Various
The Crack in the Cosmic Egg
CDROM / 25 Tracks / 206:00 mins

Please go to the Store to buy this item.
The late 60s to early 70s saw the rise of The Kraut Rock scene in Germany giving birth to such bands and artists as: Amon Duul 2, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Can, Faust, Kraftwerk, Neu! Klaus Sculze, Tangerine Dream and loads more. The original book of this name came out in 1996 and really amounted to the repository of a lifetime of knowledge built up by brothers Steve & Alan Freemen, the two people who I certainly think of as the world experts on this scene. This CDROM covers that book with another ten years of research included plus 'thousands of extra pictures, an albums worth of music samples plus loads and loads of bonus appendices, and lots of other extra features, sections on Austria, Switzerland, the former DDR' it also covers other related genres such as Avant-Garde, Synth Music plus others. The immensity of this project is mind-boggling and will take you many days to fully go through. What is more you even get two Free additional promo CDs featuring the Kraut Rock inspired 'Auricle' and 'Garden of Delights' labels.

Many of the features on the bands and artists include pictures, posters plus scans of rare album and single covers. As for the Kraut Rock section, as well as the artists mentioned above you will also find articles on: Birth Control, Eloy, Embryo, Grobschnitt, Harmonia, Guru Guru, Kluster, Kraftwerk, Magma, Mythos, Novalis. Popol Vuh and almost 600 others! Absolutely astonishing!

Also covered is a Synth Section. Now this looks at things from a different angle to SMD. Even though it features articles on the likes of Peter Baumann, Rainer Bloss, Deuter, Chris Franke, Thomas Fanger, Michael Hoenig, Paul Haslinger, Peter Mergener, Pete Namlook, Pyramid Peak, Rainbow Serpent, Roedelius, Johannes Schmoelling, Conrad Schnitzler, Mario Schonwalder, Robert Schroeder, Software, Spyra and Synco PLUS OVER 300 others it looks at things from the German scene so you will not find anything relating to the UK. There is much here however that we have not covered in SMD. It is an interesting read and you are certain to find out things you didn't know before.

Even though the Synth and Kraut Rock sections are maybe those that will attract you most there are also hundreds more (could even be over 1000) write-ups on bands from other interesting and related genres. The scope of this project is quite simply breathtaking!

We haven't stopped there though. There are audio interviews with Manuel Gottsching (3 of them!), Christian Burchard, Michael Gunther and Chris Karrer as well as written interviews with Klaus Schulze, Florian Fricke, Mario Schonwalder, Lightwave & Paul Haslinger etc. You will also find promo videos of Faust both from 1971 and 2007 as well as Guru Guru, Xhol Caravan and Embryo.

It is one of the most incredible works of love (even obsession?) I have ever read. (DL)

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