Jürgen Karg - 1977 - Elektronische Mythen

Jürgen Karg 

1977

Elektronische Mythen

01. Die Versunkende Stadt - Atlantis (21:32)

02. Vollmond - Selene (21:06)

Jürgen Karg / 4 EMS Synths, Digital instruments (sequencer 256), 5 tape machines, mixers, reverbs, filters, EQs

JÜRGEN KARG is a classic-period obscure and eccentric German artist, mastering the sound of electronic conceptual music with an extra touch of experimentation and loud-punctured art. His only solo record is the rare "Elektronische Mythen" ("Electronic Myths"), released in 1977. Kärg is more known however for his collaboration in Wolfgang Dauner's "Psalmus Dei", along jazz artist Eberhard Weber and other musicians. As much as Dauner's successful album speaks of profound (and somewhat eclectic) music, Karg's album is not to be skipped by connoisseurs, being on the verge of heaviness, trippiness, avant-garde and cerebral electronic convulsions, still staying focused on complex, atypical, intense and resourced music. Strange and artistic, Kärg's work shows the late 70s aren't at all dried out of electronic abstract experiences.

Brewed with a professional gear of electronic/processing equipment, the album, composed of two side-epics, is both a schematic and free, incisive work, starting from the base of free-synth electronics and dense artificial sound and extending to a fragmentarily drilled concept of art and a surreal impression of a pressured, clamping "kosmische" dream, in light of experimental and less-musical style connectors. "Elektronische Mythen" is, at the surface, an outburst of programmatic electronic art and a technical/mechanical work of sounds, becoming, in the essence, a serious, minimal and provocative play.

Karg's album is referenced as a mixing (or shifting, in an random and torrid way) work of concrète electronic (the "academic" side) with krautrock, electroacousticism, tone/tape music and space, surreal, abstract or noise bits (the "hyper-artistic" side), names like François Bayle, Edward ZAJDA, Conrad SCHNITZLER, Asmus TITCHENS, KLUSTER or STOCKHAUSEN coming in mind the same way.

Jürgen Karg's solitary classic is definitely a demanding, obscure, artistic recommendation, fitting in the electronic prog current more in an extensive than formal way.

Magnificent electronic fresh shower that can be called as "non-melodious Hydrus", as if we would enjoy cool clear flavoury Japanese sake.

The A Side "Die Versunkende Stadt - Atlantis" sounds more powerful and violative one than "Vollmond - Selene" upon another side. A ghostly horrible Fantasia beneath his inner mind I imagine. So tense, as if a thin thread in his mind would likely to get broken easily. Unstable but grabs the ground apparently. His powerful attitude and eventually such an earache / headache was constructed purely with his fragile brainstorm indeed. Nothing flamboyant nor formal but pure soundscape by his soul, phantastik.

On the contrary, for me one of the most important progressive electronic ambience this obscurity titled "Vollmond - Selene" is. Obviously this brilliant kaleidoscope sounds like sea waves breaking upon the shore and retreating, sometimes dazzling tone bullets launched here and there. Regardless of some instabilities, no suspicion he would throw so many beautiful electricities which get unified and merged together quite precisely and rigidly. Yes, sounds like we would get a dreamy illuminated illusion via his warm, hearty, but chilling sound eccentric inorganic suite.

Very controversial that each of us could understand or realize what he wanted to do via this mysterious stuff. One might feel he should be a depressor, or another he be a mischievous and childish. Yeah dunno which is correct, and whether both are true or not. But hey, that's all right anyhow. We should make sure that he would have created what he'd meant to do through his inner (and outer?) space, and created such a mysteriously precious electronic suite. No suspicion this album be a gem, and makes sense why nobody knows such a gem.

Get a fruitful atmosphere, and let yourself squeeze into another dimensional dream.