POSTS TAGGED : Krautrock

Sakura & Aloa Input – ‘Another Rainbow’

Hong Kong via London to Vienna, musician and songwriter Sakura has joined forces with Neo-Krautrock outfit Aloa Input for new single ‘Another Rainbow’; and together this collaboration delights and enthralls with a sweetly hypnotic and spaced-out dreamer.

Driven by a gently undulating and hypnotic rhythmic groove, Sakura’s captivating, cool and hushed vocals snake above while guitars shimmer, flicker and twang amid the hazy world of lush and dreamy atmospheric splendor. It is sweet, cosmic and lavish psych-infused dream-pop perfection that dazzles and hypnotizes, grows and seeps into your senses with each and every listen, and leaving you better for it.

Nothing short of stunning, listen to ‘Another Rainbow’ below:


’59 – ‘The Forbidden Zone’

’59 is led by Ryan Ehresman, a synth-obsessed writer and producer based out of San Francisco who create exhilarating, manic and kaleidoscopic psych-splashed post-punk/krautrock sounds.

’59’s latest is called ‘The Forbidden Zone’ and it is an absolute beast. Fuelled by a relentless electronic beat, pulsing synth, repetitive guitarlines, buzzsaw riffs and sharp rhythm section, ‘The Forbidden Zone’ makes for a taut, furious and intoxicating whirlwind of somewhat frenzied sounds – with moments of melodic respite and relative calm strewn throughout. ‘The Forbidden Zone’ feels organic in its composition and exudes exhilarating energy and is brilliantly manic and unique. One of the finest tracks of 2021, ‘The Forbidden Zone’ more than hints that keeping tabs on ’59 is going to be exciting.

Listen to ‘The Forbidden Zone’ below now:

Thousand Foot Whale Claw – ‘The Garden from Above’

Thousand Foot Whale Claw are an Austin-based instrumental quartet who deal in propulsive, krautrock inspired sonic escapism. 

This foursome fuse elements of psych-rock, krautrock and minimal electronica into seductive, transfixing and cosmic jams – as evidenced by mesmerizing latest single ‘The Garden from Above’. It is uplifting and bewitching, and is awesome in the truest sense of the word as layers of lavish synths glisten while effects-driven guitar shimmer as beat and bass merge seamlessly below the warm, seductive and expansive sonic wonder. ‘The Garden from Above’ is both beautiful and mesmerizing, a song to truly get lost in.

Listen to ‘The Garden from Above’ below:

Fred und Luna – ‘Nichtmusikalische Stadt Unter Schritten’

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Fred und Luna is the curious project of German musician, lector, poet and photo/video maker Rainer Buchmüller.

“Fred und Luna” are two mannequins residing in a fashion boutique in Karlsruhe, Germany, and they serve as Buchmüller’s muse – an usual backstory, yes but a fruitful one for his self-style “elektrokraut” sounds.

Having previously released the EP ‘Glück Auf’ and debut album ‘Im Klanggarten’ in 2017, Buchmüller is primed to release the project’s second album ‘Im Tiefenrausch’. Ahead of the album, we’ve been presented with taster track ‘Nichtmusikalische Stadt Unter Schritten’ – a perfect exhibition of his “elektrokraut” taking parts electronica and Krautrock, to fashion them together. Shifting along a steady, transfixing winding groove, it is overlaid with cool, chiming chords, laid-back vocals and a funky sense of melody. With its combination of repetitive rhythms, beautiful melodies, electronic soundscapes, irresistible rhythms and dreamy atmospheres, the dusky vibed ‘Nichtmusikalische Stadt Unter Schritten’ wields a rather seductive, spellbinding charm.

Listen to ‘Nichtmusikalische Stadt Unter Schritten’ below now and keep an eye out for the new record coming on February 1st.

Ilu – ‘Jaanus’

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Dividing their time recording between Tallinn, Estonia and rural Wales, Ilu are a Welsh Psych/Krautrock outfit crafting epic, spacey, interstellar hymns.

They introduced themselves (and found a sizeable place in my heart) with the spectacular ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’ last year, and follow that with ‘Jaanus’; an equally intoxicating proposition. ‘Jaanus’ is elegant yet bold, delicately drifting off in the chillest of vibes as synths chime and shimmer, gently winding electronics orbit and sparkle like stars to a place of wonder and tranquillity in the cosmos. It’s jubilant yet melancholic; busy yet laid-back – a paradoxical sound but one of awe and beauty that climaxes in a haze of heavenly choral repetitions cascade upon stuttering drums. An immaculate palate of sonics, sounds and textures that intoxicates with airiness and beauty.

As with ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’, the recording was began in Tallinn, Estonia and was completed by Tim Lewis (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Coil) in Aerial Studios in Carmarthenshire.

There is talk of album later in the year which is great news but for now listen to ‘Jaanus’ below:

Va Banque – ‘Transformer’

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Va Banque is a music collective from Cologne & Hamburg in Germany with a penchant for the synthesizing sound of the ’70s and early ’80s

Working from their hideaway studio of solitude in Hamburg City, Va Banque produce a gripping cocktail of dark yet hopeful, electronica underpinned by krautrock and post-punk vibes. Following a series of EPs, Va Banque released their self-titled debut album in 2011 and are now following that up with new LP, Va Banque in Einzelteilen and to give you an idea of what to expect, we have ‘Transformer’; the first single lifted from the record. Propelled by dark drums and rumbling raw basslines that are joined by winding guitar lines, modular synths and electronics hisses and oddities; ‘Transformer’ sounds a lot like what a Joy Division and John Carpenter collaboration might have turned out. A warped and thrilling ride, it is a sprawling five minute long dark yet optimistic voyage that expands beyond the crunching rhythms, climaxing with an enveloping bright, blissed-out burst of light.

You can listen to ‘Transformer’ below and Va Banque’s new album Va Banque in Einzelteilen is out now (listen to it here).

Automatism – ‘Propeller Propulsion‘

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Automatism is an instrumental kraut/space rock band from Stockholm, Sweden.

Formed in the spring of 2017 by guitarist Hans Hjelm, who gathered friends and band members from Kungens Män and New Rose – Gustav Nygren (guitar), Mikael Tuominen (bass), Jonas Yrlid (drums) – their songs are born from live improvisation in the studio, with overdubs added later, resulting in part psych, kraut and space rock excursions.

Having released debut album At The Lake earlier this year, the latest single lifted from is ‘Propeller Propulsion‘ and it is massive – a sprawling 12 minute long hypnotic intrepid adventure in sound and space. Opening with a haze of hissing noise, distortion and fuzz which begins to fade as cosmic cascading guitars riff and chime, and come to the fore. Propelled on by a motorik/ krautrock beat, what we are left with is something rather special indeed as it expands the blissed-out rhythms, while enveloping everything in a sea of beautiful spaced-out noise.

A heady brew of swirling psych, Krautrock and Motorik rhythms, it is a wonder of imagination and ideas that burrows into your consciousness, building into an enthralling ride. Awe-inspiring stuff, just wow!

The Radio Edit is below but you can find the Full Monty over here, along with the rest of the album.

ilu – ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’

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Welsh label Libertino Records has fast become a reliable mine of intriguing and altogether wonderful sounds and we’ve struck gold once again with their latest release from ilu.

Dividing their time recording between Tallinn, Estonia and rural Wales, Ilu are mysterious Welsh Psych/Krautrock newcomers crafting epic, spacey, interstellar hymns – of Spiritualized proportions. Backing up these lofty claims is stunning debut single ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’. Propelled along Krautrock, motoric grooves ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’, spacey synths and heavenly harmonies envelop spiky post-punk guitars and bass rumbles which coalesces into one coherent, unstoppable sound. Sizzling danceable grooves are woven tightly into their mammoth tones and grinding churn, which is all punctuated with a beautiful yet melancholic sense of longing. As far as debut singles go, they don’t come much bigger or better than ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’; an immaculate palate of sonics, sounds and textures

Ilu’s debut single ‘Graffiti Hen Ewrop’ is out on August 3rd – check it out below.

Eldoradio – ‘Youth Cult’

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Eldoradio teased their forthcoming new album with the dusky, soft centered, swooning ‘Pipe Dreams’ in the latter part of 2017 and the Swedish outfit are back with another intriguing taster in ‘Youth Cult’.

While its predecessor was built around a rather gentle acoustic strum and a warm organ hum that swelled to swallow all in its wake, ‘Youth Cult’ is much more of a meatier proposition. A distorted synthesizer paves the way for a propulsive kraut-inspired groove with pushes everything relentlessly through a series of soaring riffs, anthemic sing-a-long choruses and crashing percussion. The synth/kraut combo is a revelation, giving ‘Youth Cult’ its alluring edge that hums with an electricity threatens to spark and explode at any moment. There is a hint of early Toy meets Wilco’s ‘Spiders (Kidsmoke)’, and there is nothing wrong with that combo whatsoever.

Aside from the new single, there is no other update on the forthcoming new record so it still a case of watch this space. For the time being, get yourself acquainted with ‘Youth Cult’.

Hippies Vs Ghosts – ‘No Left No Right’

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By now, regular patrons of the blog should be well aware of the esteem in which Hippies Vs Ghosts is kept around these parts.

Under the guise of Hippies Vs Ghosts, Owain Ginsberg, has routinely blown us away time after time with his kaleidoscopic, Morricone meets krautrock sound and latest single ‘No Left No Right’ is no different. Lifted from the stunning album of the same name, the new single is exhilarating, irresistible and manic.

It is a kaleidoscopic mix of feverish experimentation that blows everything else out of the water. The pace is unrelenting, frantically clamouring to one frenetic crescendo after another before momentarily offering a brief breathe with the relative calmness through some rolling drums and undulating waltz of western tones before exploding toward a frenzied finish. This is a ferocious three-and-a-half minutes of breakneck beats, scintillating riffs, off-kilter rhythms and forged together and delivered with a burning intensity – in all seriousness there is nothing quite like Hippies Vs Ghosts, and the project shows no signs of slowing under the careful stewardship of Ginsberg. Hippies Vs Ghosts continues to develop, grow and deliver outrageously good tunes.

Check out ‘No Left No Right’ below and make sure to get on the new album, here.