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Picture Credit: Matt King   Absolutely Free - Aftertouch Release Date: September 24, 2021 Label: Boiled Records Format: Vinyl / Digital Length: 40:46 Genre: Shoegaze / Krautrock Origin: Toronto , Ontario , Canada Absolutely Free's latest album "Aftertouch" is a beautiful example for the vast versatility of the Krautrock genre. Although the soundscapes of "Aftertouch" somewhat resemble passages from Holy Monitor's "Southern Lights" , looking for parallels to bands such as Zement or Oslo Tapes , one will hardly make finds. Instead, it is easier spotting similarities to the sound of Etxe Records acts like Blackout Transmission or Silo Halo . The major reason are probably the dreamy synthetic sounds that define a huge part of the music on "Aftertouch" as well as the both, artistic and poppy approach provided by the band. Coming up to their band name, Absolutely Free convey the feeling of being airborne. And while that impression may remin...

Picture Credit: Sounds Of New Soma Sounds Of New Soma - Trip Release Date: April 16, 2021 Label: Tonzonen / Soulfood Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital Length: 42:48 Genre: (Neo-) Krautrock / Berliner Schule Origin: Krefeld , Germany "Trip" - a four-letter word with ony syllable, and yet a term full of different meanings, interpretations, and nuances. The title of Sounds Of New Soma 's newest work is a perfect fit. Dirk Raupach  and Alex Djelassi  present a deep, colourful and versatile instrumental track. On the CD and the digital version, "Trip" is contained as one single track. The vinyl record though has to be flipped around after the first 23 minutes. Trip by Sounds Of New Soma From the first tone on, this album invites you to lean back comfortably, maybe grab a glass of orange juice, and keep some crisps or cookies nearby. This trip is a good and healthy one. The shimmering sounds dance through the sedative atmosphere like tiny flickering lights. Instead of h...

Picture Credit: Kontroll-Raum Photograph: Gerd Wienekamp Artwork: Stephan Knull Kontroll-Raum - Check in Release Date: April 04, 2021 Label: Manikin Records Format: CD / Digital Length: 73:07 Genre: Berliner Schule / Electronica Origin: Berlin , Germany  / Schönefeld , Germany / Wesertwolde , Netherlands Kontroll-Raum (German: "control room") is a new project featured on Berlin's Manikin Records. The trio consisting of Mario Schönwälder , Bas Broekhuis , and Frank Rothe  has found themselves in a situation where time and space seemed to shift and halt simultaneously. Unable to meet in person, Schönwälder , Broekhuis , and Rothe  worked in three different studios and exchanged audio files until the album was considered ready and Frank Rothe  took care of the final mastering. Check In by Kontroll-Raum After the introductory 'Gentlemen, start your engines!' which has a very strong Clockwork Orange vibe to it, the polyrhythmic journey into post-industrial reverie be...

  Picture Credit: Manikin Records Manikin Records steht seit bald dre Jahrzehnten für elektronischen Sound aus Berlin. Wer sich für Klänge wie Ambient, Berliner Schule, Electronica interessiert, wird an diesem Namen kaum vorbei kommen. Im dreißigsten Jahr des Bestehens konnte ich Labelgründer Mario Schönwälder  interviewen und auf das bisherige Schaffen von Manikin Records zurückblicken. " Es wird immer weitergehen, Musik als Träger von Ideen“ ( Ralf Hütter , Kraftwerk)." Yellow by Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder Hallo Mario, danke dass du dir Zeit nimmst. Lass uns ganz locker einsteigen. Möchtest du dich und das Label Manikin Records kurz vorstellen? Hallo liebe Leser, hallo Raphael, ich bin ein waschechter Berliner Junge, Jahrgang 1960. Nach einer eher unmusikalischen Jugendzeit lernte ich Anfang der achtziger Jahre Bernd Kistenmacher in Berlin kennen und durfte bei ihm an seinen ersten Synthies etwas spielen und an den Knöpfen drehen. Dies löste ein bis heute anhal...

Picture Credit: Siegmar Fricke / A Thunder Orchestra Siegmar Fricke / A Thunder Orchestra - Energy is Eternal Delight (2021 Re-Issue) Release Date: February 17, 2021 Label: Calax Records Format: Vinyl / Digital Length: 70:35 Genre: Synthwave / Ambient / Electronica Hey there, time travellers! Tokyo's Calax Records are inviting us on a spacey trip to the year 1991. It was the year, Freddie Mercury  died, John Lennon  released 'Give Peace a Chance', Nirvana coined a new era of Grunge with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', and Janet Jackson  became the first artist to have seven Top 5 tracks from the same album. But apart from Pop and Grunge, there was a legendary and yet rather underground release in the year 1991. By the name "Energy is Eternal Delight", electronic pioneers Siegmar Fricke and A Thunder Orchestra published a tape that is now being re-released on double vinyl, featuring two unreleased tracks. Picture Credit: Siegmar Fricke A- and B-Side: Siegmar F...

Picture Credit: Level π Artwork: Rendel Freude Level  π - Elektronische Philosophie Release Date: November 27, 2020 Label: Timezone Records Format: CD / Digital Length: 65:41 Genre: ( Neo- ) Krautrock / Berliner Schule Origin: Cologne , Germany If you follow the Discoveries of the Week section, the name  Level π might ring a bell since the opening track 'Nachtfahrt' of the album on hand has been featured i a post and playlist published on December 23, 2020 . Connaisseuses and connaisseurs of the Neo-Kraut and Berliner Schule universe might also already heard of the one-person band by Uwe Cremer . The artist is a musical story-teller whose fifth album "Elektronische Philosophie" we are taking a closer look upon. "Elektronische Philosophie" is German for "Electronic Philosophy" (pretty obvious, I guess). The album contains six isolated narratives of which we will concern a few later on. Also, a relaxin guitar intermezzo is adding to the laidback at...