For the final album of 1975 we return to Germany, specifically Düsseldorf, with two former members of Kraftwerk, Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, mixed by Konrad “Conny” Plank.
It is, as you’d expect, the kosmiches rock “krautrock”
style – more like Can in that it features real rather than electronic
instruments, a mix of ambient sounds and pulsing, driving beats. The nature of
their tunes reminded me of Public Service Broadcasting (minus the samples) -
who have lately teamed up with Norwegian-born but Berlin based singer EERA,
also somewhat of Stereolab.
It’s always hard on these kinds of albums to pick out a
specific track. Side One of the album is Rother’s baby, altogether more ambient
and gentle, especially the almost vanishingly delicate Seeland. Side Two is Dinger’s, and
is a harder-edged sound. The tracks Hero and After Eight sound like if John
Lydon took a turn singing for Hawkwind – growling punk vocals over the top of a
relentless 4/4 beat, and I loved it. Of the various krautrock albums so far,
this one has been my favourite, although Can are pretty close; the use of real
instruments does make a difference to the sound.
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