Category Archives: Krautrock

Goodbye 2024

avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, improvisation, jazz, Krautrock, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music, vocal, ,
Damo Suzuki

Once again the music world has lost another long list of people. From Damo Suzuki to Françoise Hardy to Dickie Betts to Quincy Jones. Luckily, many led very long and productive lives and gave us a large legacy to look back upon.

Steve Albini (American musician for Big Black, and recording engineer for In Utero)
Dave Allison (Canadian guitarist and singer for Anvil)
Ian Amey (English musician and singer for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich)
Alfa Anderson (American singer for Chic)
John Barbata (American rock drummer for The Turtles, Jefferson Airplane)
Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Jamaican musician for Bob Marley and the Wailers)
Jim Beard (American keyboardist for Steely Dan)
Ernest Berger (Czechoslovak-born British drummer for Heatwave)
Dickey Betts (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Frankie Beverly (American singer for Maze
John Blunt (British drummer for The Searchers)
Angela Bofill (American singer-songwriter)
Vincent Bonham (American singer for Raydio)
Mike Brewer (American musician for Brewer & Shipley)
Dean Brown (American jazz guitarist)
Jon Card (German-born Canadian drummer for SNFU)
Eric Carmen (American singer, songwriter, and musician for Raspberries)
Buzz Cason (American singer and songwriter)
Joe Chambers (American singer for The Chambers Brothers)
James Chance (American musician for James Chance and the Contortions)
Tony Clarkin (English guitarist and songwriter for Magnum)
Charlie Colin (American bassist and guitarist for Train)
Pat Collier (English musician for The Vibrators)
Eleanor Collins (Canadian jazz singer, television host and civic leader)
Gerry Conway (English drummer and percussionist)
Michael Cuscuna (American jazz record producer and music journalist for DownBeat, co-founder of Mosaic Records)
Daddae (English musician for Soul II Soul)
Palle Danielsson (Swedish jazz double bassist)
James Darren (American singer)
Sir Andrew Davis (English conductor for BBC Symphony Orchestra)
Rohan de Saram (British-born Sri Lankan cellist for Arditti Quartet)
Paul Di’Anno (English heavy metal singer for Iron Maiden)
Lou Donaldson (American jazz saxophonist)
Slim Dunlap (American guitarist for The Replacements)
Duane Eddy (American guitarist)
Joe Egan (Scottish songwriter singer for Stealers Wheel)
Ben Eldridge (American five-string banjo player for The Seldom Scene)
Péter Eötvös (Hungarian composer, conductor and teacher)
Duke Fakir (American singer for Four Tops)
Henry Fambrough (American singer for The Spinners)
Frank Farian (German singer, songwriter and record producer for Milli Vanilli)
Herbie Flowers (English musician for Blue Mink)
Tom Fowler (American bass guitarist and musician for Frank Zappa)
Artt Frank (American jazz drummer and biographer for Chet Baker)
Kinky Friedman (American musician, writer, and politician)
Agnes Buen Garnås (Norwegian singer)
Cynthia Garrison (American singer for The Three Degrees)
Paul Gilmartin (British drummer for The Danse Society)
Benny Golson (American jazz saxophonist and composer)
Gabriel Gonzalez (American musician for No Doubt)
Nick Gravenites (American blues musician for The Electric Flag)
Robin Guy (British drummer for Sham 69)
Guylaine Guy (Canadian singer and painter)
Françoise Hardy (French singer-songwriter and actress)
Steve Harley (English songwriter, producer, and musician for Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel)
Alex Hassilev (American musician for The Limeliters)
Jimmy Hastings (British musician for Caravan)
Michel Hausser (French jazz vibraphonist)
John Hawken (English keyboard player for The Nashville Teens, Strawbs)
Roy Haynes (American jazz drummer)
Gaps Hendrickson (British musician and vocalist for The Selecter)
Fritz Hinz (Canadian drummer for Helix)
Malcolm Holcombe (American singer-songwriter)
Bill Holman (American jazz composer and saxophonist)
Cissy Houston (American singer for The Sweet Inspirations)
Frank Ifield (Australian singer)
Doug Ingle (American musician for Iron Butterfly)
Reuben Jackson (American poet and jazz historian)
Tito Jackson (American musician for The Jackson 5)
Jimmy James (Jamaican-British singer)
Laurie Johnson (English composer and bandleader)
Jack Jones (American singer)
Quincy Jones (American record producer and composer)
Chris Karrer (German guitarist and composer for Amon Düül II)
Toby Keith (American country singer)
Conrad Kelly (Jamaican-born British drummer for Steel Pulse)
Rashid Khan (Indian Hindustani classical musician)
Greg Kihn (American musician for The Greg Kihn Band)
Steve Kille (American musician for Dead Meadow)
John Koerner (American songwriter and guitarist for Koerner, Ray & Glover)
James Kottak (American drummer for Scorpions)
Wayne Kramer (American songwriter and guitarist for MC5)
Kris Kristofferson (American actor and musician for The Highwaymen)
Neil Kulkarni (British music journalist for Melody Maker)
Linda LaFlamme (American singer)
Alcides Lanza (Argentine-born Canadian composer)
Ben Lanzarone (American composer for The Love Boat)
Teddy Lasry (French sax player for MAGMA)
Steve Lawrence (American actor and singer for Steve & Eydie)
Keith LeBlanc (American drummer for Little Axe)
Martin Lee (English singer for Brotherhood of Man)
Phil Lesh (American Hall of Fame musician for Grateful Dead)
Steve Lewinson (British bass guitarist for Simply Red)
David Libert (American music executive, musician for The Happenings)
Dave Loggins (American singer and songwriter)
John Lowe (English pianist for The Quarrymen)
Russell Malone (American jazz guitarist)
Richard Macphail (English musician for Anon)
Ed Mann (American drummer and keyboardist for Frank Zappa)
Brother Marquis (American rapper for 2 Live Crew)
Shaun Martin (American record producer and musician for Snarky Puppy)
John Mayall (English songwriter and musician for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Albert Mayr (Italian composer of experimental and contemporary music)
Melanie (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Sérgio Mendes (Brazilian bossa nova musician)
Jerry Miller (American musician for Moby Grape)
Zoot Money (English singer and keyboardist for The Animals)
Roli Mosimann (Swiss-born American musician for Swans)
Johnny Neel (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Phill Niblock (American composer, filmmaker and videographer)
Annie Nightingale (English radio and television broadcaster for Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC Radio 1)
Phil Nimmons (Canadian jazz clarinetist)
Mojo Nixon (American musician and actor)
Rocket Norton (Canadian drummer for Prism)
Seiji Ozawa (Japanese conductor for Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Larry Page (English pop singer and record producer)
Roger Palm (Swedish drummer for ABBA)
Del Palmer (English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and sound engineer)
Liam Payne (English singer for One Direction)
Colin Petersen (Australian drummer for Bee Gees)
Barre Phillips (American jazz bassist)
Mike Pinera (American guitarist for Blues Image)
Mike Pinder (English musician for The Moody Blues)
John Pisano (American jazz guitarist)
Maurizio Pollini (Italian pianist)
Sandy Posey (American singer)
Catherine Ribeiro (French singer for Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes)
Wolfgang Rihm (German composer)
Lucy Rimmer (British vocalist for The Fall)
Gerry Robinson (British musician for The Purple Gang)
Chita Rivera (American actress and singer)
Chan Romero (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Dexter Romweber (American musician for Flat Duo Jets)
Jack Russell (American singer and songwriter for Great White)
Freddie Salem (American guitarist for Outlaws)
David Sanborn (American alto saxophonist and television host for Night Music)
Dennis Schiavon (British musician for The Rezillos)
Peter Schickele (American composer and musical satirist for P. D. Q. Bach)
B. B. Seaton (Jamaican songwriter, record producer and singer for The Gaylads)
Leif Segerstam (Finnish conductor for Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Marlena Shaw (American singer)
Screamin’ Scott Simon (American pianist and singer for Sha Na Na)
Peter Sinfield (English lyricist, record producer, and musician for King Crimson)
Nell Smith (Canadian singer for The Flaming Lips)
Jo-El Sonnier (American singer-songwriter and accordionist)
David Soul (American-British actor and singer)
JD Souther (American singer-songwriter)
Mark Spiro (American songwriter and record producer)
T. M. Stevens (American bass guitarist for The Pretenders)
Roni Stoneman (American bluegrass banjo player for Hee Haw)
Damo Suzuki (Japanese songwriter and singer for Can)
Shel Talmy (American record producer)
Richard Tandy (English musician for Electric Light Orchestra)
Pooch Tavares (American singer for Tavares)
Bobby Tench (British musician for The Jeff Beck Group)
Dennis Thompson (American Hall of Fame drummer MC5)
Johnny Thunder (American singer)
Libby Titus (American singer-songwriter)
Ken Tobias (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Happy Traum (American folk singer
Andrew Turner (British broadcaster for BBC Radio 1)
Mick Underwood (English drummer for Quatermass)
Jimmy Van Eaton (American rock drummer, singer and record producer)
Karl Wallinger (Welsh songwriter and musician for World Party)
Max Werner (Dutch singer and drummer for Kayak)
Gavin Webb (Australian rock bassist for The Masters Apprentices)
Mary Weiss (American singer for The Shangri-Las)
Harry Williams (American singer for Bloodstone)
Russ Wilson (Canadian bass guitarist for Junkhouse)
Steve Wright (English disc jockey for BBC Radio 1 and television presenter for Top of the Pops)
Marian Zazeela (American visual and musical artist)


Françoise Hardy

Goodbye 2022

avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, Gone Gone Gone, improvisation, jazz, Krautrock, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music
Klaus Schulze

Once again, many big names have left us. From Christine McVie to Angelo Badalamenti. As a fan of electronic music coming out of Germany since the 1970s, the deaths of both Klaus Schulze and Manuel Göttsching hit particularly hard. Also the deaths of Indian musicians Shivkumar Sharma and Lata Mangaeshkar.

The following list is just a small representation of some of the people that we have lost over the past year.

Jerry Allison (drummer for The Crickets)
Bruce Anderson (American guitarist for MX-80)
Jon Appleton (American composer and educator)
Angelo Badalamenti (American film and television composer for Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet)
Chris Bailey (Kenyan-born Australian musician and songwriter for The Saints)
John Beckwith (Canadian composer, writer and pianist)
Thom Bell (Jamaican-born American songwriter, arranger and record producer)
Sir Harrison Birtwistle (English composert)
Jet Black (English drummer for The Stranglers)
Gary Brooker (English singer-songwriter and pianist for Procol Harum)
Boris Brott (Canadian conductor)
Mira Calix (South African-born British visual artist and musician)
Irene Cara (American singer and actress)
Aaron Carter (American singer)
Steve Broughton (British rock musician for Edgar Broughton Band)
Manny Charlton (Scottish rock guitarist for Nazareth)
Coolio (American rapper)
Julee Cruise (American singer, musician and actress)
George Crumb (American composer)
Betty Davis (American funk and soul singer)
Jerry Doucette (Canadian musician)
Norman Dolph (American songwriter and record producer)
Lamont Dozier (American Hall of Fame songwriter, record producer and singer)
Martin Duffy (English keyboardist for Primal Scream)
Judith Durham (Australian singer for The Seekers)
Shirley Eikhard (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Ralph Emery (American disc jockey and television host)
Anton Fier (American composer, producer, and drummer for The Feelies, The Golden Palominos)
Andy Fletcher (English Hall of Fame keyboardist for Depeche Mode)
Ricky Gardiner (Scottish composer and guitarist Beggars Opera)
Mickey Gilley (American country singer)
Robert Gordon (American rockabilly singer)
Manuel Göttsching (German musician for Ash Ra Tempel)
Guitar Shorty (American blues musician)
Terry Hall (English singer for The Specials)
Ronnie Hawkins (American-Canadian rock and roll singer-songwriter)
Taylor Hawkins (American musician for Foo Fighters)
Paavo Heininen (Finnish composer and pianist)
Judy Henske (American folk singer)
Jeff Howell (American rock bassist for Foghat)
Toshi Ichiyanagi (Japanese composer and pianist)
Susan Jacks (Canadian singer-songwriter for The Poppy Family)
Philip Jeck (English composer)
James Johnson (American blues guitarist for Slim Harpo)
Jimmy Johnson (American blues guitarist and singer)
Wilko Johnson (English guitarist for Dr. Feelgood)
Syl Johnson (American blues singer)
Naomi Judd (American country singer for The Judds)
Danny Kalb (American blues guitarist for The Blues Project)
William Kraft (American composer and conductor)
Mark Lanegan (American singer-songwriter and musician for Screaming Trees)
Michael Lang (American concert producer, co-creator of Woodstock)
Keith Levene (English guitarist for Public Image Ltd., The Clash)
Gord Lewis (Canadian guitarist for Teenage Head)
Jerry Lee Lewis (American Hall of Fame singer and pianist)
Ramsey Lewis (American jazz pianist, composer)
Radu Lupu (Romanian pianist)
Loretta Lynn (country singer-songwriter)
Lata Mangeshkar (Indian playback singer and composer)
Ingram Marshall (American composer)
Dan McCafferty (Scottish songwriter and singer for Nazareth)
C. W. McCall (American country singer)
Ian McDonald (English musician for King Crimson)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack)
Meat Loaf (American singer)
Charnett Moffett (American jazz bassist)
Grachan Moncur III (American jazz trombonist)
Massimo Morante (Italian guitarist for Goblin)
James Mtume (American percussionist for Mtume)
Rachel Nagy (American singer for The Detroit Cobras)
Sandy Nelson (American drummer)
Olivia Newton-John (British-Australian singer)
Nichelle Nichols (American actress on Star Trek and singer)
Mo Ostin (American record executive for Warner Bros. Records)
Mimi Parker (American singer and drummer for Low)
Ric Parnell (English drummer for Spinal Tap)
Kelly Joe Phelps (American blues musician)
Paul Plimley (Canadian free jazz pianist and vibraphonist)
Ned Rorem (American composer)
Badal Roy (American tabla player, percussionist and recording artist)
Bobby Rydell (American singer and actor)
Paul Ryder (English bassist for Happy Mondays)
Pharoah Sanders (American jazz saxophonist)
Klaus Schulze (German electronic musician and composer for Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel)
Jim Schwall (American blues musician for Siegel–Schwall Band)
Alexander Scriabin (Russian musicologist and composer)
Jim Seals (American songwriter and musician for Seals and Crofts)
Burke Shelley (Welsh bassist and vocalist for Budgie)
Paul Siebel (American singer-songwriter)
Shivkumar Sharma (Indian composer and santoor player for Shiv–Hari)
Mark Shreeve (British electronic songwriter and composer)
Kim Simmonds (British rock guitarist for Savoy Brown)
Lucy Simon (American composer and folk singer for The Simon Sisters)
Ronnie Spector (American Hall of Fame singer for The Ronette
Fredy Studer (Swiss drummer)
Creed Taylor (American jazz trumpeter and record producer, founder of Impulse! Records and CTI Records)
R. Dean Taylor (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Nicky Tesco (British singer for The Members)
Barbara Thompson (English jazz saxophonist for Colosseum)
Nik Turner (English musician for Hawkwind)
Ian Tyson (Canadian singer for Ian & Sylvia)
Vangelis (Greek film composer and musician for Aphrodite’s Child)
Fred Van Hove (Belgian jazz musician)
Natty Wailer (Jamaican musician)
Norma Waterson (English musician for The Watersons)
Alan White (drummer for Yes)
Roland White (American bluegrass music artist)
Don Wilson (American guitarist for The Ventures)
Drummie Zeb (English reggae record producer and musician for Aswad)

Christine McVie

Damo Doc in the Works

Krautrock, music, progessive rock, , , , , ,
Damo Suzuki

Leeds based filmmaker Michelle Heighway is currently five years into the process of making a documentary about singer Damo Suzuki.

Suzuki came to the attention of most people for his creative contributions to the music of the German progressive rock band Can in the early 1970s. Since his departure from the group, he has continued to record and perform live around the globe.

His 2019 autobiography (done in collaboration with Paul Woods) shed light onto the incredible journey he has taken over the past 50+ years.

But, it’s now time to get Damo’s story onto the screens of the world and that is what Michelle Heighway intends to do. At the moment, she is trying to tie up a lot of the loose ends which will bring the story to life. That includes licensing the rights to the music, photos and film footage to be featured as well as many other nuts and bolts aspects of post-production and distribution.

In order to accomplish this final stage of the process, there is currently an INDIEGOGO fund raising campaign in the works. At the time of this writing, the project has gained about a third of the £10,000 goal.

If you would like to lend your support to this project, please visit the fundraising page at:
ENERGY: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT DAMO SUZUKI.

Isolation Viewing: Krautrock

electronic music, experimental music, Krautrock, music, progessive rock, psychedelic music, , , , ,

Whether or not you are still feeling the isolation blues, it’s always nice to have something to watch. Especially in the way of interesting musical clips.

I sometimes scour youtube in search of enticing tidbits in the way of music. I quite often discover some quite interesting stuff.

Back in the ’70s, progressive music from Germany started to make inroads outside of the country and the British music press soon latched onto it giving it the name Krautrock. Some of the names which soon became familiar were Can, Amon Duul II, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Tangerine Dream and Neu! to name but a few.

Here are a few clips which I’ve collected for your viewing pleasure.

Kraftwerk on the German TV programme Beat Club ca. 1971. What is interesting here is that it is Florian Schneider accompanied by Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger who would later go on to be known as the duo Neu!

Here is another German TV clip for 1971 featuring Ralf and Florian with Wolfgang Flur on his freshly built electronic drum set.

Now, here is Can ca. 1970 on the German programme Rockpalast. Nearly an hour and a half. The Damo Suzuki era.

A wonderful documentary which covers the band’s career. Another hour and a half of Can bliss.

Here is a groovy set by Amon Duul II from Beat Club in 1970.

A compilation of Amon Duul II material spanning 1969 to 1975. Over two hours!

Here is a very unique clip of Tangerine Dream live in Berlin, 1969. This was before they acquired synthesisers and were a psychedelic, freak-out group. Edgar Froese, guitar. Klaus Schulze, drums. “Happy” Dieter, bass (according to the video notes).

The legendary performance of Tangerine Dream at Coventry Cathedral in 1975.

Well, that should keep you busy for a while!

Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany by Uwe Schütte

books, electronic music, experimental music, Krautrock, music, , ,

The news that Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider had passed away at the beginning of May was one of those announcements that seemed to strike a particularly resonant note for me. I had first heard their music long before their breakthrough album Autobahn courtesy of a radio programme featuring import albums back in the early ’70s. They were one of my personal inspirations to start making electronic music.

It was certainly a much more pleasant experience to learn of a new biography of Kraftwerk was being published by Penguin Books earlier in the year.

Kraftwerk: Music of the Future by Uwe Schütte is a rather succinct volume which covers the careers of co-founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter. The pair met at school in the turbulent days of the late ’60s and immediately hit it off. In 1968, they formed a band called Organization who released a sole LP called Tone Float (only in the UK as German record companies had no interest in their work).

Keeping their base in their hometown of Düsseldorf, the pair then went on to create the concept of Kraftwerk (literally translated a Power Station). Their early work did include electronics but also guitar, flute and drums. Much of this work was based around improvisation and electronic sound manipulation.

Their first three releases were prime examples of their work at the time. It’s unfortunate that to this day these albums basically been written out of the band history and not been any part of a re-issue program for their recordings.

For Kraftwerk, it was their fourth album – Autobahn – that denoted the beginning of their recording career. It’s the album (and song) that brought the group to international attention (although, it was virtually ignored in their own country).

They subsequently built up their reputation with their next three releases of the ’70s – Radio-Activity, Trans Europe Express and The Man Machine. It was also at this point that their work started to reverberate into other forms of music. It became an influence in electronic dance music and what would develop into techno.

They brought in the ’80s with Computer World with it’s ubiquitous Pocket Calculator emanating from radios around the world.

After that, the space between album releases would become much greater. It was another five years before the release of Electric Cafe and another seventeen years until the Tour de France Soundtracks (with a stop-gap remix effort called The Mix in 1991).

But, that doesn’t mean that Kraftwerk were inactive during these long apparent silences. As the author points out, Kraftwerk were not really a “band”. They considered themselves to be a multi-media project. They spent a lot of time concentrating of visual elements to their work, as well. Stage presentations, museum exhibitions… you name it, they seemed to have their finger in it.

In the past twenty years, Kraftwerk were very active in the area of live performances. The miniaturisation of their music producing gear helped a great deal in this regard.

Throughout the book, Schütte puts the efforts of Kraftwerk in the context of the music, society and art of the times and also details how it affected the future of music. It is a good overview of their music and art helped to shape many things to come.

All Gates Open by Rob Young & Irmin Schmidt

avant-garde, books, experimental music, improvisation, Krautrock, progessive rock, psychedelic music, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rob Young & Irmin Schmidt – All Gates Open (Faber & Faber, 2018)

When the FM airwaves started to emit the sounds of “underground radio” in the late 1960s, a whole new world of music began to open. WABX was the first such station to enter this area in Detroit in 1968. A short while later, CJOM hit the airwaves on my side of the border in Windsor, Ontario.

One of the most interesting things to appear were programmes which features “import” records. Suddenly, people were able to hear music which was not even available on domestic labels. These LPs often never got released in North America.

It was on one episode of these broadcasts that I first experienced the music of Can. It was 1970 and Monster Movie had just been issued in Germany (and the UK). The disc jockey talked about the band and even before he started playing the record, you knew that you were in for something special. I vividly recall his playing Father Cannot Yell and Outside My Door followed by the side-long epic Yoo Doo Right. From that moment, I knew that I would be a fan of this band.

Unfortunately, import records were few and far between at my local shops and it would be a while before I had my own copy of this record. My first purchase was their album Ege Bamyasi which was closely followed by Future Days. At that point, import LPs were starting to become easier to obtain and I was able to get copies of Monster Movie, Soundtracks and Tago Mago.

I kept following their work through articles in magazines like Melody Maker and  was able to keep up with their LP releases from that point.

Over the years, there have been a couple of books published about the band. The Can Book by Pacal Bussy and Andy Hall was an essential purchase for any self -respecting Can fan. There was also another book which was available as part of the Can Box (book, VHS video and 2 CD set of live recordings). Those, however, were mainly a mild warm-for this new volume.

All Gates Open is actually two books in one. The first two thirds feature Rob Young’s details of the individual members’ lives and their subsequent collaboration in one of Germany’s most revered and respected bands.

The final portion of the book belongs to found member Irmin Schmidt. This section is decidedly different to Rob Young’s writings.

From Young, we get a flavour of the times in Europe when the various members of the band were growing up. The four core members of the group all came from quite diverse backgrounds. Irmin Schmidt was making his name as an orchestra conductor. Holger Czukay was fascinated with all things electric including radios. Jaki Leibeziet was a jazz drummer who had worked his way into free jazz with Manfred Schoof. Michael Karoli was some ten years younger than the others with a more rock vision in his guitar playing.

The only things that any of the members really had in common was that both Schmidt and Czukay had both studied with the legendary German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

It’s this diversity of talent and vision which was soon to give Can its unique approach to producing inventive and original sounds.

Vocalists also made an appearance in the group. This started with Malcolm Mooney and continued with a Japanese busker in the form of Damo Suzuki.

Throughout his portion of the book, Young paints a vivid picture of the environment in which Can existed. His presents details about their recording process, live performances and track by track analysis of their albums. This is the kind of material that any hardcore fan of the band will relish as they make their way through the pages of the book.

Irmin Schmidt’s portion of the book is a totally different affair. He edits together conversations with a host of interesting people from music, art and film.

Featured in the conversations are Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Geoff Barrow (Portishead), Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Hans-Joachim Irmler (Faust), Peter Saville, Wim Wenders, Duncan Fallowell, Nick Kent, John Maokovich and many others.

These vignettes open up the conversation to many aspects of music and all types of artistic communication. It’s a fascinating glimpse into creativity.

Schmidt also relates many entries from his diary which also give a look into his creative life.

Overall, this is probably the book that all fans of Can have been waiting for over the years. It’s a detailed look at the band from the inside and the outside. A compelling read for those who have listened to the intriguing and original sounds of one of the most compelling bands to ever put sound onto recording tape.

 

 

Jaki Liebezeit, Butch Trucks RIP

Krautrock, music, progessive rock, , , , ,

 

As we come to the end of the first month of the year, rock’s rhythm section has already taken two great hits.

Jaki Liebezeit 1938 – 2017

My first exposure to the music of Can was in 1970 when I heard their debut LP on an import records radio programme. The DJ felt strongly about the album and even featured the side-long track Yoo Doo Right. I was immediately a fan of the incredible sound that this band could make.

After a stint as a jazz drummer with the Manfred Schoof Quintet, Jaki Liebezeit went on to become one of the four core members of Can. The other members were Hoger Czukay (bass), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards) and Michael Karoli (guitar). Czukay and Schmidt had both studied with avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and Karoli was a rock guitarist. This made from an eclectic mix of musical influences.

When Liebezeit locked with Czukay’s bass groove, the duo would go on to create an unstoppable force. With this power behind them, Schmidt and Karoli could dive-bomb around the rhythm to create a unique sound.

Jaki would say that his style was an attempt to be “monotonous.” That was far from the case. It was a hypnotic rhythm which was both simple and elegant in its approach.

From the driving beat of Mother Sky (Soundtracks) to the subtleties of Bel Air (Future Days), he could paint a stunning background with which the other members could overlay a foreground of unique and brilliant sounds.

Jaki Liebeziet would go on to play with many other musicians like Brian Eno and also with his own Phantom Band.

He sadly passed away on January 22 due to complications of pneumonia.

Butch Trucks 1947 – 2017

Butch Trucks was one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band in 1969. From the start, the band was feature two drummers.

Trucks was the steady backbeat of the rhythm section. He was paired with Jaimoe (Jai Johanny Johanson) who added an array of complimentary percussion that would flesh out the backdrop for the band.

Live recordings like the Allman’s classic Live at Fillmore and tracks from the subsequent Eat a Peach showcased the amazing synchronicity between the two players. It would be difficult to imagine the sound of the Allmans without the two of them locked together with a single driving purpose.

Butch Trucks died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 24.

Recent Arrivals: Discus & Leo Records

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Martin Archer – Storytellers (Discus): Over the years, Sheffield-based musician and composer Martin Archer has issued several albums of music with various groups of musicians but, it’s a rarity to see something come out under his own name. This recent project is certainly a fine time to toot his own horn (so to say) as it’s another one of his excellent offerings.

Over the course of two CDs spanning nearly 2 1/2 hours, six “books” are related in suite form. Each book revolves around movements around a common theme. They feature performance by the full band as well as sections designed to highlight specific soloists.

Each book weaves its own tale which winds its way from start to finish with sparkling dexterity among the musicians. What seems to make this music really gain an extra dimension of life is the fact that almost all of it was recorded live in the studio by the group. There is very little done in the way of subsequent overdubbing of parts. This process has resulted in a sound which harks back to some of the best recorded jazz works from the past. Top marks, indeed!

Sergey Kuryokhin – The Spirit Lives (Leo): As mentioned in the liner notes of this set, Leo Records was the first record company to issue the music of Russian composer/musician Sergey Kuryokhin which was smuggled out of the Soviet Union. It seems only fitting that they have decided to issue this recording of a live performance celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his passing.

Recorded in July 2015, this set contains both an audio CD and DVD. The works are performed by Alexei Aigui & Ensemble 4’33”. The sixteen works contained in this performance show the breadth and scope of Kuryokhin’s catalogue of work.

The arrangements by Aigui which incorporate jazz and classical players brings the music a powerful scope. The strings build and sweep to propel the music to wonderful sonic heights as the jazz ensemble bob and weave a tapestry of sound.

There are even moments when the music rocks out with near Status Quo guitar riffery in pieces like Tragedy, Rock Style.

This is an essential document which truly does justice to the legacy and memory of the late Sergey Kuryokhnin.

 

Never a Dull Moment by David Hepworth

books, Krautrock, music, progessive rock, vinyl, , , , , ,

Hot on the heels of Jon Savage’s book 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded comes another book which focuses on a specific year. David Hepworth’s new book is entitled Never a Dull Moment – 1971: The Year That Rock Exploded. Whereas both of these books share a similar format in that the months are used as the twelve chapter of the books, that is where much of the similarity ends.

Both writers present stories about music of the year within a framework consisting of the cultural, social and political climate of the time. However, Savage’s book is around 25% music and 75% social conditions contrasted with Hepworth’s 90% music and 10% cultural framework. (For a more in depth look at Jon Savage’s book, please check out my article elsewhere on this blog.)

For his book, Hepworth generally begins each chapter with an overview of the times. This is followed by several stories about artists, songs, albums, producers etc… on whom he focuses his direct attention.

He begins his journey into the year by relating the fact that it began with the official dissolution of The Beatles. So, 1971 was the first “post-Beatles” year after the conclusion of the ’60s.

Since Carole King’s Tapestry was one of the biggest breakouts of the year, he explores her place in the blossoming world of the singer/songwriters of the year. These include people like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens and Carly Simon. He also talks about one of the most enduring figures of the time who made little inroads in the way of popularity at the time – Nick Drake.

By way of the Rolling Stones, he relates stories about the release of Sticky Fingers as well as the band’s excursion to France to record the following year’s sprawling double album release – Exile on Main Street.

The state of music coming from the African American community is explored with tales of Motown label boss Berry Gordy Jr. and his stable of artists including Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. He also writes about Isaac Hayes as well as American TV host/producer Don Cornelius who brought Soul Train into the living rooms of the youth.

Producers like Ken Scott and Glyn Johns hook up with David Bowie and The Who respectively and breed the top albums Hunky Dory and Who’s Next. These were both milestones in the careers of the artists in 1971.

We also learn how producer Tom Dowd convinced the Allman Brothers Band to ditch the distracting horn section which was being used during their series of dates at the Fillmore East. This helped the band turn the corner and produce their double live LP set At Fillmore East which is still regarded as a classic today.

There are tales of Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, Harry Nilsson, Don McLean, Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath, The Beach Boys, T. Rex, Big Star, Rod Stewart, Carpenters and even a name-check for German Krautrock pioneers Can.

Festivals were also the order of the day in 1971 as the long-lived Glastonbury Festival got its start. There are also other tales of (much) less successful events such as the Weeley Festival and the disastrous Celebration of Life Festival in Louisiana.

1971 was also the year that the first rock concert charity event was organized by George Harrison. The ups and downs of this new type of venture venture are examined.

Reading through this book reminds the reader about so many watershed moments that occurred in the music world at the beginning of the 1970s. To a generation accustomed to auditioning the latest sounds via the internet with the click of a mouse, these times music seem like some ancient distant land. Music fans used to find themselves reading about interesting music and, if they were lucky, being able to catch some of the sounds on an adventurous underground FM radio station. It was a time when people congregated at record stores and took in the artwork and liner notes of the LPs filling the bins.

I was there… and it was damn fun!

Classic Rock? In my day it was called New Releases! 

 

 

 

Tony Conrad 1940 – 2016

avant-garde, experimental music, Gone Gone Gone, Krautrock, music, , , , , ,

On March 22nd, The Guardian ran an article about musician and filmmaker Tony Conrad which encapsulated his long career and was a lead-up to the April 1st Big Ears Festival in Knoxville. Scarcely a week later, it was reported that Conrad would not be able to make the appearance due to health concerns. On April 9th he succumbed to prostate cancer.

Back in the early 1970s when I first started getting interested in avant-garde and minimalist music, the name Tony Conrad crept into the text of many books that I read. I knew that he was associated with La Monte Young and his Theatre of Eternal Music (AKA The Dream Syndicate) but, was not able to source any recordings. At that point in time, the only photo that I’d seen of him was simply a shadow of a figure playing a violin projected on a curtain.

I knew that he recorded and LP with the German group Faust but, even though I could find the Faust albums, that certain record always seemed to elude me. It wasn’t until the days of CD re-issues that I finally managed to obtain a copy.

I was also aware of Tony Conrad’s film/video work which I was finally able to view courtesy of youtube. His main area of focus for many years was film.

Fast forward to 2010 and I find myself (as half of the duo Transmorphous Sound Ensemble with Richard Moule) booked to play at the LOLA Festival on the same bill as Tony Conrad.

For his performance, Conrad used his Long String Instrument to create a wonderful cloud of sound. After his performance, Richard and I were lucky enough to get to hang out with Tony and chat. It was a quite surreal moment for me as we listened to this iconic musical figure who had once only existed to me as a photograph of a shadow.

To discover more about Tony Conrad’s work, I recommend doing a search on youtube. There are several clips there including some very interesting interviews.

There is also a book which Tony himself recommends entitled Beyond the Dream Syndicate: Tony Conrad and the Arts After Cage by Branden W. Joseph.

Here are a few photos which I took of Tony performing at the 2010 LOLA Festival here in London, Ontario.

Dieter Moebius (Cluster): 1944 – 2015

electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, Gone Gone Gone, improvisation, Krautrock, music, vinyl, , , , ,

Dieter Moebius was one of the founding members of the avant-garde experimental trio known as Kluster who formed in Berlin in the late ’60s. Along side fellow artists Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler, they produced a trio of records which were abstract sound collages.

After the departure of Schnitzler (who was also a founding member of Tangerine Dream), the remaining duo re-branded themselves as Cluster. In this incarnation, the duo produced several recordings of wonderful minimalist electronic soundscapes.

In the early 1970s, new music from German began filtering into the UK. The sounds of Cluster along with Can, Amon Duul II, Tangerine Dream, Neu! and Kraftwerk began to make inroads outside of their native land.

One person whose ears were opened to these sounds was Brian Eno. He subsequently recorded albums in collaboration with the Cluster duo.

Both Moebius and Roedelius recorded many solo albums over the years. They also continued to work together as well as joining Neu! guitarist Michael Rother as a trio called Harmonia.

The sounds made by Moebius and Roedelius not only made an impact on a new generation of electronic music artists in the 1970s but, continue to be felt to this day.

In the early 1980s, I was half of an electronic music duo called M104 along with Werner Albert. The greatest compliment that we received about our music was that we were the Canadian version of Cluster. Enough said.

Obituary at The Guardian website.

 

Future Days by David Stubbs

books, electronic music, experimental music, improvisation, Krautrock, music, vinyl, , , , , ,

FutureDays-book

Subtitled “Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany” this book takes the reader on a journey through the heady days of the German experimental music scene from the late sixties into the seventies.

Stubbs begins with a lengthy prologue which traces the social developments of the country through the 20th century. This is done to provide a perspective on what was to come after the Second World War.

After he has established the state of the minds of the German youth through the sixties, he then relates the stories behind the major groups who began creating experimental music.

Full chapters are devoted to some of the best known bands in what was termed “Krautrock” such as Amon Duul, Can, Kraftwerk and Faust. He later explores the “scenes” happening in areas such as Berlin.

He finishes by discussing newer music as well as the influence of the German music on specific musicians (David Bowie) and musical scenes (post punk).

For those not intimately familiar with this music, it may serve as a good introduction to stir up some curiosity. For those of us who are already quite well-versed in the genre, there are still some facts that are revealed that may be new to us.