This month 49 years ago KRAFTWERK released their second studio album KRAFTWERK 2
Kraftwerk 2 is the second studio album that was released under the moniker Kraftwerk. The album was written and performed by founding Kraftwerk members Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in late 1971, with the sessions produced by the influential Konrad "Conny" Plank. It was released by Philips in January 1972.
Hütter later commented in an interview: "Nobody wanted to play with us because we did all kinds of strange things...feedbacks and overtones and sounds and rhythms. No drummer wanted to work with us because we had these electronic gadgets."
Although one should expect the obvious, this album features no synthesizers, the instrumentation being largely electric guitar, bass guitar, flute and violin. The electronic tricks and experiments both gentlemen display here belong to the realm of 1960s tape-based music, with heavy use of tape echo, reverse playback and tape speed effects. Overall, the sound has a rather muted, twilit, dusky feel, similar in feel to "Megaherz" on Kraftwerk's debut album, as Hütter and Schneider explored the possibilities for electronic and auto-mechanical enhancement of their music.
The lengthy, almost side-long "Klingklang" which opens the album is notable for its use of a preset organ beatbox to provide the percussion track. A term which would later be used as their fifth virtual member in the shape of a recording studio.It starts with a clangourous Stockhausen-like metallic percussion montage and gives rise to the unmistakable Kraftwerk sound. Later, the song title also became the name of the band's own self-built studio, in Düsseldorf. "Atem" is a recording of breathing, while "Harmonika" features a tape-manipulated mouth organ.
The cover design, by Ralf and Florian, further hints at conceptual art, being a repeat of the first album's pop art design – except this time fluorescent green replaces the red and the number '2' is added.
No material from this album has been performed in the band's live set since the Autobahn tour of 1975, and to date, the album has not been officially reissued on CD. The band is seemingly reluctant to consider the release as a part of their legacy
In interviews, Schneider described the first three Kraftwerk albums as "archaeology".
KRAFTWERK 2
A1. Klingklang 17:36
A2. Atem 2:57
B1. Strom 3:52
B2. Spule 5:20
B3. Wellenlänge 9:40
B4. Harmonika 3:17
Dark Ambient Act WITHERING OF LIGHT Unveils Their New Full-Length Album 'Reliquary'.
US dark ambient act WITHERING OF LIGHT has unveiled their new full-length album Reliquary.
Reliquary is available now on digital and CD formats. Vinyl LP format tentatively due in February.
"The concept behind this album became how each of the words that are the titles took me out of the mundane everyday and put my mind in somewhat of a different state.
For instance, "Reliquary" is a vessel that contains a sacred or holy relic of some kind. We as humans fetishize objects, moments, memories. Even your mind can become a reliquary harboring the sacred, profane and otherwise. Each of these words I found carried some kind of weight, a spectral resonance (hence that title) and the sounds here are the aural embodiment of these." - Todd Janeczek
Texas Goth-Rock Band IN A DARKENED ROOM Unveils Their New Video: 'Final Vows'.
Texas goth-rock band IN A DARKENED ROOM has unveiled their new video for the song "Final Vows." This is the third single off of their debut album slated for release in 2021.
“Final Vows was written about a love lost and the realization of knowing, as things pass and change with time, they sometimes leave a trace of what was. The feeling that time may come and go, but the strongest emotions we experience leave an imprint on this world and we sometimes unknowingly search for these remnants again. The song is about feeling something special, whether it be a person or an idea, and having to say goodbye to those things and wandering the Earth wondering if you will ever find them again."
-CJ Duron
For fans of: THE CURE & DRAB MAJESTY
Absolute Body Control break their silence and start 2021 with a brand new single and music video!
With shows already confirmed in Belgium, Germany and Spain, 2020 was supposed to be the year of the return of the Belgian minimal electro cult band Absolute Body Control. Since the band went in hibernation in 2016 their return to the stage was highly anticipated, sadly the Covid 19 pandemic decided otherwise.
Realising rehearsals would be a waste of time the band decided to turn something negative into something positive. Unexpectedly they broke the silence, on the last day of this annus horribilis 2020, with a brand new track and accompanying music video! The song/title ‘Earth Takes A Break’ doesn’t need much more explanation. The video was shot in the 572 metre long iconic Antwerp pedestrian tunnel Sint-Anna, built between 1931 - 1933 and stretching underneath the river Schelde, connecting the left river bank with the city centre on the right river bank.
The images of the Sint-Anna tunnel, referred to by Antwerp residents as the ‘Voetgangertunnel’ (Pedestrian Tunnel), will look familiar to those who have been following the career of Absolute Body Control’s members Dirk Ivens and Eric Van Wonterghem as it has been featured on artwork and pictures frequently throughout their career.
Enough facts and talking! Enjoy ABC’s splendid new years gift below!
Elvis Costello, the Buddy Holly on acid, the Punk troubadour of the late nineteen-seventies, one of the most prolific and consistent artists of his generation.
To go through his canon of albums would be a long, although exciting adventure, but here we celebrate with the stand out, with the first record of his people discovered and latched onto, and one which is still listened to and love passionately “Armed Forces”.
Some have said this is one of the best albeit subtle political statements of the twentieth century, a bigger statement than one which the late Woody Guthrie would have attempted.
Wrapped in a fold back cover and front picture of elephants charging is an electrifying, rock steady album and an enigma to some albums in one that doesn't contain a dud track.
Released in January 1979, the working title says more than the given one; “Emotional Fascism”.
A daring album, one to dance to, this was the album where Elvis Costello came into his own as a songwriter, a melodic and textured work, hiding songs of a strong political nature, delivered with Costellos unique and demand to be listened to vocal.
Only two singles released; “Accidents Will Happen” the albums catchy opener and the number-two hit “Olivers Army”.
Based on a trip to Belfast, Costello being of Irish descent, “Olivers Army” remains one of Costellos most memorable songs.
The trip to Belfast opening his eyes to the young men, almost boys, armed and in uniform, from this was born his anti-occupation song.
A song about the young, working class men always sent to do the killing, name dropping along the way, apart from Belfast, ‘Checkpoint Charlie', Palestine, Cyprus and South Africa, wrapped nicely in bubblegum pop. Wether the listener knew or not is another story, but that was Costellos gift, the subtly.
The phrase 'White Nigger' remaining in the song when played on the airwaves for thirty years up until March 2013 when the BBC decided to censor the phrase, leading to a backlash as it damaged the songs intentional anti-war, anti-racisim message.
The album 'Armed Forces' produced in full by the irrefutable Nick Lowe,the 'Stiff Records' in house producer, but a notable pub-power-pop rocker similar to the style of Elvis Costello so an understanding of the sound and handling of the songs was best served by Lowe.
Although having produced the previous albums by Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe is also responsible for the production on The Damned’s first single and albums,aswell as other Stiff and associated acts. These including Wreckless Eric, The Pretenders, Dr Feelgood and of all artists Johnny Cash.
The other significant footnote of this album is it lists The Attractions as the band, although their second album with Costello, 'Armed Forces' is the first album to state them on the cover.
This artistic work is a combination of everything a record should be, no filler and a deep thinking political statement, but not one that overpowers the positivity of the album, so if you haven't heard it this is the call to dig and find it.
[Kevin Burke]
