On Thursday 14th July, we’ll be focussing on experimental German music of the 1960s and 1970s, commonly know as Krautrock or Kosmische music.
It’s a scene that never existed. A term concocted by British music journalists in the 1970s and made popular in the 1990s by Julian Cope’s Krautrocksampler, the Arch Drood’s essential guide to the albums made by this dispirate collection of bands and musicians, tied together by the coincidences of nationality and of producing experimental music during the same era. Some built up cult followings in the UK and across Europe, but nearly all languished in obscurity in their home country. However, like all the best underground music its importance has grown over the years, its influence reaching far and wide.
Our foray into Krautrock will take in tracks by Faust, Can and Kraftwerk and our featured album will be Neu! 75, the duo’s third album, which pointed the way to punk, post-punk and ambient music and was also a huge influnce on David Bowie during his Berlin years (as were many German bands of that time).
Time permitting, we’ll also feature the Kosmische of Tangerine Dream and Edgar Froese, the electronic and rock melting pot of Harmonia and the relatively conventional sounds of Amon Duul II and whatever else we can squeeze in.
For the curious and those wishing to know more in advance, David Stubbs’ comprehensive overview Future Days is well worth a read, as is the aforementioned Krautrocksampler by Julian Cope (if you can get your hands on it*). Or you can simply watch the BBC4 documentary from a few years back.
*There’s a PDF of Krautrocksampler out there if you look carefully.
KRAUTROCK!
Thursday 14th July from 8pm
Glossop Labour Club, Chapel Street, Glossop, SK13 8AT
FREE ADMISSION
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