Brave New World-Impressions on Reading Aldous Huxley

I don’t think I’ve read Brave New World since I was in junior high, so my own impressions are a bit hazy (thank you drugs).  Whatever my initial reactions were, I can definitively state that they did not conjure up some desire to create a bizarro prog epic.  But apparently it had that effect on several people.  Well, enough people to actually make this record.  I guess it took some German/Irish transcontinental connection to gather enough souls willing to commit to this project.  But I’m glad they we’re able to share their mutual appreciate of the psychedelic pioneer.  Perhaps not as Krautish as I would have desired, yet still highly enjoyable.  And another from the NWW list.

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Th'Faith Healers-Imaginary Friend

There must be something wrong because now I have a feeling of writing even more. Was it the long break? Is it the spirit of Christ compelling me? Perhaps it’s Casper the friendly ghost? Most likely it’s that these idle hands need something to do, and masturbation becomes tedious after the 7^th or 8^th time. So that just means I might as well idle away the hours writing more drivel for people who have the time to waste reading it. Whatever the reason maybe, I might as well up this one. Shoegaze is still being ripped off by people and I doubt those copious royalty checks are finding their way towards this band. They should be. A perennial dollar bin find, this album still can show the young turks a thing or two. I don’t believe there’s a pop band out there now with the sack to close out the album with a 40 minute track. No wait, I take that back. Don’t prove me wrong, but do shut up.

Here (Reup 6/6/12)

Amon Duul II-Wolf City

Perhaps the lumbering giant in a catalogue deep enough to drown molasses. I admit my bias here in that I love both Amon Duul and Amon Duul II to an unhealthy degree. And even with my rose colored glasses on, this album still took a while to grow on me. Where is that thuggish caveman tude that blessed the chaos of mach I? The more stream lined mind fuckery of there early releases doesn't seem to be as prevalent on initial listen, but dig, dig deep my friend. It shant take long since the lead track is already positioning you towards some outer recess that most dare not explore. Fuck those who claim this as their softening. Sure I still miss those elements already address, but if those ears are pricked they cannot deny the wigged out brilliance of this under rated classic.

Here (reuped 7/19/12)

Nekropolis-Musik aus dem Schattenreich

NOT METAL. Don't let that pile of skulls fool you. This is not a metal album people. I know some of my friends who read this think that I'm going to keep pressing them on why they should listen to metal. I'm not doing that here. I can tell who has enough of a sack to listen to some throat shredding and who would rather listen to Sufjan Stevans. So this is not a ploy. Despite its cover and its name, this is actually some weird ambient, synthy, kautish, dark space explorations that are really a great late night listen. Friends, I promise that you can actually fall asleep to this album. But it might be a little difficult only in that it really is captivating. Definitely not new age. Or metal.

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Manuel Göttsching (Ash Ra Tempel)-Inventions for Electric Guitar

If you have a fetish for scarves and hand knit jumpers then this is your album. Perhaps you have a penchant for layers and layers of patterned (not wanky) electric guitar (that sounds like synths). If you fall into either of the aforementioned categories, then this is the album for you. That Terry Riley album I posted a while back was heavily downloaded, and I assume anyone who enjoyed that blissful repetition will find much to enjoy here. If not you can always just stare and the cover and get lost in Manuel's toothsome beauty. I want a wig that looks like this do.

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Deuter-D

Last go around all of the posts for the day were sourced from Japan. It was a pretty facile way of generating a theme for the day. And my laziness knows no bounds so rather than come up with something clever, I'll just shift geography to another country already well known for their interplanetary explorations. So it is off to Germany for the day. I know this one isn't super obscure, but if you've only dipped your toes into the Krautrock miasma, then this one might have escaped your notice. And that really shouldn't be the case. Deuter (one dude) really shot for the cosmos with this one. Studio trickery, acid guitars, ethereal synths intertwine with hand percussion and Eastern instrumentation in a manner that makes this seem like something recently produced. Deuter later went in the more New-Agey direction, but still had some strong moments. But when you debut with a album of such high quality, it's almost certain that it's all downhill from there. Kind of like when your life peaked in junior high.

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Eroc

If you're looking for this band on-line, you're probably more likely going to come across some bullshit rap. But this isn't that guy, although it would be pretty refreshing to see a rap album with a cover like this. Instead, this is the first album by Grobschnitt's drummer. This is one that even those Kraut haters will dig. Blissed out and inspired, this album continues to delight. So that's the end of the NWW list day. But if there are any requests I'll try to get to them anon. Let me know if there are holes in your back catalog that I can fill. Ugh...that sounded wrong.

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Mythos

So today will be a NWW list day. If you're not familiar with what that is, then wikipedia that. But if you're a record goon I'm sure you're well aware of what that list signifies. Eventually, I'll probably get around to posting at least one album by each band (yes, even the shitty ones). Today, I'll start with this forgotten piece of German rock. Here, mellotrons battle sitars for ear dominanace, as flutes and synths lend support. It's not Faust or Can or anything that's going to redefine how you hear music, but that never seemed to be their intent. And there's nothing wrong with that. Plus this cover rules.

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Sergius Golowin-Lord Krishna von Golka

Palled around with Tim Leary. Painted by Giger. Tripped with all the Kraut scenesters. Golowin led a pretty unusual life. And it's reflected on this album. Joining forces with Klaus Schulz and the Cosmic Jokers seems like a good idea, and that's exactly what Golowin did on this release. I suppose if you have the means, then why not. I have no clue what this guy's career turn out to be, but I'm supposing at some point the hippie nonsense got a little tired and he became old and then died. Don't you hate pants?

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Siloah

Before I jaunt off to Cleveland for the weekend, I should probably post one more Kraut classic. If you're into Amon Duul or Kalacakra then he's something else you're bound to enjoy because it is very much in keeping with that style. Bongos and bong rips encloud this album. And no snickering about Cleveland either. It's where I shared an important first kiss, it's home to a few Michael Simon restaurants, and it's often voted the most miserable city. So I always fit right in.

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Ainigma-Diluvium

Normally, I steer clear of organ driven, heavy psych. Don't know why. I love the organ (no smirking) but it just doesn't work for me in that context. Too extraneous, and too overwhelming. However, here is an example of how it actually can work. Yes, it's another fairly obscure Kraut band that release this lone platter. And again, this really avoids the pitfalls that often plagues the inflated krautrock market. Some pretty heavy shit. And if you're wondering diluvium is when a body of water is formed after a flood. Or at least that's what I remember it being. Thanks Earth Science.

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Ejwuusl Wessahqqan

I'm sure that if you've spent any time looking beyond the genera classics, you've had more then your fair share of Krautrock disappointments. There's been plenty of times when a newly discovered "forgotten classics" hits the record scum circuit and everyone laps it up for a month or two before filing it away on a shelf, never to be played again. But here's one that actually was worth the digging. Stoned out improv folkings by a trio of basement dwellers. One of the dudes even plays some homemade thing called the filouphon. This album should definitely be better known.

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Alu-Autismenschen

You all have that Sand album, right? So then you already know how fucking amazing it is, and when I tell you this is what they became you'll be interested. Sand, though lumped in with the Krautrock crowd, didn't seem like patchouli stank hippies. They proved that to be the case when they reformed as this odd, electronic, post-punk, industrial, minimal synth anomaly. I was completely surprised by this the first time I gave it a listen. Das ist gut.

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Tangerine Dream-Electronic Meditation

Let's keep the mood mellow for the time being. It's either that or the shooting spree will begin. And I have to teach tomorrow, so I really don't have time for all the rampaging, and I don't want to break my students' hearts by canceling class. So this'll have to do. Really, all of their albums up to and including Phaedra should be owned (maybe Rubycon, Richochet, and Stratosfear too...maybe) but this one catches them when Schulz, Froese, and Schnitzler were still paling around. They've got a million albums or so by now, and I'll give some serious props if you're the type that can hang with some of their soundtracks, I'll stick with the early goods.

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Kalacakra-Crawling to Lhasa

How can it be that this band only had this one release? Just two dudes with a raft of instruments were able to shape one premier krautrock spectacle that few people seem to really care about. Sure Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk, etc...all that stuff is great, but there was so much more from that spatio-temporal continuum that remains glossed by all but the true believers. And if anyone has more suggestions for things in this vein drop a comment. I'm always on the prowl for old weirdies like this.

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Michael Bundt-Just Landed Cosmic Kid

Time to get dancey again. Read the title. Look at the dude on the cover. You'll probably not want to download this (nice lipstick Balzac). But what if I tell you that Bundt used to play bass in NWW lister Nine Days Wonder before crafting this proto-house classic? Okay, I'm sure that made some of you even more sick. But really, this is a fun album. You might be thinking, "But you hate fun. You're an old bastard." And I'd normally agree, but lately things are finally starting to get better, or maybe just less annoying. Who knows. So join me in dancing around your house to these jams.

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Aluk Todolo-7"

Haven't posted much since my internet connection is about as weak as my puny arms. But here's a chance to redeem myself. It's another French oddity. Though it has members of some pretty great blackened metal bands (Diamatregon, most notably), this is pretty far from that sound. This, instead a more kraut like space ritual. More Ash Ra Temple than Ash Pool. For your next galactic exploration. And I've seen other rips of this that have longer track times, so maybe I fucked up, but this sounds right to me.

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Amon Duul-Psychedelic Underground

This was one of those albums that makes you rethink all the music you've previously heard, or at least that's what it did to me. Apparently, the story is that a bunch of German hippies living on a commune took a bunch of acid and recorded all of the Amon Duul (not to be confused with Amon Duul II) in this one session. The music reflects that freaked out, stoned cavemen feel. I've still yet to find anything else that sounds like this, although my quest has led to equally important discoveries like Exuma. A complete classic mind melter.

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