Cloudland Canyon
Lie In Light

"Krautrock 2.0"

By now Kranky is becoming (or perhaps already was?) one of the best labels when it comes to psychedelic avant-garde of all sorts, consistent with its past in the 90s, perhaps more oriented towards post-rock and derivatives (Godspeed You Black Emperor, Labradford, Roy Montgomery & Co.). Just in the last year, they have released at least three noteworthy titles: Valet with "Naked Acid" and its goofy rambling, the White Rainbow with "Prism of Eternal Now", a kaleidoscopic melange of kraut ambient, and the German duo in question, Cloudland Canyon.

"Who better than two Germans could update the 70s kraut sound to 2008?" you might wonder. But given the nonexistent musical homogeneity already within the scene of that time (from NEU! to Cosmic Jokers, a battleship could pass through the sea that separates them), and since bands more or less inspired by various German freaks are now more numerous than the women of Rocco Siffredi, the bitter answer to the aforementioned question is a firm NO!

Aware of what is written above, try to listen without too many expectations to "Lie In Light", and you will find the proposal, albeit a bit too calligraphic, refreshing and enjoyable. Yes, because even if the stride of the opening "Krautwerk" mimics "Hallogallo" by NEU! more than the Kraftwerk, you'll find yourself gladly replaying it in no time. Whether it's their merit, or the almost rhythmic plagiarism of Dinger & Co., is up to you to decide.

Fortunately, the album doesn’t live solely on blatant references to kraut: it ranges from the Sigur Ros played by the most dissonant Velvet in "White Woman", to the dreamy noise of the title track, to the ambient(ale) ballad "Heme", up to an unlikely crossover between "Sexy Boy" by Air (but played at half speed) and Tangerine Dream.

The best quality remains the ease of listening, surprisingly not at the expense of longevity, as it remains one of my most frequent listens for 6 months (a miracle these days).

P.S.: For the series "guess the quote", a plaster cast of Angela Merkel's derriere is up for grabs for whoever discovers where the cover is taken from.