Wonderful words by the ever erudite Adam Turner.

Future Sounds Of Kraut Vol. 1 came out in September last year, a sixteen track compilation of bands inspired by the 1970s sound of West Germany, modern electronic music complied by Fred und Luna at Compost in Munich. The original krautrock / kosmische groups were forged in the unique circumstances of post-war Germany, a country with a past that the older generation didn’t want to talk about. Psychologists noted that the Germans who’d lived through the war had developed a collective amnesia to enable them to rebuild and recover. Their children, however, a generation born into a world of rock ‘n’ roll, long hair, changing attitudes to sex and drugs, communal living and protests over everything, from nuclear weapons to Vietnam, desperately wanted to ask “What did you do in the war daddy?” It was a time when many young Germans lived by the maxim, don’t trust anyone over 30. West Germany was also the country at the frontline of the next European war – should it happen – a war that would be, many believed, short and very explosive. This set of conditions combined with a deliberate drive to sound non-American and non-blues-based, while also avoiding the traditional German music of their parents and grandparents. The bands from The Federal Republic of Germany, FRG, united by generation, geography, and geopolitics spun-off in myriad marvellous directions: Kraftwerk, Can, Neu! Harmonium, Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Klaus Schultz et. al. – none really sounding anything like the others. In doing so they provided inspiration, and a template, for countless groups ever since.

The questing, experimental, making use of new technology, aspect of the krautrock bands is evident in Volume 1’s follow up, The Future Sounds Of Kraut Vol. 2. Fred und Luna provide their own introductory piece, a 70s synth chord progression and hissing drum machine with the pair intoning in heavily accented English, ‘Future sounds of kraut / What’s it all about / Maybe volume 2 / Will bring it to light for you…’ and then we’re off into multiple modern kosmische territories. Fifteen tracks by contemporary artists taking their cues, and standing on the sholulders of those pioneers who prodcued as the Cold War doomsday clock hands stuttered to and from around the five to midnight mark. This collection contains so many highlights. The entire album is worth exploring, but I’ll take you on a personal cherrypicking through…

Sankt Otten’s Angekommen in der Der Letzten Reihe (Arrived in The Last Row) is filled with dancing synth patterns and motorik drums – Klaus Dinger’s famous four four / endless rhythm recreated and reprised, complete with its dreams of freedom on the autobahns, images of German cars speeding through the night to the border with the East.

Thomas Fehlman, Swiss composer and sometime member of The Orb, appears with Permanent Touch, a track whose heavily phased synth sounds and organ are underpinned by a throbbing pulse. A heavenly choir finally bringing the momentum to a halt.

Roman Flugel’s Rules is a delight, layers of synths and keys, one pattern dubbed over another as the drums and bass push ever onwards. Flugel can mix it up in a variety of electronic styles – Rules takes kraut / kosmische as its launchpad, but his background in clubs and house / techno / electro ensure this moves swiftly beyond that and heads for the dancefloor.

Mr. Flugel is followed by the always excellent Sordid Sound System, who chuck everything into the pot – a funky guitar riff, tribal drums, chanting, percussion, whistling and squealing synths – and come up with something very much in the spirit of the original groups. Something experimental, funky and engaging.

Martin Zeichnete, aka Kosmischer Laufer, around a decade ago, spoofed the music world by anonymously releasing an album that he claimed to be lost recordings from the East German Olympic Programme, dating from 1972 to 1983. When the lid was blown the excellent music remained, and here, Spargelspiegel continues in that vein. Multiple synths and keys run in relay with the hiss and tsch of a drum machine. Their descending chord sequences competing with several tasty tempo changes.

Minami Deutsch swerve the synth sounds of Tangerine Dream and opt, instead, for the motorik. Thier Your Pulse is clearly indebted to Neu!, but reaches beyond the source, creating a track dominated by heavy breathing and some gnarly echo-laden guitar. Fred und Luna then return, to sign off with Outro-Auf Weiderhoren – two minutes of organ and tick tock, bidding us goodbye… until – hopefully – Volume 3. 

(For more info on the cultural conditions that gave rise to krautrock / kosmische, check out Rob Young’s cracking CAN biography, All Gates Open – Rob)

Future Sounds Of Kraut Vol. 2, Compiled by Fred und Luna, is out now, on Compost. 

You can find more proper, on point, prose from Adam Turner over at his own brilliant blog, The Bagging Area. Adam is also part of the admin team at the mighty Flightpath Estate.