“Neu!’s album Neu!…I got this record in special edition white vinyl a few years back (in fact it was a Birthday gift from our singer Paul, in a rare display of inter-band affection.)”
“From the very first listen this just blew my mind completely. The approach and aesthetic was nothing like anything I heard on American or British records of this era, seeming light years ahead of its time. There were certain aspects that seemed familiar, but were still totally unique without being overtly obtuse (despite the second track consisting entirely of almost 5 minutes of heavily affected cymbal sounds, fuck yeah!)
The first track, “Hallogallo” (which has the coolest drum sound/playing of ALL TIME) just hits you with 10 minutes of driving groove that is both intense yet dreamy, meandering yet focused, simple yet complex. This sets the tone of what’s to follow; a record that is spontaneous and improvisational without the results ever sounding throwaway. To me, this is a real sign of deep creative understanding between the two core members and something that’s so rare, cosmic, and special.
I also owe this record a huge debt of gratitude for leading me on to so many other amazing German records of this era by the likes of Can, Faust, Harmonia, Cluster, and Brainticket to name but a few. Discovering these bands was like discovering a whole new side of music that I was amazed took me so long to find.
As first dates go, this was way better than any I’ve had in real life. I still love putting this record on and experiencing the ensuing 45 minutes of eyes closed, couch-lock bliss.”
—Brendan Fennessy, drums/vocals
