Neu! - Neu!

Following the second world war, Germany saw a great rise in the production and popularity of avant grade and experimental music. In this era the early Kraftwerk lineup was formed, as was the first iteration of 
Tangerine Dream, both of whom have been featured on numerous pages across The Sonic Music Review. This era also gave birth to Neu!, the experimental krautrock group who are retrospectively credited as being one of the most influential bands of their type from that era.

Neu! - Neu!

The album opens with 'Hallogallo,' an initial exposition of the pulsing repetitive beats which defined the psychedelic movement from which the band found a significant influence. This is adorned by overtones from processed electric guitar which form the basis of the piece melodically and harmonically. This then gives way to 'Sonderangebot' which is led by the processed metallic scratches of cymbals and gongs yet nonetheless rewards the carful listener with what is in fact a carefully structured piece.

While 'Hallogallo' relies strongly on beat based composition, the later track 'Weissensee' gives an altogether different musical atmosphere from the use of electronic drones which take the main focus in spite of being a 'background' texture. This method of composition likens it to an unformed genre of pseudo-ambient music, a term not coined until Brain Eno's seminal 'Music For Airports' release, reviewed here.

When listening to 'Negativland,' also the name of an unrelated plunderphonics act, the audible ties to progressive rock are clear, while the band embellish the form and instrumentation with experimentalism which would later define Krautrock as a genre in its own right. Given the widespread influence this initial release has given, this is certainly a must-hear for any fans of the early fusion of electronics within a rock context. In spite of commercial non-success, this album is a very proud addition to any musical library.

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The Sonic Music Review Weekly Playlist: Week 3

Following the success with the introduction of a weekly playlist, a short cross section of the works featured on The Sonic Music Review, we are proud to release the third instalment, featuring a selection of works from acts including Enigma, Tangerine Dream and Schiller.

Tracklisting:

1. Enigma                    - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi from Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi

2. Schiller                    - Let Me Love You from Desire

3. Tangerine Dream     - Tyger from Tyger

4. The Pet Shop Boys  - The Clock 10/11/12 from The Most Incredible Thing

5. Kraftwerk                - Home Computer from Minimum-Maximum

6. Yazoo                      - Only You from Only Yazoo

7. Global Communication     - 5:23 from 76:14

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

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Ex Machina: Line Of Time

The Sonic Music Review is always delighted to receive music submissions. Following a recent email from Claudio Chiriatti and Tobias Schwerdt, better known under their recording name Ex Machina, we are delighted to feature their latest work, 'Line Of Time' on the site. This album is the fourth studio work by Ex Machina to be released digitally on the German Fuego label, a detail the act made clear, noting that since their 1999 debut digital distribution and promotion has been their major outlet.

Ex Machina: Line Of Time

For Ex Machina, 'Line Of Time' is the first release to feature vocals alongside the thick electronic textures which constitute much of the act's output. The album begins with 'Head Up (In The Sky),' utilising a somewhat peaceful piano led introduction before introducing various electronic lines alongside the lead vocal line. This piece displays a notable influence from new wave acts and opens the album well, subsequently segueing into 'Dreamer' which features a less imposing sound world, again with a noticeable influence from 80's musical styles.

The album proves an intriguing listen and the stylistic differences between tracks such as 'Garage CLZ' and the softer setting of 'In Grief' which is reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's collaboration with Joycelyn Bernadette Smith for the track 'Tyger' from their album of the same name. The track here combines various synthetic elements with electric piano lines in place of the harsher distorted tones seen in other tracks. Considering 'Glorious,' a more sequenced approach is seen, making this track most comparable to the synthpop movement of the 80's, again, contributing a welcome sense of variety to the release.

"line of time" full length album preview by ex_machina

The album concludes with four instrumental versions of some of the albums best material in the vein of the act's previous work. Under careful listening in isolation from vocals, one appreciates even more the variety in the arrangements and some may prefer these mixes. This inclusion once more adds an additional dimension to the release. For fans of electronic music, Ex Machina's latest offering proves highly intriguing and the recent addition of vocals is a welcome development of the band's sound.

For more information about the band, including previous releases, visit the official website at machina-online.de. If you represent electronic music talent and would like to submit music to The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch here. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Ex Machina great success in their career and thank them for their submission.

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Kraftwerk: Computer World

Kraftwerk, the highly influential German electronic music outfit, are well known for their extensive use of sequencing and other devices which gave their music a distinctive robotic quality later echoed in part from the 80's synthpop aesthetic. 'Computer World' is the band's eighth studio album, released in 1981 following their most prolific output in the 1970's, crystallising the bands creative practice while refining further timbral elements and production methods. This album is widely credited as an early influence on techno music.

Kraftwerk: Computer World

As with most Kraftwerk albums, the entire track listing is constructed around an overarching theme, computing and the modernisation of society being the central themes in this case. From the title track, 'Computer World' which opens the album, the lyrics meander around some of the high-tech institutions of the time, making reference to "Interpol and Deutsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard" while the insistent electronic percussion gives the piece a sense of momentum and pace. To further illustrate the precision of their craft, the band marry a somewhat uncertain and foreboding musical atmosphere with the lyrical content referring to the biggest investigative bodies at the time.

Following a comparably dark introduction, the track listing soon turns to the following track, 'Pocket Calculator;' which juxtaposes the mood of its predecessor with a more lighthearted feel while retaining heavily sequenced instrumentation. This track would later go on to be released as a major single from the album, reinterpreted into three different languages, as well as giving the band their chance to perform live with the use of Casio musical calculators which were also sampled throughout this track.

For the sake of word limits, a complete feature of every track on the album is not possible but a passing note on the band's inclusion of 'Computer World .. 2' referencing an earlier track is pertinent as it speaks volumes about their aesthetic. This is swiftly followed by 'Computer Love,' a later live performance of which is reviewed here. This track is certainly some of the finest material written by the band in this era, paradoxically combining typical Kraftwerk mechanism of sound with heart-rendering musical writing, one of the saddest examples of music in the 80's repertoire. Given that the band Coldplay use (with permission) the opening riff of 'Computer Love' in their track 'Talk,' Kraftwerk's influence into popular contemporary music is overtly exemplified.

The album concludes with 'Home Computer' and 'It's More Fun To Compute,' two tracks later combined into a singular arrangement for the band's more recent tours. Ultimately these tracks bring the album to a conclusion with a similar dark mood to its beginning. From any angle one looks upon this album, it is undoubtedly a fine collection of work and some of the band's greatest output.

For The Sonic Music Review's feature of 'Minimum-Maximum,' a live album featuring several tracks from 'Computer World,' click here.

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