Let’s stay in Bavaria just a little while longer. Here’s the story of the avant-garde rock band Agitation Free. Formed in 1967, “the Free” as I’ve just now started referring to them (ironic considering they were initially called Agitation), were one of those experimental German bands that seemed to run parallel to the major Krautrock movement without ever really capturing the same notoriety as the genre’s better-known acts. They were wholly left out of Julian Cope’s Krautrocksampler and their finest record, Malesch (also the group’s first studio album) is missing from his Top 50 albums of the genre.
Michael “Fame” Günther (bass), Lutz “Lüül” Ulbrich (guitar), Lutz Ludwig Kramer (guitar), and Christopher Franke (drums) were huge proponents of “free” musical expression, which was notably reflected in their live performance style. Before the release of their first album, they lost guitarist Axel Genrich to Guru Guru and Franke to Tangerine Dream. They recruited Jörg Schwnke (guitar), Burghard Rausch (drums) and Michael Hoenig (keyboards) to fill the recent vacancies. and that lineup remained for the duration. I think.
Malesch was heavily inspired by the group’s travels through Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus. Searing, lysergic guitars wrestle with cosmic synthesizers and perfectly edited and utilized taped sounds beneath imposing rhythms. Stunning percussion. Brian Olewnick writes, “The delicate, intricate percussion that concludes “Ala Tul”, for instance, sounds as lively as anything by Steve Reich from around the same period. Tapes of street songs emerge surprisingly and effectively toward the end of the otherwise stately march “Khan El Khalili”, providing a bridge to the Terry Riley-ish organ trills that begin the title track.” It is by far one of the most unique albums recorded during the height of the Krautrock movement, miles apart from what Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk, Amon Duul, and Tangerine Dream were concocting. Ash Ra Tempel’s self-titled album may have exhibited some eastern-tinged melodies, but they pale in comparison to those of Agitation Free. As far as the psychedelic Eastern sound is concerned, this group was hard to surpass.
You can buy the album from Amazon
Agitation Free
Malesch
MediaFire download link
Track Listing:
01) You Play For Us Today
02) Sahara City
03) Ala Tul
04) Pulse
05) Khan el Khalili
06) Malesch
07) Rücksturz
