Essential Krautrock
I've been digging into German avantgarde rock from the 60's/70's, aka Krautrock, for the past 1.5 years. This list contains my 15 favorite albums from that experience. |
| 1 |  | Can
Tago Mago
The epitome of Kraut to this day. Repetitive rhythms, fiery improv, tape manipulations, odd sound collage experiments. This double album has it all. |
| 2 | | Amon D??l II
Yeti
If Tanz der Lemminge is an acoustic semi-psychfolk album with eastern/medieval overtones, Yeti is an electric semi-hardrock album with the same overtones. This album got everything D??l are famous for: fucked-up guitar, bizarre vox and expansive improv. |
| 3 | | Faust
So Far
Give me this one over IV any day. Faust's (willfully?) clunky tape manipulations and post-produced instrument butcheries are in full effect here. Plus No Harm is one of the wildest Kraut jams ever, hands down. |
| 4 |  | Can
Ege Bamyasi
Can return for their 3rd(?) album with a huge slab of funkiness. The proto-HipHop of Pinch and Vitamin C aswell as the strange chamber pop of Spoon are breathtaking. |
| 5 |  | Kraftwerk
Autobahn
This was the first album where Kraftwerk abandoned nearly all of their "real" instruments and relied solely on electronics. This still has some classic Kraut principles, like repetition and a constant pulse though. |
| 6 | | Cluster
Cluster '71
An insane proto-ambient album recorded with several heavily processed instruments. These dark soundscapes are a bit too intense to put them on as background muzak though. |
| 7 |  | Can
Monster Movie
Can's proper debut from 1969 (OK). I used to like this a lot more in the past. Rougher and more energetic than their later albums. I sorta like Malcolm Mooney's vox. |
| 8 | | Neu!
Neu! 2
Full of Neu!'s classic proto-dance "motorik" sound. Even if side 2 is made up of a bunch of versions of the same 2 songs, I don't give a fuck. It's still great. |
| 9 |  | Faust
Faust IV
Faust's "accessible" album. The song Krautrock sounds a warped vinyl recording of Sister Ray played too slow. It gets more weird-acoustic after that. |
| 10 |  | Neu!
Neu!
Their first. Hallogallo and Negativland are a blast. The dabblings in ambient.....uhhmmm.... arent. |
| 11 | | Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel
Truely free improvisation isn't found easily in Rock. Manuel G?ttsching and co have created such a rare beast with this one. The first side is intense and electrifying, the second one is quiet and tranquilizing. |
| 12 | | Harmonia
Musik Von Harmonia
Cluster+Micheal Rother (of Neu!)=Harmonia. Don't let the yawn-inducing opener put you off. This contains some rhythmical, textural semi-electronic avant rock of the finest sort. |
| 13 | | Amon D??l II
Tanz Der Lemminge
Acoustic madness, D??l-style. Not the easiest album to get into. Generally less dark and more medieval-influenced than Yeti. |
| 14 |  | Tangerine Dream
Phaedra
Some dudes fucking around with synths. Sounds a bit outdated today, but still retains an air of mystery and calm. |
| 15 | | Ashra
Blackouts
Ash Ra Tempel, phase 2. A synth/guitar album created pretty much by Manuel G?ttsching alone. Some nice, repetitive synth lines and cool soloing. A hidden Kraut jam. |
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