European Innovators
February 12, 2010Once the preserve of anorak-clad collectors, 'krautrock' now wields a cultural authority that sends hipsters all a-flutter. By Sophie Best
Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius were grandaddies of ‘krautrock’ and other musical frontiers of the German avant garde – synth pop, ambient music, analogue electronica.
As the central members of Cluster and Harmonia, their pioneering music left a deep imprint on acolytes such as Brian Eno and David Bowie. This influence continues to reverberate, as each new wave of indie musicians have their young minds blown by the motorik beats of the ’60s/’70s Berlin underground.
Thanks to the hyper-productive work ethic of Cluster, Harmonia and other collaborations with Roedelius, Moebius had to wait until 1982 to record his solo debut, Tonspuren. Roughly translated, the title means Soundtrack, and that’s an apt description of this dark, brooding piece of metronomic electronica with its locomotive, hypnotic, synthetic rhythms.
Roedelius’ seventh solo album, 1981's Wenn Der Sudwind Weht (When the South Wind is Blowing), has been a sought-after rarity on eBay. It’s a light-hearted series of synth-pop studies, full of playfully shifting sonic textures and candy-coloured melodies. This is sprawling space music with a warm, organic metronome heartbeat and dulcet tunes.
These reissues shine a light on two rewardingly left-field adventures in German minimalism.
