Dupe Guru

There’s been a gradual increase in genre bending bands emerging from the artful depths in recent years. KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, RAKETKANON and GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! all spring to mind, and nestled within their ranks are Belgian five-piece THE GURU GURU. Their new album Point Fingers is a record that refuses to conform to any already established boundaries yet holds it’s own with some semblance of structure that feels like every single chaotic moment has been thought about deliberately.

Over four phenomenal extended tracks this 1973 major label debut for the German Krautrock group is an essential ride through space rock territory for fans of early Kraftwerk, Can, and Faust. "Africa Steals the Show," "Round Dance," "200 Clinches," and "Das Zwickmashinchen" are mind-boggling forays into avant-rock territory - recorded by the stripped-back Guru Guru incarnation. At this point in 1973, Guru Guru was a trio of Ax Genrich on guitar, Hans Hartmann replacing Uli Trepte on bass, and leader Mani Neumeier on drums and keyboards. Essential primitive guitar overload meets avant-rock experimentation results in a powerful album, to say the least.

The third album from the essential Krautrock power trio Guru Guru's early forays is as essential to the avant-rock collector as Faust's Faust Tapes, Can's Tago Mago, and the early experiments of Kraftwerk and Neu! Dating from 1972, it's an unprecedented display of drone-rock on the heavier, psychedelic side of the '70s German underground. Guru Guru's lineup changed periodically, and throughout the '70s, the project took contributions from Conny Plank and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, among others, and were tightly connected with the Kraftwerk off-shoot Harmonium. This album is undoubtedly one of their greater works, alongside UFO and Hinten recorded by the essential trio of Ax Genrich on guitar, Uli Trepte on bass, and leader Mani Neumeier on drums and keyboards.

A three-disc, 30-year retrospective of live Guru Guru, as it was entering into its fourth decade as a going concern. Drummer and spiritual leader Mani Neumeier is teamed with the "classic" Guru Guru lineup of Roland Schaeffer, bassist Peter Kuhmstedt, and guitarist Luigi Archetti at the 1998 Finkenbach Festival, looking over the band's then-30-year career and celebrating it with the familiar fractured funk and disco, playfully pretentious psychedelic insanity, and absurdist live skit show. Disc one presents the band jamming live on a set of songs (mostly from all vintages) - "Ooga Booga Special," "Jet Lag," and "Moshi Moshi" are all included on the nine-cut set - along with bonus track "Rastafari in Bayuwari." Disc two, called "Supersession," has Neumeier inviting up Damo Suzuki and the late Michael Karoli (Can), Ingo Bischof (Kraan), and Ax Genrich, Butze Fischer, Hans Reffert (former Guru Guru), and Japanese guitarist Uchihashi Kazuhisa…

Over four phenomenal extended tracks this 1973 major label debut for the German Krautrock group is an essential ride through space rock territory for fans of early Kraftwerk, Can, and Faust. "Africa Steals the Show," "Round Dance," "200 Clinches," and "Das Zwickmashinchen" are mind-boggling forays into avant-rock territory - recorded by the stripped-back Guru Guru incarnation. At this point in 1973, Guru Guru was a trio of Ax Genrich on guitar, Hans Hartmann replacing Uli Trepte on bass, and leader Mani Neumeier on drums and keyboards. Essential primitive guitar overload meets avant-rock experimentation results in a powerful album, to say the least.

Guru Guru is a German krautrock band formed in 1968 as The Guru Guru Groove by Mani Neumeier (drums), Uli Trepte (bass) and Eddy Naegeli (guitar), later replaced by the American Jim Kennedy. After Kennedy collapsed on stage due to a serious illness, Ax Genrich replaced him to complete the classic Guru Guru line up, in time for their debut album in 1970.

The third album from the essential Krautrock power trio Guru Guru's early forays is as essential to the avant-rock collector as Faust's Faust Tapes, Can's Tago Mago, and the early experiments of Kraftwerk and Neu! Dating from 1972, it's an unprecedented display of drone-rock on the heavier, psychedelic side of the '70s German underground. Guru Guru's lineup changed periodically, and throughout the '70s, the project took contributions from Conny Plank and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, among others, and were tightly connected with the Kraftwerk off-shoot Harmonium. This album is undoubtedly one of their greater works, alongside UFO and Hinten recorded by the essential trio of Ax Genrich on guitar, Uli Trepte on bass, and leader Mani Neumeier on drums and keyboards.

The 3rd Essen Pop & Blues Festival took place in the Gruga Hall between 22 and 25 October 1970, featuring bands such as Guru Guru, Xhol, Embryo, Fotheringhay, East of Eden, Q 65, Gun, Quiver and Taste. Roland Verheyen, a staff member of promoter Konrad Mallison, recorded the entire festival directly from the soundboard. About a half of the tapes had meanwhile been used for other recordings, but a large part of the original recordings has survived. Garden of Delights has acquired the rights to these tapes. A lot of studio processing without any noticeable changes in the sound had become necessary to make the Guru Guru gig suitable for release. The 36-page colour booklet contains everything a collector might be looking for: a detailed history of early Guru Guru, an 11-page discography, reprints of covers and partly unpublished band photos.