Out of Focus (& related) ~ Germany

Out of Focus (1971)

Out of Focus' second album is largely an extension of their debut. Politically charged lyrics provide context for the Krautrock 101 sounds the band inevitably brings. As I noted on their next opus Four Letter Monday Afternoon, one can already hear Out of Focus taking the Xhol Caravan blueprint to the next level. Flute, sax, Hammond organ, and guitar are your key ingredients, with some prophetic pleas in accented English. Musically it's the 1971 German cookbook with pages dedicated to albums by Eiliff, Sunbirds, Mythos, Virus, Vinegar, Gomorrha, etc... etc... How many of these albums you needs depends on your commitment to the cause. I want them all.

Ownership: 1991 Kuckuck (CD). Paper textured booklet with recording details.

1999 (acquired); 6/2/24 (review)

Kontrast - Volume I & II (1986 / 2008)

Kontrast was Out of Focus Ver 2.0, and at this point in their career they sounded more like Embryo than Embryo did! Kontrast band leader Remigius Drechsler had been with Embryo for about a year, so perhaps not so surprising. Strong ethno prog/jazz rock with flute, sax, stringed instruments, with Asiatic / North African melodic themes. Some fusion and more than a hint of the psychedelic. Very much out of its time, and decidedly non-80s sounding.

Volume II is a full album of archival material. A bit more loose than the album proper but still satisfying.

Ownership: 2008 Cosmic Egg (CD)

2002 (first acquired); 2009; 4/19/18 (review)

Not Too Late (1974)

Out of Focus' Four Letter Monday Afternoon was a tour de force, a double album packed to the gills with invention and energy. So much so, it knocked the band themselves completely on their arse. They were spent. Or so it seemed. As we eventually found out, Out of Focus retreated to the countryside to record more material (stoned out of their mind most of the time apparently...), and played at various festivals and small gigs in obscurity. They were even spotted at one of the Umsonst & Draussen festivals in 1978, an era of the band that remains uncaptured as I write this. By 1974, one can hear Out of Focus following in the footsteps of Missus Beastly. Some of the melodies here are beautiful, and the instrumentation is fantastic. Had they spent more time arranging these compositions for proper release, I'm sure this would be a 5 star masterpiece just as Missus Beastly's Nova label album is. And that's really the only critique, is that the album meanders in jam mode for long stretches. And depending on my mood, that can be a plus too. As an archival release, it's brilliant, and captures the band at a certain time and place as they were, without editing. And the sound quality is fantastic, sounding better than many new albums did at the time. For fans of the band, an easy recommendation. Otherwise, not the place to start, as it doesn't provide the proper context.

Ownership: 2000 Cosmic Egg (CD). Historical liner notes.

2000 (acquired); 3/4/17 (review)

Four Letter Monday Afternoon (1972)

When I was first introduced to Four Letter Monday Afternoon in the 1980s, it had been described to me as a Krautrock version of Soft Machine. A local friend at the time, who is a huge fan of Soft Machine, vehemently disagreed with such an assertion, and found it somewhat offensive to compare. And while I can understand his perspective, it's also not a wild stretch to make such a claim. There is a bit of Canterbury whimsy within some of the songs, most notably 'Where Have You Been' and 'When I'm Sleeping' (bonus track). And taking the comparison further, there are long stretches of experimental rock with a jazz underpinning. But the keyword here is Krautrock, and it's clear that Out of Focus were heavily influenced by their own local contemporaries more so than what was happening in England. There's a considerable amount of stinging psychedelic guitar, echoed flutes, horn charts, and jamming Hammond throughout. And it remarkably stays within the rails for most of the duration (Side 4 the sole exception), with plenty of melodic interludes, despite being improvisational in nature. I could see this album as the logical conclusion of where Xhol Caravan was heading post Electrip, though that group decided to trip out further instead. Deep divers will also hear bands as diverse as Eiliff, Roundhouse, and Kollektiv. Honestly, I think Four Letter Monday Afternoon is entirely unique, even different from their own work, and is a great example of the exploratory spirit to be found in Germany at that time.

Ownership: 1992 Kuckuck (CD)

1998 (acquired); 7/12/06; 10/23/16 (review)

Other albums I own and need to review: Wake Up; Rat Roads

10/23/16 (new entry)