Description
Label Review.
1973 album.
Our Overview.
Re-release of “2nd” from avant Garde German ensemble Agitation Free. Agitation Free have been described as so many things - Kraut Rock, Space Rock, Prog Rock, New Instrumental Music alongside many terminologies - however the fact remains that they were a classic band of the German space genre. Founded in Berlin, Germany in 1967. Disbanded in 1974. Reunited briefly in 1998, 2007 and 2012. Their originality was due to the blend of electronic and repetitive music with a lot of ethnic elements from North Africa, India, etc. Very much like your early Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru type bands except with a cultural influence.
The band was formed in 1967 by the merger of two Berlin rock groups. In April 1972, the band toured Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus and Greece with Lutz Ulbrich, Michael Gonther, Jorg Schwenke, Michael Hoenig and Burghard Rausch as members at the invitation of the Goethe-Institut. The manifold impressions of this journey were reflected in the first album “Malesch”.
In the summer of 1972 the group appeared in the cultural program of the Olympic Games in Munich, toured France for two months at the beginning of 1973, performed at the “German Rock Super Concert” in Frankfurt in May, produced the second album “2nd” and then went on tour through France and German cities. Both the SFB and the WDR broadcast portraits and live concerts. In 1974, the band was tired and at the end of the year, after a farewell concert, the band temporarily broke up.
Looking back, it became clear that the experimental circle Agitation Free was one of the most important bands of the “Berlin School” and also a career springboard for some German musicians. Thus Christopher Franke helped the band Tangerine Dream to worldwide recognition. Michael Hoenig works with Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream before he became known as a film composer after a solo album in Hollywood (including the film music for 9/12 weeks). Axel Genrich changed to Guru Guru, Burghard Rausch became a founding member of Bel Ami.
Several AGITATION FREE albums were released after the group's breakup, including 1976's "Last", 1995's "Fragments" and the following years's "At The Cliffs of The River Rhine" (1998). The following year "River Of Return" appeared, featuring the original quartet as well as new members Johannes Pappert and Bernard Potschka. Their aptly titled "Last" is considered by many to be one of the best live space albums ever. Lots of acid-drenched guitar and electronics to really carry you "out there".