Synth-happy German label Bureau B kicked off their compilation series Kollektion with a superb first volume focusing on the nascent Krautrock label Sky Records, lovingly and painstakingly curated by
Stereolab co-founder
Tim Gane. While the scope of
Stereolab's influence on generations of electronics-dabbling indie rockers is unchartable, the deep cuts that surface throughout
Kollektion 01's 17-track running length are a testament to the massive influence the Sky Records roster had on
Stereolab themselves. The label began in 1975 and would be a home for the boundless creativity and unchecked experimentation for big names in the instrumental Krautrock canon such as
Cluster,
Neu!'s
Michael Rother,
Dieter Moebius, and even collaborations between
Brian Eno and some of these players.
Gane's combing of the archives turns up to be much more than a "greatest-hits"-styled collection, veering instead toward both the ridiculous and the sublime. Highlights include
Cluster's fuzzy, lo-fi synth blurts on "Seltsame Gegend," placid reflection from Roedelius on "Regenwurm," and a wintery proto-house bassline warped into joyful pop, complete with sleigh bells and
Brian Eno's distinctive vocals on "The Belldog," a meeting-of-the-minds track from
Eno,
Moebius, and Roedelius.
Michael Rother and Wolfgang Reichmann offer up the type of repetitive, melodic drones that
Stereolab took notes on early in their career, and a weirder side of rhythm and repetition is explored on the queasy micro-funk workout "Doppelschnit" by
Moebius and Beerbohm. Though by no means a beginner's course,
Kollektion 01 still offers a lot to get lost in for either the Krautrock connoisseur or passive listener.
Gane's curation clearly comes from a place of pure, longstanding enthusiasm and he considerately welcomes everyone to take a look into the strange, beautiful world that formed around the Sky Records camp. ~ Fred Thomas