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Keith Henderson: Crazed Psychedelia

There are also some bands in Germany playing krautrock in recent days...imagine that! Almost by accident, I came across a wonderful disc by the duo called S/T called The Difficult Second Album, released in 1995 on the obviously indie 'Save Our Sperms' label in Frankfurt, Germany. I don't know anything about these guys other than they go by the names 'Mister Miller' and 'Horse Badorfies' (Nope... that's not a misprint. Anybody know what the hell this means?) and they play a killer style of crazed psychedelia that is only surpassed in insanity level by the Vas Deferens Organization. A couple tunes have a strong Hawkwind resemblance, the sort of electronic freakouts that Dave Brock offered on 'Earthed to the Ground' for instance. But some of this S/T stuff is even better. I am intent on finding out whether there actually was an easier first album made, or perhaps an impossible third. An internet search turned up exactly nothing except the presence of this very album listed in Pat Reilley's catalog (Lone Starfighter). What can you tell me, Pat?

Link: Aural Innovations:Crazed Psychedelia

1999-07-01: Aural Innovations

Floyd

"Brilliant" - so der neuseeländische Händler, bei dem ich die CD bestellt habe. "Abgefahren, aber Dir wird es gefallen ..." - so FE/2, über dessen "Schweizer Büro" die CD den Weg in die Heimat zurückfand. Und mein Urteil? Welch bizarre CD! Schon die ersten Töne der Scheibe lassen erahnen, was bald zur Gewissheit wird: Mit Vollgas geht es in die Abgründe der Kanalisation, ohne Gnade darauf, in der kommenden Stunde dem Mief, den Nebelschwaden und den sonstigen Unheimlichkeiten dieser Gegend zu entkommen. Unheilschwangerer, dumpfer Bass durchdringt ununterbrochen das Album, wie in einer Hexenküche. Immer einfach gehalten, nie langweilig. Nie sonderlich melodiös, aber auch nie fehl am Platze. Darübergelegt Fuzzgitarre oder verzerrter Synthesizer. Nie unmelodisch, aber auch nie als komplexe, vielfältige Musik - wie eigentlich typisch für Progmusik. Faszinierend, mit welch einfachen Mitteln ein abwechslungsreiches Album gestaltet werden kann. Einzig bei den Soundeffekten zeigt sich die Band auf der Proghöhe: Man wartet regelrecht auf das Einsetzen der Uhren von Floyd’s "Time"... !  Garniert wird das Ganze mit einer fiesen Stimme - ganz klar, der Kerl muß bewaffnet sein! Eine musikalische Einordnung fällt schwer: Wie auf dem oben abgebildeten Cover unschwer zu erkennen ist, ist die Gruppe ( vor allem bei Back-ground und Texten ) punkig angehaucht. Aber nie schreiend und lärmend oder gar mit diesen verwirrenden "Solis"... Im Vorder-grund steht dagegen der abgefahrene Neo-Psyche: auch hier keine leichte Kost, aber auch hier nie total überdreht. Im Gegenteil, es findet ein gelungener Wechsel zwischen heftigerem Psyche ( aber kein Heavy-Psyche ) und ruhigeren Stücken statt. Immer einfach gehalten, immer unheimlich - auf seine eigene, dumpfe Art. Also nix Devil Doll oder Gothic Rock, sondern eher im Stile von Arthur Brown ( musikalisch ) mit Soft-Punk-Einflüssen. Fazit: Finger weg Ihr Synthie-Wolkenreiter. Nur etwas "for those who want to be outthere!". Begebt Euch auf die Reise in die unheimlichen Höhlen des Neo-Underground. Und haltet die Augen offen, denn wer mit dem Feuer spielt...

"Brilliant" - said the New Zealand dealer where I had ordered the CD. "Worn-out, but you will like it ..." - said FE/2, by whose "Swiss bureau" the CD found its way back into native soil. And my opinion? What a bizarre CD! Already the first sounds of the disc leads one to suspect what soon turns into certainty: with full throttle we go into the depths of the sewers, without the hope to escape, in the coming hour, the musty smells, the patches of fog, and the other ghastly stuff in these parts. A muffled bass, pregnant with doom, penetrates the album continuously, as in a pandemonium. Always kept unpretentious, never boring. Never too melodious, but also never out of place. Putting on top fuzz guitar or distorted synthesiser. Never unmelodic, but also never as complex, interwoven music - as is really typical for progmusic. Fascinating how, with such simple means, one can generate such a varied album. Only in the sound effects the band shows itself at prog level: One is honestly waiting for the onset of the watches of Floyd's Time ... ! The whole thing is garnished with a vile voice - clearly this guy must be armed! A musical classification is difficult: As can easily been seen from the cover shown above, the group (especially in background and text) has a punk bias. But never screaming and noisy or even with those bewildering "solos" ... In the forefront on the other hand is the worn out neo-psyche: here again no light stuff, but then again also not completely gone wild. On the contrary, a successful swapping between violent psyche (but not heavy-psyche) and quieter pieces takes place. Always kept simple, always eerie - in its own muffled way. So no Devil Doll or Gothic Rock, but rather in the style of Arthur Brown (musically) with soft-punk influences. Conclusion: Hands off their synth cloud rider. Only something "for those who want to be out-there!". Set off for a journey into the eerie caves of the neo-underground. And keep your eyes open, because if you play with fire ...

Translation: René Beerends

Link: Eclipsed Magazine

1998-06-04: Eclipsed Magazine

Lunatic Punk

Very hard psychedelic rock bordering on lunatic punk and industrial metal by a German duo who play a plethora of musical instruments but mainly guitars and keyboards, don’t know their names but they look like serious loons. This is a very impressive album and very diverse. The first track Animals is aggressive, wacky and totally thrilling, a hybrid of Hawkwind and the Butthole Surfers with a touch of Big Black. Departure is a paranoia-inducving narrative debating the results of a car crash in the casual manner of a Genesis P. Orridge. A lot of the album is similar to Psychic TV or Throbbing Gristle with its shock-tactical lunacy and nonchalant narratives. It’s Hot is a welcoming psychedelic space-rockpiece, classical in many aspects crossing Hawklords and mid-period Floyd. Kasim Muzik is one of the highlights of the album, building up a rhythmic pace on the guitar while the keyboards swarm around this running sound, adrenalin pumping as we are chased by the music of the middle eastz catches in no time and holds us captive. It’s very psychedelic and very spiritual, if not enlightening and we feel compelled to pull out the mat and genuflect to the east. Corpses On My Way is a sick as fuck story about encounters with dead children and other unfortunates. Funny as sick as it’s sang with emotion. Well, it makes me chuckle but I’m a twisted cunt. Schnarch Song begins with an aggressive, dog-snarling type, snoring augmented by overdriven, distorted guitar riffs, extreme noise with a sort of Tibetan kids chanting in the far background. Meandering solos that come from full circle to the snoring, grumpy man. The whole album has an equal share of full-on headfuck sicko dementia and its sane and tranquil moments of musical harmony and general audial levitation. They’re bound to become immense especially now their first step of success has just now been awarded here, live from the Cosmic Crypt...Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present S/T with THE CRYPT COMPANION CERTIFICATE. Write into the Crypt for the address.

1997-10-16: Astro Zombie #1

Heavy Space Rock

S/T ("same title") is a duo of German record collectors (Mr. Miller and Horse Badorties) who create their own music at home on 4-track equipment and release it on their own Save Our Sperms label (great name!) housed in self-designed sleeves (they’re both professionally active in the graphic sector). They started this cottage industry about three years ago and so far released four singles, three tapes and a 10" mini LP Catatonic Airkraut. Last Year, this beautiful packaged vinyl release (on the Texan Lone Starfighter label also known for the I? CD by Mynd Muzic) drew our attention with its spaced-out Krautrock moves. Early seventies German psychedelic rock still determines most of the sound spectrum on this first full-length album (eleven tracks / 68 minutes) by S/T... The CD opens with Animals, droning psychedelic rock of the Amon Düül II / Hawkwind-type. Next comes Departure (it’s over) with its organ play and electronics , like a cross between Gila and Cluster. Autumn is Coming is stoned folk in the Tyrannosaurus Rex mould, and It’s Hot is heavy heavy space rock, right out of the sound system of a passing U.F.O., while Beissen Sie in die Kaulquappe aus Wachs (PS. 8) (which in translation boils down to "Bite the wax tadpole", L .) brings more lysergic folk,this time with a background of early Kraftwerk electronics. Kasim Müzik unveils an elegant Arabic atmosphere with its ethnic vocalisation, wailing violin and moody guitar lines. Corpses on my Way sounds like a psyched-out singer/songwriter exercise, preparing you for The Educator, a slice of American sixties psych withwarped vocals and instrumentation. Schnarch Song (intro) / I Can’t Sleep (Live from Villabajo) generates an impressive amount of psychedelic vibes via it’s weird samples, backward tapes, howling guitars, spacy keyboards and alien vocals - a real tour de force. Der Eiertanz concludes this very rich CD with its spacy, ambient soundscapes. Conclusion: S/T released a psychedelic killer album, a true piece of modern Krautrock made in the nineties with the spirit of the seventies. Same remark as with the Catatonic Airkraut mini LP: stoned ideas always shine through. Mega-recommented. Get Happy! Records are the ones distributing this very limited CD.

1997-04-02: Crohinga Well #12

Pure Krautrock Sounds

This is one awesome slice of 90’s krautrock, supplied by just two guys who go under the moniker S/T & delivered courtesy of "Save Our Sperm Records" (S.O.S.). It is presumed these guys have done a first release - this being called The Difficult Second Album, but with the sense of humor they add to their music, who knows, it might be their first or third .. .. whatever. The highlights on this release are numerous but possible track 2 (Departure: It’s Over) might tip the scales. These guys have brought pure "krautrock" sounds and firmly planted it into the 90’s. This album has to be one of the sleepers of all time. Brilliant !!

1997-02-05: Cranium Music Catalogue

Moveable Ponytail

I wish I also had a moveable ponytail which I could apply left, right or middle of my bald head. Anyway, reasing about S/T means there’s names flying about like raindrops in a thunderstorm. The Legendary Pink Dots, Hawkwind, Cluster, Kraftwerk, Amon Düül 2, Popol Vuh, Can, Jesus & Mary Chain, even Moebius, Roedelius. Well, it must all be there, and I heard even more and the result is S/T. Two. German, droning, intense, lyrics, rhythm, melodies, effects, keyboards, organ, harminium, guitar, bass, noise, vocals, silence.

1996-04-26: Heartbeat #19

The Difficult Second Album

Fantastic new breakthrough CD from this bizarre German duo who manage to be simultaneously melodic and intensely industrial. Despite many rumours that this is actually a Legendary Pink Dots project, the truth is (typically) more interesting. Edward Ka Spel is the duo’s mentor, but says that he doesn’t participate in the recordings. S/T have developed their own brooding modern interpretation of the Neu / Kraftwerk Krautrock sound, admittedly with a heavy dose of the Dots’ early 80’s sound. Very original, and very possibly the best new discovery we have made this year!

1995-12-13: Avant Garde Distribution '6