Customer Reviews

Saat (Mlps)

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EMTIDI were one of the very best of West Germany's Krautrock/psychedelic folk acts, and this is their second album, from 1972. The album was produced by Dieter Dierk's studio, who also put quite a few of the spaced out effects on the music, like melotrone, and odds and ends of percussion. EMTIDI were part of that same freak folk scene, which gave us HOELDERLIN, BROSELMASCHINE, and WITTHUESER AND WESTRUPP. So, if you know those bands, especially their most psychedelic work, then you know what to expect from EMTIDI. Lyrics about sowing seeds of enlightenment (the name of the album, SAAT, means "SEED" in german.) Also, other pastorial lyrics, which one can discern from the song titles. Since they are not listed, here they are: 1. WALKING IN THE PARK 2. TRAEUME (dreams) 3. TOUCH THE SUN 4. LOVE TIME RAIN 5. SAAT 6. DIE REISE (german for THE TRIP...geez, do you think they might have dosed a bit?) For those of you who prefer your music in English, dont worry, the woman who sings these songs, with beautiful harmonies from the guy on guitar, sings in English. (Her singing style is very precise, and controlled.) The instrumentation is also typical for the psychedelic folk sound, which DONOVAN practically copyrighted with SUNSHINE SUPERMAN. Sitars, harpsicords, flutes, hand drums, acoustic guitars finger picked, or guitars played thru leslie speakers, mellotrone, slippery bass lines, and the like... it's all here.

There is not a song on this album, which I find boring, or too trite to take seriously. IF i have a criticism, it might be that after you hear the album for 15 or 20 times, you might grow tired of it, and want more from the band, and you wont find any more sadly. Of course, now that this music is over 35 years old, it is dated in ways, but not as much as you might think, especially for those of you who are fans of DEVENDRA BANHART, ESPERS, VETIVER, or even MAZZY STAR. IN fact, take any of the currently popular FREAKFOLK acts, and play one of the cuts that might have sitar on them, or recorder, and you'll hear the connection between these groups immediately, even tho the EMTIDI band members are central europeans. When I call them KRAUTROCK FREAK FOLK, it isnt due to motorik drumming, or tons of electronics, or minimalistic melodies. Rather, its Dierks' production, his subdued, understated mellotrone playing, and their overall connection to the other hippie/folk musicians from the hippie era. Anyone who wants to hear the acoustic side of the Krautrock music, or just what hippie freak folk sounded like in 1972, can not do better than this band. EMTIDI's SAAT is every bit as good as the first HOELDERLIN album, and that's saying a lot in my book. Sei keinen Dummkopf, und kaufe diese Scherbe, Mensch.