German Label Brain Releases Expansive Box Set

Founded in 1972, German label Brain now commands a status and reputation among listeners and collectors all over the world that would have been unimaginable at the time. Today, it is regarded as one of the most important label outlets for German rock music of the 1970s, a genre generally referred to as krautrock, although the term hardly does justice to the range of styles covered by these groups and their records. In any case, it was coined by the English media and only became popular as an afterthought. Brain first used it in May 1974 in an advert in Musikexpress magazine for their "Kraut Rock" compilation. The label licenced international acts and albums right from the start in order to expand its portfolio.

Now, for the first time, the story of the label is revisited in depth. Set for release on April 21st, The Brain Box Cerebral Sounds Of Brain Records 1972-1979 contains 8CDs and a total of 83 songs. The set is completed by a 76-page hardcover book with extensive information about the label as well as photographs and artwork; it also includes a Brain tote bag featuring their iconic logo. The collection was compiled by Mark Powell, who also provided the English liner notes. The German introduction was written by krautrock expert Andreas Dewald. Grobschnitt icon Eroc was in charge of remastering. The Brain Box can be pre-ordered here: https://brainrecords.lnk.to/CerebralSounds

The general sense of upheaval and the revolutionary spirit of the late 1960s politically, socially and artistically began to create exciting results in the German music scene. Amon Dl II and Can released their first records, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream pushed the boundaries of electronic music, Ihre Kinder and Floh De Cologne sang in German. And in 1969, journalist Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser launched the now equally iconic Ohr label, followed by Pilz and Kosmische Kuriere. However, soon two of his employees, Gnter Krber and Bruno Wendel, got so irritated by the increasing eccentricity and LSD experiments of their boss that, in late 1971, they decided to quit and set up their own label under the umbrella of Hamburg-based company Metronome. Some Ohr acts, such as Embryo, Guru Guru and Klaus Schulze, went with them and were soon joined by many more on their new label Brain: Jane, Cluster, Grobschnitt, Os Mundi, Thirsty Moon, and Emergency, to name just a few. Following the departure of Gnter Krber around 1975 (he went on to start Sky Records), the label lost its driving force and headed in a more commercial direction. Today most of the repertoire is part of the Universal Music catalogue.

The first five CDs in this set are dedicated to German bands from the Scorpions and the opening track of their debut album, "Lonesome Crow," to Gomorrha, Sameti, Yatha Sidhra, Satin Whale, RMO, Eroc, Harmonia, Schicke Fhrs Frhling, Liliental, and Anyone's Daughter with their four-part track "Adonis," as well as all of the acts mentioned earlier. The sixth CD contains material from international records, including tracks by Steamhammer, Spyro Gyra, Atomic Rooster, Alexis Korner & Snape, Gryphon, Dutch group Light, Locomotiv GT from Hungary, and Finish band Tasavallan Presidentti and their guitarist Jukka Tolonen.

A particular highlight of this box is the first-time release of the two "Brain Festival Essen" double albums, which first came out in 1977 and 1978 respectively, and during which the label presented its bands exclusively on a big stage and then on record: established acts such as Jane, Guru Guru, Novalis and RMO, as well as bands that were new at the time, including Gate, Message, SFF, To Be, Blonker and the Norwegian jazz rock five-piece Ruphus, which closed the event both times. These two albums mark the perfect documentary finish to an extraordinary label history which is always worth exploring.

CD1
1. Scorpions Leave Me
2. Gomorrha I Turned To See Whose Voice It Was
3. Jane Daytime
4. Wolfgang Dauner Group Kamasutram
5. Cluster Plas
6. Guru Guru Oxymoron
7. Grobschnitt Wonderful Music
8. Os Mundi A Question Of Decision
9. Creative Rock Natron
10. Gash A Young Man's Gash, Part Two
11. Sameti Get Up Don't Sleep So Long
12. Cornucopia Morning Sun (Version 127)
13. Emergency I Know What's Wrong
14. Guru Guru Samantha's Rabbit

CD2
1. Electric Sandwich China
2. Embryo Feat. Jimmy Jackson Radio Marrakesch / Orient Express
3. Lava Tears Are Goin' Home
4. Tangerine Dream Circulation Of Events
5. Thirsty Moon Big City
6. Guru Guru The Story Of Life
7. Sperrmll No Freak Out
8. Novalis Laughing
9. Curly Curve skicker
10. Harmonia Watussi
11. Embryo A Place To Go

CD3
1. Kollektiv Rambo Zambo
2. Thirsty Moon You'll Never Come Back
3. Yatha Sidhra A Meditation Mass, Part Three
4. Satin Whale Desert Places
5. Klaus Schulze Ways Of Changes
6. Emergency No Compromise
7. Jane Waiting For The Sunshine
8. Novalis Dronsz

CD4
1. Grobschnitt Solar-Music, Part One
2. Cluster Caramba
3. Klaus Schulze Mindphaser
4. Eroc Des Zauberers Traum
5. Release Music Orchestra Slapstick
6. Harmonia Walky Talky
7. Schicke, Fhrs & Frhling Explorer
8. Emergency No Compromise

CD5
1. Jane Windows (Live)
2. Liliental Vielharmonie
3. Gate Frankfurt
4. Popol Vuh Engel Der Gegenwart
5. Fhrs & Frhling Ammerland
6. Birth Control Titanic
7. Anyone's Daughter Adonis, Part I: Come Away
8. Anyone's Daughter Adonis, Part II: The Disguise
9. Anyone's Daughter Adonis, Part III: Adonis
10. Anyone's Daughter Adonis, Part IV: Epitaph

CD6
1. Steamhammer For Against
2. Tasavallan Presidentti Lounge
3. Light The Water
4. Alexis Korner You Got The Power (To Turn Me On)
5. Atomic Rooster Time Take My Life
6. Spirogyra Island
7. Gryphon Second Spasm
8. Jukka Tolonen Wanderland
9. Tasavallan Presidentti Milky Way Moses
10. Locomotiv Gt Intuition

CD 7
Various - Brain-Festival Essen, 1977
1. Gate Friedrichstr. 18
2. Novalis Wer Schmetterlinge Lachen Hrt
3. Release Music Orchestra Rico
4. Jane Expectations
5. Jane Out In The Rain
6. Message River Field
7. Guru Guru I'm Really Into Rock'n'roll, Man
8. Guru Guru All We Need
9. Ruphus Second Corner
10. Ruphus No Deal
Various - Brain-Festival Essen II, Part I, 1978
11. Gate Heart
12. Gate Herrenwies
13. Fhrs & Frhling Every Land Tells A Story (Excerpt)

CD 8
Various - Brain-Festival Essen II, Part II, 1978
1. Message World Keeps On Turning
2. Release Music Orchestra New Day / Meadow
3. Novalis Astralis
4. To Be Drei In Drei
5. To Be Samba Fr Heino Reher
6. Schicke, Fhrs & Frhling Explorer / Wizzard
7. Blonker Mdchen
8. Blonker Irgendwie
9. Ruphus Joy
10. Ruphus Inner Voice

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