In comparison to their debut, More Circles not only moves Circles
much further ahead in time to their current era, but also about one
country to the west. There is no doubt the duo was heavily influenced by
one Richard Pinhas on a track like 'Several Steps...'. Some of these
compositions could have been outtakes from Heldon's Interface or Pinhas'
own Chronolyse. While I was amazed at how the debut captured the
zeitgeist of the original Krautrock scene, here they seem to have
completely embedded themselves into 1979 France. If you're like me, and
your idea of a good time is listening to loud fuzz guitar up front with
synthesizers providing the backdrop, well then... grab yourself a copy
of More Circles. One will also pick up a distinct Tangerine Dream
influence circa Phaedra, especially with the echoed "bird calls". In
addition to this, there are also some far out avant garde ideas as well
('Mental Dart' in particular). Final track 'Spiral Dance' reminds one of
classic Neu! Overall, an uncompromising piece of music.
Personal collection
CD: 2016 Mental Experience (Spain)
Exact same situation as with the debut: The CD reissue is taken from vinyl (masters are gone), but remastered nicely by Alan
Freeman (Ultima Thule) and includes his full liner notes as well. An
excellent reissue. Also to mention, Alan Freeman reviews each album individually per release, which is a nice touch.
Strange when I look at them in hindsight because they have a deep 70s aura in their musicc, but Circles were a band more known in the new wave and synth scene than among the older krautrockers. I have originals of both their albums from back in the 80s and I always felt that "More Circles" is slightly the most rewarding of the two. But the real deal, the deep krautrock delerium, can be traced in full bloom on their Das Organisierte Chaos reincarnation. Their 1983 album is the perfect reference of Chrome going early D.A.F. under a Spacebox haze. So good... so manic...
ReplyDeleteThat's great info, Spyros. I admit to being a bit ignorant to much of that early 80s NDW/Minimal Synth genre, so probably my notes are merely scratching the surface at something much deeper. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
Delete