Tag Archives: Michael Rother

On Record – Andy Bell: pinball wanderer (Sonic Cathedral)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Andy Bell is on a creative roll these days. While it’s not clear if the Ride guitarist will become part of the Oasis live tour later in the year, he is pressing ahead as he hits a rich vein of form in his solo career. Whether under his own name or the GLOK alias, where he operates more electronically, Bell has maintained a satisfying blend of recent past and future, bringing together song-based material with experimentation and the joy of repetitive beats.

pinball wanderer looks set to further his enjoyment in these areas, with a busy year ahead!

What’s the music like?

Bell achieves a really satisfying blend of electronic and acoustic here, bringing in some elements of the GLOK alias – especially an enjoyment of Krautrock – to rub shoulders with influences from early 1990s Manchester and, further back, a healthy dash of Byrds.

The result is music that is never short of a hookline, but adds some really interesting and rewarding quirks when the mood takes it. A great example is the groovy Apple Green UFO, a track aware of the groovier side of Stone Roses’ repertoire, but striking out through dropping a beat in the bar, giving it a subtle edge the likes of A Certain Ratio would enjoy.

Panic Attack is equal parts Krautrock and Manchester, promising warmer climes, while a well judged cover of The Passions‘ I’m In Love With A German Film Star features ideal guest turns from Dot Allison and Michael Rother. The title track is a brightly coloured groove, while the dreamy Space Station Mantra allows the mind to wander at the cosmic close.

Does it all work?

It does – and with repeated listens, Bell’s music grows in stature and impact. Be warned, there are many earworms in this album!

Is it recommended?

It is. Andy Bell is clearly relishing his music making at the moment, and this meeting of his different musical minds is thoroughly enjoyable, laden with grooves, riffs and good times.

For fans of… A Certain Ratio, Neu!, Andrew Weatherall, Primal Scream

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,470 – Tuesday 11 March 2025

Switched On – Deutsche Elektronische Musik 4 (Soul Jazz Records)

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reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Deutsche Elektronische Musik has proved to be an enterprising series from Soul Jazz Records, with its packaging proving to be every bit as colourful and quirky as the music it presents. While the mention of Krautrock will make readers think of bands such as Can, Neu! and Popol Vuh, the crate diggers at Soul Jazz present some of the lesser names alongside these luminaries.

It proved an effective formula on the first three volumes, each offering a double album’s-worth of treats, and the fourth looks set to offer similar rewards.

What’s the music like?

A great deal of fun. One of the great things about this set of tracks is the feeling that the rules have been pushed to one side. Anything goes, and as a result the variety of grooves, colours, riffs and moods range far and wide.

To offer a few highlights, Agitation Free offer a lovely bit of pastoral cheerfulness with Laila, Pt. II, a mood which could also be levelled at Between’s Triumphzug Kaiser Maximilian I. Can’s I’m So Green is typically excellent, with a shuffling groove, while Michael Rother’s Flammende Herzen expands really nicely from a dreamy interlude to a more driven groove.

My Strand-Eyed Girl from Virus is very Doorsy, with that late 1960s psychedelia feel, and E.Mak impress with their more modern sounding Tanz In Den Himmel, and its hazy block chords. On the stranger side of the fence sit the German psychedelic band Kalacakra, with a long, drone-led ritual of goblin like voices. Meanwhile Roedelius offers a nice, woozy instrumental in the beatless Halmharfe – the lack of beats immediately compensated by Dzyan’s descriptive drum workout Dragonsong.

Finally Günter Schickert applies a really excellent beat and guitar panning for Suleika, a track which has already found favour with the likes of Richard Fearless, then Witthüser & Westrupp apply some dreamy meandering for Schöpfung (1. Mose 1), before it grows into a more athletic wig-out.

Does it all work?

Not all of it will be according to taste, but that is part of the appeal with this series – Soul Jazz include so many different free standing styles that it would be almost impossible to like them all. This instalment is noticeably more relaxed in its grooves than the last, but the musical positivity is still ever-present.

Is it recommended?

Wholeheartedly. If like me you already owned the first three volumes of this excellent series, there is no need to hesitate about the possibility of adding a fourth. It is another history lesson cum late night party soundtrack.

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Buy

You can hear clips from the compilation and purchase from the Soul Jazz shop, Sounds Of The Universe