About this item

This is the new instalment of Soul Jazz Records’ ground-breaking ‘Deutsche Elektronische Musik’ series, “a near-definitive guide to some of the world’s most extraordinary music” - The Guardian.

This new Soul Jazz release features many of the classic German electronic and Krautrock groups from the 1970s and 1980s, including Can, Amon Düül II, Harmonia, Conrad Schnitzler, Agitation Free and Roedelius, as well as a host of lesser known artists such as Dzyan, Klaus Weiss, Gruppe Between and many more.

Deutsche Elektronische rarities unearthed on the album include Kalacakra (whose fanbase included the great Moondog) and their superb ‘Nearby Shiras’, taken from their super-rare spiritual / psychedelic private press concept album ‘Crawling to Lhasa’ from 1972. 

‘Deutsche Elektronische 4’ includes a wealth of German electronic experimental artists - the seminal pioneering group Harmonia (Roedelius, Moebius and Michael Rother) and avant-garde guru Conrad Schnitzler, as well as lesser known synthetic artists such as Klaus Weiss, Deutsche Wertarbeit, E.M.A.K. (Elektronische Musik Aus Köln), Günter Schickert and others.

Finally, the album also features an array of heavy and progressive German cosmic rock groups - Dzyan, Virus and the amazing Turkish/German tripped out sound of Alex’s ‘Patella Black’, recorded at Can’s Inner Space in 1973, produced by Holger Czukay and Jackie Liebezeit.

‘Deutsche Elektronische 4’ comes with extensive newly commissioned sleevenotes by David Stubbs, author of the seminal books ‘Future Days: Krautrock and the building of Modern Germany’, ‘Mars By 1980: The story of Electronic Music’ and ‘Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and its Legacy’.

This album comes as a deluxe double CD edition with outsize booklet and slipcase, as well as a heavyweight triple vinyl edition with full colour inner sleeves. Both formats include full liner notes and extensive rare photography.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I really can't get enough of these compilations. Superb, unheard of gems mixed in with some undeniable classics, and presented beautifully in true Soul Jazz style. Unsurprisingly brilliant.

TRACK LISTING

1. Alex – Patella Black
2. Klaus Weiss – Driving Sequences
3. Can – I'm So Green
4. Agitation Free – Laila, Part II
5. Deutsche Wertarbeit – Guten Abend, Leute
6. Amon Düül II – Wolf City
7. Michael Rother – Flammende Herzen
8. Klaus Weiss – Pink Sails
9. Virus – My Strand-Eyed Girl
10. Conrad Schnitzler – Ballet Statique
11. Kalacakra – Nearby Shiras
12. EMAK – Tanz In Den Himmel
13. Et Cetera – Mellodrama 2a
14. Between – Triumphzug Kaiser Maximilian I
15. Roedelius – Halmharfe
16. Dzyan – Dragonsong
17. Harmonia – Deluxe (Immer Wieder)
18. Günter Schickert – Suleika
19. Witthüser & Westrupp – Schöpfung (1. Mose 1)