Harmonia : Complete Works (Musik Von/Deluxe/Live 1974/Tracks & Traces/Documents 1975) 5CD set) (CD) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
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Complete Works (Musik Von/Deluxe/Live 1974/Tracks & Traces/Documents 1975) 5CD set)

CD (Item 971227) Brain/Gronland, 1974–1976 
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A stunning set -- one that brings together two rare albums from this legendary group -- plus essential rare material too! First up is Musik Von Harmonia -- an electronic prog classic -- served up by the trio of Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius from Cluster, plus Michael Rother of Neu! The tracks here have a definite Cluster-like sound -- instrumentals that use organ, keyboards, guitar, and electronic percussion to build up some wonderfully analogue-styled grooves -- often quite slow at first, but filling up nicely as added elements come into the mix! The record's easily one of our favorites from the time, and has a much darker sound than later Moebius/Roedelius work. Titles include "Watussi", "Ohrwurm", "Ahoi", "Dino", "Sonneschein", "Sehr Kosmisch", "Veterano" and "Hausmusik". Next is Deluxe -- a brilliant little album from Harmonia -- quite possibly their greatest record ever, and a set that's wonderfully balanced between progressive and electronic modes! There's a live drummer on the set -- Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru -- and although he still plays with a spare, circular mode that recalls the Harmonia rhythms of before, there's also a slight bit of propulsion here too -- one that pushes the keyboards and guitars alongside nicely. There's also some spacey vocals at times, which when coupled with these other elements, gives the record a sound that's a bit like early Neu -- although still a bit more electronic overall. A great bridge between two worlds of music in the German scene of the 70s -- with tracks that include "Gollum", "Monza", "Notre Dame", "Deluxe", "Walky Talky", and "Kekse". Next is Live 1974 -- a hypnotic live set from Harmonia -- and a pretty incredible sonic document of the hugely important group made of Krautrock lynchpins Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius! The gig was one from March of 1974 in Griessem, Germany and it finds the trio kicking out the trance inducing ambience, lumbering 70s style electronic manipulation, and improvisational interplay without ever sacrificing a heady groove! The group was hardly content to simply play the tracks from their couple of LPs -- taking a much more freeform, exploratory and beautifully languorous approach to their sound -- a pretty raw, but no less beautiful swirl of electronic percussion, keys, synthesizer and ambient guitar. Titles include "Shaumberg", "Veteranissimo", "Arabesque", "Holta-Polta" and "Ueber Ottenstein". Tracks & Traces is textural mood pieces and quite beautiful material from Harmonia and Eno -- beautiful mid 70s recordings and a few unreleased gems -- wholly wonderful material that weirdly didn't see a release for about 30 years! Some of the tunes are sparely furnished, kind of pastoral bits of echoing atmospherics and trance inducing sound loops, others with more jarring bits of dissonant tension, and all of it holding up proudly with the better known work of the sound masters involved, together and separately! Includes "Welcome", "Atmosphere", "Camos Comapneros", "By The Riverside", "Weird Dream", "Almost", "When Shade Was Born". "Aubade" and more. Last up is Documents 1975 -- four unreleased tracks all recorded during the pivotal year of 1975, when the group was really pushing its sound a bit, and helping find a new path forward for the energy of Krautrock! As with other Harmonia work, there's a sense of layering and modal progression that drives most of these numbers forward -- but there's also a bit of compactness, too -- which has some of the most important musical elements playing a stronger role more quickly -- showing both the direction that group members Dieter Moebius and Hans Joachim Roedelius would take in later work, and the influence that Harmonia would have on other European acts through the post-punk years. Mani Neumeir of Guru Guru joins in on drums on two tracks -- and along with Michael Rother, the varied instrumentation from Moebius and Roedelius includes lots of keyboards, electronics, guitar, Fender Rhodes, and even a nagoja harp! Titles include "Tki Taka At Harmonia Studio In Forst", "Proto Deluxe At Harmonia Studio In Forst", "Live At Fabrik In Hamburg", and "Live At Onkel Po In Hamburg".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.

There may be different interpretations or standards used to grade pre-owned vinyl record albums & CDs. These are the grades that we use and what they mean for items that are not new copies.

Used Vinyl Grades

Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.

The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:

Sealed

This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap. We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as "Sealed".

Near Mint

Dusty Groove does not use the grades of Near Mint (or Mint, for that matter) because in our experience, we find that no records ever qualify for such a high grade. Even sealed records tend to have one or two slight faults, enough to usually qualify them for a grade of NM- or lower. We've often found that records which are clearly unplayed will have a slight amount of surface noise, especially in quieter recordings.

Near Mint - (minus)

  • Black vinyl that may show a slight amount of dust or dirt.
  • Should still be very shiny under a light, even with slight amount of dust on surface.
  • One or two small marks that would make an otherwise near perfect record slightly less so. These marks cannot be too deep, and should only be surface marks that won't affect play, but might detract from the looks.
  • May have some flaws and discoloration in the vinyl, but only those that would be intrinsic to the pressing. These should disappear when the record is tilted under the light, and will only show up when looking straight at the record. (Buddah and ABC pressings from the 70's are a good example of this.)
  • May have some slight marks from aging of the paper sleeve on the vinyl.
  • Possible minor surface noise when played.

Very Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
  • Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
  • Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
  • This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones).
  • May have slight surface noise when played.

Very Good

  • Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major.
  • May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.
  • May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail.
  • May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more.
  • This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good "play copy" for someone new.

Very Good - (minus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, and can lack a fair amount of luster.
  • Vinyl can have a number of marks, either in clusters or smaller amounts, but deeper.
  • This is the kind of record that you'd buy to play, but not because it looked that great. Still, the flaws should be mostly cosmetic, with nothing too deep that would ruin the overall record.
  • Examples include a record that has been kept for a while in a cover without the paper sleeve, or heavily played by a previous owner and has some marks across the surface. The record should play okay, though probably with surface noise.

Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, or have one outstanding flaw, such as a light residue, which could be difficult to clean.
  • May have marks on all parts, too many to qualify as Very Good-, or several deeper marks, but the record should still be ok for play without skips.
  • In general, this is a record that was played a fair amount, and handled without care. A typical example may be a record which has been heavily played by a DJ, and carries marks from slip cueing. Depending on the quality of the vinyl, may play with surface noise throughout.

Good

  • A record that you'd buy to play, cheap, but which you wouldn't buy for collecting.
  • Will have marks across all parts of the playing surface, and will most likely play with surface noise throughout. May have some other significant flaws, such as residue, or a track that skips.
  • In most cases, a poor quality copy of a very difficult to find record.

Fair

This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A "Fair" record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as "Good", but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music. For records listed as "Fair", we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Poor

Like "Fair", we rarely list records in this condition, as they represent the extreme low end of spectrum. These records typically have multiple serious problems, and we offer them as "relics" or "objects" only — for those who want to at least have a copy of a record, even if it is not really worthy of play, perhaps for the cover alone. For these records, we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Additional Marks & Notes

If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.


Used CD Grade

We only use the grade "Used CD" for non-new CDs. This all-encompassing grade was chosen it because we only buy and offer used CDs in the best possible condition.

When you purchase a used CD you can expect the disc to be free of all but the lightest of surface marks, the case to be clean (we often change the cases ourselves), and the booklet to be in good shape. Used CDs may show some signs of use, but if there are significant details or defects we will describe the item's condition (just like we do with LPs), so look for notes on cutout marks, stickers, promo stamps or other details before ordering.

All of our used CDs are guaranteed to play without skipping or flaws. After you receive a used CD from Dusty Groove, you have 1 week to play it to determine that it plays correctly. If it does not, you can request a return for a full refund.


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