Kollektiv (feat. Jonas Hellborg) - Kollektiv (1988)

Otra vez traemos a Jonas Hellborg al blog cabezón, esta vez metiendo el jazz rock en un grupo de Krautrock como Kollektiv y agregándole el space rock. Un disco de "krautrock jazz experimental" que lleva de viaje por donde deambulan vientos, bajos, guitarras, teclados y batas en un experimento casi psicodélico. No considero al disco como una maravilla pero no por ello voy a dejar de traer esta rareza a estos páramos de oídos curiosos de rarezas.

Artista: Kollektiv

Álbum: Kollektiv
Año: 1988
Género: Jazz - rock / Krautrock
Duración: 46:59
Nacionalidad: Alemania

Lista de Temas:
01 Bold
02 Kong For A Day
03 As Times Go By
04 Electric Lady
05 Following You
06 Go East
07 15 Steps To Heaven
08 Lady B (good)
09 Count The Blues
10 Following Me

Alineación:
- Jochen Schrumpf / guitars, (except 5, 10)
- Thomas Bettermann / keyboards, piano (6, 10), (except 4, 9)
- Jonas Hellborg / bass, (except 9)
- Waldo Karpenkiel / drums, (except 5, 10)
- Klaus Dapper / soprano (4, 6), tenor (2, 7), baritone (3, 9), flute (8, 10), (except 1, 5)

Un disco más bien tranquilo, atmosférico, calmado. Basado mayormente en improvisaciones... y aclaro que no me parece que éste haya sido el mejor resultado para lo que podría haber sido, no considero al disco como una maravilla pero no por ello voy a dejar de traer esta rareza a estos páramos de oídos curiosos. Así que ya saben, no se esperen una maravilla. La mayor parte del blog está conformado por trabajos mejores que éste, pero bueno, que no me caiga tan bien a mí no significa que no encuentre quien le sepa sacar mejor probecho auditivo.

Vamos con algunos comentarios de terceros y seguiremos tratando de traerles más cositas interesantes...

Kollektiv had connections with the much better known Kraftwerk, and its self-titled album sounds a bit like early Kraftwerk, back in that group's jazzier days before it invented techno-pop. Kollektiv's album fuses free-form jazz and rock in typical underground Krautrock fashion, with long, loose improvisations and plenty of solos on guitar, flute, and sax. The music is entirely instrumental except for some weird spoken word on the shortest track, "Forsterlied." "Rambo Zambo" begins the album with some heavily processed flute soloing before jumping into high-energy avant funk with more flute. "Baldrian" is slightly more tame, but on the three-part "Gageg," which dominates side two, Kollektiv turns the energy up even more. Like "Rambo Zambo," this one begins slowly before building into another intense avant jazz-funk workout with the tight rhythm section, and in the last section, "Pressluft," some blistering electric guitar riffing.

Rolf Semprebon

A great deal of classic Green Brain albums have been reissued on CD, but this is one of the gems that hasn't been (that is, if you're discounting the flash-in-the-pan, illegitimate Germanofon CD of the 90s). Kollektiv are a group that reformed in the 80s even, releasing a slick fusion album with Jonas Hellborg and a slightly different lineup. However, their first release is early 70s jazzy experimental krautrock at its best. Opening with echoing flutes, "Rambo Zambo" takes you on a nearly 12-minute voyage where grooves are laid down by the brothers Karpenkiel and effected, tripped-out flute and guitars ramble psychedelically in the front. "Baldrian" is laid back and slightly bluesy with its wah-wahed sax and reverbed slide guitar. A short, vocal experiment closes out the first side, giving way to the band's side-long, three-part opus, "Gageg." Having a more composed feel than most of side one, "Gageg" is still mostly a vehicle for flute, sax, and guitar soloing. "Adante" atmospherically sets the stage, "Allegro" brings a laid back jam for both flute and guitars, while the final part, "Pressluft" takes 11 minutes to conclude, starting with an angular, Crimson-esque riff over which drums jazzily riff and more Xhol-ish sax plays in front.
More attention to Kollektiv will likely be paid due to the release of their SWF Session gig on July 6, 1973, an archive release that covers the suite "Gageg," "Baldrian" and three long pieces that were not included on their debut. The first of these, "Tamboura," is almost exactly like something from the first Agitation Free album with its breezy, jamming, spacey feel, although the flute gives it that something else. In fact, there is also a ton of flute in the 14 minute "Mollzitter," accompanied by Jurgen Havix's effected zither and guitars. This piece starts spacey and laid-back, before developing a Gong-like vamp to drive the rambly/echoey flute and effected strings forward. The renditions of "Baldrian" and "Gageg" here, largely improvised, are uniquely different, particularly the latter piece. This live session clocks in close to an hour, has great sound quality (perhaps even better than the studio album itself) and is maybe a step up in quality from their self-titled album.
Kollektiv would later reform in 1987 with Hellborg and record one album. I've left this one out of the review as its bland fusion nature wouldn't stand out amongst better albums in the same style, and after finding this in a cut-out bin, I wasted little time in finding it a newer home. So its mention is more of an afterthought, and it's likely fans of their early albums won't think much of it and vice versa.

Mike McLatchey