| |
NEUMEIER-GENRICH-SCHMIDT:
Psychedelic Monster JamÊ
Que la alemania actual es una mina de la música que nos gusta en
Mentes de ácido ya empezamos a tenerlo muy claro. Multitud de grupos
están saliendo a la palestra y están creando una escuela
que comienza a extenderse por todo el norte de Europa. En este caso nos
traemos entre manos una formación muy especial, ya que se compone
de Dave Schmidt al bajo, quien ha pasado por muchas bandas imprescindibles
de la nueva psicodelia alemana como Liquid Visions o Zone Six, y que sirve
de excusa para la primera reunión en tres décadas de dos
miembros de los míticos Guru Guru, Ax Genrich a la guitarra y Mani
Neumeier a la batería. Un trio
portentoso que en agosto del 2003 grabaron esta "Psychedelic Monsterjam",
título que describe a la perfección este instrumental de
hard psicodelia grabado en Würzburg, al sur de Alemania, y que fue
editado en 2004 por Sunhair Records en una edición limitada en
CD de 500 ejemplares. Este disco es, ante todo, una demostración
de fuerza e imaginación que gustará a los amantes de las
divagaciones lisérgicas, sobretodo si siente afinidad por las locuras
del kraut y el rock espacial más cañero de los 70... seguro
que no quedará defraudado!!! Abre el disco con "Bong",
que una vez oido el resto del album parece una simple apertura de apetito,
casi una forma de ir calentando oido y mente. Lo bueno empieza con "(Do
You Waant to) Boogie in Bombay" corte de diez minutos donde Neumeier
demuestra sus dotes para crear ambientes con la percusión, poco
a poco van entrando bajo y guitarra hasta formar una increible sesión
de lisergia, se une todo esto con el siguiente tema, "Stone In",
un trallazo de guitarra ácida que los Guru Guru fabricaron a principios
de los 70. Exquisito wah-wah y uso de la distorsión que te hará
volar la imaginación. Empalma con "Stone out", otra vez
con una fuerte dosis de percusión atmosférica deudora del
mejor space rock. Llega "Moonlight Flight", donde sobre el genial
bajo de Schmidt la guitarra va creando sus tremendas figuras empapadas
en wah-wah. Todo envuelto en un ritmo frenético. "Next Time,
See you at the Dalai Lhama" es otra canción antigua de Guru
Guru, otra demostación de fuerza guitarrera que hará furor
en los amantes de la tradición psicodélica de Bevis Frond
o Sun Dial. Simplemente genial. Llega la momentánea tranquilidad
con "Rising sun", bonito tema con solo bajo, batería
y campanas. "Electric Junk", otra versión de Guru Guru.
Una pieza de rock fuerte y ácido con vertiente blues (absolutamente
mutante) y con numerosos cambios de ritmos. Toda la parafernalia psicodélica
de los 70 puesta al servicio de este trip de 18 minutos de duración.
El último tema "Mushroom Moon" es una especie de tranquilo
aterrizaje tras 80 minutos de psicodelia salvaje, rock espacial y mucho
talento. Absolutamente imprescindible.
www.mentesdeacido.com
--------------------
review
(in french) in Progresiste
magazine from Belgium as pdf here
--------------------
Mani
Neumeier/Ax Genrich/Dave Schmidt Psychedelic Monsterjam
Kennern der Szene verspricht bereits die Besetzung nur Gutes: Mani Neumeier
(Schlagzeug und Percussion), der mit seiner legendären Band Guru
Guru maßgeblich zur Revolutionierung des deutschen Rock beigetragen
hat, Ax Genrich (Psychedelic Guitar), musikalischer Weggefährte Neumeiers
und einer der wenigen Ausnahme-Gitarristen hierzulande, sowie Dave Schmidt
(Spacebass), dessen Projekte "Liquid Visions", "Zone Six", "Weltraumstaunen"
und "Sula Bassana" sich dem jüngeren Psychedelic- und Spacerock verschrieben
haben. Am 13. Juni 2003 spielte das Trio erstmalig im Würzburger
Café Cairo und der Erfolg dieses Auftritts ermutigte sie zur Fortsetzung.
Für Neumeier und Genrich war es nämlich eine doppelt lohnende
Erfahrung; sie konnten nach fast dreißig Jahren wieder gemeinsam
ihre Wurzeln ergründen und mit Dave Schmidt generationsübergreifend
eine solche Reise antreten. Seither gibt es immer wieder Konzerte, bei
denen sie getreu dem Etikett "Monsterjam" psychedelische Improvisationen
der Extraklasse bieten. Nun erschien ein Mitschnitt auf CD, der repräsentativ
die Atmosphäre der Gigs durch die Lautsprecher katapultiert. Im wahrsten
Sinne, denn das Zusammenspiel des Trios ist so energiegeladen, wie man
es selten erlebt. Neumeier, Genrich und Schmidt bilden regelrecht eine
Einheit. "Bong" bringt das fast achtzigminütige Album auf den richtigen
Weg. Fulminante Rhythmusvorgabe des Schlagzeug-Gurus, eine sprichwörtlich
elektrisierte Gitarre, die mit reichlich Feedback Jimi Hendrix ernsthaft
Konkurrenz macht, und pulsierende Basslinien heizen gehörig ein.
Ethnische Percussion und die groovige Gitarre von Ax Genrich laden zum
"Boogie in Bombay" ein. Die Rückbesinnung auf die frühe Phase
von Guru Guru wird mit drei Stücken zelebriert. Die Monsterjam-Versionen
von "Stone In", "Next Time See You At The Dalai Lhama" und besonders "Electric
Junk", alle stammen ursprünglich aus den Jahren 1970 und 1971, transportieren
die Improvisationskunst dieser Zeit ins Jetzt und üben einen nicht
unwesentlichen Einfluss auf das brandneue Repertoire wie "Stone Out" und
"Moonlight Flight" aus. Unzählige Effekte runden die neun Trips in
die nächste Dimension ab. Unbedingt schnell zugreifen, um die restlichen
Exemplare der CD zu ergattern, und nicht zögern, wenn der "Psychedelic
Monsterjam" in die Gegend kommt. Leibhaftig ein umwerfendes Erlebnis.
Garantiert!
Marco
Neumeier für Moonhead Mai 2005
--------------------
NEUMEIER-GENRICH-SCHMIDT:
Psychedelic Monster JamÊ
Guru Guru by any other name (???) and definitely Guru Guru in sound, feel
and spirit - and we're talking THE vintage, first three albums-era Guru
Guru too. So, we have drummer Mani Neumeier and electric guitarist Ax
Genrich from the original line-up, plus bassist and Sula Bassana main
man Dave Schmidt. Musically, it's just MAGNIFICENT!!!! Incendiary doesn't
even come close as the album presents just under EIGHTY minutes of some
of the finest electric guitar-dominated psychedlic-Krautrock styled structured
guitar jamming on the planet. From start to finish, it's a guitar-lover's
dream album. The band open in furious style with sky-high electric guitar
leads, before they move through a more cosmic intro to 'Boogie In Bombay'
that picks up and Asian-flavoured drum rhythm, and slowly builds on a
languid, scything guitar lead, driving forward slowly and purposefully.
Then it's a case of - BLATTT!!!!! - and in we go to the first of several
Guru Guru tracks, this time 'Stone Inn' as Genrich's guitar just takes
off amid a searing sea of riffs and solos, worthy of anything put out
by the likes of Frank Marino, Pink Fairies, early Ash Ra Tempel and just
about every guitar-jamming band you can think of - it's scorching stuff
for over six minutes as it then leads directly into the heady psychedelia
of the six minute 'Stone Out' that drives forward on some incredible Can-like
rhythms and Karoli-esque guitar work, possible the best track that early
instrumental Can never recorded.The near twelve minute 'Moonlight Flight'
starts slowly but then builds into this massive cauldron of trio-played
improvisation, as heady and searing a sea of guitar work as you'll encounter
as the jamming just intensifies and you sit there jaw-dropped at the results
- the sound of the best ever seventies guitar bands ringing in your ears
as you let the scorching instrumental work into every fibre of your body.
TheÊ near twelve minute Guru Guru cover, 'Next Time See You At The Dalai
Lhama', just explodes into life with some of the most wicked guitar leads
and driving rhythm section that you'll hear, thundering along like there's
no tomorrow. The four minute 'Rising Sun' gives us a brief respite from
the intensity with another Asian flavoured delight, before the album's
"magnum opus" is launced upon you like a missile, this being a mighty
eighteen minute version of Guru Guru's 'Electric Junk', starting with
red-hot electric guitar before the driving main body of the track takes
off and the band go full flight into this maelstrom of guitar, bass and
drums, taking it all up to a peak then dropping it down a bit before taking
it on to even higher planes as the track goes nuclear then finally erupts
taking the world with it in a blaze of guitars and rhythm section - just
awesome!!! The album ends on a sensibly sedate level with the percussive
and bass featured six minutes of 'Mushroom Moon', the guitar used purely
as a textural backdrop, but a great way to end the album. Overall, this
can't be faulted - as psych guitar albums go, it's in a field of its own
and not a less than riveting second on the entire thing - essential!!!
By Andy Garibaldi (CD Services)
--------------------
Psychedelic
Monster Jam - "Neumier-Genrich-Schmidt" (Sunhair SH002)
This CD is taken from two concerts performed in 2003 with Dave Schmidt
(Zone Six, Sula Bassana, Ex-Liquid Visions) on bass and original Guru
Guru members, Ax Genrich on Guitar and Mani Neumeier on drums. This was
the first time that Ax and Mani had played together in 30 years. Dave,
who has played in bands that do a lot of improvisation, was ready to play
with these guys. The set features three old Guru Guru songs and the rest
is completely improvised. The CD begins with "Bong", a good old fashioned
70´s acid jam, and this leads into the really cool "(Do you want
to) Boogie in Bombay". This tracks starts with a lot of spaced out sounds
and mixed percussion before the real groove develops. Awesome stuff. "Stone
In", an old Guru Guru number, is a heavy psychedelic acid guitar freakout!
This leads into "Stone Out" and really captures that feeling of the old
recordings of Guru Guru from '70-'71. "Moonlight Flight" is a total improvisation
and it meanders a bit but the bass line is really cool and solid and gives
the others space to go where no one has gone before. Another Guru Guru
track, "Next Time, See you at the Dalai Lhama". I like the way this track
develops and Ax really plays some freaky psychedelic guitar. "Rising Sun"
is a mellow track with just bass and drums and Mani playing bells. "Electric
Junk", the last Guru Guru number and 18 minutes long, is pretty bluesy
but slowly develops into a long guitar improv, including some spoken German
by Mani. The CD ends with "Mushroom Moon" a laid back space journey. In
all you get 80 minutes of pretty cool music totally in the spirit of early
70´s Krautrock. Some people will really dig this and get into while
others will think that these guys are just making boring noodling. I think
it is really cool stuff and we are lucky that someone recorded this so
we could hear the magic when these three great musicians all met. I can´t
wait for the next one. They have just done a small tour in Germany and
all the gigs were recorded.
Reviewed
by Scott Heller for Aural
Innovations #29 (October 2004)
--------------------
NEUMEIR-GENRICH-SCHMIDT
Psychedelic Monsterjam Sunhair (SH 002)
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru): drums and percussion, Ax Genrich (ex-Guru Guru):
guitar and Dave Schmidt (ex-Liquid Visions, Weltraumstaunen, Zone Six,
Sula Bassana): bass jam together from time to time, and this album is
put together from two of their live jam sessions in Würzburg in 2003.
Also included are three old Guru Guru classics ("Stone In", "Next Time
See You at the Dalai Lhama" and "Electric Junk"). They have resurrected
the early kraut and space rock feel in a glorious way, and it's really
nice that they have also recorded some of these rare performances, albeit
from the stage and only with two mics. The sound is totally okay, though,
and you can hear everything very well. All these gentlemen are excellent
musicians, and their improvisation flows out of them with ease. Particularly
Genrich's guitar work is at times very mind-expanding. Neumeier's percussion
bring in some exciting ethnic flavours quite often. Schmidt is an able
and innovative bass player, and he is doing very nicely with these living
legends. I would also like to see this trio live. This CD is a very recommendable
purchase for all the Guru Guru fans and also for others who are into psychedelic
improvisation.
Santtu
for Psychotropic
Zone, Finland, October 2004
--------------------
Psychedelic
Monsterjam - CD
Ladies and Geentleman, please welcome Mani Neumeier, Ax Genrich und Dave
Schmidt! Und der Titel des Live mit nur wenig Aufwand - daher mit nicht
ganz lupenreinem Sound - eingespielten Albums verspricht nicht zu viel:
MN (Guru Guru) an den Drums, AG (Ex-Guru Guru) an der Gitarre und DS (u.a.
Sula Bassana, Weltraumstaunen) jammen forsch drauflos und lassen einfach
die Dinge geschehen. Steuern die Musiker die Musik? Oder ist es andersrum?
Herausgekommen sind scheinbar improvisierte Tracks voller ausgelassener
Heavy-Psychedelic mit heulenden Gitarrensoli, verwirrenden Drumpattern
und schweren Bassrhythmen. Die Tracks sind meist wild und zügellos,
aber auch im richtigen Moment ruhig und geschmeidig, wie eben guter Sex...
äh... gute Musik sein muss. Der Opener "Bong" gibt mit
seinen heftigen Gitarren und Drums die Marschrichtung an, bevor "(Do
you want to) Boogie in Bombay" eher akustisch, hypnotisch rhythmisch
daherkommt. "Moonlight Flight" startet nach einem zurückhaltenden
Beginn zum Erdtrabanten durch. Ein Höhepunkt ist das 11-minütige
"See you at the Dalai Lhama", das einfach mitreißt. Einzig
der Longtrack "Electric Junk" (18 Minuten) wirkt doch arg zusammengestückelt
und geht nicht ganz auf. Aber bei knapp 80 Minuten Spielzeit fällt
das nicht weiter auf.
Bernd
Sievers für Eclipsed
Nr.64, Juli & August 2004
back
|
|