Musik von Harmonia
| Musik von Harmonia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Harmonia | ||||
| Released | January 1974 | |||
| Recorded | June–November 1973 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:05 | |||
| Label | Brain | |||
| Producer | Harmonia | |||
| Harmonia chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Prog Archives |  [1] |
| Head Heritage | very favorable[2] |
| Discogs | [3] |
| Pitchfork | (8.5/10)[4] |
| Uncut | very favorable[5] |
Musik von Harmonia is the debut 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. They recorded the album from June to November 1973, in Forst Germany. It was produced by the band members.
Releases
It was first released on the Brain Records label in 1974. There was an official CD release from German Polygram in 1992, which was deleted fairly quickly. 1994 saw the appearance of CDs on the Germanofon label. This dubious company, supposedly 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. There were official Japanese releases (again from Polygram) in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the next official Western CD release was not until 23 February 2004 on the Motor Music label, a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group. It was also reissued in 2005 by the Russian label Lilith, and by the Revisited Records label in 2007.
Critical reception
Ned Raggett's review for Allmusic opens: "The debut Harmonia album is at once a product of their source bands and a fine new twist on them, resulting in music that captures what for many is the Krautrock ideal..." He adds "...it's at once playful and murky, steady and mechanical, a supergroup of sorts who easily achieves and maintains such a seemingly overstated status by embracing a variety of approaches that work wonders."
It was Musik von Harmonia that reportedly had Brian Eno proclaiming that Harmonia was "the world's most important rock band" at the time. Daniel Dumych, who cites that quote, writes in his article for hyperreal.org: "Perhaps Eno's reason for praising Harmonia so highly was that their music fit the requirements of ambient rock. Its music was equally suitable for active or passive listening. The careful listener found his/her attentions rewarded by the musical activities and sounds, but Harmonia's music was also capable of setting a sonic environment."
Musician, writer, and rock historian Julian Cope includes Musik von Harmonia in his Top 50 Krautrock albums. As of 4 September 2007, Amazon.com ranks Musik von Harmonia #78 among Krautrock albums in sales.
Track listing
All tracks written by Moebius/Roedelius/Rother.
- "Watussi" ("Watusi") – 6:00
- "Sehr Kosmisch" ("Very Cosmic") – 10:50
- "Sonnenschein" ("Sunshine") – 3:50
- "Dino" ("Dino") – 3:30
- "Ohrwurm" ("Earworm") – 5:05
- "Ahoi!" ("Ahoy!") – 5:00
- "Veterano" ("Veterano") – 3:55
- "Hausmusik" ("House-Music") – 4:30
Personnel
- Hans-Joachim Roedelius – organ, piano, guitar, electric percussion
- Michael Rother – guitar, piano, organ, electric percussion
- Dieter Moebius – synthesizer, guitar, electric percussion
References
- Raggett, Ned Allmusic review. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- Rother, Michael Harmonia web page. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- Dumych, Daniel Harmonia article. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- Wick, Sherman Musik Von Harmonia review. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- Cope, Julian A Krautrock Top 50. Retrieved September 4, 2007.