Thursday, April 9, 2009

Nekropolis - Musik aus dem Schattenreich (1979)

I first saw this album browsing through the Krautrock bins at a local record store. I thought it was a misfiled ass-flap style band, but, after reading the fine print on the back, I realized it was a different story altogether. No, those skulls are not part of the mass grave of d-beat clones. Rather, they are the dystopian echo chambers through which Nekropolis's oppressive, pulsing ambiance reverberates.

"Pulsing" is a good word to describe a lot of krautrock, such as the funky, busy-body songs of Neu! that incessantly call images of Sim City to mind. How interesting to hear that feel recontextualized in Holle Im Angesicht, this time as the next evolution of a rat picking its way through the post-civilization wreckage of the same, once-thriving metropolitan center. The groove of Ghul is textured with the wailing of several hundred televisions blaring to empty apartment buildings, all inhabitants, save the rat, victims of a superbug that is just beginning to stir in the bellies of our midwestern CAFOs. Lights out listening is mandatory for this one.


PS: This rip is from the excellent Mutant Sounds blog. Take a second to consider their bountiful offerings.

6 comments:

Mike Burnett said...

Woke myself up from a nap to ask you for some jazz guitar recommendations. Perhaps something Scandinavian?

Todd said...

Man, I'm not really the right guy to be asking for jazz guitar recommendations, since the only thing I listen to with any real regularity is motherfucking Wes, and, more specifically, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of....

Mike Burnett said...

That's somewhere to start. I feel a lot of jazz guitar is too smooth for me, including Wes Montgomery, but I'm just starting to really listen.

Thank you!

Todd said...

Yeah, a lot of the "greats of jazz guitar" dip too much into huge bum out fusion for me. I mean, Allan Holdsworth is a complete monster, but I don't want to listen to him at all. Actually, although I haven't listened in awhile, those first few Mahavishnu Orchestra albums used to really get me going.

John said...

It took me until a couple of days ago to get around to listening to this. I tried half-listening while doing homework, as is my custom. I forgot that I was listening to it until I noticed that I felt extremely oppressed and terrified, as though there was a beetle the size of a golden retriever perched on my back.

bobbysu said...

thank you very much