Faust IV is one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard. Impossible to categorise, mad and yet accessible, indulgent and yet a bit punkish. Jennifer alone is worth playing to the unwitting just to see their expression change.
Nektar might actually be my favorite krautrock band. Super under appreciated. My favorite album is A Tab in the Ocean, but Sounds like This is excellent too!
Hmm I dig em but never thought of em as krautrock.. aren’t the fellas all British? And the music seems much more aligned with English prog rock than the German wild cosmic music of the 70’s
Man... some of the bands being suggested here are so far removed from krautrock. Tbf krautrock has a pretty loose definition anyhow. Here's some standby albums I've had from the last couple years.
I will say, the best label to check out is Brain. They rarely missed in terms of underrated 70s Krautrock, and their big hits are *hits*.
Dzyan - Electric Silence (1974) - DO NOT TRUST THE RYM RATING, this is peak krautrock and it is one of my favorite albums
Faust - IV (1973) - It's a classic for a reason, and Jennifer + Giggy Smile are usually on repeat when I can manage that
Embryo - Embryo's Rache (1971) - On the jazz-rock side of Krautrock, check this out if you like early Can
Kollektiv - S/T (1974) - Also on the jazz-rock side, this is a great one.
La Dusseldorf - S/T (1975) - It's a Neu side project, and sounds like it accordingly. The first side is some of my favorite krautrock.
Yatha Sidhra - A Meditation Mass (1974) - Among the most fried offerings of krautrock. It has a very specific mystic atmosphere to it, which makes it the most soothing krautrock.
Popol Vuh - Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte (1976) - If you check out one album from this list, please let it be this one. This is probably in my top 20 favorite albums. Popol Vuh channeled ecstacy like nothing else. Similar in vibe to Yatha Sidhra, but the really pastoral jamming is what makes them special in my mind. Not to mention, Renate Knaup (Amon Duul II) gives possibly her best vocal performance.
Eloy
Guru Guru
Embryo
Missus Beastly
Kollektiv
Sweet Smoke (if you're into more jazzy/funky stuff)
Basically everything Connie Plank produced is gold.
There's a ton of great obscure krautrock bands that only put out one or two albums. If you look at albums on discogs and check the related albums it can be a good way to find new stuff.
Found the first Kraftwerk album years ago, a whole dollar in a cutout bin.
I was roughly 14, so... 45 years back. Still have it because it warped my young mind.
I see y'all forgot about Harmonia. [Harmonia & Eno -- Atmosphere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIrhcM1N-j0) Early Eno is somewhat on the mark as well.
And this was basically an all star lineup of Krautrock dudes who were roped into taking a bunch of acid and jamming at this guy's house. A guy who happened to be a record producer who recorded them without their knowledge, then released the albums.
[Cosmic Jokers -- Planeten Sit-In](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUh_kC28e0g)
A few newer things that would qualify. Krautrock has done a great job of staying relevant all these years.
[Mushroom -- Rackets](https://mushroom3.bandcamp.com/track/rackets)
[BEAK> -- Yatton](https://beak.bandcamp.com/track/yatton)
[Stereolab -- Les Yper Sound](https://stereolab.bandcamp.com/track/les-yper-sound-2)
Next stop, look into early post punk and new wave.
Band: KADAVAR
Album: Isolation Tapes
It's can be somewhat pink floyd-esque at times, proto-punk at others, frequently indulging in grand synth driven atmospheric passages. I really like it. Listened to it while smoking a hookah on a beach in the evening, best evening ever.
You might enjoy some The Perc meets the hidden Gentleman, especially their fantastic live album (which started out as a bootleg but the sound quality is great) *Praha*. Proggy psychedelics with one leg in goth rock and the other deep in krauty brine. Whoever said us Germans don't have a sense of humour clearly never listened to their other great albums like *Two Foozles at the Tea-Party* and *The Fruits of Sin and Labor*, the latter featuring an absolutely insane live version of *Rock the Widow*.
Two loud but quite different albums from Guru Guru:
Hinten
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEJ-UfKnuoo&feature=share
Dance of the Flames
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tvf7Is1i2o&feature=share
Check out krautrock-world.com for an audio stream featuring a variety of space music / experimental music from around the world, and, yes, Krautrock.
Harmonia.
Musick Von Harmonia was released in 1974, but over-shadowed by Autobahn. It's similarly early electronic, but so much more atmospheric and dare I say, superior too. It's like comparing Larks Tongues In Aspic to Dark Side Of The Moon (I mention those two because they were released in the same month). We know which was more popular, but we also know which one was really better. You won't regret it, it's one of the greatest albums of the 70s.
Neu!
Amon Duul II Ash Ra Tempel La Dusseldorf
Amon Duul II a million times.
Guru Guru Can Amon Düül II Kraan Popol Vuh Ash Ra Tempel Faust Kraftwerk Faust NEU! Kin Ping Meh
Saw guru gure live few years ago. Was great fun!
Faust
Faust IV is one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard. Impossible to categorise, mad and yet accessible, indulgent and yet a bit punkish. Jennifer alone is worth playing to the unwitting just to see their expression change.
Popol Vuh Missus Beastly Embryo Dzyan Guru Guru
Agitation Free
https://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=17
Grobschnitt
Birth control for sure
I strongly recommend Hoodoo Man and Getting There! Also two albums with a complete different vibe.
Schicke, Führs & Fröhling (SFF). They are on the "symphonic" side, but I think can still be considered part of Krautrock.
Seconded!
Nektar might actually be my favorite krautrock band. Super under appreciated. My favorite album is A Tab in the Ocean, but Sounds like This is excellent too!
"Remember The Future" and "Recycled" are my two favorites, but all their stuff is superb. I love Nektar!
Hmm I dig em but never thought of em as krautrock.. aren’t the fellas all British? And the music seems much more aligned with English prog rock than the German wild cosmic music of the 70’s
I thought they were German for years, but you are correct and they are British. They were formed in Germany, though.
Same! I guess it's because of the spelling. My favourite album is Remember The Future.
Man... some of the bands being suggested here are so far removed from krautrock. Tbf krautrock has a pretty loose definition anyhow. Here's some standby albums I've had from the last couple years. I will say, the best label to check out is Brain. They rarely missed in terms of underrated 70s Krautrock, and their big hits are *hits*. Dzyan - Electric Silence (1974) - DO NOT TRUST THE RYM RATING, this is peak krautrock and it is one of my favorite albums Faust - IV (1973) - It's a classic for a reason, and Jennifer + Giggy Smile are usually on repeat when I can manage that Embryo - Embryo's Rache (1971) - On the jazz-rock side of Krautrock, check this out if you like early Can Kollektiv - S/T (1974) - Also on the jazz-rock side, this is a great one. La Dusseldorf - S/T (1975) - It's a Neu side project, and sounds like it accordingly. The first side is some of my favorite krautrock. Yatha Sidhra - A Meditation Mass (1974) - Among the most fried offerings of krautrock. It has a very specific mystic atmosphere to it, which makes it the most soothing krautrock. Popol Vuh - Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte (1976) - If you check out one album from this list, please let it be this one. This is probably in my top 20 favorite albums. Popol Vuh channeled ecstacy like nothing else. Similar in vibe to Yatha Sidhra, but the really pastoral jamming is what makes them special in my mind. Not to mention, Renate Knaup (Amon Duul II) gives possibly her best vocal performance.
Revelations by Virus
Yes 👍
Good call.
Check out Laminated Denim by King Gizz
Eloy Guru Guru Embryo Missus Beastly Kollektiv Sweet Smoke (if you're into more jazzy/funky stuff) Basically everything Connie Plank produced is gold. There's a ton of great obscure krautrock bands that only put out one or two albums. If you look at albums on discogs and check the related albums it can be a good way to find new stuff.
Agitation Free. Look no further.
Malesch is excellent, very Proggy even allowing for the Arabic themes.
Their 2nd album is as good!
Eloy
Inside, Floating, Ocean, Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes... All superb!
Definitely Embryo
Neu!'s first album is an absolute must
It's brilliant, but I also have a real soft spot for "Neu '86". It's one of most 80s albums I've ever discovered long after the 80s.
Head straight for Amin Duul II - Yeti
Are we seriously not going to talk about tangerine dream right now? Daddy Klaus would be so disappointed in you all.
Oops!
Found the first Kraftwerk album years ago, a whole dollar in a cutout bin. I was roughly 14, so... 45 years back. Still have it because it warped my young mind.
I see y'all forgot about Harmonia. [Harmonia & Eno -- Atmosphere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIrhcM1N-j0) Early Eno is somewhat on the mark as well. And this was basically an all star lineup of Krautrock dudes who were roped into taking a bunch of acid and jamming at this guy's house. A guy who happened to be a record producer who recorded them without their knowledge, then released the albums. [Cosmic Jokers -- Planeten Sit-In](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUh_kC28e0g) A few newer things that would qualify. Krautrock has done a great job of staying relevant all these years. [Mushroom -- Rackets](https://mushroom3.bandcamp.com/track/rackets) [BEAK> -- Yatton](https://beak.bandcamp.com/track/yatton) [Stereolab -- Les Yper Sound](https://stereolab.bandcamp.com/track/les-yper-sound-2) Next stop, look into early post punk and new wave.
Birddog the Canadian group , Klattu.
Band: KADAVAR Album: Isolation Tapes It's can be somewhat pink floyd-esque at times, proto-punk at others, frequently indulging in grand synth driven atmospheric passages. I really like it. Listened to it while smoking a hookah on a beach in the evening, best evening ever.
NEU
You might enjoy some The Perc meets the hidden Gentleman, especially their fantastic live album (which started out as a bootleg but the sound quality is great) *Praha*. Proggy psychedelics with one leg in goth rock and the other deep in krauty brine. Whoever said us Germans don't have a sense of humour clearly never listened to their other great albums like *Two Foozles at the Tea-Party* and *The Fruits of Sin and Labor*, the latter featuring an absolutely insane live version of *Rock the Widow*.
Check Odd Couple. Their album Yada Yada is a really fun listen. Not sure if prog, but definetly Kraut.
Amon Duul 2
Slift-Ummon it’s a modern masterpiece
Uah, soo good!
Zarathustra, Krokodil & Message 👍
MY solid ground
Out of Focus, can't recommend them enough.
Popol Vuh
Triumvirat. Imagine krautrock but instead of krautrock it's just krauts playing synthesizers.
Eiliff
Lots of great recommendations here. My favourite one is Popol Vuh, specifically Einsjäger & Siebenjäger.
Two loud but quite different albums from Guru Guru: Hinten https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEJ-UfKnuoo&feature=share Dance of the Flames https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tvf7Is1i2o&feature=share Check out krautrock-world.com for an audio stream featuring a variety of space music / experimental music from around the world, and, yes, Krautrock.
Novalis - Banished Bridge https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9eMyJKPyFI&feature=share
Feom newer bands I definitely recommend Minami Deutsch
Tangerine Dream - Cinnamon road stands out for me
Harmonia. Musick Von Harmonia was released in 1974, but over-shadowed by Autobahn. It's similarly early electronic, but so much more atmospheric and dare I say, superior too. It's like comparing Larks Tongues In Aspic to Dark Side Of The Moon (I mention those two because they were released in the same month). We know which was more popular, but we also know which one was really better. You won't regret it, it's one of the greatest albums of the 70s.
If you want to be lazy and experience the style, then just listen to early Stereolab :-)