I have been a long time fan of Krautrock/Kosmische Music. Exploring nooks and crannies to discover what made those Germans go so wacky in the 70's.In some ways it is easy to understand. As with many musical movements it is a reaction to societal pressures that have been built up over time and the music that is regarded as mainstream. In this case much is attributed to German Schlager music. It is a style of pop that is sweet and syrupy and very conformist.
As to the societal pressures, lets just say that being first generation to grow up in the spectre of Germany's role in WW2 might have a profound impact on one's worldview. Additionally, Berlin existed as a split city, occupied by Communist and Western powers. Out of this milieu emerged some of the most dramatic music of the early 70s. From the proto-punk jams of Can to the ethnic flavored ambience of Popol Vuh .
It was enough to lure Brian Eno in for a series of albums in with various originators of the sound after he left Roxy Music. Albums such as Cluster & Eno, After the Heat (again with members of Cluster), and Tracks and Traces (Harmonia and Eno).
I recently came across an incredible mix of Kosmische music, which I regard as the more ambient side of this music, at the incredible mnml ssgs blog.
This mix is put together by Donato Dozzy whom I had previously known for his work as a producer of trancey tech house. However, on this mix he really outdoes himself assembling a collection of drifting pulsating tracks that you might find yourself listening to for years. What really sealed the deal was his closing song. Which was not at all German, but a band that drew a great inspiration from the movement and transformed the sound into something quite uniquely their own.
In case you are interested in exploring further, there is great documentary from the BBC on the subject accessible here.
Update: A great article from an interesting blog on seminal band Cluster.
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