Agitation Free - 'Malesch' (Garden Of Delights) 4 1/2 stars
Mike Reed | USA | 06/08/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"'Malesch' was Agitation Free's first album release.Originally put out in 1972,with founding members bassist/keyboardist Michael Gunther and guitarist/keyboardist Lutz Ulbrich.Some say 'Malesch' is one of the better krautrock efforts ever.Here,Agitation Free fuses spacey synth work,an atmospheric vibe with a Middle Eastern sound as so few ensembles can.Best cuts include "Sahara City",the intricate "Khan El Khalili" and the title track "Malesch".Should appeal to most fans of Faust,Terry Riley,Kluster,Tangerine Dream and Steve Reich.A great pick.Recommended."
Prime Prog Psychedelic Krautrock Pioneers
W. T. Hoffman | Pennsylvania, United States | 02/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"AGITATION FREE arose from the WEST BERLIN KRAUTROCK scene back in 1967, but never obtained true international recognistion, unlike the BERLIN bands Tangerine Dream, with at least 50 albums, ASH RA TEMPLE/ ASHRA, and Klaus Schulze. For whatever reasons, AGITATION FREE fell just short of this level of international success. This is a pity, because besides their first album MALESCH, their second album (called SECOND), and four other titles, this band has almost NO discography. Nevertheless, their talent was recognized by the Goethe Institute, who sent the band on a tour of the Near East sometime in 1972. While on tour, the band made "field recordings" of Near Eastern musicians, and street sounds. Combined with their long experience jamming in the progressive, FLUXUS influenced BERLIN music communes, the album MALESCH was born. Unlike most albums recorded today, this album works as a unit, flowing from one idea, song title, cultural and musical influence to another seemlessly. The album opens with some Arabic street sounds, dissolves into a far out groove based song, only to dissolve again into a KOSMIK MUSIK influenced piece. By the time that song winds down, youre propelled into a marimba based number, reminiscent of Steve Reich's experimental composistions. Whether the band is focusing on their lead guitar player's smooth tone and fluid melodic movements, or the elastic bass and drum interplay, or the organ and mellotrone washes, each song relaxes the heart, and excites the imagination simutaneously. When one theme is finished, more of their middle eastern FOUND STREET MUSIC is brushed over the soundscape, and a new song arises. Some have compared the band's sound to the Grateful Dead period, when they were transistioning between songs, with modal jazz structures, ambient sounds, and world percussion. (THINK: Europe '72, and the PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE songs). It's an obvious comparison, however, there are no lyrics, interrupting the psychic, psychedelic flow of the music from one "number" to the next. Both sides of the original "album" merge song to song. Neither is this KOSMISCHE MUSIK, where all the songs are 20 minute epics of meandering sonic washes, or those horrible synth arpeggios. AGITATION FREE employs melodies played primarily on the electric guitar, with some keyboard and tonal percussion used for more than just color. These colorful, miasmic negative spaces help to frame the density and beauty of the full band instrumental arrangements. Even with the Arabic writing on the cover, and the middle eastern titles to the songs, the real "world music" influence is nowhere NEAR as prevalent as you might hear in EMBRYO's "STIEG AUS" album, Or Dzyan's ELECTRIC SILENCE album, where arabic scales and instruments abound.
Who would love this band? If you like music with psychedelic, jazzy interplay, spiced up with bits of middle eastern music framing inventive instrumental rock, you'll enjoy this album. If you are impressed with instrumental prowlness, and experimental composing, then you'll find this album to your liking. In fact, with the rerelease of these albums, along with new "bonus cuts" on each album, you can finally hear for yourself what has to be one of the best kept secrets of the KRAUTROCK movement. Before now, you had to search out those GARDEN OF DELIGHTS editions, or find an old 1992 SPALAX MUSIC import from France, to hear this band. And, take it from me, that gets pricey. Right now, REVISITED MUSIC has these albums rereleased on CD, in nice, gatefold editions, with booklets that cover the history of the band, not to mention clean remastering. This edition may not stay in print too long, so if you have ANY interrest in the KRAUTROCK movement, and dont have any AGITATION FREE CDs, this is THE CD to start with. The only BAD thing about buying this CD, is that you'll probibly blow money buying at least AGITATION FREE II and LIVE '74."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1