Krautrock Side-Projects

Nobody's mentioned Schmidt's bombastic fantasy ooooperrrrra Gormenghast yet, I see. :) (Actually, it has some quite beautiful moments on it). Toy Planet with Bruno Spoerri I quite like, that has some subtly great tracks on it.

Radio Wave Surfer...I don't even think I got past the first 3 tracks of that, I thought it was awful (at least, at the time). Agreed that the Sylvian collabs are pretty decent. I'll have to track down some more of Czukay's solo stuff based on the feedback here...

I like the Karoli/Eltes album, myself.

Re: Cluster
Good solo Roedelius includes Durch Die Wuste and Lustwandel. Wenn der Sudwind Weht I had for the longest time, since it basically completes the former two (recorded around the same time), but I was listening to it one day and just said, "Nah, don't need it." I have one he did in the early 90s where he reads this poem in German at the end...can't remember the title offhand. Also had one of the albums he did with Aqueous, but didn't find it keep-able. Solo Moebius hasn't really struck a chord with me.

Also, does anyone have comments about Klaus Schulze? I know I've heard good stuff by him in the past, but if he's too ambient I'll want to steer clear. I just don't have the patience anymore for really ambient stuff (even Eno's) the way I did when I was younger.

It's fuggin' classic

Most of it is probably too ambient for what it sounds like you are looking for. If you get any of it, stick with the analog stuff, like Timewind (though, again, that's probably way too mellow/ambient). I've heard a couple of early 90s albums by him (e.g., Dresden Performance, Dome Event) and they are real snoozers...

Then again, I would say that about a lot of the more popular/touted Krautrock releases, too...

Irrlicht is a solid minimal drone, I agree X has some great maximal parts, it actually sounds composed, though a friend put on Timewind during a late night long distance drive and it didn't sound that bad...

Czukay/Liebezeit/Wobble's Full Circle though -- didn't listen to this as much as the other Czukay records growing up because it wasn't as composed, but that's the strength, this is a record you can leave on all day. overt reggae/dub references, jaki playing straight dub rimshot rhythms into syncopated space echo, tons of bizarre details floating through the mix.

BTW, On the Way to the Peak of Normal is, indeed, great. I also like the Phew album quite a bit...

I'm surprised the allmusic.com entry for Autobahn lists Conny Plank as the producer, despite the album packaging... bold

I've actually stopped to smell the roses in my musical life, lately, and it's been good. Just got to stop chasing new things long enough to enjoy the things you already have.

see you there

they encored with 'Rawhide'.

it's got me curious about Klaus Dinger's 'Neondian' aka La Dusseldorf 4 -- does anyone have that? Is it an improvement over the third? I haven't heard any >90's Dinger I've ever been tempted to play again.

looking through the forcedexposure blurbs, I'm getting the lineage a bit more worked out -- Engels der Herrn / la? Neu! etc. were the Klaus trainwrecks, but 1-A Dusseldorf was the Thomas Dinger band. I kind of had them all lumped in together. Has anyone checked out the 1-A Dusseldorf discs?

also, i've got la! Neu?'s "Dusseldorf" from 96 and i wouldn't say that it's a trainwreck at all. sounds kinda like any other neu/dusseldorf record. a bit more spacious, less rocking, but just the same.

though I'll keep an eye out for 'dusseldorf'.

xpost haven't heard SPACEBOX. captain trips was really spraying the krautrock canvas with those reissues for a while.

anyone heard the Conny Plank, Moebius & Mayo Thompson record from 83 (reissued on drag city)? weirdo stiff keyboard funk and mayo talking random crap on top. an insteresting listen, but not one of my faves.

thoughts on Plank-related projects like Creative Rock and Lava? i've picked these up in the past few months back but haven't spent much time with either. also To Be and the first few Eulenspygel albums. worth bothering?

yeah I don't really dig the Plank/Moebius/Mayo record that much either.