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German grooves galore – a host of classic tracks from vocalist Hildegard Knef – a remixed with a 21st Century flavor! Think of this one as a German answer to the Verve Remixed series – as Hildegard's older lyrics are layered amidst some heavy beats, keys, and electronics – hardly the instrumentation used in the original recordings, but at times a surprisingly great setting for her voice. Given the slightly cold quality of Knef's singing, the mix with electronics really works well – and titles include "Ich Schreib Dir En Buch", "Das Jahr 2000", "Meine Lieder Sind Anders", "So Oder So Ist Das Leben", "Heute Morgen War Termin", and "Du Bist Das Salz In Der Suppe".

The first album by Palais Schaumburg – and easily the hardest set the group ever recorded – a really mad batch of rhythms that comes off with raw post punk energy! At some level, the group share a lot with some of their post-prog German contemporaries – some of the noisy elements of Einsturzende Neubauten, the hypnotic grooves of Die Krupps, or the playful electronics of Pyrolator – yet at another level, Palais Schaumburg also remind us a lot of the arty, dubby groups of the UK scene at the time – with the basslines up a fair bit in the mix, and cold-toned lyrics that snap along with the skittish rhythms amidst the occasional flurry of horns – almost in a space between The Slits, Rip Rig & Panic, and the more experimental pre-country years of The Mekons. Great stuff all around – very ripe for rediscovery today – with tracks that include "Die Freunde", "Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt", "Gute Luft", "Grunes Winkelkanu", "Morgen Wird Der Wald Gefegt", "Madonna", and "Eine Geschichte". This 2CD version features a whopping 12 bonus tracks too – rare material from the same vintage of the album, including some live recordings too. Bonus cuts include "Telephon", "Herzmuskel", "Gute Luft (live)", "Rote Lichter", "Macht Mich Glucklich Wie Nie", "Kinder Der Tod (version)", and "Rote Lichter (live)".

More of a book than a magazine – given how heavy this mofo is, and the high-quality, full-color production throughout! This issue of Flashback weighs in at over 200 pages – and is filled with long pieces on some of the giants of psychedelia – including Morgen, Tomorrow, and 13th Floor Elevators! The issue also has a great look at rock papers of yore – penned by researcher Richie Unterberger – plus a look at Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble, the Dragonfly album, and lots lots more – including a great feature titled "100 Early Hard Rock Albums Everyone Should Hear" – more than enough to have us re-checking our record collections!

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles include "Devotion" by Between, "Dino" by Harmonia, "This Morning" by Gila, "Rambo Zambo" by Kollektiv, "La Chasse Aux Microbes" by Michael Bundt, "It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" by Faust, "Hallo Gallo" by Neu, "Rheinita" by La Dusseldorf, "Morgengruss" by Popul Vuh, "Fly United" by Amon Duul II, "Soham" by Deuter, "I Want More" by Can, "Geradewohl" by Roedelius, "No Man's Land" by Tangerine Dream, "Daydream" by Ash Ra Tempel, "High Life" by Ibliss, and "Heisse Lippen" by Cluster.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles on this first volume of the vinyl include "Devotion" by Between, "Dino" by Harmonia, "This Morning" by Gila, "Rambo Zambo" by Kollektiv, "La Chasse Aux Microbes" by Michael Bundt, "It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" by Faust, "Hallo Gallo" by Neu, "Rheinita" by La Dusseldorf, and "Morgengruss" by Popul Vuh.

A groundbreaking record from Kraftwerk – a set that unified the 70s worlds of analogue electronics and prog rock – yet somehow managed to set the scene for a whole new sound to come! The album's a treasure all the way through – slow-building, and with beautiful bubbling moments that have these surprisingly simple hooks – heard to best effect in the album's classic title cut "Autobahn" – but echoed nicely through the album's other longer tracks too – "Kometenmelodie 1 &2", "Mitternacht", and "Morgenspaziergang".