What's the German for "Krautrock"?

[Henderson Keith]

Eric asked...

>First, the article says, "In Germany, the term 'Krautrock' is not
>used."  Is this true?  The German Wikipedia has an article called
>"Krautrock" (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock).

It's used in Austria at least...I was just in Wien (Vienna) last week, and
visited a record/CD shop that had a special section devoted to 'krautrock.'

>Later, the article says that T. Dream and Faust called what they
>were doing "komische musik", and someone on the discussion page
>suggests that that's "a translation of 'krautrock'", but that a
>particular German speaker disagreed.  A few questions here:
>
>Should that be "kosmische"?

Yes, of course.

>"Cosmic" seems rather more appropriate than "comic", for the
>music in question :-)

Well, I might agree, but some people think my taste in music is sehr
komisch*!  And they've even told me as much.  :)

*komisch could translate (literally) to 'comic' but it is very commonly used
as just 'odd' or 'strange.'

>Does that term (whichever is the correct spelling) now refer
>to Krautrock in general, or was it limited to those two
>bands' usage of it "back in the day"?

Hard for me to say really...as I only have a 'revisionist' view of things,
not having been aware of it until the early 80s.  But I doubt that it was
ever focussed on just two (or a few) bands.  But, yes, of course, Faust
famously included a track called "Krautrock" on the IV album (a recommended
album, BTW, though I like the rest of it better than the "Krautrock" track).
Julian Cope seemed to suggest (though I don't know if I believe his story)
that a track by Amon Duul (ADI essentially) made first reference to 'kraut'
and thus the name was born.  I tend to think it was just called such by
English fans who just naturally put the two words together, whether intended
to be derogatory or not.  I suppose Jerryrock would have been yet worse?
(Though this term is not known in America, so I don't know how it's used.)

Oh, wait, you meant 'kosmische.'  Well, I don't think that was also limited
so narrowly...in fact, Rolf Ulrich Kaiser had a whole label dedicated to the
Cosmic Couriers.  And I think Agitation Free, Ash Ra, and that whole Berlin
scene must have been together in the 'kosmische' category, as well as AD2
and a bunch of other lesser knowns around the country.  But I would suggest
'krautrock' was yet broader than 'kosmische' 'cause there are some hard Deep
Purple-ish German 70s bands that are often dubbed krautrock without being
particularly 'kosmische.'  Lucifer's Friend, Birth Control, that sort of
thing.

Here's an article worth linking to, for a perspective from someone who was
'there.'  I didn't re-read it entirely just now, but I do remember that he's
quite critical of those who 'worship' (and create legends from) what to them
was just amateurish stuff by people who never thought of any great movement
going on.  (I tend to disagree.)  :)

http://www.furious.com/perfect/krautrock.html

>Shouldn't "Musik" be capitalized?  (That's about the only
>rule of German grammar that I think I know, so again I'm
>skating on pretty thin ice...)

Yes.

>Speaking of the German-language article, it looks as though that
>has quite a detailed etymology of the term, including references
>to John Peel (RIP) and Amon Düül.  Too bad I can't read it.

Apparently, Peel may have used the term on the radio introducing the
aforementioned Amon Duul track, which is likely the rumoured story that Cope
picked up on for his book.  (Which has some errors, BTW, including the
identity of the "reaper model" on the book cover, the image taken from the
"Yeti" album, which is not who Cope said it was, i.e., Shrat, but instead a
AD2 roadie who mysteriously died shortly thereafter.)

>P.S.: If you point Google at the German article, it translates
>Krautrock *into* English as "herb skirt".  Too funny!

That's absolutely correct.  I hadn't thought of that before, as 'der Rock'
isn't really pronounced like "Rock."  (What's also funny is that 'Rock' is
masculine.  Maybe not to a Scotsman, but...)

Anyway, from what I know, 'kraut' meaning 'cabbage' is not in principle
true, though it seems like the dish 'sauerkraut' may have made the shortened
'kraut' also generally refer to something that is indeed 'dominated' by
cabbage, and over time has led to the word 'kraut' also having that 2nd
meaning.  'Kohl' is the (original?) German word for cabbage, e.g., Rotkohl
(red cabbage) being served on occasion in these parts.

Grakkl (FAA)

P.S.  Krautrock is often (by people like me, for example) used now to
describe bands that are stylistically similar to old kosmische music,
irrespective of their (non)German origin.  Normally, that would only refer
to 'revivalist' bands from the 90s/00s (Fuxa, IEM, Circle, Tungsten 74,
Ausgang, etc.) though I think Igra Staklenih Perli (of Belgrade, Serbia) may
have been the 'kosmischste' of the 'kosmische' bands, and they were active
in the late 70s.  It wouldn't offend me to say they were a Krautrock band.