kreidler: spells & daubs

In a year of the moon, Kreidler have produced the album Spells And Daubs. In September 2020 the band met for exploratory sessions and initial recordings in Düsseldorf, in the familiar settings of the Kabawil Theater. The impetus this time was a solitary gig in the conspicuously spacious surroundings of the (former) Philipshalle. Over the winter Kreidler worked remotely, sifting through the material, arranging the pieces, adding textures and contours. They met again in the spring of 2021 for further recordings at the Uhrwerk Orange studio in Hilden, near Düsseldorf. From fifteen pieces they filtered out ten, and thus held an album in their hands. Then they took it to London, to Peter Walsh, so that he could mix the tracks. "... Spells And Daubs is a melodious interplay. Not that Kreidler neglect the rhythmic; their characteristic drive runs through all the pieces on Spells And Daubs. Perhaps it's like this: The beat is musicalized, the melody rhythmitized. Spells And Daubs is like a collection of short stories. Its ten pieces explore the same space drawn together by an overlaying arc . . . Perhaps most beautiful in the irresistible pop gems 'Arena', 'Unframed Drawings', and 'Revery'. Aptly, Alex Paulick moved to the fretless bass -- conjuring the spirit of Mick Karn. The album opens with 'Tantrum'. It's a quick fit, nothing too violent, more a play at throwing things about . . . 'Toys I Never Sell' takes it down a notch, a poetic exploration of the room . . . 'Dirty Laundry' depicts an empty city with fading footsteps, though not aimless, a sort of a cold wave funk, a certain eeriness, a brief threat like an espionage story . . . In 'Revery' a synth sequence chases forward, with an enchanted melody on co-driver's seat . . . 'Unframed Drawings' breezes a somewhat bluer note, think of layered memories, slightly blurred, faded, ushering back and forth looking for a new formation, a new narration, a fresh start, combining longing with comfort. In 'Arise Above', 'Tantrum''s secret cousin, a soaring synthesizer starts the drum beat, the bass kicks in, and the rhythmic framework is ensnared by a netting of insidious melodies . . . 'Arena' is a melancholic urge, the song runs into a delay, its theme turns over, tumbles, falls into itself, finding itself in itself, and takes itself up again. 'Greetings From Dave' starts with the telephone call, a postcard from Paris, Then the snare surges ahead, and a recorder-like, and a bagpipe-like push the boat out, for a celebration in the final grooves of the album, big fuss, turn the record over! For all of their Krautrock attributions, Kreidler never tire of reminding us that their musical development stemmed from a love of British pop music. So you might say the co-op with Peter Walsh is a match made in heaven. His illustrious mixing and production skills have lifted works from Shalamar or Lynx to Heaven 17 to Scott Walker, Pulp or FKA Twigs into other spheres..." --V. Luxemburgo