Description
Neu! is the debut album by German krautrock band Neu!. It was recorded in December 1971 at Windrose-Dumont-Time Studios, Hamburg, Germany, mixed at Star-Musik Studio, Hamburg, Germany, and released in 1972 by Brain Records. It was reissued by Grönland on May 29, 2001 and then licensed to Astralwerks for US distribution. This was Rother and Dinger’s first recording together after they left Kraftwerk in 1971. They continued to work with Konrad “Conny” Plank, who had been producing the Kraftwerk recording sessions. It was during these sessions that Dinger first played his famous “motorik” beat. Two songs on the album, “Hallogallo” and “Negativland”, feature this beat. Motorik is a repeated 4/4 drumbeat with only occasional interruptions, perhaps best showcased on “Hallogallo”. Dinger claimed never to have used the term “motorik” himself, preferring either “lange gerade” (“long straight”) or “endlose gerade” (“endless straight”). He later changed the beat’s “name” to the “Apache beat” to coincide with his 1985 solo album Neondian. The album also displays elements of electronic music, soundscapes, Industrial music, and noise music.
