Released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the founding of cult krautrock label Brain, and compiled by the destined-to-be-just-as-cult (and getting there quickly) Fruits De Mer, this is a double-album of covers by some of the more notable Germanic-influenced bands of today. Earthling Society, Dead Sea Apes and Vert:x are among them, alongside returning psych-pop heroes The Bevis Frond.
The groups largely get their teeth into re-imagining pieces by the original chiefs of the scene. There are a couple of terrific Neu! tracks, a similar brace of Can, and a beautifully ethereal delivery of Amon Düül’s Paramechanical World. That’s not to say they don’t explore works by those on more of a connoisseur’s radar; they do, but even when referencing the real headline bands, there’s an enquiring outlook at work.
Take the Kraftwerk covers. The rendition of Trans-Europe Express by Anla Courtis reduces its original starkness into lo-fi minimalism, while Dead Sea Apes deliver RükstoÐ’Gondoliero, performed by Kraftwerk on a 1971 edition of German TV’s Beat Club, but never actually cut to vinyl. Relentlessly vital, the artists involved drive their reference points onwards while looking in the rear view mirror.
