The Spyros Krautrock list

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Zappathustra

good starters

Hm. If I was to bridge off eleven seminal kraut acts, they would most probably be the following:

Kraftwerk
Can
Tangerine Dream
Popol Vuh
Neu!
Faust
Ash Ra Tempel (or Ashra)
Amon Düül II
Cluster
Agitation Free
Embryo

There are plenty more -very- important artists to boot, but these eleven arguably exhibit the totality of stylespans involved. There are of course other variations (hard rock, symphonic rock, folk, agitprop, more purely fusion, proto-punk etc.), but there's often an exceeding discussion on terminology with such approaches. Altogether it's a fairly complex concept, this.

As for Steven Wilson, both much early PT and I.E.M. as well as Bass Communion were always purportedly "kraut-influenced", although I really didn't hear those impulses to any prominent degree. His music was usually way too carefully calculated to convince at that, and if there was any one accumulative expression denoting the venture of krautrock as a whole it would be "anarchic" - which is not synonymous with chaotic, btw.

**chalkpie** · 04-05-2018

That Electric Orange album is fantastic. I purchased the flac on BC and burned a copy for the car. Great driving toons.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by chalkpie

That Electric Orange album is fantastic.

I like even the much maligned Cyberdelic release of theirs, although I agree that next to titles like Platte it's rather corny.

**per anporth** · 04-05-2018

I would add Harmonia to that list, Scroters - I know that there's crossover with personnel, but for me, they do something that none of the others, even with pretty much the same lineups, managed.

**Zappathustra** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Hm. If I was to bridge off eleven seminal.. .

I picked 3 albums that I think are easier to grasp, coming from a PT background. If we are talking about seminal kraut, I would/could never ommit Amon Duul II, or Popol Vuh.

**Zappathustra** · 04-05-2018

That Frumpy 2 thing is glorious proto heavy/psych/prog music, played at a crushing intensity. Great choice, Spyros! What a voice, she sounds like Phil Mogg, but with more depth and power. I have to confess that I get goosebumps by her performance on Duty.

On the other hand, Spyros, where is Exmagma? They belong somewhere in your lists and you are the first to know it. That 3rd unreleased LP is the culmination of their work and absolutely deserved to appear at the time. A record that sounds relevant and fresh even by today's standards.

**chalkpie** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

I like even the much maligned Cyberdelic release of theirs, although I agree that next to titles like Platte it's rather corny.

what other albums should I explore by EO? I am REALLY REALLY digging Abgelaufen!

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by per anporth

I would add Harmonia to that list, Scroters - I know that there's crossover with personnel, but for me, they do something that none of the others, even with pretty much the same lineups, managed.

Oh, I agree! Along with the debut Neu! (and '75 is pretty damn good as well) I'd probably take both Harmonias over Cluster and Kraftwerk, although I love 'em both!

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Zappathustra

That Frumpy 2 thing is glorious proto heavy/psych/prog music, played at a crushing intensity. [...] I have to confess that I get goosebumps by her performance on Duty.

Quite possibly my single fave 70s hard rock album, with the post-psych underlinings to boot and that -voice-... I agree "Duty" is absolutely spectacular, and not least the sudden release after almost 8 mins of incredible jammy tension when all of a sudden that insane drumfill brings the bacon back home to the finishing verse. And did the Hammond truly ever roar like on this one? Astounding.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by chalkpie

what other albums should I explore by EO? I am REALLY REALLY digging Abgelaufen!

Franx, they're ALL good, seriously! I mentioned thw two which sort of stand out, Cyberdelic for bizarre variety of contents and Platte for the ultra-deliberate lowfi sonorities - but they're all listenable to a great extent!

**Trane** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Kraftwerk
Can
Tangerine Dream
Popol Vuh
Neu!
Faust
Ash Ra Tempel (or Ashra)
Amon Düül II
Cluster
Agitation Free
Embryo

that's the best top 10 KR list I could think of to define the genre, really

**Zappathustra** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Quite possibly my single fave 70s hard rock album, with the post-psych underlinings to boot and that -voice-... I agree "Duty" is absolutely spectacular, and not least the sudden release after almost 8 mins of incredible jammy tension when all of a sudden that insane drumfill brings the bacon back home to the finishing verse. And did the Hammond truly ever roar like on this one? Astounding.

I am very glad to be in your company in admiring this. The tension is building and building from start and they go all-in in Duty, when they even play this classical piece (is it Bach? my memory fails) like it is the most natural thing in the world. And then, when the bacon is back home and she sings again the verse, that's when I got the goosebumps, my hair rose just above my two knees, I am not the hairy type and I didn't actually know I had hair there, what an incredible voice, what a potential our species has.

Funny what music does to you.

**chalkpie** · 04-05-2018

Originally Posted by Udi Koomran

Edgar Froese Epsilon

Playing right now - really lovely stuff.

**Udi Koomran** · 04-06-2018

Yup
I remember first hearing it on local radio back in 1974 "How The Gypsy was born " I was 12 and it blew me away
Great Hammond on that one

**chalkpie** · 04-06-2018

Negativland.

**chalkpie** · 04-06-2018

Beautifully played Jaki cover.

**mellotron storm** · 04-08-2018

Originally Posted by chalkpie

No Future Days here, or I am just not seeing it?

I agree with Cope as I'd pick those five ahead of Future Days but then a hundred of us Krautrock fans would all have different lists thankfully.
And thanks Spyros for these lists, especially the modern one as I've got some investigating to do. You've introduced me to a lot of music with your posts on here. Can't wait one day to have the time to absorb myself in Krautrock for a few months for re-listens to come up with my own list. Not just Krautrock but Zeuhl. Canterbury etc.

**Zappathustra** · 04-08-2018

Originally Posted by mellotron storm

I agree with Cope as I'd pick those five ahead of Future Days but then a hundred of us Krautrock fans would all have different lists thankfully.
And thanks Spyros for these lists, especially the modern one as I've got some investigating to do. You've introduced me to a lot of music with your posts on here. Can't wait one day to have the time to absorb myself in Krautrock for a few months for re-listens to come up with my own list. Not just Krautrock but Zeuhl. Canterbury etc.

There is nothing ahead of Future Days. It says so in the title. Its time hasn't come yet. Cheers!

**Zappathustra** · 04-12-2018

Listening to Embryo - Opal this morning. I think this is my favorite Embryo. I love its rawness. What came after seems to me more calculated, less adventurous. I'm going to listen to the first 5 today to see if I am talking nonsense.

**spacefreak** · 04-12-2018

Originally Posted by Zappathustra

On the other hand, Spyros, where is Exmagma? They belong somewhere in your lists and you are the first to know it. That 3rd unreleased LP is the culmination of their work and absolutely deserved to appear at the time.

Yes I know, but I limited myself to only 25...

Originally Posted by Zappathustra

to see if I am talking nonsense.

Yes, you are

. Jump to Embryo's Rache, Steig Aus, Embryo's Reise, La Blama Sparozzi a.s.a.p.

**Zappathustra** · 04-12-2018

Originally Posted by spacefreak

Yes, you are

. Jump to Embryo's Rache, Steig Aus, Embryo's Reise, La Blama Sparozzi a.s.a.p.

Lol! Just listened to Rache. Great! But they were never as dirty and dangerous as this first one. I think they moved away with time from the schizo/psych energy of the debut. But I am revisiting after a long time so I haven't decided yet.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 04-12-2018

^ Opal, Steig Aus and Rocksession between them tells of how amazingly varied and versatile they were, but Embryo's Rache - to me - remains their seminal statement. It's confrontational and highly refined at the same time, and it features some of their greatest grooves. And if anything, they were the king of ethnic grooves among the krauts. There were some seriously heavy grooves to be had with the likes of Joy Unlimited, Passport, Release Music Orchestra et al.

But none quite as groovy as Embryo.