Romantic Warriors IV: Krautrock

[markwoll]

Got mine yesterday. Now I just need to carve out some viewing time.

[Buddhabreath]

^^^
Me too! Will wait for the weekend to get into the right head space and zone in...

[RileyBur]

So jealous of you folks. Not received mine yet. Hopefully it arrives in time for the weekend.

[SteveSly]

Got mine in the mail yesterday. Had the chance to watch about a half hour of it so far. It is another fantastic production. Krautrock is something I am not all that familiar with, so most of the information so far is new to me.

[NogbadTheBad]

Arrived today, waiting for an opportunity to watch it.

[Shadow]

I'll watch it Friday on the big screen.

[rcarlberg]

Hey, would one of you fellers who's received the movie like to fill out the Wikipedia page I started? I haven't received mine yet so I can't list the interviewees and summarize the "plot." I ordered the bundle, so I'm not sure, maybe both discs ship when the Special Features DVD ships in May?

[Buddhabreath]

^^^
Hmmmm, I ordered the bundle and received disk 1 a few days ago.

[progdocs]

Check out legendary Omaha musician Dereck Higgins' commentary of Part 1 of the Krautrock trilogy, while he discusses a few of the bands featured in the film, Kraftwerk, CAN, Neu!, La Düsseldorf, Faust, etc.!!! Visit https://www.progdocs.com for more info on the documentary series.

[rcarlberg]

Progmistress Rafaella Berry has posted a long review of RW4, which says in part:

Although the deep poignancy that pervaded Canterbury Tales also emerges in Krautrock 1, the documentary never lingers too long on feelings of loss, but celebrates the unbounded vitality of the movement and its protagonists. In many ways, as the film shows with unrelenting clarity, Krautrock ran counter to the original prog movement, being closer in nature to punk and new wave than to Yes and ELP, though equally ambitious in its outspoken goal of creating a kind of music that was uniquely German. The film works both as an introduction for those who are still unfamiliar with the movement, and as a fascinating insight into its development for those who are already invested in it. Whether it will be enough to convert any unbelievers remains to be seen. In any case, even if the music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Krautrock 1 is a must-see not only for fans of progressive music, but also for those interested in the history and culture of post-war Europe.

The next phase of the ROMANTIC WARRIORS universe comes in 2019 with the first of a planned trilogy of releases. ROMANTIC WARRIORS IV : KRAUTROCK, PART I starts the series by focusing on Krautrock that developed in the Cologne, Düsseldorf and Hamburg regions of Germany. The focus of these films is to highlight the bands that were innovative in the progressive rock scene and for the sake of not including every band that existed, the film opted to leave out bands that were more derivative of English prog and copycats of others. PART I captures many of the musicians who are still alive from Krautrock's early years and allows them to tell their stories while capturing some archival footage. Bands included on this first edition are Can, Faust, Kraftwerk, Floh de Cologne, Neu!, La Düsseldorf, Japandorf, Krautwerk, Electric Orange, Wume and the Damo Suzuki Network.

While there is never enough footage to satisfy the hardcore fans in these kinds of documentaries as i could personally watch entire documentaries for each of the bands involved, this is a very interesting journey into the greater depths of Germany's unique contribution to the progressive rock universe and no matter how much you thought you knew already about this vibrant movement that began in the 70s, ROMANTIC WARRIORS is guaranteed to reveal some of the long lost secrets that have been tucked away behind the scenes for many decades.

[progdocs]

The "got Krautrock? Part 1" Special Features DVD is an addendum to the 2019 feature-length documentary "Romantic Warriors IV - Krautrock Part 1" DVD. The film was written and directed by Adele Schmidt and José Zegarra Holder, and was released in the United States by Zeitgeist Media last April. The Special Features DVD consists of additional material filmed during the making of, but not used in, the original Romantic Warriors IV Part 1. The DVD features 3 hours of live performance videos by five of the bands that appear in the original film, followed by 80 minutes of additional interview clips of people interviewed in the first Romantic Warriors IV of the Krautrock Trilogy. Available for pre-order at https://www.progdocs.com/pre-order Release date: May 30th, 2019
BAND PERFORMANCES: Krautwerk, Wume, faUSt, Electric Orange, Damo Suzuki’s Network
FEATURED INTERVIEW CLIPS: Wolfgang Flür, Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit, Malcolm Mooney, Jean-Hervé Péron

[chalkpie]

I placed an order a while back but still haven't received anything. Maybe my neighbor stole it? No they didn't.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Maybe my neighbor stole it?

Is his name Jarod Schreckberger?!

[Scrotum Scissor]

egendary Omaha musician Dereck Higgins' commentary

Practically everything he posts is to some extent worthwhile.

[progdocs]

IMG_4358.jpg
The Got Krautrock? DVDs arrived and are shipping now! Our latest Special Features DVD is an addendum to the 2019 feature-length documentary "Romantic Warriors IV - Krautrock Part 1” DVD. It features 3 hours of live performance videos by five contemporary bands that appear in the film: Krautwerk, Wume, faUSt, Electric Orange and Damo Suzuki’s Network. Also included are 80 minutes of unreleased interview clips of the following Krautrock musicians interviewed in the first film of the Krautrock Trilogy: Wolfgang Flür, Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit, Malcolm Mooney, and Jean-Hervé Péron.

The Band Performances include the following five bands:
KRAUTWERK
The DVD’s live performances start with Krautwerk, a collaboration between two early legends of Krautrock music joining forces, first, Eberhard Kranemann, who was in at the start of both NEU! and Kraftwerk; and Harald Grosskopf, who spent many years drumming for Klaus Schulze and playing with Ashra. Filmed at Kranemann’s studio in Wuppertal, Germany, these two tracks show that they are clearly still hungry for the discovery of new forms of music.

WUME
Wume is a Baltimore duo formed by Al Schatz, who plays synthesizers, and drummer/vocalist April Camlin. They create minimalist music heavily influenced by the German Krautrock movement. In these four tracks, they show why Camlin is perhaps one of the most interesting drummers in Baltimore, as she uses repetitive patterns in the style of Jaki Liebezeit, accompanied by Schatz’s layered synth lines that ad atmosphere and depth. Together, well, it is just intense.

faUSt
Next section features the legendary German experimentalists, led by Jean-Hervé Péron & Zappi Diermaier, performing in a 100-person space on their fourth US tour ever, in Louisville, KY in 2016, and the results are magical. Dada-informed Faust begins the set on the edge of the chaos, building up a chaotic noise drone over several minutes, they then looped it and the twin drummers (Zappi and Tim Barnes) began their massive motorik pulse, with Jean Hervé Péron reciting poetry with the music, or even sing, while Maxime Manac’h was playing hurdy-gurdy and guitars, a vibe comparable to that of Pere Ubu, in its intrepid embrace of risk & adventure with no thought of compromise.

Electric Orange
This Krautrock and psychedelics band from Aachen, Germany (near Cologne) performed at "Finki”, a legendary German Krautrock festival founded in 1977 by drummer Mani Neumeier and his band Guru Guru. This collection of tracks captured in film displays the band’s psychedelic bias and their purposeful use of eclectic instrumentation to create atmospheres similar to bands like Amon Düül II, Can and Ash Ra Tempel. It makes for an amazingly powerful listening!

Damo Suzuki's Network
Damo Suzuki’s Network - This section includes the entire live concert of Damo Suzuki's Network in Lima, Perú, performed in 2017. As he tours, Damo performs live improvisational music with various local musicians, so-called "Sound Carriers”, that have had no prior interaction with Damo nor have rehearsed together, which opens up the opportunity to create something entirely new at the time of their performance. For this concert, he teamed up with experienced musicians from Lima, who played both native and traditional rock instruments to intertwine with Damo’s spontaneous vocalizations, fed off the sound carriers’ energy on stage.

Visit https://www.progdocs.com/pre-order before midnight May 30 EST to get $2off. After that time, it will be available at regular price at https://www.progdocs.com/shop

[rcarlberg]

Reviews continue to come in.

There really should be a Prog award handed out to filmmakers Adele Schmidt and Jose Zegarra Holder for their incredible work in documenting progressive music's origins and development. Having already focused on the successors to the classic bands of the 70s, the RIO movement and the historical and current strands of the Canterbury scene, their affectionate gaze has now turned to Germany's heroes. Detailing the anarchic collision between the avant-garde impulses of the art scene, agit-prop theatre and a defiant pushback away from US dominance in pop and rock culture, the distinctive world they created is explored via a series of fascinating, insightful interviews with several sonic pioneers including Michael Rother, Irmin Schmidt, Faust's Jean-Hervé Péron and Kraftwerk's Wolfgang Flür. Allowing them and several others the space to relate first-hand experiences, simply and directly without any of the jarring editorial leaps that so often mar the rockumentary format, gives this history an authoritative feel. Sympathetically interspersed with rare footage and, where applicable, some superb contemporary performances, this two-hour installment of the Romantic Warriors series eschews gratuitous nostalgia while bearing witness to an innovative movement.

The fourth film project in the Romantic Warriors progressive music saga series by Adele Schmidt and Jose Zegarra Holder, appears to be the most expansive and info packed subject yet (the results of Part II & III will confirm that). I cannot help but think that with Germany being Schmidt’s birthplace, her connections and ability to dig into the background and realization of this all important subject, is why the project has turned out so superior. No book or previous film on the topic comes close to the broad and insightful minutes of the KRAUTROCK Part I.

Well, just ask one hundred music experts, and you will get one hundred very different explanations when it comes to the complete phenomenon Krautrock, respectively which band will fit this odd genre music-wise. Fortunately Adele Schmidt and José Zegarro Holder avoid the mistake to delve into another new comprehensive essay. And this will also include the following two parts, I’m quite sure. However, what they necessarily have is a concept, of course. They are selective somehow, and that’s good…’Krautrock Part 1′ is a skillful effort, provided in two languages and the option to turn on subtitles in English, French and Italian. Chapeau! The Zeitgeist Media team have successfully started their mission, I would say. This documentation is a recommended add-on to your collection, a must have for Krautrock fans so much the more.

The defining quality of Krautrock, as stated near the beginning of this film, is that it was made by musicians in Germany who wanted to create music that was not derivative of the popular rock coming out of England and the United States. Part 1 starts us off in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg, diving into the histories of Can, Kraftwerk, Neu!, Floh de Cologne, and Faust along with their variations and offshoots. Many of the surviving members of the bands are interviewed, including Irmin Schmidt and Jaki Liebezeit from Can, along with both Malcolm Mooney and Damo Suzuki. The filmmakers caught up with Suzuki in Peru, where we see him with his Network project, in which he works with different musicians in the cities he visits. The inclusion of Mooney in particular is a treat, since his post-Can work has been infrequent and not very high-profile. The final major section of the film moves to Faust, with appearances by Zappi Diermaier and Jean-Hervé Péron. They talk about their adventures with record labels, some of the editing and remixing techniques they devised, and how the spirit of the band continues with the faUSt tours in the US. In all, it’s a great peek into an incredibly fertile scene that is still relevant today, and was arguably more innovative than most of what is now labeled “progressive rock.” The filmmakers have come along at the right time to gather footage while some of the musicians are still with us. I’m definitely looking forward to the next two parts!

The film begins with a lengthy section on the group Can, and features interview clips and some excellent footage and stills of the band in their earliest days with all the original band members including singer Malcolm Mooney, who together with Irmin Schmidt shed plenty of light on the band’s formation and earliest days. Mooney’s departure is covered as well as the recruitment of new singer Damo Suzuki, and follows the band through their classic period (Tago Mago through the mid-70s) as well as the later 70s when ex-Traffic guys Rosko Gee and the late Reebop Kwaku Baah joined the lineup, through the band’s eventual dissolution; an additional segment focusing on Damo Suzuki’s Network finishes that first lengthy but very worthwhile segment. Another section focuses on the origins of Kraftwerk, from the forerunner band Spirit of Sound, the split of the original Kraftwerk between the first and second LPs, and subsequent successes with albums like Autobahn and Radio Activity, most taken from an excellent interview with Wolfgang Flür, who explains why, as their music became more and more programmed, he felt he had no purpose within the group, and split follwing The Man Machine. A third major section focuses on the band Faust, including interviews and footage with the original band, explaining the chance that major label Polydor took signing them for two albums, and then Virgin signing them for the next two albums, as well as how their collaboration with Tony Conrad for Outside the Dream Syndicate came about, a very interesting story. This is a long film, about two hours and ten minutes total, so have a good supply of popcorn ready, you are bound to see many clips and interviews that have never been seen before!

[progdocs]

In all, it’s a great peek into an incredibly fertile scene that is still relevant today, and was arguably more innovative than most of what is now labeled “progressive rock.”

Touché!

[progdocs]

FREE ProgDay Film Screening: Romantic Warriors IV!

As part of ProgDay’s advocacy for progressive music, we have teamed up with Adele Schmidt and José Zegarra Holder of Zeitgeist Media Production to present a FREE screening of the feature film documentary, Romantic Warriors IV – Krautrock (Part 1). Part 1 covers the music and history of Can, Faust, Harmonia, NEU!, Cluster, Damo Suzuki's Network, and more.

Krautrock is a form of progressive rock that has proven to be one of the most influential to current rock musicians, particularly post-rock artists. This is a chance for those familiar with this great music to learn more about their favorite artists. For those not familiar with the music, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the music and the musicians that create it.

When: Saturday, August 31, 9:00pm.
Where: Hotel Comfort Inn University Durham, 3508 Mt. Moriah Rd., Durham, NC 27707

Join US, TODAY, ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI, IZZ and MÖRGLBL at ProgDay 25, the twenty-fifth edition of ProgDay. ProgDay is a two day outdoor festival of progressive rock. ProgDay 25 will take place on Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1, 2019, at Storybook Farm in the countryside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

For more information, please visit us at www.progday.net.

To hear music from this year’s bands, please visit the ProgDay Music Page (http://progday.net/ProgDay-Music.html).

Thanks!

Michael
Last edited by Miciah; 1 Day Ago at 06:18 PM.
Michael B.

www.michaelbennett.com
www.progday.net

Great Program Line Up this year at ProgDay 2019, we would love to see you there! More info about the Krautrock trilogy of documentary films at https://www.progdocs.com/rw-iv1/

[Trane]

Hey José,

Please look up in your PM box

HR

Hugues

[progdocs]

For those who need to complete their RW collection (or start it)...Only until August 10th! That's right! Free worldwide shipping for all DVDs of the Romantic Warriors Series! To order, please visit https://www.progdocs.com/shop
bundle-de-siete.jpg

[Lopez]

Will you have a table at ProgDay? I'll purchase my Kautrock and Got Krautrock? then.

[progdocs]

Will you have a table at ProgDay? I'll purchase my Kautrock and Got Krautrock? then.

Lou, yes, we will have a table at ProgDay, see you there!

[chalkpie]

FINALLY got around to watching this. Loved it! Congrats to Adele and Jose for a fantastic film that was both interesting and educational. I also purchased the bonus DVD with the live gigs so I will be watching that this weekend. These musicians were so unpretentious in their art and the manner in which they expressed themselves within this music was honest, unique, and downright beautiful. I really enjoyed hearing from Damo, Malcolm, Irmin, Michael, etc the list goes on. If there is another volume at some point that continues this journey, I am in. 10/10!

[rcarlberg]

I changed the Wikipedia page to "2020" instead of "2019" for Part 2.

Hope I don't have to change it again!

[chalkpie]

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/krautrock-2#/