Kraftwerk - Ralf and Florian Review

KRAFTWERK

Ralf and Florian (1973)

Genres: Electronic, Krautrock

Ralf and Florian is the third studio album from electronic group Kraftwerk. While the strange Kraftwerk 2 didn't feature any electronic elements as well as having little to do with the self-titled debut, Ralf and Florian (named after the duo themselves, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider) shows the first signs of the groups pioneering electronic sound. It would take Autobahn for these ideas to fully take form, as there are still remnants of the band's Krautrock beginnings, but that has no effect on the quality of this release.

The thing that sets Ralf and Florian apart from it's predecessors is that they took the best elements of their Krautrock style and melded it with classical music and the very beginning of electronic music. "Kristallo (Crystals)" shows these beginnings of an entirely new kind of music, and is one of my favorite Kraftwerk songs in general. In front of a toe-tapping beat and catchy galloping electronics, are serene keyboards with a slight bittersweet tone. "Ananas Symphonie (Pineapple Symphony)" features more electronic innovation, but on the ambient end. This is a very relaxing track, as well as the longest clocking in at just under 14 minutes, with subtle musical changes that mix together very naturally. It's a song that makes one feel like laying down on a hammock outside and just letting the stress float away. "Heimatklänge (The Bells of Home)" showcase the influences from classical music, in the form of soulful piano.

Often transitional albums can have some inconsistency, but Kraftwerk were able to take the styles they knew and blend them perfectly with new ideas. This is an album that sounds both focused and free at the same time, with a goal to create music but with the only boundary being the band's own creativity. Unfortunately overshadowed by Autobahn, Ralf and Florian deserves to be heard as it's both a very enjoyable and historically important album.   

Deadmau5 - Vexillology Review

DEADMAU5

Vexillology (2006)

Genres: Electronic, Breakbeat, Techno

Vexillology is the second studio album from experimental electronic musician Deadmau5. Returning a year later from his eclectic debut album, Get Scraped, Vexillology bears little resemblance to the aforementioned album.  Perhaps this is because the debut was more of a compilation of sorts, featuring songs written from various years. However, despite being less eclectic, Vexillology is an album that benefits from its repetitive sound.

On the surface this may seem like overly-repetitive minimal techno album, which to a certain extent is true, but it's an album that is more about atmospheres, subtlety, and accents. Each song is made up of hypnotic breakbeats and pulsing rhythms, however, each track has its own distinct sound yet at the same time work as a cohesive whole as well. After many listens, all the songs show their flavors. Some songs are as direct as they can get, such as the appropriately titled "Bounce", which would certainly get a party moving. The same goes with "Dr. Funkenstein", which is a real techno powerhouse. The one experimental oddball that's on the album is the wacky glitch techno "Fustercluck", which is certainly what the title implies. 

The upbeat yet slightly melancholy "Lai" and "Orca" provide the atmospheric side of the album, with the former having somewhat of a crashing industrial touch at the beginning. "Plus" combines the directness of "Bounce" with serene atmospherics emoting the feel of a wind tunnel. "TL7" and "Trepid" are my favorites on the album, and showcase the tribal electronic sound that deadmau5 would expand upon on the following releases.

While not eclectic like Get Scraped, Vexillology is a masterpiece in a different way. It took a while for it to really grow on me, but the more you listen the more you notice each nuance. Sometimes the most subtle albums can be among the best. If you already like your electronic music hypnotic and repetitive, this is one underrated gem to check out.

Album Cover Analysis #2: Kraftwerk - Autobahn

ALBUM COVER ANALYSIS

#2

KRAFTWERK

Autobahn

Artist: Emil Schult

Album release date: 1974

Welcome to the second installment of Album Cover Analysis. Today's album cover to be highlighted is none other than Kraftwerk's breakthrough album Autobahn. Musically, Autobahn was among one of the first electronic albums, which further explored the electronic ideas featured on Kraftwerk's previous album Ralf & Florian. This was a far-cry from the noisy and drone-oriented Krautrock of their first two albums.

The incredible nearly 23-minute long title track is certainly the main event on the album, and despite the length does not overwhelm the listener. It's a pretty repetitive chill electronic track that really brings the mood of a casual drive down the road. The cover art really reflects the images imagined from listening to the title track. The song is just like a relaxing drive in the hills on a sunny day. Not only does the subject matter work here, but the style as well. The painting featured on the cover is reminiscent of scenic artwork that you'd see in an old magazine from the 1950's or an artist such as Norman Rockwell.

I'll talk more about the music once I get to reviewing the album, but this cover art works very well. While Iron Maiden's Powerslave album cover is epic and grandiose, by contrast Kraftwerk's Autobahn is much more humble. That's just how this album feels, humble. This album is just like a casual drive through the day and night, and I think that's what the band was going for.

Stay tuned for the next album art analysis!

Album Cover Analysis #1: Iron Maiden - Powerslave

ALBUM COVER ANALYSIS

#1

IRON MAIDEN

POWERSLAVE

Artist: Derek Riggs

Album release date: 1984

Just as the music contained on an album, which is of course the most important part, can be reviewed, so can the album cover. While some may say that album covers don't matter much anymore now that we have the internet and can go look up any album on YouTube, what about an album will make one go look it up on YouTube? Well, an obvious answer would be knowing what style of music a band or musician plays so one can know if it's to their tastes or not. However, what happens if you know absolutely or next to nothing about a style of music and have no idea what something will sound like. The album cover may give a hint. This is a series of reviews devoted to an underrated art form, to see what makes album covers work, and what makes them not. So, without further ado, let's look at one of the most iconic album covers of the 80's.

To a metalhead, Iron Maiden needs no introduction. However, for those into other styles of music or only a casual listener, here's some background. Iron Maiden was at the forefront of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) scene of the 80's. While bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest were the early masters of metal, bands like Iron Maiden and Saxon propelled the genre into the 80's, continuing the innovation that the creators did and adding new ideas that would end up characterizing the genre of heavy metal. Iron Maiden, especially, laid the groundwork for many later bands that would have an epic and majestic presence about them. No other album showcases Iron Maiden's epic and grandiose sound like 1984's Powerslave. 

This is an album full of classics, from energetic classic metal songs like 'Aces High' and '2 Minutes to Midnight', to the epics of gigantic proportions such as the title cut and the nearly 14-minute behemoth 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. So, knowing the epic nature of the album and Maiden's music, how does the album cover work in its favor? 

The album artwork is extraordinary in it's style and composition, yet it takes more than being artistically great to be a perfect album cover. Powerslave does just that, as the ancient Egyptian setting combined with a massive statue of Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie portrayed as one of the great pharaohs in the forefront perfectly captures the epic nature of the music featured on the album. The bright, almost electrifying, lighting near the top of the pyramid suggests the work of a higher power. The landscape at the bottom is minuscule compared to the towering figures of Eddie and the Egyptian gods.

The key for a masterpiece of an album cover, is not only to be a fantastic artwork in of itself, but also be able to perfectly reflect the music on the album. Imagine if this album cover was on a Genesis album, wouldn't work so well anymore would it?

Stay tuned for the next album cover analysis.