Deluxe (Harmonia album)
Encyclopedia
Deluxe is the second album from the highly influential Krautrock
/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia
. Harmonia was formed by the addition of Neu!
guitarist Michael Rother
to Cluster
, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius
.
Deluxe was recorded in June, 1975 in Harmonia's studio in Forst
, Germany
. It was first released on the Brain Records
label in 1975. It was produced by the band members and legendary Krautrock producer, Conny Plank
. Ned Raggett's review for Allmusic opens: "A touch more immediate and song-oriented than its predecessor, but no less enchanting and lovely to hear, De Luxe again features the trio experimenting with a variety of approaches, most particularly including vocals here and there for the first time." The Ground and Sky review by Joe McGlinchey describes Deluxe, in part: "The album also has more of a drive to it than the first Harmonia album, perhaps in part to Rother's guitar being much more upfront and noticeable, as well as the addition of Guru Guru
drummer Mani Neumeier
on some tracks." Neumeier performs a lengthy jam on the track "Walky Talky". Ned Raggett adds: "The motorik
pulses and rhythms, however soft and subtle, still dominate the proceedings, while the glazed, warm feeling of the whole album is astounding."
Deluxe ranked at #41 among Krautrock albums in sales at Amazon.com
as of September 3, 2007. Musician, writer, and rock historian Julian Cope
included Deluxe in his Krautrock Top 50.
CDs of Deluxe first appeared in 1994 on the Germanofon label. This dubious company based in Luxembourg
released numerous Krautrock albums without proper authorization or paying royalties, in effect producing bootlegs that somehow found their way into mainstream distribution. The Germanofon CDs were transfers from vinyl LPs and generally were of inferior sound quality. The album was not properly released on CD until October 24, 2004 on the Motor Music
label, a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group
. It was also reissued by Universal in Japan
in 2005, by the Russia
n label Lilith in 2006, and by the Revisited Records label in 2007.
cover "Deluxe (Immer Wieder)" on their 2005 EP The Road Leads Were It's Led.
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia
Harmonia (band)
Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
. Harmonia was formed by the addition of Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
guitarist Michael Rother
Michael Rother
Michael Rother is a German experimental Krautrock musician and composer.- Early life and education :Born in 1950, Rother went to school in Munich, Wilmslow , Karachi, and Düsseldorf. He also lived in Pakistan in the early 1960s where he was exposed to Pakistani music that would influence his own...
to Cluster
Cluster (band)
Cluster is a German experimental musical group who influenced the development of contemporary popular electronic and ambient music. They have recorded albums in a wide variety of styles ranging from experimental music to progressive rock, all of which had an avant-garde edge. Cluster has been...
, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
.
Deluxe was recorded in June, 1975 in Harmonia's studio in Forst
Forst, Lower Saxony
Forst is a district of the municipality Bevern, Lower Saxony, Germany.Forst lies in the Weserbergland.In the 1970s, the musicians Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dieter Moebius and Michael Rother lived there.....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was first released on the Brain Records
Brain Records
Brain was a Hamburg-based record label prominent in the 1970s releasing several important Krautrock records by bands such as Neu!, Cluster and Guru Guru...
label in 1975. It was produced by the band members and legendary Krautrock producer, Conny Plank
Conny Plank
Konrad "Conny" Plank was a German record producer and musician. He was born in Hütschenhausen. His creativity as a sound engineer and producer helped to shape some of the most important and innovative recordings of postwar European popular music, covering a wide range of genres including...
. Ned Raggett's review for Allmusic opens: "A touch more immediate and song-oriented than its predecessor, but no less enchanting and lovely to hear, De Luxe again features the trio experimenting with a variety of approaches, most particularly including vocals here and there for the first time." The Ground and Sky review by Joe McGlinchey describes Deluxe, in part: "The album also has more of a drive to it than the first Harmonia album, perhaps in part to Rother's guitar being much more upfront and noticeable, as well as the addition of Guru Guru
Guru Guru
Guru Guru is a German Krautrock band formed in 1968 as The Guru Guru Groove by Mani Neumeier , Uli Trepte and Eddy Naegeli later replaced by American Jim Kennedy...
drummer Mani Neumeier
Mani Neumeier
Mani Neumeier is a German rock musician, free jazz-drummer, artist, frontman of the German Krautrock-band Guru Guru....
on some tracks." Neumeier performs a lengthy jam on the track "Walky Talky". Ned Raggett adds: "The motorik
Motorik
Motorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk...
pulses and rhythms, however soft and subtle, still dominate the proceedings, while the glazed, warm feeling of the whole album is astounding."
Deluxe ranked at #41 among Krautrock albums in sales at Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
as of September 3, 2007. Musician, writer, and rock historian Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
included Deluxe in his Krautrock Top 50.
CDs of Deluxe first appeared in 1994 on the Germanofon label. This dubious company based in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
released numerous Krautrock albums without proper authorization or paying royalties, in effect producing bootlegs that somehow found their way into mainstream distribution. The Germanofon CDs were transfers from vinyl LPs and generally were of inferior sound quality. The album was not properly released on CD until October 24, 2004 on the Motor Music
Motor Music
Motor Music is an independent record label located in Berlin, Germany dealing mainly with rock music. It was founded in 1994 and until 2004 was a subsidiary of Universal Music Group....
label, a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. It was also reissued by Universal in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2005, by the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n label Lilith in 2006, and by the Revisited Records label in 2007.
Track listing
- "Deluxe (Immer Wieder)" – 9:45
- "Walky-Talky" – 10:35
- "Monza (Rauf und Runter)" – 7:07
- "Notre Dame" – 4:15
- "Gollum" – 4:35
- "Kekse" – 5:35
Personnel
- Hans-Joachim Roedelius – keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Michael RotherMichael RotherMichael Rother is a German experimental Krautrock musician and composer.- Early life and education :Born in 1950, Rother went to school in Munich, Wilmslow , Karachi, and Düsseldorf. He also lived in Pakistan in the early 1960s where he was exposed to Pakistani music that would influence his own...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, keyboards, vocals - Dieter MoebiusDieter MoebiusDieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
– synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, Nagoya harp, vocals - Mani NeumeierMani NeumeierMani Neumeier is a German rock musician, free jazz-drummer, artist, frontman of the German Krautrock-band Guru Guru....
– drums
Covers
The band The Secret MachinesThe Secret Machines
The Secret Machines are a three-piece American alternative rock band. Originally from Dallas, Texas before moving to New York City, they describe their band as space rock. The original lineup consisted of two brothers, Brandon and Benjamin Curtis, and Josh Garza...
cover "Deluxe (Immer Wieder)" on their 2005 EP The Road Leads Were It's Led.