kreidler: den

It could be said that Tank, Kreidler's critically-acclaimed previous album -- is a drum album. Not in the sense of the brute force of a Ginger Baker or a John Bonham, but more in terms of the elastic muscularity of a Budgie, a Robert Görl or a Klaus Dinger. So in the case of Den, if attempting yet another such broad categorization, one might draw attention to the album's viscous musicality. Indeed, for recording and mixing, Kreidler chose to work at LowSwing, a studio renowned for its round sonic character, with the magnificent Guy Sternberg at the controls. The album's opening track displays an inspired beauty that is perhaps reminiscent of Eno during those periods in which he was interested in songwriting. Pan-Asian counter-melodies interplay around the stoic but light architecture of "Deadwringer." And "Rote Wüste" is a mysterious painting, spanning a vast emotional arc between its dark beginnings and the possibility of a conciliatory resolution. The heavily grooving "Cascade" finds an utterly mesmerized Alex Paulick on guitar -- just how many chord changes does Andreas Reihse get through? But one nice aspect of Kreidler is that those kinds of things hardly matter. "Moth Race" is another uninhibited dance number built on Detlef Weinrich's harsh yet supple beat, suggesting New York City as envisioned by Arthur Russell. "Celtic Ghosts" dissolves this impression through ornamentation and leads us out onto the glassy ice. "Winter" is a gliding machine of magnetic, polished chrome. A rhythmic firework commences, devoid of all morality. Thomas Klein's playing is an essential component of the Kreidler sound. And if any reference is missing here, then it might be to Jaki Liebezeit of Can, who cultivates a similarly angular groove. All in all, in addition to the musical subtlety and elegant dialogical interaction which is celebrated on this album, it can be stated with enthusiasm that the band has not taken a single step back from its rhythmic force. Cover art by Enrico David.

Kreidler - Den