I first discovered Ohr Musik via their second album, the obscure CD Friction Burns, a brilliant retro Krautrock album, maybe the best of its kind. Their debut was part of the Prescription Drug series, albums that were limited to 99 copies, but mysteriously 100's have shown up on the market, many with the same number. But this was at the height of Sun Dial / Acme studios deception practices, including most infamously the Psi-Fi albums. I've covered that topic so many times, I feel like the bar drunk going on about 9/11 and COVID conspiracies... so I won't talk about it here again. See comments for details on who is behind the music.
Ohr Musik has done a fantastic job of revisiting the early 70s Berlin vibe. In particular, I hear Harmonia's debut, and they capture that mystical early Cluster vibe (think Cluster II). This one doesn't rave up in the manner of Ash Ra Tempel or Guru Guru. This is for the chill out Krautrock crowd. Clearly the band is self-conscious of what they're doing (the moniker alone says that), and the opening words of the insert say: "Imagine, if you will, that it is 1973. In a Berlin basement, close by the shadow of the wall..." Yep - they pretty much nailed that atmosphere!
Ownership: LP: 1997 Prescription. Single sleeve with insert. Copy 79 (presumably). Purchased online in 2004. Probably the repress (haha). My copy is different than the photos you see here from Discogs. The front has the same design but is yellow/green in color (different color than their back cover to the right which is lime green). The back is blank. And the label has a handwritten OM (in black marker - not red) instead of Ohr Musik. No one in Germany was sloppy like this in the early 70s. Quite the opposite. Oh well - the music holds up, so I'm keeping it. No reissues exist (theoretically). Because you know - they "destroyed the tapes right after". Sure they did.
9//04; 9/14/22 (new entry)
Hello. I've just stumbled across this. First off thanks for the nice things you said. I really appreciate that. This first album was started on a 4track tape machine at home, and then taken into Sundial and the separated tracks played back through a Marshall in the studio and recorded with that extra kick (mic'ed across the room, with a rattling snare drum placed between amp and mic). Gary Ramon as Edward Kent added drums. The rest was all me. The second album was recorded at Sundial and Gary had no input. he wasn't there at any point. The other guys on it were chums of mine who didn't know him. Now the reason I say this is because I am a bit miffed at being called a clown. I had nothing to do with those bloody awful Psi-Fi albums and don't even know their provenance. I knew Gary and as far as I knew there were only 100 of each in the Prescription series, and the tapes were destroyed. Certainly, I don't have mine (though I still have the Friction Burns reels). I was asked to do the insert. I had no idea what the label and sleeve would be like, and I agree about the labels. Now, putting all that aside, the 'imagine its Berlin etc was also how I briefed the guys who came down for the second album. I'm pleased you think we nailed it, as what I wanted as to make a homage to the German music I loved. I wasn't concerned about originality, as that wasn't the point (and anyway I don't have any musical originality. I'm a listener first, a player a long way behind). The reason the second album has no edits and rambles on is because I wanted it to feel like a long jam, faults and all. The first is edited. That was Gary, and I wasn't best pleased about that, but let it slide as he put it out. All these reasons (label, sleeve, dodgy numbering, editing) are why I paid for studio time, took the tapes and then found Captain Trip for the second. I didn't want a 'career', I just wanted to make my personal best of Krautrock album. It seems odd to set the record straight after more than twenty five years, but I think I resent the clown tag being given to me unfairly when you actually liked what I did. Dependent psychology. I need praise. (I didn't get it, that's why I gave up. Mont Campbell said that, and I'd agree.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the note. I was referring to the label as clowns, not the "band" (thanks for clarifying that as well). They/Acme were constantly trying to make their releases look "private" by making silly mistakes, which Germans in the early 70s were not prone to do. I'll slightly update the review to be clearer. I haven't put up a review for Friction Burns on UMR, but I will eventually. But I did put it on RYM - so you can see it here: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/ohr-musik/friction-burns/
DeleteFair enough. Thanks for that review at RYM, which I've just read. There was very little attention at the time but I did see one review which said 'this is the best space rock album in 25 years.' I showed it to Paul Belgium (on the album for those who don't know) and he said 'Is this c*** deaf?' Well, I did think it was a bit OTT as a review, but that was a bit harsh... I liked it, anyway, and I thought other krautrock fans might like my 'best bits of' revisited approach.
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