Deaf - Alpha (1970-1972)

"The Swiss import LP reissue of Alpha brings one of the most interesting, obscure German progressive albums of the early '70s back into print, with all its excitement and intrigue intact. Side one, recorded live between 1970 and 1972, offers some of the wickedest, most chaotic Krautrock moments ever, aside from the one rather conventional (and, by comparison to the rest of the music, rather blasé) blues-based rock number. "No Time" is built out of hypnotic, tribal Can-like beats and free jazz freakouts, while the highly melodic prog keyboards keep the song moving forward. The vocals on "The Galactic Pack of Fönds Kari" are virtually indecipherable (not unlike Damo Suzuki's with Can), but the song speaks volumes on its own, with jump cuts between pop melodic moments and a section stripped to minimalistic Middle Eastern flair. The mammoth title track that takes up the whole second side of the LP (appropriately labeled "The Psychedelic Journey") is where the band turns especially ambitious. At an astounding 22 and a half minutes, the track does its inspiration -- Ravel's Bolero -- proud. It is psychedelic in the true sense of the word, conjuring up an imminently strange wind. The jam sets and maintains an acid-inoculated tone that meanders through demonic medieval chants, exotic Arabic rhythms, strains of organ exorcised from a dark Christian fugue, harnessed feedback, Renaissance orchestration, some progressive Brit-folk strumming, spacy sound effects, and accelerated circus music. Although it does occasionally drift out of focus and is virtually without melody or motif, the song is surprisingly deliberate. By creating a wealth of space, it even provides a sort of disorienting, long-form narrative that a lot of music passing for psychedelia never manages. Since Alpha was only pressed in a limited run the first time around, even most devotees of Krautrock have probably never heard this music. Needless to say, if you can find the 1994 Black Rills reprint, it's well worth it." (Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide)

A few years back I was lucky enough to get a mint copy of the 1994 LP issue from Black Rills Records, and last year I had it professionally transferred to CDR. Aside from one small private forum this is the first time that a quality lossless version has ever appeared on the internet - this is a special gift to my visitors, some of whom have followed this blog for almost five years! I'd still like to keep this kind of rare so I'll delete this post in one week.

1. No Time
2. Run You Off The Hill
3. The Galactic Pack Of Fönds Kari
4. Alpha

Dany Rühle - Guitars, Vocals
Bert Buchmann - Bass
Jack R. Conrad - Flute, Vocals
Jelly M. Pastorini - Organ, Vocals
Güge Jürg Meier - Drums, Percussion

EAC-Separate FLACs-Log-Cue-Covers (Photos) 270MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Bye!