Search - Roedelius :: Wenn Der Sudwind Weht

The softer side of Ambient Krautrock

rubidium84 | Ft. Calhoun, NE | 04/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't listened to a lot of Roedelius' lengthy canon (I think he's been on over 80 records, and has about 40 solo releases) but so far, I like what I've heard. This one was made at about the same time as "Lustwandel", another very good album which I recommend, and it's a nice contrast to that one.
While "Lustwandel" is more piano-driven and has a feel of melancholy to it, "WDSW" is very cheerful and synth-dominated. It's like a cross between early Tangerine Dream and elevator music, but it's intelligent and engaging. Two tracks stand out: the eighth one (I don't know what it's called since the title is in german), which breaks the album's happy feel with a dark, somber synth drone, and "Felix Austria" which my brother describes as "carousel music". Parts of it sound like Terry Riley's "Curved Air".
All in all the album fits in nicely with other stuff by Roedelius or Cluster. This is my favorite album to listen to while reading."