this is session 3 of the music series -- KRAUTROCK 101, by antonio ramos. all mp3s are available for educational purposes only. if you like it, buy the rest of the record. thanks! - mgt.

1. agitation free - you play for us now [mp3]
2. tangerine dream - fly and the collision of comas sol [mp3]
3. guru guru - next time see you at the dalai lhama [mp3]

Originally an insane, too good to be true, early kraut super group, Agitation Free unfortunately lost 2 key members before ever officially recording an album, guitarist Axel Grenrich left for Guru Guru and drummer Cristopher Franke left for Tangerine Dream. Thank g-d for bootleg concert recordings, but anyways they recruited new members and recorded 2 albums before totally disbanding. This is from 'Malesch', their first album, inspired by a tour through egypt and greece. Lots of field recordings, middle east influenced sounds, early homemade synth work and some of the most blissed out rock ever recorded.

Tangerine Dream was king of the spacey synth bands (except maybe Cluster). The first album, 'Electronic Mediation' recorded with Klaus Schulze on drums, was the closest to a traditional rock set up- drummer, bass, guitar and keyboards, but also the most atypically crazy sounding, very aggressive and chaotic. They eventually settled into a synth trio playing super spaced out, textured jams. This track is from the second album 'Alpha Centauri', i know its long but hang in there, there's a lot of changes and even some drumming and flute in the last 3 min.

Guru Guru was a seething mess of guitar insanity, either not technically skilled or purposefully amateur and crazy guitar work, no apparent structure or order at all, and poorly recorded, these tracks succeed on pure manic intensity. This is from their first album 'UFO', later albums got more refined for better or worse, way worse if you ask me although the second one 'Hinten' is still really good.