★Garden of Delights
Apo Calypso
At that time the tenth Embryo LP, recorded in India in 1976 and in Switzerland in 1977, released in 1978 on the April label. Again in the well-known Embryo style: progressive jazz-rock with strong world music influences and only occasional vocals. The vinyl has never been reissued, there was a CD edition in 1999 on Disconforme, but it has long since been cancelled. A very relaxed album, and while there are occasional highlights in individual contributions, the overall impression is that it just …
Minden 1976
After their psychedelic and bluesy beginnings, Missus Beastly had been playing instrumental jazz-rock since 1974. This was also the case here at their performance at the Haus der Jugend in Minden on Friday, January 23rd, 1976. In the same month, just a few days before, they had also recorded their then third LP 'Dr. Aftershave and the mixed-pickles', then still with Jürgen Benz. So the pieces on the Minden CD contain some elements of the LP tracks, but nothing more. It wasn't that the pieces wer…
Both Sides
*2023 stock* Before the Munich krautrockers turned more strongly in the direction of world music in the following years, at this gig they once again delivered their mix, moving between funk and jazz, as it defined the mid-70s. Fixed song structures never played a role with Embryo. Apart from the - despite difficult meter - extremely loose-floppy 'Getalongwithasong' (from the 1977 studio album Apo-Calypso), they mainly played new improvisations in Vlotho."
Yniverze
*2023 stock* This album can be considered Emma Myldenberger's epilogue or even their fourth album. Indeed after the third album Live (only released under the cassette format at the time (and recently reissued in Cd by the God label, the group sort of managed to survive a few months later but members were abandoning the ship.
Definitely an excellent album, Yniverse easily compares to Tour De Trance and in some ways is better. No doubt that the excellent people at Garden Of Delight will one day (r…
Odiszée Parck
*2023 stock* Radio Noisz Ensemble was the successor band to the more folk-oriented six-piece Emma Myldenberger, who released two LPs in the late 1970s, and followed those with a live cassette after the turn of the decade (all since released on CD). Three members (guitarist / mandolinist Michel Meyer, reeds player Biber Gullatz, and Topsi Tkacz on violin and contrabass) of Emma Myldenberger formed RNE in ’81, who along with percussionist Matthias Gassert and special guest Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru…
Weltschmerz
*2023 stock* Siddhartha, named after a novel by Hermann Hesse, were formed in 1973 in Korntal near Stuttgart. They performed an intelligent mix-ture of progressive and art rock influenced by psychedelia and folk. Although their 1975 album is called "Weltschmerz" all songs contain English lyrics except for "Weit weg". It was released in a limited edition of 400 copies and is now one of the most sought-after collectors’ items. A thirty minute demo tape by Siddhartha which was recorded after the re…
Thoughts
A very rare but strong 'Canterbury' release from Germany. Very pleasant, inspired and technical, Zyma cultivates the musical schema developed by Soft Machine and others but stresses the funniest and most optimistic emotional dialogue of it, thanks to very enthusiastic melodies and catchy improvisations. The opening track illustrates it perfectly. Mostly a jazzy rock composition punctuated by female voices and fantasist interludes.
Hamburg 1969
*2023 stock* "Xhol was one of the first bands who participated at the send of the 60s to the launch of the Krautrock movement in Germany. Nevertheless their music cannot be categorised. Their roots came from rhythm'n blues with soul tendencies. With their second album "electrip" they rapidly found their own style which can be considered as an original fusion of free jazz, psychedelic rock and electronic experimentations. Very dynamic their jazz rock can sometimes be compared with the spirit of t…
June 1975
*2023 stock* Epidermis were founded in Idstein, Germany, in 1971. They played some complex and sophisticated rock music, often compared with Gentle Giant, Yes and the Canterbury scene. 'June 1975' has not been released on any physical format back then, and has been made available for the first time. The 20-page booklet in LP size contains a long band history in German and English lyrics and a detailed discography.
Umsonst Und Draußen – Vlotho 1977
*2023 stock* Before the Munich krautrockers turned more strongly in the direction of world music in the following years, at this gig they once again delivered their mix, moving between funk and jazz, as it defined the mid-70s. Fixed song structures never played a role with Embryo. Apart from the - despite difficult meter - extremely loose-floppy 'Getalongwithasong' (from the 1977 studio album Apo-Calypso), they mainly played new improvisations in Vlotho."
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
*2023 stock* Originally based in Stuttgart Conny Veit’s Gila had already recorded a more rocking psychedelic first album with a different line-up when Veit was invited to Munich to record “Hosianna Mantra” for Florian Fricke’s Popol Vuh. Hanging around frequently at Amon Düül’s commune in Kronwinkel he met Daniel Fichelscher who played and recorded with Amon Düül II at that time. Veit was impressed with Fichelscher’s drumming and decided to revive Gila with Fichelscher on drums, Veit playing gui…
Father, Son And Holy Ghosts
*2023 stock* This album is a bit difficult to pigeonhole, as most of the early Embryo work is. The opening number sounds if anything, like an outtake from Miles Davis' Jack Johnson soundtrack, but with lead guitar sound more prominant. Then, gears are switched, and you are listening to acoustic folk guitar and sitar, which melts into a cool ostenato riff flanging around, that just builds and builds, with countermelody on Violin (or Veena?) and guitar weaving in and out, along with the drum parts…
Gila
*2023 stock* 'Often referred by the title Free Electric Sound, Gila's debut is an amazing work, full of acid guitar freakouts, spacy organ and mellotron, exotic rhythm structures, and loads of electronic effects to fully realize the psychedelic visions. From the Floyd-ian space rock of the first two tracks the record moves into even stranger realms on the four segued pieces that make up the second side of the original vinyl. "Kollaps" starts off with ritualistic drumming, a creepy organ riff, a …
Cluster
*Edition with 20 pages booklet* One of the earliest German private pressings, from 1969, and one of the most sought-after collectors’ items. Three masters on their instruments. Trikolon is a very gifted trio from Osnabrück. As precursor of Tetragon, they played a very varied and strongly influenced progressive rock. They were influenced by classic and sometimes by blues. Their only LP "Cluster" was already released in 1969. It was edited by themselves in a number of 150 copies. Thus, it had been…
Carol Of Harvest
The holy grail of German psych-folk. Carol of Harvest were founded in the Middle-Franconian town of Fürth in 1976 and played folk with psychedelic touch. Their only LP was released in the summer of 1978 as a very small edition of only 200 copies, on the sought-after Brutkasten label. Label owner Peter Klimek regards the LP as the best record released on his label. It is reminiscent of the early 1970s rather than 1978. The LP is in such great demand that it is meanwhile traded at € 2,000 – 3,000 …
Genius Of Original Force
Edition with 20 pages booklet* Sophisticated rock with polyphonic vocals, multi-layered structure and frequent rhythm and tempo changes, in the vein of Gentle Giant and King Crimson. The LP was released on the Kerston label in 1977. The vinyl re-release comes with the original gatefold cover artwork and includes a 20-page booklet. Limited to 1000 numbered copies.
Epidermis were founded in Idstein, Hesse, in 1971, but they soon moved to the regional capital, Wiesbaden. They played some complex s…
Garden of Eden
*20 pages booklet edition. In proces of stocking* 'The band began in 1974 in Hagen but unfortunately this excelent album was emerged only in 1978, when progressive rock was not more in "fashion". Then this first work is sadly also the last. A similar problem that happened with Locanda delle Fate and his masterpiece "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più". Since then Albatros is almost completely forgotten until Garden of Delights reintroduce this gem to prog fans in general and kraurock fans in par…
Electrip
* Edition with 68-page (!) booklet * Electrip was released in 1969, the same year as the Amon Düül II's Phallus Dei and CAN's Monster Movie, which makes Electrip one of the very first albums to fall within the genre of Krautrock. The band successfully draw from an incredibly diverse list of contemporaries to create their astonishing sound. Album opener "Electric Fun Fair" and it's successor "Pop Games" are heavily jazz inspired, and bring to mind some not so subtle Miles Davis influences as well…
Missus Beastly 1974
Missus Beastly regroups and blasts into some very dynamic fusion territory with this exceptional album. The usual apparitions of the house-hold names of the mid-seventies jazz apologists can be traced here, but the eventual output will always sound only as original as Missus Beastly. One of the biggest strengths these guys possesed was their vibrant rhytm section, from the opening track i can make a parallel to Passport's or Embryo's more dynamic tracks, wherein Curt Cress/ Christian Burc…
Siloah
Coming out of the boiling Munich scene of the sixties that also gave us the original Amon Düül (Thom Argauer had played in a dixieland band with Chris Karrer in the late 60s, actually), Siloah are one of the best kept secrets of the krautrock production. Siloah had a hard core including Thom Argauer, Manuela von Perfall, Heinrich 'Tiny' Stricker and Wolfgang Görner, plus a host of guests coming and going, everybody was free to join and play at any time, guest members often joining from the Baums…