Documents 1975, a collection of live recordings by Harmonia that only surfaced in 2007, features tracks from high-quality, carefully recorded and preserved tapes by a certain Asmus Tietchens, a great enthusiast of Cluster, Neu!, and Harmonia tapes from Hamburg. Tietchens recorded two live Harmonia concerts with Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru on drums in 1975 at various clubs in the city, and also obtained rare tapes of Harmonia studio tracks from that same year. They were released in 2015, and here they are.
I've actually written about Harmonia in various articles, and as we mentioned, many argue that the band doesn't really belong to the Kosmische Musik (Krautrock) genre. I believe they belong more specifically to Progressive Electronic. But beyond that definition, their cosmic and pioneering electronic recordings make this band one of the most interesting representatives of electronic music, and "Documents 1975" confirms this.
Only 31 minutes long, with four tracks, two of which are over nine minutes long, the first studio track, "Tiki-Taka," is unique in Harmonia's discography. It's a track filled with rhythms performed with various instruments, including a Nagoya harp, a Japanese stringed instrument used for the first time ever by Neu! on their first studio album in 1972 and by Harmonia, who formed in 1973, and I believe never again in the pop rock genre. "Proto-Deluxe," a studio track that appears on their standard, has a fun and relaxing tone. There are also two live tracks, featuring an electronic style combined with experimental "psychkraut" (psychedelic Krautrock) jams, a little-known aspect of the recordings at the time.
A short collection that highlights little-known aspects of the band and also (for me and those less familiar with the genre) of the Kosmische Musik (Krautrock) movement in general. It also gave me a better understanding of the skills and creativity of a great band!
Tracklist
1. Tiki-Taka at Harmonia Studio in Forst (6:26)
2. Live at Onkel Po in Hamburg (9:12)
3. Proto-Deluxe at Harmonia Studio in Forst (4:30)
4. Live at Fabrik in Hamburg (11:38)
Running Time: 31:46
Lineup
- Michael Rother - guitar, synth orchestra (1, 3), electronic drums (1, 4), cymbals and vocals (1)
- Dieter Moebius - synthesizer, electronic drums (3, 4), nagoja and vocals (1)
- Hans-Joachim Roedelius - electric piano, organ (2, 4), vocals (1)
Featuring:
- Mani Neumeier - drums (2, 4)
.jpeg "Deluxe by Harmonia")