Here’s a record I was lucky enough to find cheap at a store in LA a few weeks ago. I try to consume — and by that I mean procure, not simply listen to — everything Achim Reichel-related. Why, you ask? Because the German musician/producer and songwriter was one of the most important figures in the Krautrock movement. You’ve probably heard Echo and Die Grune Reise already, but AR3 and AR IV are equally brilliant despite being released under a different moniker (the former(s) were With A.R. & Machines, the latter were simply billed as Achim Reichel). After a successful beat/pop career in the sixties he started his own progressive group (the aforementioned Machines), whose albums were compared favorably to scene legends such as Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. Personally I think AR3 is one of his most far-out recordings, featuring minimalist compositions heavily-reliant on drone and free-jazz weirdness. The instrumentation strays towards the avant, with the inclusion of saxophone (the good kind, not the shitty kind) 8-string bass (yes!), singing saw, table, backwards guitar, echo guitar, and Reichel’s patented “AR Guitar”. If you’ve heard it and you’re already onto something else, take the time to listen again and remember how great this recording is. If you haven’t already heard it, take my word for it: this is a masterpiece.
Achim Reichel
AR3
(Zebra, 1973)
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01.Warum Peter Nur Noch Ferien Macht
02. Tarzan’s Abenteuer Im Sommerschlubverkauf
03. 10 Jahre Lebenslänglich
04. Die Tochter Des Frostriesen
05. Die Eigentumer Der Welt
06. Heute Ist Es Warmer Als Draussen
07. Auf Deutsch Heisst Das Gewissensbisse
08. Wie Ich Mir So Ich Dir
09. Alles Geht Nach Goa
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