Gila - 1971 - Free Electric Sound

Gila
1971
Free Electric Sound

01. Aggression (4:33)
02. Kommunikation (12:47)
03. Kollaps (5:30)
04. Kontakt (4:30)
05. Kollektivitat (6:40)
06. Individualitat (3:36)

Daniel Alluno / drums, bongos, tabla

Fritz Scheyhing / organ, Mellotron, percussion, electronics

Conny Veit / guitars, voice, tabla, electronics

Walter Wiederkehr / bass

This band was from Stuttgart and managed just two studio albums before splitting. Their guitarist leader Conny Veit will be known latter as collaborator of both POPOL VUH and GURU GURU, but this is another story.

Here's a long time krautrock classic. Gila impress us with a dynamic, intense and imaginative communication between spacey rock improvisations, lengthy psych guitar solos accompanied by luminous electric organ chords. "Agression" is a cosmic krautrock jamming, strictly instrumental (as the rest of the album), dominated by subtle and technical guitar / organ combinations. "Kollaps" is a dark and creepy instrumental piece with moody organ parts and weird, plaintive noises. "Kontact" starts with a variation of different sound collages to finally turn into an acoustic, folk guitar trip with an obvious "eastern" flavour. The track directly carries on "Kollektivitt" for a full-on guitar / organ jam with some folky, mellow accents. "Individualitat" is a strong hypnotic-tribal jam for percussions and guitar experimentations. A serious, intricate mixture between free rock, spacey-psych effects and discreet eastern influences. A must for fans of Agitation Free

I used to own the highly sought after original vinyl edition of this one some 20 years ago but this type of Krautrock wasn't that much "my cup" back then and therefore I sold it for a quite good price (though nowadays I'd get twice as much). I preferred much their easier psyche folk album from 1973 at that time but meanwhile I've got the CD versions of both records in my collection since a couple of years. As usual taste preferences are changing over time and this excellent debut has really grown on me. Now I've got to say that Gila's first one of course had been much better than "Bury My Heart." (their second one just contains some live jam sessions) though they're hardly to be compared with each other being completely different since only guitarist and band founder Conny Veit had been left over from the original line-up. This debut had been a self production by the band and according to the CD booklet it's telling their story starting from 1969 to 1971 and their development from aggressive rock to balanced communicative music. Like some other bands from the early German progressive scene these guys really practised their ideology which means that by utilising their maximum creative potential they were trying to find their own fulfilment as well as to influence their environment. It was very important for them to be as much as possible free from restraints and forced order and therefore they preferred to use a free-form structure rather than arranged compositions for their music. Of course many bands and musicians from the Krautrock scene were taking this approach during that era - names like Ashra Tempel, Amon Düül, Faust, Can or Neu come to my mind - but actually I've to say the outcome was usually not very satisfactory (at least to my ears). Nonetheless all those bands were quite unique in their very own way and as well much different from the overall trend in progressive rock incorporating more classical forms like suites and movements and following more or less strictly the rules of music theory. Maybe it's due to the fact that I havn't grown up with classical music or it's the rebel in me that I mostly find such type of music more exciting than the classical Prog represented by bands like Genesis or Yes. But I've to say the music on here doesn't sound chaotic at all, not even really unstructured, it's rather floating very nicely without becoming ever dreary nor tedious which is the case for many records of this particular sub-genre. Certainly it's much rooted in late 60's psychedelic, comparable to Floyd's Ummagumma-period, just more enjoyable and easier accessible. Thus it might sound dated for some Prog fans being not that much into Krautrock but I think this record can offer much pleasure after several spins to anyone interested into unique and sophisticated music. Most of the tracks here are purely instrumental, sporadic vocals (both in English and German language) are used merely for emphasizing the keywords of the album concept, aggression and communication. A wide range of sounds had been used, including Mellotron, brilliant organ play and as well some oriental ones like tabla. The musicianship presented by all band members is absolutely impressing and I'm really seduced to give the full-score rating for this excellent debut. But since it might be considered not that much progressive for the year of 1971 and it might not appeal to everyone I think it wouldn't be quite justified. But anyway this album is an excellent addition to any Prog collection and for sure a must-have for fans of Krautrock or Spacerock.

Led by guitarist Conny Veit, Gila is an ensemble that generated a great contribution to the krautrock scene back in the early 80s, before Veit shifted toward the ranks of Popol Vuh and Guru Guru. "Free Electric Sound" is Gila's debut release, and it certainly indicates quite clearly the reasons why this band is so important to krautrock lovers. The band's line of work is based on the confluence of psychedelic, mesmerizing jams (a-la Amon Düül II) and jazz-friendly nuances bearer of distinction (a-la Agitation Free). Indeed, there is room for expanded guitar soloing in exhibitions of robustness, but there is also a careful treatment of these visceral explorations within the confines of well-defined scheme. With sounds of wild wind and rain 'Aggression' gets started on a funky-jazz mode, displaying a psychedelic jam with heavily Hendrix-esque guitar and lysergic organ flows delivered by Scheyhing. With its 12+ minute timespan, 'Kommunciation' is the longest piece in the album. This track is stated on a slow tempo and a very noticeable jazzy vibe, which makes the band lean quite close to Agitation Free and early Embryo. The bass guitar flourishes incorporate a very interesting variety beyond the rhythmic function, while the drummer and keyboardist's labors cry out the "Ummagumma" influence. The last 90 seconds are filled with beautiful flute mellotron and slide guitar, which make a captivating epilogue. 'Kollaps' starts the album's second half, with a very languid mood that helps to state a mysterious, even creepy atmosphere. The sound of a baby crying suggests the notion of man's soul drowned in desolation and confusion among a dark environment. This piece sort of makes Gila close to post-"Phallus Dei" Amon Düül II. 'Kontakt' takes things to a very different dimension, one of candidness and serenity: the prevalent acoustic guitar sets a mixture of Eastern flavors and country airs, aimed at the exploration of our potential of mental piece. The weird noises at the beginning seem not to be a source of restlessness but a special preparation for contemplating attitudes. When the aforesaid jam shifts to an electric mode, it is the time for 'Kollektivität', which emphasizes the Eastern exoticism in both the guitar deliveries and the organ layers. The album's climax is brought up by the powerfully ethnic 'Individualität', a multi-percussive extravaganza focused on tribal frameworks in a very celebratory tone. The synthesizer adornments augment the exciting atmosphere quite effectively, creating a very interesting mixture of Osibisa, Ibliss and early Popol Vuh. Overall balance: "Free Electric Sound" is an excellent exposure of krautrock, a must in any good prog collection with aspirations to become very good.