Early Recordings 1994-95

Early Recordings 1994-95 marks the first time that material from Kreidlers early cassette Riva and 12" EP Sport have been compiled onto an album since they initially surfaced. On these releases, the newly formed Dusseldorf-based group established a very casual-sounding form of groove-based jamming, usually setting up strong but fluid rhythms and augmenting them with dubby echoes, shimmering keyboards, or other instrumental shadings. The Motorik style of earlier acts from the city like Neu! and La Dusseldorf clearly informs the bands approach, but theres other textures and influences that put the music more in the realm of the original wave of what journalists first referred to as post-rock during the 90s. Though there are some studio-mixed overdubs, it mostly retains the feel of music captured at fruitful rehearsal sessions. The group plunge into an absolutely delicious dub rhythm on "Tierfilm," while "Charles Wilp fotografiert Muhammed Ali" is perky, celebratory, and danceable. Julia Friedrich recites spoken lyrics on a version of Fehlfarbens "Angst," over a stilted, off-time rhythm. "Anti-Car" has a distinctively woozy whistling rhythm, and while its not quite a hip-hop track, it wouldnt be hard for someone to rhyme over it. "Soft Niveau" is a series of hypnotic acid synths sequenced in 7/4 time, then reversed. "Boccia" has a rippling groove recalling early Harmonia, but fleshed out with more instrumentation. Interludes like "Sportflache" are soothing ambient washes, and "Im Betrieb (IV)" is a gorgeous downtempo comedown. Kreidler would adopt various types of pop elements in their later work, but Early Recordings 1994-95 captures them in a form thats both accessible and experimental, and its one of their most enjoyable releases. ~ Paul Simpson