Hi everybody, Im back! Got some great obscure Krautrock this week, and a Hendrix boot. And a couple real nice contributions. Everybody download everything!

Amon Düül II - Yeti (1970)

"Yeti" was Amon Düül II's second album and is among their best. This is Krautrock in all it's immense, epic, primal, psychedelic glory. Originally released as two LP's, this features side-long suites and long improvisations marked by a dense, thick sound with inventive instrumental interplay, massive guitar riffs, herculean bass lines and smoldering vocals, male and female. At first listen some of the long improvisations at the end may seem a little too long, but they grow on you.

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Krokodil - Solo Düde Dürst (1971)

This isn't really a Krokodil album, I guess the label used the name as a selling point. What it is, is a little-known solo project by Krokodil's drummer, Düde Dürst, joined by Krokodil's bass player and others. It's a remarkable drum-based opus, embellished by a wide variety of other instruments, with rock and fusion elements, featuring just two lengthy LP side-long instrumental suites. Highly creative and unique, I like this a lot.

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Brave New World - Impressions On Reading Aldous Huxley (1972)

This little-known gem of Krautrock is a one-shot deal by a group of musicians from Hamburg. Not all of them were German, there is one guy named O'Brien. Largely instrumental, the music has an other-worldly feel to it, and after a couple of atmospheric pieces it really picks up steam. Highlight is the 19 minute
"The End", which is dramatic and ambitious, with some of the coolest chord sequences ever. The piece combines so many aspects - drone jamming, male choirs, saxophone solos, tripped-out effects - that every listen is a new experience. An essential album for the krautrock fan. As it says in the liner notes, "Dig that over-amplified stylophone"!

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Between - And The Waters Opened (1973)

An unusual and unique group, the German group Between was the brainchild of musical theorist and experimentalist Peter Michael Hamel. As such, Between drew together a wide range of international musicians into a musical and cultural melting pot. And The Waters Opened with its atmospheric dronings is probably Between's most innovative and fascinating, it's an album that oozes beauty and mystery. Haunting and evocative, it's almost chilling!

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Dzyan - Time Machine (1973)

Time Machine marked a change in approach for German band Dzyan. For this album they performed as a three-piece with only one member remaining from the original band: bassist Reinhard Karwatky. Together with Eddy Marron on guitar and Peter Giger on drums, Dzyan recorded Time Machine at Dieter Dierks' studio. Kicking off this album is the track 'Kabisrain' which is part fusion, part ethnic weirdness, all freak out! The closest comparison that can be given would be if Limbus 4 played fusion jazz. 'Light Shining Out Of Darkness', featuring some amazing guitar work from Marron, stands out as a cross between Agitation Free and Popol Vuh. Certain elements from this album might not appeal to all Krautrock fans, but some comparisons can be drawn to Embryo and King Crimson. Whether you like the album or not, you will have to admit that both Karwatky and Marron knew how abuse their instruments. Simply put, these guys can jam! (review from krautrockgroup.com).

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Code III - Planet Of Man (1974)

Produced by Klaus Schultze who also guests on drums on one cut, this is an obscure album of experimental music with a real ambitious concept - the history of the cosmos, from it's creation to humanity's ultimate destruction (ooh!). Electronic and cosmic with some acoustic folkiness thrown in, sounding somewhat similar to Sand's 'Golem', bits of Klaus Schultze's 'Black Dance' , and part of the first track sounds a little Pink Floyd-ish. Probably not for everybody, but worth checking out.

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Liliental - Lilental - (1978)

Liliental was a side project of Dieter Moebius of Cluster. The band includes two members of the German jazz rock band Kraan. The musical engineer Conny Plank who participated in the publication of many of Cluster’s albums helps the band for guitar, synth, and manipulated voices parts. The tracks range from “ambient” synth experimentations fusing to rock, jazz, “exotic” elements. Liliental is more varied and colourful than most of Cluster’s albums from its ambient era. Although some parts do seem a little tedious and some parts a little too weird, this album does guide the listener into an artful, pleasant, enthusiastic musical world.

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Jimi Hendrix - Message From Nine To The Universe Vol. 2

This is the second volume of the Hendrix that I posted a couple weeks ago, and it has six tracks, three long jams and three shorter pieces. The highlight on this one is a 30 minute long jam with John McGlaughlin called, oddly enough, 'McGlaughlin Jam'!

Part 1 Part 2

"Hasse" contributed these two albums from Catapilla: This English group played a jazz-influenced kind of progressive rock with focus on long and jam-oriented tracks. Good stuff.

Catapilla - Catapilla (1971)













Part 1 Part 2

Catapilla - Changes (1972)













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That's it for this week - thanks to Hasse and everyone who has e-mailed me and used the comments section, I appreciate the positive input! Later.