Flammende Herzen

 

Today is the last day before I leave for my annual holiday to Sri Lanka tomorrow. Most of my things are packed, the documents are ready and my Spotify library has been updated. The last album I've added is Michael Rother's 1977 debut, a krautrock classic on which Rother shows what he's capable of on the guitar. Jaki Liebezeit supported him on drums and Conny Plank produced it superbly. All the songs are played instrumentally and I will probably never get tired of their beauty.

I have prepared a few more posts, otherwise I'll see you here again in the middle of next year. 

Take care and all the best.

Michael Rother - Flammende Herzen

Michael Rother - Zeni

Fontana Di Luna

 

It is time to feature one of the best composer and musician once again at these pages. I think Michael Rother is well known for his works with NEU!, Kraftwerk and La Düsseldorf. He was one of those who created krautrock and his influence to new sounds in the 70's was immense. Together with Jaki Liebezeit on drums he recorded three albums under his own name and every one is worth to be listened. If I have to describe his music I would call it relaxed psychedelia with a get out of hand guitar over a steady beat. This one is from his second album Sterntaler and a great start into another sunny Sunday.

Michael Rother - Fontana Di Luna

Monday Long Song

Drew offered a competition of long songs featured on a Monday. So I join this challenge with a song that accompany me since almost 40 years. I often listened to it and I am still fascinated what a young band made in Cologne back in 1969. Their first album called Monster Movie contains only four songs and their masterpiece Yoo Doo Right is the only one on side two. It is a ride through Can's krautrock and psychedelic spheres and the result of a session. Still unbelievable that Jaki Liebezeit plays his drums like a metronome and Holger Czukay's virtuosic bass lines. Primal Scream paid tribute to this song in 1991 when the used to Can's lyrics in Movin On Up

I was blind, now I can see

You made a believer out of me

Can - Yoo Doo Right

Holger Czukay 1938 - 2017

Yesterday the news arrived that one more Krautrock-legend passed away. A few months ago we heard that Jaki Liebezeit, probably one of the best drummers of all time passed away and now Holger Czukay passed away as well. As far as we know yet he was found in the rooms of studio after a few days when he died. It is not necessary to talk much about him and his influences to artists like John Lydon, Jah Wobble, David Sylvain, Mark Hollis and even The Edge. He called himself the universal dilettante because he was never trained to master an instrument perfectly although he could played a lot of instruments proper. He was one of those who discovered the possibilities of samplings, adding loops together and always searching for new electronic sounds.

RIP Holger

If you have the nerve and time you can listen to a live concert from 1970 in Soest, Germany with the first appearance of Can's singer Damo Suzuki.

Something Obscure On Thursday

If I think about Japanese music first thing that comes up was J-Pop a very special genre of chart orientated music. I remember this kind of music when I visited Japan seven years ago. Listening to radio stations or going for music TV you will always see this crazy dressed kids moving to just the same sound. After listening to a few songs I couldn't here any difference. But always played loud so that you feel like being in patchinko hall (it's like an amusement hall filled with one arm bandits and the music played in the background was like on an Motörhead concert). The other side of Japanese music is a sophisticated one, played by bands like Yellow Magic Orchestra. Otherwise there is a big heavy metal scene over there.

I got the news that a female Japanese artist released a new record after a longer time of absence. Hiroki Moritani aka Phew started in the late 70's when punk reached Japan and everyone was possible to start a band of his own. Aunt Sally was famous over there in these days but to be honest I've never heard of them before. Very soon she started to walk on her own paths. What means that she decided to go a more avant-garde way. She collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto and he showed her the way to Cologne. Her first album was recorded in Conny Plank's studio and produced by Krautrock legends Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit which also played on different tracks. It is a different kind of listening to this psychedelic inspired sounds and Hiroki's voice but the often I listen to the more I like.

A few years later she returned to Cologne for her second record now collaborating with artists from Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft and Einstürzende Neubauten.

Jaki Liebezeit RIP

The year starts as it ended in 2016. It seems that all our heroes of times long gone by will pass away one by one. Of course it is the rule of nature but with every loss we have a few things will pass away with them. Jaki Liebezeit was known as a founding member of Can, probably the most important Krautrock band ever. His name is also in close context to NEU! and also on the first record of Zeltinger (a German punk/rock band from the mid 80's), Brian Eno and many others. He played the drums like no one else before. Mostly monotone but always close to the rhythm of the band he played in. One more great artist passed away.

Rest in peace, Jaki.