Dusseldorf neo-krautrock and psychedelic outfit Vibravoid released their most recent album, REMOVE THE TIES, in late September. I was really looking forward to give this LP a listen. Dusseldorf has always been a big hub for artists and creatives in Germany, and is home to a number of well-known German acts, including electronic/krautrock giant Kraftwerk.
I always prefer to talk about a select few of the tracks from each release; I feel this allows you, the reader, to be better acquainted with each one. The sonic journey we go on with this album is really interesting, and it’s definitely a journey you want to take. That said, let’s get into REMOVE THE TIES.
REMOVE THE TIES opens with “Computer Dreams”, a track that seems very out of place, especially when placed in this particular tracklist. It’s not a bad track – it is a decent electronic track – but it just doesn’t belong here, especially not as the opening track. I could possibly see it be utilized as a closing track to another release, but I really don’t understand its inclusion in REMOVE THE TIES. The second track, “Neustart”, would actually be a much better opener, and it gives us more of a feel for what to expect.
“Neustart” is more in line with the rest of the following songs. It’s a very obvious krautrock track – easily identifiable as quintessential German rock. I think the opening riff of “Neustart” would have actually been the perfect way to begin REMOVE THE TIES. It’s punchy, it grabs your attention, and it’s bouncy. I think it also plays really well off of the underlaying layers of the drums and guitar. Just under midway through the track, we hit a tone shift. It isn’t as punchy, and I think it drifts a little into early electronica, which is an interesting counter to the krautrock sound that colored the first part of the track. Just after the halfway mark, the krautrock sound returns.
The title track, “Remove the Ties”, is also the closing track. It’s a much more downtempo track; not as punchy as some of the previous songs, but for what it lacks in uptempo energy, it makes up for in psychedelic groove. It’s actually my favorite track of the bunch – I really like the trance-like rhythmic and melodic instrumental loops throughout. The staticky, almost analog vocals create a really interesting layer over the top of the psych-loops. I think it’s actually a really perfect way to close out the psych-kraut rock release – it’s almost like it’s gently letting you go, rather than leaving you high and dry.
Overall, I feel this album was a really interesting krautrock and psychedelic release. I really enjoyed the different layers of instrumentation pulled throughout the album, and I especially really enjoyed the krautrock riffs featured throughout the album.
