The album followed six previous albums by the band, including their statement debut album, Fuzzy Logic in 1996, melding an attention-demanding mix of literary, narcotic and musical influences. Maintaining a shape that was ill-fitting in the jigsaw of other 90’s guitar bands, their follow-up, UK Top Ten album, Radiator brought the hooky squelch of the bona fide indie dancefloor classic, The International Language of Screaming. The next decade saw the release of the first Top 20-charting, Welsh language album, Mwng (2000), followed by further experimentation and commercial success with Rings Around The World (2001) and Phantom Power (2003).
'Love Kraft’s sense of cohesion, collaboration and free-flow of rich harmony has been credited to the five-piece escaping Wales to record in the shimmering heat of Figueres, Catalunya. Bringing famed Beastie Boys producer, Mario Caldato Jr along with them for the ride, the travelling band’s stay in the Catalonian hometown of Salvador Dali included found sounds, boozy petrol stations, gastronomic revelations and, finally, a rich album of strings, synths and opulent vocal harmonies.
While eventually finding their way to Baha, near to Rio di Janeiro to mix the album 'Love Kraft’s story began in Wales and Pleasure Foxxx Studios, where the band began to craft the album’s songs. Embracing the landmark of a seventh album, notably coming after the 2004 release of their first ‘best of…’ package, 'Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1', Super Furry Animals pooled ideas and affected further democracy in their songwriting, taking a load off traditional lead-writer and front man, Gruff Rhys, and sharing in lead vocal duties (aside from the microphone-averse bassist, Guto Pryce).
'Love Kraft' was the first Super Furry Animals album recorded to hard disc instead of multi-track tape, and found the band typically explorative and open to happenstance. Zoom’s opening splash into the recording studio’s swimming pool is accompanied by the on-location, pool table samples found elsewhere on the album.
STAFF COMMENTS
Andy says: Twenty years ago? Wow! I always really loved this album, starting with the brilliant artwork and then journeying inwards to the land of dreams and whimsy and layers of sound. My favourite song is Lazer Beam which just packs everything this glorious madcap band does into four magical, spiralling minutes. Another megarecord and a timely reissue.TRACK LISTING
LP Tracklisting:
1. Zoom!
2. Atomik Lust
3. The Horn
4. Ohio Heat
5. Walk You Home
6. Lazer Beam
7. Frequency
8. Oi Frango
9. Psyclone!
10. Back On A Roll
11. Cloudberries
12. Cabin Fever
13. *surprise*
CD Tracklisting:
CD1:
1. Zoom!
2. Atomik Lust
3. The Horn
4. Ohio Heat
5. Walk You Home
6. Lazer Beam
7. Frequency
8. Oi Frango
9. Psyclone!
10. Back On A Roll
11. Cloudberries
12. Cabin Fever
13. Sunny Seville
14. Rock ‘n’ Roll Flu
15. Never More
16. Colonise The Moon
CD2:
1. Zoom! (Stiwdio Ofn Demo)
2. Atomik Lust (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
3. The Horn (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
4. Ohio Heat (Stiwdio Ofn Demo)
5. Lazer Beam (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
6. Frequency (Stiwdio Ofn Demo)
7. Oi Frango (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
8. Psyclone! The SFA Cut (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
9. Back On A Roll (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
10. Cabin Fever (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
11. Cae Marw (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
12. The Gateway Song (Stiwdio Ofn Demo)
13. Rock ‘n’ Roll Flu (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
14. Never More (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
15. Palo Alto (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
16. These Bones (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
17. Bing Bong (Stiwdio Ofn Demo)
18. Bedw Arian (Pleasure Foxxx Demo)
19. The Gateway Song (Rough Mix)
20. Psyclone! (Future Force)
21. Psyclone! (The Flaming Lips)
22. Zoom! (uncut Master Take)