[1993] Stereolab - The Groop Played ''Space Age Batchelor Pad Music''

As of lately, my go-to choice for Stereolab. One of their earliest albums, while it seems softer than Peng!, in here the motorik-fueled beats are more accentuated than in their next albums, even featuring an obvious Neu! homage. There's some noisy tracks that resemble what they'll later do in "Transient Random..." but in a more digestible package. Perfect for fans and starters alike.




Buy it directly from CD Universe here.

[2011] Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church of The Leading Hand + Aluk Tolodo - A Collaboration

Tight, syncopated drumming, wonky bass and martial industrial madness. What's not to love? The new collaboration between these two dark beasts is out, and as expected, it shows the best of both bodies of work and much more. Considered a continuation of Der Blutharsch's first release in this vein, in which the noisy psyschedelic-rock band White Hills participated. Outstanding release.



Buy it directly from Amortout here.

[2007] Sunburned Circle - The Blaze Game

A very intense, live collaboration between two masters of psychedelic jams, Sunburned Hand of The Man (USA) and Circle (Finland). Together they delivered a long, almost non-stop show full of blissed out solos and slow building patterns, which reminds me of the best improvised moments in Amon Düül II, everything tightly layered,without a single quiet moment.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Conspiracy Records here.

[2006] Circle - Miljard

Very unlike most of their back catalog, Miljard is Circle's most obvious ambient album, which still has a few motorik tingles, but it's mostly slow and drawn out. If you enjoy that side of them or if you're a fan of low key, guitar-oriented post-rock, you might enjoy this album. Personally I think it's good (in a complete different direction), 2CD's full of  great ambient music which the short bursts of intensity the band is known for.

Download it here: [320: Part 1 Part 2][V0]


Buy it directly from Ektro Records here.

[2009] The Low Frequency In Stereo - Futuro

Futuro is the noisiest, most daring effort of this norwegian band which has been likened to bands like Stereolab and Radiohead in the past (particularly the former), but in the reality is more than just that. Noisy riffs reminiscent of the no-wave era and heavy motorik drums akin to Neu! (along with the bold use of feedback) are the most obvious highlights here, but the combination of female and male vocals with a garage rock feel, and the campy, light sound of the trumpet (like in the song Solar System) makes this band really stand out as it deserves.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from Rune Grammofon here.

[2011] Faust - Something Dirty

One of my most expected releases for this year comes from the masterminds of the second official half of Faust, and their album Something Dirty. Radically different from last year's release (Faust Is Last), Péron's half leans more towards the psychedelic side of the original band (reminiscent of their s/t and Faust IV), making most of the songs included in this album more accessible (in the way Faust could allow itself) and less on the experimental side (yet unmistakenly focused on it, as usual), which was Joachim Irmler's half and their Faust Is Last's release. 13 tracks that remind ourselves of the krautrock gold era without any sort of revivalist complex that some bands are experiencing (talking about Amon Düül II), and definitely one of the most solid releases of this year, so far.

Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Bureau B here.

[2007] Aluk Todolo - Descension

Their noisiest album (also their first), a pure display of krautrock repetitiveness that reminds of their Tony Conrad influence. While not as cyclical and compelling in delivery as Finsternis, this album deserves a listen mostly because of the first and last track, its harsh wall of sound with fast drumming will definitely attract the followers of the genre looking for some recent works.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Public Guilt here (scroll down).

[REQUEST] [2000] Circle - Prospekt

One of the most acclaimed Circle albums, its hypnotic heavy motorik (already a trademark of their style) truly shines in a prominent way. 6 somewhat long songs that will carry the listener for a mind trip that will seem endless.

Download it here: [V0]

Currently sold out in Ektro Records.

[2007] Skultroll - Skultroll

Underground noise/krautrock band with ambient black metal leanings, this is as close as it gets to psychedelic kraut/black metal in the vein of Aluk Todolo (specially Descension). Amazing discovery that can't go unnoticed, this CDr material deserves more attention, even though its mastering quality is lacking a bit. Same members as Ice Bound Majesty, Skultroll is conformed solely of a bass player and a drummer.

Download it here: [224][V0]

Buy it directly from Rhesus Distribution here (contact info on the site).

Sunn O))) Presents: Aluk Todolo @ Roadburn Festival 2011

It's a shame I probably won't be able to attend, but this looks like a promising show:

 

If you attend Roadburn 2011, you're in for a treat. This band was a perfect addition to the lineup put together by Sunn O))) for next year's event. Hopefully, 2011 won't suffer the same natural events like the volcano eruption during the first three months of this year, which caused several bands to cancel and some others to spend extra cash on land transportation..

Read more here: http://www.roadburn.com/2010/11/sunn-o-announces-first-bands-for-their-curated-event-at-roadburn-festival-2011-winter-earth-and-scorn-amongst-others/

[1973] Faust - The Faust Tapes (2010 ReR Reissue)

After their s/t, this is essential Faust material, which also has more of the tape manipulation and spoken word bits already present on the s/t and took it somewhere unknown. The standard "krautrock" songs are quickly replaced by weirdness track after track, leaving the listener sometimes completely unaware of what's going on if not enough attention is paid. In my opinion this is material that should be own not only by fans of the genre, but those interested in experimental music in general, seeing as this album set precedents still groundbreaking until our days.

Download it here: [V0] Updated!

Buy it directly from Recommended Records here.

[2006] Circle - Tyrant

Starting with a psychedelic, repeated section typical of their take on krautrock, it devolves into weirdness, with the punkish vocals, frantic drumming and crazy synths which quickly picks up pace before fading and getting their engines ready for the next song(s). Almost 45min of the best introduction to Circle that I'd recommend for beginners and fans of the genre alike, brought as usual by Latitudes.

Download it here [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Latitudes here.

[2002] Tony Conrad with Faust - Outside The Dream Syndicate: 30th Anniversary Edition

Quintessential Table of Elements release and a classic within the drone scene, Tony Conrad teamed up with Faust to make this interesting album, in which the syncopated drumming of Faust is combined with the slow violin delivery of Tony Conrad. The songs flow seamlessly following an almost natural structure, in total disregard for time and even the listener's patience. In spite of that, this is easily one of the best minimalist drone/krautrock albums I'm aware of, and one of the main reasons I enjoy listening to this album every so often.
This release isn't the original 1973 release, it belongs to the Table of Elements release, which is actually the second re-release (with three live performances) of this album, dubbed as "30th Anniversary Edition".

Download it here: [320: Part 1 Part 2][V0]

Buy it directly from Amazon here.

[2009] The Inner Space - Agilok & Blubbo

A document of how early Can used to be, more focused on psychedelic proto-krautrock (not too different from Amon Düül II) with an emphasis on flutes. Released in 2009 (but recorded during the 70's), the "Can sound" isn't quite there yet, this one sounds more alike to british psychedelic rock being composed around the same time, but it's still one of the best to date. The Inner Space supposedly did a soundtrack for a softcore porn movie called Kamasutra, again working on the same grounds as this album (though there's an obvious eastern music approach).

Download it here: [V2]

[2010] Saturnalia Temple/Nightbringer/Nihil Nocturne/Aluk Todolo - On The Powers of The Sphinx

My third favorite split of this year (first would be Lose / Lose / Lose, and second Dirtpill / Заводь / Zuboroth), this 4-way split delivers the best of occult-influenced bands I've heard so far. Saturnalia Temple's song (To Know) manages to sound even dirtier and obscure than their previous albums (specially UR), but enough to be a perfect mood-setter for this interesting release. Admittedly I'm not a fan of what they do, but at least I can say it might be of interest to those into the occult vibe of some recent doom metal bands (Moss and Dark Buddha Rising come to mind, for instance). Next we have Nightbringer (To Will), band already well-known in the orthodox black metal scene, with a song that I wouldn't really consider their best of their career, but at least goes along nicely with the concept. It does drag a bit, but this is normal with Nightbringer.
Next song would be To Dare by Nihil Nocturne, a german black metal band with a long career, with this song being one of the main highlights of this split. The prize goes, however, to Aluk Todolo with To Keep Silent, one of their longest songs, in which the mood set by Saturnalia Temple earlier in the album is improved by the syncopathed drumming and the heavy feedback that characterizes this band. It sounds as if it was recorded live, seeing as the production is not as good compared to their previous albums, although it doesn't affect at all their quality. Top quality release, as it's usual with Ajna Offensive.

Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from The Ajna Offensive here.

[1977] This Heat - Made Available: John Peel Sessions (2006 Reissue)

The uniqueness of This Heat, the way only John Peel would've recorded it. Can't say much of the difference between this one and the previous 1977 release, but I can assure you This Heat never sounded this heavy. Every song in this live sesssion sounds as if they were being churned up by a big, merciless crawling machine, crushing everything on its way, breathing every 20 seconds before assaulting the listener over and over again. No other album is able to mix that violent delivery with softer, almost self-mocking melodies that change the mood minute after minute. Special mention goes for Makeshift Swahili, this version of the song is easily better than both the s/t and Deceit. Meant for extended, high volume listenings.


Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from Recommended Records here (Special Box Set).

[2008] Neptune - Gong Lake

Short but fast and straight to the point, Gong Lake presents the listener with a mechanical, layered mix of industrial sounds reminiscent of This Heat in so many ways (a band I'm a fan of), giving post-punk a whole different dimension while mixing it with krautrock and electronic music. Heavy album, it deserves to be listened loud, to allow all its hidden layers to be unfold easier. Like I mentioned before, this is for fans of the chaotic, post-apocalyptic sound of This Heat, in some ways irreplicable but at least a few come close, such is the case of Neptune.
Weirdly enough, their previous albums aren't like this one, they're closer to free improvisation.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Amazon here.

[2010] Hallogallo 2010 - Blinkgurtel/Drone Schlager

A Neu! half reunion, Michael Rother joined forces with Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth's drummer) and Aaron Mullan (from Tall Firs) for a series of live shows recreating the music of Neu!, releasing a series of original compositions resembling their first albums (which is rather evident by the name of the trio). This single contains two new songs, interesting new material that may lead in the near future to a full length.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Juno Records here.

[2007] Faust & Nurse With Wound - Disconnected

The big krautrock veterans and the experimental collective by definition joined forces in one of the best collaborations the genre has seen. Disconnected resembles the best of Faust's debut with the unpredictability of Nurse With Wound, making them even more bizarre than what they normally are. Six tracks, one of them a live session, in which both projects explore unlikely sounds in a way few would. Essential material for krautrock fans.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Art-Errorist here.
Buy it directly from Recommended Records here.

[1997] Stereolab & Nurse With Wound - Simple Headphone Mind

Stereolab's krautrock influences and Nurse With Wound's sound collages and manipulation  find a common ground in this underappreciated collaboration called Simple Headphone Mind. At Stereolab's motorik beats, Stapleton & Co. added warped vocals (Sadier's) and all sorts of crazy noises, along with a heavy load of bass, turning what originally was an upbeat song into a rumbling, unpredictable composition full of layers that weren't even present in the original arrangement. The motorik-fueled beat that serves as a base for this collab is actually an instrumental Stereolab song called The Long Hair of Death, which is later featured in the 2xCD compilation called Aluminum Tunes. Simply unique.

Download it here: [320][V0]