Gash-A Young Man's Gash Opinions?

[Scrotum Scissor]

^
Except for the fact Jim that the Metropolis album has been virtually impossible to locate for years on end now. It's great - but inobtainable.

A cuppa other obscurities which are good and still in circulation (musch thx to Garden of Delights et al.) would be the sole releases by Prosper and Siddhartha (Weltschmerz).

Assuming Mr. MelloStorm has already got the first Wind, Tomorrow's Gift, Virus' Thoughts, Prof. Wolfff and the Hanuman/Lied des Teufels. These are all quite excellent, With some sauerkrautische mother tongue to boot.

[Levgan]

I'd even go much deeper into the Pell Mell catalog

There's nothing wrong with their later records indeed. I focused on the debut just because it's their most "underground"-sounding LP, akin to Gash and many other good albums mentioned in this thread. IIRC they adopted a more refined classical/symphonic sound starting with From the New World.

If you like Sandrose or Earth and Fire, Metropolis is right up your alley.

True, and I also hear some surprising Hammill/VdGG influence, particularly in the vocal parts. This album can be hard to find indeed, but then again the same is true about Gash, as I think both only had unofficial Germanofon CD reissues in the 1990s.

[JeffCarney]

^
Except for the fact Jim that the Metropolis album has been virtually impossible to locate for years on end now. It's great - but inobtainable.

A cuppa other obscurities which are good and still in circulation (musch thx to Garden of Delights et al.) would be the sole releases by Prosper and Siddhartha (Weltschmerz).

Assuming Mr. MelloStorm has already got the first Wind, Tomorrow's Gift, Virus' Thoughts, Prof. Wolfff and the Hanuman/Lied des Teufels. These are all quite excellent, With some sauerkrautische mother tongue to boot.

The Metropolis LP can still be had for about $100 in nice shape. The Germanofon boot CD goes for maybe half that. There is a 320k rip of the Germanofon CD out there for those unconcerned with owning a physical product.

[Scrotum Scissor]

The Metropolis LP can still be had for about $100 in nice shape. The Germanofon boot CD goes for maybe half that.

This is the one I've got myself, but I haven't seen a copy for ages. Interesting that Metropolis should pop up in the Gash thread though, as they were both rather untypical either way of the 'kraut' spectrum. All Things being said I far prefer the Metropolis to Gash...

The very first Satin Whale is another one to get that's becoming hard to find.

[JeffCarney]

This is the one I've got myself, but I haven't seen a copy for ages. Interesting that Metropolis should pop up in the Gash thread though, as they were both rather untypical either way of the 'kraut' spectrum. All Things being said I far prefer the Metropolis to Gash...

The very first Satin Whale is another one to get that's becoming hard to find.

Gash beats Metropolis for me, but they are both very enjoyable. Enjoy Satin Whale's debut as well. Desert Places was repressed by Brain (w/ different cover art) around 1979, so it's not tough to find.

Looks like I was about right in my guess about the going rate for the Metropolis pirate CD:

https://www.discogs.com/Metropolis-M...elease/2491535

[spacefreak]

^
Except for the fact Jim that the Metropolis album has been virtually impossible to locate for years on end now. It's great - but inobtainable.

I have a 2nd spare copy home but unfortunately it is badly warped since the early 80s. I had left it seating on a heater while drunk at a friend's party and fell asleep... such were the days...

[Scrotum Scissor]

I had left it seating on a heater while drunk at a friend's party and fell asleep... such were the days...

Hey, we've been there - not "all" but the live ones among us!

I had a whole stack of records placed against a window in one of those small apartments that used to accomodate me during my 11 years at university. I believe they stood in that exact spot for about two years before a visitor happened to ask me whether strongly projected heat from sunlight wouldn't necessarily spoil the vinyl. And damn if it wasn't true; at least 40-50 of those records ended up sounding as if they'd been on a sailing trip across an ocean or two.

[mellotron storm]

^
Except for the fact Jim that the Metropolis album has been virtually impossible to locate for years on end now. It's great - but inobtainable.

A cuppa other obscurities which are good and still in circulation (musch thx to Garden of Delights et al.) would be the sole releases by Prosper and Siddhartha (Weltschmerz).

Assuming Mr. MelloStorm has already got the first Wind, Tomorrow's Gift, Virus' Thoughts, Prof. Wolfff and the Hanuman/Lied des Teufels. These are all quite excellent, With some sauerkrautische mother tongue to boot.

I do have Prosper(love it), Tomorrow's Gift and Virus. I have a Turkish band called Siddhartha but I'm not sure about the German one, I'll check. That Hanuman one sounds really good after checking them out.
Any opinions about:
Moira-Crazy Countdown
Ardo Dombec-s/t
Frame-Frame Of Mind
Radiomobel-Gundang Garam
Erna Schmidt-Live 69-71

Not all Krautrock as Moira is more Jazz I understand and Radiomobel are Swedish I think.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Ardo Dombec-s/t
Frame-Frame Of Mind
Radiomobel-Gundang Garam
Erna Schmidt-Live 69-71

Yes, Radiomöbel were a Swedish low-budget spacey 'symph' group possibly influenced by mid-70s Amon Dûûl II and the likes. It's alright. Ardo Dombec is jazzy and/but (?) well worth a listen, although it's been many years since I last paid it a visit. It's less sophisticated than Release Music Orchestra, less virtuosic than Passport but neither as powerful as those two Eiliff albums. The Moira and Erna Schmidt I haven't heard, but the Frame album is actually very, very good - and IMHO much better than Epsilon (whom they are often compared to), with some highly memorable melodies and an overall fascinatingly dreamy and melancholy feel to it.

[Levgan]

Moira is excellent jazzy krautrock, though I prefer their second self-titled LP (also known as Reise Nach Ixtlan) to the earlier Crazy Countdown. They were associated with April/Schneeball label, which was something of a hotbed of krautrock creativity in the late 1970s / early 1980s and definitely one of the most eccentric and surprising DIY labels of the era. It was run by Embryo folks IIRC. Also of note were Schneeball acts like Munju and Missus Beastly. Interesting thing about Moira is that by their second album there was a 100% personnel change, all musicians from Crazy Countdown were gone! So technically it's two different bands, which led to a speculation that they were in fact totally unrelated and maybe even unaware of each other. However, I have recently found a connection between the two – on the sole album by folk singer Gerry Garstein (Deutschsongs from circa 1979) some Moira musicians appear as his backing band, including Jörgen Kanwischer from the Countdown lineup and Michael Stoll from the Ixtlan line-up. So there was an overlap, it's just that no recordings were left from this transitional period if you don't count Garstein's songs.

Radiomobel were Swedish indeed. I like Gudang Garam a lot – someone called it "basement symph", and that sounds about right. It's basically underground prog with female vocals, very crudely recorded, which adds a certain charm.

[mellotron storm]

Yes, Radiomöbel were a Swedish low-budget spacey 'symph' group possibly influenced by mid-70s Amon Dûûl II and the likes. It's alright. Ardo Dombec is jazzy and/but (?) well worth a listen, although it's been many years since I last paid it a visit. It's less sophisticated than Release Music Orchestra, less virtuosic than Passport but neither as powerful as those two Eiliff albums. The Moira and Erna Schmidt I haven't heard, but the Frame album is actually very, very good - and IMHO much better than Epsilon (whom they are often compared to), with some highly memorable melodies and an overall fascinatingly dreamy and melancholy feel to it.

Frame sounds like something I'd really like and thanks so much for all the other info as well.

[mellotron storm]

Moira is excellent jazzy krautrock, though I prefer their second self-titled LP (also known as Reise Nach Ixtlan) to the earlier Crazy Countdown. They were associated with April/Schneeball label, which was something of a hotbed of krautrock creativity in the late 1970s / early 1980s and definitely one of the most eccentric and surprising DIY labels of the era. It was run by Embryo folks IIRC. Also of note were Schneeball acts like Munju and Missus Beastly. Interesting thing about Moira is that by their second album there was a 100% personnel change, all musicians from Crazy Countdown were gone! So technically it's two different bands, which led to a speculation that they were in fact totally unrelated and maybe even unaware of each other. However, I have recently found a connection between the two – on the sole album by folk singer Gerry Garstein (Deutschsongs from circa 1979) some Moira musicians appear as his backing band, including Jörgen Kanwischer from the Countdown lineup and Michael Stoll from the Ixtlan line-up. So there was an overlap, it's just that no recordings were left from this transitional period if you don't count Garstein's songs.

Radiomobel were Swedish indeed. I like Gudang Garam a lot – someone called it "basement symph", and that sounds about right. It's basically underground prog with female vocals, very crudely recorded, which adds a certain charm.

Thanks for all of that, I noticed Tom Hayes has a blurb on Rateyourmusic in regards to the controversy about Moira's second album. Interesting stuff. I'm a big fan of jazzy Krautrock like Embryo or Missus Beastly for example so Moira sounds like they are right up my alley.

[Progbear]

Now you're talking! I'd even go much deeper into the Pell Mell catalog(and the same holds true for Mythos; I have a soft spot for Strange Guys and Concrete City), and you can put Brainstorm and Eiliff in there as well.

I could never get into Pell Mell. I like the idea of them, but they’re too fixated on classical adaptations instead of their own work, and the screechy vocals get on my nerves. I can think of lots better sympho-acts, anyway, like the aforementioned Sahara.

I have a soft spot for Mythos as well. Never understood all the crap Stephan Kaske got for his vocals; he’s not that bad, reminds me of Nik Turner, actually. Can’t comment on the lyrics, I could never understand him very much, anyway.

Brainstorm and Eiliff are definite must-haves. Excellent stuff!

Going back to Gash, that first track is pretty atrocious - sounds like Joe Cocker singing with the Band. Gets much better after that.

If I were Joe Cocker, I’d consider it an insult to be compared to that guy.

[mellotron storm]

I could never get into Pell Mell. I like the idea of them, but they’re too fixated on classical adaptations instead of their own work, and the screechy vocals get on my nerves. I can think of lots better sympho-acts, anyway, like the aforementioned Sahara.

I have a soft spot for Mythos as well. Never understood all the crap Stephan Kaske got for his vocals; he’s not that bad, reminds me of Nik Turner, actually. Can’t comment on the lyrics, I could never understand him very much, anyway.

Brainstorm and Eiliff are definite must-haves. Excellent stuff!



If I were Joe Cocker, I’d consider it an insult to be compared to that guy.

Honestly I thought of Joe Cocker right away when hearing that first track.

Man I'm a huge Mythos fan along with Think, Alcatraz, Kollectiv, Electric Sandwhich, My Solid Ground, Ibliss, Minotaurus and on and on.

[moecurlythanu]

Frame sounds like something I'd really like and thanks so much for all the other info as well.

Frame is excellent. Well recommended.

[spacefreak]

I do have Prosper(love it), Tomorrow's Gift and Virus. I have a Turkish band called Siddhartha but I'm not sure about the German one, I'll check. That Hanuman one sounds really good after checking them out.
Any opinions about:
Moira-Crazy Countdown
Ardo Dombec-s/t
Frame-Frame Of Mind.

Essential listens i.m.o., though count me as stark raving mad for Moira's 2nd Reise Nach Ixtlan.

[spacefreak]

Radiomobel were Swedish indeed. I like Gudang Garam a lot – someone called it "basement symph", and that sounds about right. It's basically underground prog with female vocals, very crudely recorded, which adds a certain charm.

Indeed it has a strong basement feel but as much as I like this atmosphere in psych bands and some late 70s private prog, I don't feel it works on their favour. Both their albums have not stood the test of time well with me and I definitely think that Gudang Garam is way better than their 1975 debut.

[Levgan]

Indeed it has a strong basement feel but as much as I like this atmosphere in psych bands and some late 70s private prog, I don't feel it works on their favour. Both their albums have not stood the test of time well with me and I definitely think that Gudang Garam is way better than their 1975 debut.

I remember how I once described Gudang Garam to a friend of mine as the more polished of their two albums, which made him shake his head in disbelief – if this is polished, then what the hell is Tramsebox from 1975 going to sound like?! I fully agree the 2nd LP is better, by the way – there's way too much basement atmosphere and too little actual music on the 1st one.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Brainstorm and Eiliff are definite must-haves. Excellent stuff!



If I were Joe Cocker, I’d consider it an insult to be compared to that guy.

I doubt that, considering that you'd be dead...

[PeterG]

I'm not young anymore, but I still like gash

[mellotron storm]

Essential listens i.m.o., though count me as stark raving mad for Moira's 2nd Reise Nach Ixtlan.

Hope I can track down a copy somewhere.