing?
Ya
Here's the most famous example, Hallogallo:
youtube.com
Then there's Can's Moonshake:
youtube.com
or Can's Mother Sky
youtube.com
Even if the more complex beats they played you can hear the motorik back:
youtube.com
Thanks a lot. I listened most of them before but I'll check them again. It feels like I almost get what's the point.
Start with these:
Neu - Neu! 75
Can - Future Days
Other classics:
Neu! - Neu!
Can - Ege Bamyasi
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Faust - Faust
Tangerine Dream - Zeit
I think it really helps to listen to it knowing the reason they made it. They weren't just making weird as shit by throwing cement mixers around just to be edgy, there really was a conscious effort to get away from the post-war Germany that left the country in shambles.
This is the best list. Makes me sad how often Neu! and Ash Ra are excluded here.
Solid starting list.
Add cluster -zuckerzeit
Are there any krautrock songs/albums that are as repetitive as some songs on the last three Swans albums?
Anyone know of any East German krautrock bands?
East Germany was completely cut off from West Germany, so krautrock was very much a West German thing. Any music from East Germany would be something different.
I have soviet post punk in my collection, anything is possible user
it's like funk for white people
I like the experimental percurssion of CAN and I'm also a fan of the jazzy oriented ones, especially in Sunbirds and Niagara SUB, there's something deliciously quirky about the combination of the kraut school of rock and soft daydreaming sax
Talking about krautrock things, Legend prays that listening to Cottonwoodhill every day can melt your brain. Not sure whether that's true or not but I certainly wouldn't doubt it
italian prog is nice too
I like the experimental percurssion of CAN, they also had some funky and dub thing going on in the middle and that's awesome. And they did use real environment samples (like the windy beach and sea waves) for Future Days as well right? Just amazing.
and I'm particularly leaning towards the jazzy oriented ones even though I don't like jazz very much, but the genre fusion works extremely well especially in Sunbirds and Niagara SUB, there's something deliciously quirky about the combination of the kraut school of rock and soft daydreaming sax
Talking about krautrock things, Legend prays that listening to Cottonwoodhill every day can melt your brain. Not sure whether that's true or not but I certainly wouldn't doubt it
italian prog is nice too
>italian prog
Any recommendations?
Area - Arbeit Macht Frei + Crac
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - S/T + Darwin + Io Sono Nato Libero
Premiata Forneria Marconi - Storia di un Minuto + Per un Amico
Picchio dal Pozzo - S/T
Alan Sorrenti - Aria + Come un Vecchio Incensiere
Franco Battiato - Sulle Corde di Aries
Il Balletto di Bronzo - Ys
Stormy Six - Un Biglietto del Tram + L'apprendista
Biglietto per l'Inferno - S/T
Arti & Mestieri - Tilt
Opus Avantra - S/T
Lucio Battisti - Anima Latina
Share bitte.
Speaking of sea waves, this album has incredibly realistic soundscapes. Even tickles the ears a bit which is awesome
fug
I've been a krautrock fan for a long time, but I didn't know about this guy. It sounds very interesting. Thanks for the tip!
kraut is not prog and anybody who says it is is stupid
the only krautrock you've listened to is can
mega.nz
don't tell gorbachev
Danke schön komraad.
It's not prog, but it's kinda related to prog (and psychedelic rock, and jazz, and electronic music...).
Furthermore, some kraut bands of the era were more progressive than others.