DJ Mix Vol. 3 (krautrock)

                  Photo from noted krautrock producer Konrad "Conny" Plank's studio.
I DJ different sorts of danceable musics when I'm using the üBERNöRD moniker. This is the 3rd in a series of DJ mix blog posts where I will A) post a new mix and B) write a line or two about it.

This was an experiment of sorts. I wanted to musically constrain myself for this set which was played at Sirkus Föroyar in Torshavn, Faroe Islands on a Thursday night in August. I've been going through a krautrock craze for some time now and decided that this would be a "strictly krautrock" set, i.e. it would only feature German music from the late 60's to the early 80's (mostly from the 70's).
Not sure whether this one is a "Knút mix" (rock etc.) or an "üBERNöRD mix" (music you can dance to) but I'll stick to ÜBERNöRD for now. Parts of this mix are definitely danceable and for the other parts, well, just lay your head back and immerse yourself in the soundscapes.

"Krautrock". That's the term. Now, I don't pretend to know EVERY band from the era, but I do love the bands in this mix and the unique sounds they produce(d). I think there's a common vibe seeping through the selected tracks, even if the musical material spans a variety of genres; we're off to a sneaky and haunting start with Ash Ra Tempel's epic "Traummaschine" and our further journey includes psychedelic avantgarde jams from Amon Düül II and CAN, ambient synth & sequencer landscapes from Cluster and Tangerine Dream, hypnotic motorik beats from Kraftwerk, Harmonia and Neu! and for the finale we have the mighty Faust and their defining drone piece, simply titled "Krautrock". 10 bands, 20 tracks, nearly 3 hours of music. For more info on the bands check out the BBC krautrock documentary I blogged about earlier this year.

Not your average party starter mix, but if you're intrigued by what you're reading, go ahead and give it a listen. Preferably through headphones or a decent set of speakers. Laptop speakers won't do this music justice. Play it loud;
  Strictly Krautrock @ Sirkus Föroyar by üBERNöRD

Playlist for Strictly Krautrock @ Sirkus Föroyar 05.08.10:

1. Ash Ra Tempel: Ash Ra Tempel "Traummaschine"


2. Can: Soon Over Babaluma "Dizzy Dizzy"


3. Amon Düül II: Phallus Dei "Kanaan"


4. Cluster: Sowiesoso "Sowiesoso"


5. Harmonia: Musik von Harmonia "Dino"


6. Kraftwerk: The Man Machine "Spacelab"


7. Tangerine Dream: Phaedra "Movements Of A Visionary"


8. Can: Delay 1968 "Thief"


9. Cluster & Eno: Cluster & Eno "Ho Renomo"


10. Kraftwerk: Autobahn "Autobahn"


11. Neu!: Neu! "Hallogallo"


12. Tangerine Dream: Stratosfear "Stratosfear"


13. Can: Future Days "Future Days"


14. Kraftwerk: Computerwelt "Computer Liebe"


15. Cluster: Zuckerzeit "Hollywood"


16. Tangerine Dream: Tangram "Tangram 2"


17. Harmonia: Deluxe "Immer Wieder"


18. Neu!: Neu! 75 "Isi"


19. Can: Ege Bamyasi "One More Night"


20. Faust: Faust IV "Krautrock"