Michael Rother: Flammende Herzen [GROENLAND]

Why you'll love it

This Grönland reissue is digitally remastered from the original analog master tapes. It was the first solo album from the Neu! and Harmonia co-founder, produced with Conny Plank.

This edition

• Remastered from the analog master tapes
• Stereo mix

About the album

Michael Rother had already done plenty by 1976. As half of Neu! with Klaus Dinger, and with Cluster in Harmonia, he'd helped build the motorik pulse that so many bands have borrowed since. Then, between June and September 1976, he went into the studio with Conny Plank to see what he sounded like on his own.

The answer was this: shimmering, melodic and sunny, with Can's Jaki Liebezeit holding down a steady, propulsive beat. The title track glides on layers of chiming guitar, "Zyklodrom" is a long, hypnotic ride, and side two moves through "Karussell," "Feuerland" and "Zeni" like a series of scenic views from a fast train. Plank's production keeps everything airy and spacious, so the guitars seem to hang in the air a moment longer than they should.

Rother went on to make Sterntaler and Katzenmusik with Liebezeit, and later won back the rights to the whole run. Five tracks, two sides, one very good mood; it's the kind of record that makes a grey Tuesday seem like a reasonable idea.

Also at Kops: more Michael Rother on vinyl · browse Electronic

Tracklist

Listen

On Grönland (cat# LPGRON205), a reissue of the 1977 album.