Release Music Orchestra, Germany

Life. 1974 Brain

I've recently written about the second and third RMO releases, but what about their debut? It's different in that it's a live effort, something the band states it wanted to do to capture their energy ("tension and electricity" as they put it). Coming fresh off their former work, under the Tomorrow's Gift moniker, Life has a similar jazz focus, but is geared more towards the upcoming fusion movement. Given the lack of any memorable melodies, I find Life harder to get into than their next two albums, which puts me in the minority camp. However, a couple of repeated listens convinced me Life is at the same level, just a less immediate sound.

Garuda. 1975 Brain

Release Music Orchestra is Tomorrow's Gift version 3.0 and Garuda is their second album under this moniker. By this time, the band are a well oiled machine, and they mix expert musicianship with strong melodies and complex compositions. The title track is sit-up-and-pay-attention worthy, and is a strong Canterbury styled tune similar to Hatfield and the North at their peak. When Release Music Orchestra catch a groove, the results are divine. There are 5 fully realized compositions on Garuda, and 5 "Zwischenspiel's", which translates to interludes. Each member gets a short 30 seconds to a minute to improvise. While not exactly on the same level of Yes' Fragile, I do prefer the efficiency. Of these, I thoroughly enjoyed Manfred Rurup's (keyboards) and Margit Haberland's (vocal) contributions. Overall I'd submit that Release Music Orchestra are a bit more jazzy than other German followers of the Canterbury sound such as Brainstorm and Tortilla Flat, but they would still have to be considered pioneers in the upcoming Kraut Fusion movement that was to dominate the landscape in the next few years.

Get the Ball. 1976 Brain

On RYM, they have a feature called "Discussion" that is embedded within each album's page. It will show if that specific album has been referenced directly (via link) in a specific thread by one of the contributors. What's most interesting about Release Music Orchestra's third album Get The Ball, is the title of the 3 threads it has been mentioned as a part of (as I write these notes): 1) "Funky Krautrock"; 2) "Synth-Oriented Krautrock"; 3)"Gimme More Jazz Fusion Like..." That folks, is my review of the album right there.

RMO is clearly moving away from their Canterburyish sophomore release Garuda, and heading more into the trendy funky fusion waters of the era. On paper, that sounds like a potential disaster, but in the hands of the veteran RMO, it all comes together nicely. Some fantastic Rhodes and synthesizer work can be heard, and the rhythm section is always on point and edgy. The female vocals only add to the vibe. A very consistent album, where every track could be considered excellent.

Beyond the Limit. 1978 Brain
News. 1979 Brain.

Not featuring these bottom two but they also haven't been reissued.

Priority: 2

12/04/09