Yatha Sidhra - A Meditation Mass. 1974 Germany

Krautrock, at least as I see it, is a most misunderstood term*. For some, they never get past the gateway drug that is motorik, as best defined by Neu! and Can. For others it's the German rough and ready Hammond organ fueled sound of 1971. And then there are many who will site the cosmic guitar freakouts of Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru, and early Tangerine Dream as an example of Krautrock. The truth is, it's all the above. What Krautrock isn't, though, is a could-be-interpreted derogatory term defining all rock music coming from Germany. And in fact, I firmly believe that Krautrock can exist outside the Fatherland's borders. And a few recent bands have done just that - a fine job at recreating the atmosphere and angst of that era. Not an easy achievement in these modern times, where the filters of our current life are far different than they were back then. Not even various forms of progressive or experimental rock from Germany should count as Krautrock. When I see the late 70s and early 80s Christian progressive rock movement being defined as Krautrock, for example, I cringe. Bands like Eden, Credemus, and Werwolf are about as far away from the ethos of the era as can possibly be imagined (and I enjoy these bands too on their own terms).

I pen the above in a Yatha Sidhra review, because to me A Meditation Mass represents the pure embodiment of the Krautrock sound. The coming together of the flute, hand percussion, piano, electric guitar, and disembodied vocals sends shivers down my spine - from the first time I heard this album in 1991 - to this very day. When hearing this, I'm in the same flat as Ash Ra Tempel or Orange Peel or Mythos or Popol Vuh. None of these bands sound anything alike, and yet they all conjure up that spirit of exploration and radicalism through music. It's like a magnet. This music is timeless. There's a reason why Krautrock has maintained its popularity all these years, even increasing as time goes by, though it was largely ignored upon original release. Many of the original releases sold so poorly they ended up in trash bins, and thus their rarity today. Yatha Sidhra is one of those albums. A brilliant 5 star album, that is tagged as such through pure subjectivity. A purely non-emotional objective review would result in far less. I can't possibly go there - it's too late. 

*My definition is different from the one in RYM's pages. In general I tend to agree with RYM on their genre definitions, and I admire the site for attempting to put in words what can be oh-so-difficult otherwise (and subject to heated debate). Krautrock will always be a term that few will agree on. I can accept different definitions here, and thus I've provided mine. What I won't accept is the absolute rubbish of the last paragraph. It's American and European PCing at its worst. It goes against historical fact, and brings in a modern revisionist viewpoint that is entirely unnecessary. As someone who has has been collecting since the mid 1980s - and has been to the country multiple times in that era - and dealt with many German progressive rock dealers for over 30 years - it is a term that is embraced by the local populace. And that continues to this day. Of course, some will be offended. EVERYONE is offended about something, but this paragraph should go by the wayside IMO.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Brain. Gatefold with stenciled die-cut sleeve. Green label with Metronome. Acquired via a trade with a dealer in the US (1991).

CD: 1995 Spalax (France). Jewel case release.

For an album that supposedly didn't sell well, it's surprising to learn there are 3 distinct releases. One features as its cover the former insert. And yet another was released without the Metronome, meaning it was pressed in 1975 most likely. There are many green Brain Metronome albums that never saw more than one pressing. So perhaps it did sell better than is reported today.

1991; 9/14/18 (new entry)