Michael Rother
Flammende Herzen

Flammende Herzen marks the solo debut of Michael Rother after his split with Dinger from NEU! due to the different ideas that emerged from NEU!75. Indeed, here one realizes the different conception of music that the two had (especially when listening to the albums of La Düsseldorf).

A small preamble: there's nothing here that NEU! hasn't already said, so if we resign ourselves to the fact that the 3 CDs of the duo are a more unique than rare work, but nevertheless life and music go on, then perhaps we will appreciate Flammende Herzen best.

In this album (clearly the best of Rother's solo period), Michael carries with him the cultural baggage inherited from his previous life, those dark atmospheres and that mechanical and demonic drive typical of NEU! era songs like "Fur Immer", "Hallogallo" or "Lila Engel". But despite this, the result seems more catchy and accessible (thanks to the use of synth which makes this work more enjoyable).

Furthermore, here Rother decides to take the spotlight by surrounding himself only with Liebezeit on percussion, playing guitar, bass, organ, piano, and synthesizer.

Thus, it moves from dark and minimalist atmospheres as in "Zyklodrom" and "Feuerland" to more melodic contexts as in "Karussell" or the splendid suite that is the Title-track where it seems to fly along the lines of "Seeland". A little perk is the two final remixes of the track "Flammende Herzen" where one might also talk about ambient or chill-out.

As previously mentioned, there's nothing that hasn't been said, done, or just sketched in the NEU! days, yet the album in question remains a great work by a visionary guitarist such as Michael Rother.

If you like the genre, search for it, you won't be disappointed.