Neu!'s Beauty Alters Time and Space

I’ll come clean: I had never actually heard Neu! until early 2001. And though I’m sure it would be cooler to state otherwise, my discovery of the influential German band was purely accidental: their entire collection landed in my mail-box when Astralwerks reissued their catalog and sent media copies out for review.

Sure, I knew plenty of about the near-mythical ’70s Kraut rock group. It was hard not to; so many revered musicians, from Brian Eno, Julian Cope and Radiohead, to Primal Scream, Sonic Youth and Stereolab, praised this forward-thinking outfit through their own music virtually every chance they could.

But I had never actually heard them. Until then. And after finally getting a chance to listen to their hard-to-find recordings more than 30 years later, it became all-too-clear why folks still spoke of their beauty.

Neu!’s sole members, guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Claus Dinger, performed and recorded with the initial lineup of Kraftwerk but left the group in 1972 to pursue their own looser interests. Teaming up with producer Conny Plank, the multi-instrumentalists recorded three full-length recordings, Neu!, Neu! 2 and Neu! ’75, before calling it quits in 1975. Their unique sound was evident from the first wave: beat-driven tracks where huge ambient drones were built out of layers of guitar, bass and synth that served as the foundation to hang melodies and counter-melodies. Plank’s innovative use of delays and reverb—setting each instrument in its own acoustic space—would later set the tone for producer Martin Hannett’s inspired work with Joy Division.

Within the space of those three albums, Neu! was also a shape-shifting band, laying down noise-damaged electronics, found-sound collages, pretty piano-based interludes, early synth pop and heavy guitar-based rock with vocals that resembled a more trance-inducing Stooges (or even the Sex Pistols in ’77).

Their much-loved rhythm—the “motorik” beat—was inspired by the Velvet Underground’s simple, insistent pound courtesy of Moe Tucker, as well as the tight funk of Sly & the Family Stone and the tribal drums of the Apache Indians. It consists of a steady four-on-the-floor kick drum and snare arrangement, with minimal cymbal work and few (if any) fills. This metronomic beat in its raw form would be utilized by post-punkers like the Cure, P.I.L. and New Order, and later, shoegazer and post-rock bands (i.e. pretty much every song Stereolab ever wrote). A slightly more syncopated version would also be absorbed by dance music—specifically acid-house and early Detroit techno—as its core rhythm during the late-’80s.

Additionally, Neu! managed to create their own sonic universe by developing a set of proprietary timbres while using the very same electronic gear available to their contemporaries during the early-’70s. No standard Mini-Moog “square wave” leads or filter sweeps here; we’re talking about an entire library of synth patches, guitar treatments and drum effects. The creative application and/or use of this technology—not the actual electronics themselves—are what allowed Neu! to produce these timeless sounds.

Neu! 2, released in 1973, would become something of an underground legend not only due to its jaw-dropping music—as with the centerpiece “Fur Immer (Forever)”—but also because of the DIY circumstances surrounding the album. The band had pretty much utilized its entire recording budget durng the production of only a handful of songs. Their label soon baulked, yet still demanded they complete the full-length recording.

What was Neu! to do?

With no additional funds forthcoming from the label, they developed an innovative and very punk “fuck you” strategy; they would simply recycle the existing multitrack tapes of the songs recorded so far and use them to pad out the rest of the album. The results were among the first primitive “remixes”—note: dub reggae had emerged a few years earlier and DJ culture via disco was in its infancy—that included songs being played back at drastically slower or faster tempos via an in-studio turntable, instrumental elements from several tracks being combined into one and entire recordings being played backwards on a cheap hand-held tape machine and then fed back into the mix.

While the purpose and intent of what Neu! was truly up to here is still open for debate, it’s clear they were not letting any obstacle stand in the way of their music. What is also clear is the impact the music has had on those of have heard it, including myself. I often play Neu! on my radio mix show, hoping to entice others to bask in their warmth.

I usually reference one track as my absolute favorite—the before-mentioned “Fur Immer (Forever)”—as it encompasses everything that is amazing about Neu! in the space of 11 minutes. It is an absolutely stunning journey; the perfected aesthetic of a captured performance enhanced through post-production, resulting in art that is greater than its individual elements:

A guitar slowing fades in playing a cyclical pattern that is warped and modulated after being sent through various effects pedals, arriving near where My Bloody Valentine and Boards of Canada would land several decades later. At roughly 20 seconds in, the pounding motorik beat enters riding a drone that is already several layers deep. Pulsing synths, a bass guitar and backwards portions of the mix anchor this massed-approach, with a single clanging electric guitar chord eventually coming to the forefront. This swiftly-moving and constantly-shifting platform will rise and fall multiple times during the next 10 minutes.

The affect of the propulsive drumming running against the heavy drone is striking and somewhat disorienting unto itself; it brings to mind reel-to-reel tape being fast-forwarded and rewound at the same time. Images of zooming by shiny office towers in a skyline of the future are also easy to project.

After the third minute, buzzing feedback begins seeping into the left channel from a barely contained guitar that finally erupts into a current of flowing distortion. This moment in the sun doesn't last long as a quick tom roll has the fuzz guitar temporarily revert to the background, pounding electric piano and synths drop in, and then most of the instruments drop out (only to return moments later). The drone rebuilds into another fiery high and then ...

The first “break” hits, where everything in the mix is reset. It’s back to the chiming guitar and somewhat gentle synths, while the thoroughly filtered and phased drum kit dives to the ocean’s floor. A minute or so of rest here and back to the race with even more intensity. It continues at this pace for another four minutes and eventually cross-fades with found-sound from some far away beach.

Wow ...

When I played “Forever” for a decidedly music-savvy friend of mine shortly after hearing it for the first time, he couldn’t believe that it was recorded in 1973 (and I still don’t think he believes me to this day). In his defense, their overall aesthetic—the fluid melodies, expert use of sonic textures and a focused rhythmic drive—does indeed sound utterly modern and exciting.

However, Neu!’s ability to alter my perception of time and space remains the ultimate musical compliment. And also why I now too share their beauty virtually any chance I get ...