A.R. & Machines - The Art Of German Psychedelic, 1970-1974 (2017) {10CD Box Set, Remastered Edition}

The complete collection of Achim Reichel’s innovative avant-garde project in the early 1970s. The lavishly designed 10 CD box-set includes all five studio albums and almost five hours of rare and unreleased music, a new remix-album – Virtual Journey – as well as a hardcover book with the artist’s own liner notes. A lucky accident was the catalyst. In Hamburg in the early 70s, while playing with his new Akai X330D tape machine, Achim Reichel discovered he could build soundscapes of guitar echoes and add even more simultaneously. He spent hours in his room with headphones on, growing his orchestra of guitars. A.R. & Machines recorded five studio albums. Their debut, “Die grüne Reise”, – The Green Journey – was released in 1971 on tape cassette and vinyl, and was met with complete confusion, even from the music press, who had no genre-drawer to stick it into, and is a lasting Krautrock monument captured on tape. The cosmic vibrations – overlapping guitar licks, distorting and edgy, supported with live percussion and futuristic electronic sounds – moved Brian Eno to such an extent that he named his solo-album “Another Green World” after it. The A.R. & Machines “The Art Of German Psychedelic (1970-74)” contains all five studio albums from 1971 to 1974: Die grüne Reise, Echo, A.R.3, A.R.4, and Autovision. Fifty years after they were released, then taken from sale by Achim Reichel before he set off on his solo career, the albums are the ultimate insight into one of Krautrock’s most mysterious artists. Alongside the albums are two live CDs, Live in Köln and Live in Krefeld, the former recorded for radio and rescued from the tape bin by Achim Reichel in April 1973, and the latter recorded by an avid fan at the German Rock Festival in September 1973. Three bonus CDs filled with previously unreleased material from Reichel’s tape archive complete the set. In Virtual Journey – produced exclusively for the box-set – Achim Reichel uncovers old demos recorded in the 70s by his younger self and pieces them together with modern audio software. The A.R. & Machines project hereby takes a step into the modern world. Remixes 96 is a collection of A.R. & Machines remixes from 1996, made by Reichel during the peak of his solo career and kept away until now. Last but not least, “Warm-up in a Birdcage” (Bonus A.R.4) is an improvised jam by the musicians on A.R.4 who were unaware that the producer-legend Conny Plank was actually running the tapes as they played. The 10 CDs are digitally remastered and accompanied by a written autobiographical history – The A.R. & Machines story – brimming with anecdotes about Reichel’s wild Hamburg years and the Krautrock scene. The bonus material comes with notes also penned by Reichel himself, setting the context for the rare material. On the 15th of September 2017, A.R. & Machines will play their first concert in 40 years in the already sold-out Hamburg Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

Track List CD1 - Die Grüne Reise - The Green Journey (1971):

01. Station 1: Globus / Globe [2:57]
02. Station 1: Im selben Boot / In The Same Boat [2:03]
03. Station 2: Schones Babylon / Beautiful Babylon [5:00]
04. Station 2: Icn bin dein Sanger, du bist mein Lied / I’ll Be Your Singer — You’ll Be My Song [2:29]
05. Station 3: Body [1:55]
06. Station 3: A Book’s Blues [1:42]
07. Station 4: Als hatt ich das alles schon mal gesehen / As If I Have Seen All This Before [5:28]
08. Cosmic Vibration — An Afternoon Concert [4:41]
09. Come On, People [2:54]
10. Wahrheit und Wahrscheinlichkeit / Truth And Probability (A Lexicon for Self-Knowledge) [11:42]



Track List CD2 - Echo (1972):

01. Einladung — Invitation [1:05]
02. Einladung: Zu neuen Abenteuern / To New Adventures [4:31]
03. Einladung: Im Zauberwald der sieben Sinne / In The Magic Forest Of The 7 Senses [1:06]
04. Einladung: Im Irrgarten des Geistes / In The Labyrinth Of The Mind [3:24]
05. Einladung: Beim Walzer der Triebe / At The Waltz Of The Inclinations [1:58]
06. Einladung: Unter dem schwarz-grun-roten Banner / Under The Black-Green-Red Banner [6:48]
07. Einladung: Internationalhymne / International Anthem [1:43]
08. Das Echo der Gegenwart — The Echo Of The Presence: Erwachen am Ufer / Awakening On The Shore [3:41]
09. Das Echo der Gegenwart: Vor dem Haus am Fu?e des wachsenden Berges / In Front Of The House At The Foot Of The Growing Mountain [0:49]
10. Das Echo der Gegenwart: Signale / Signals [1:41]
11. Das Echo der Gegenwart: Wissen ist Fruhling im Herbst / Knowledge Is Spring In Autumn [1:30]
12. Das Echo der Gegenwart: Eisen-Laura mit der Lyra / Iron-Laura With The Lyra [2:30]
13. Das Echo der Zeit — The Echo Of Time: Ich Staune / I Am Astonished [2:12]
14. Das Echo der Zeit: Auf dem Schlitten / On The Sledge [0:59]
15. Das Echo der Zeit: Ins Echo der Zeit / To The Echo Of Time [3:16]
16. Das Echo der Zeit: Regenbogen hinab / Down The Rainbows [2:31]
17. Das Echo der Zeit: Durch fuhlbares, me?bares Nichts / Through Feelable, Measurable Nothing [2:03]
18. Das Echo der Zeit: Ewiger Abschied auf Lila Glut / Eternal Farewell On Lilac Ardour [2:04]
19. Das Echo der Zukunft — The Echo Of The Future: Ahnungen / Suspicions [1:24]
20. Das Echo der Zukunft: Beim Tanz der elektrischen Winde / At The Dance Of The Electrical Winds [4:57]
21. Das Echo der Zukunft: Vor der Geburt der neuen Dimension / Before The Birth Of The New Dimension [2:18]
22. Das Echo der Zukunft: Interstellare Kommunikationen / Interstellar Communications [3:52]
23. Das Echo der Zukunft: Das Offnen des gro?en Tores / The Opening Of The Big Gate [2:09]
24. Das Echo der Zukunft: Der Traum vom Gleichgewicht / The Dream Of Balance [3:27]
25. Das Echo der Vergangenheit — The Echo Of The Past: Erinnerungen an Ubermorgen / Memories Of The Day After Tomorrow [4:43]
26. Das Echo der Vergangenheit: Ad Libido [7:58]
27. Das Echo der Vergangenheit: Ego Lego [2:58]
28. Das Echo der Vergangenheit: Brennt wie ein Licht am Ende des Tunnels / Burns Like A Light At The End Of The Tunnel [1:56]



Track List CD3 - AR 3 (1972):

01. Warum Peter nur noch Ferien macht / Why Peter Is Only On Holiday [7:23]
02. Tarzans Abenteuer im Sommerschlussverkauf / Tarzan’s Adventures In The Summer Sale [5:18]
03. 10 Jahre Lebenslanglich / 10 Years Life Imprisonment [7:27]
04. Die Tochter des Frostriesen / The Frost-Giants Daughter [2:16]
05. Die Eigentumer der Welt / The Owners Of The World [6:43]
06. Heute ist es warmer als draussen / Today It Is Warmer Than Outside [3:41]
07. Auf Deutsch heisst das Gewissensbisse / In German We Call It Conscience-Bites [3:19]
08. Wie ich mit so ich dir / I … Me Like I … You [2:21]
09. Alles geht nach Goa / Everybody Goes To Goa [5:18]



Track List CD4 - A. R. IV (1973):

01. Vita: Hohlenforscher + Vogelmenschen / Cave Explorers And Bird Man [5:29]
02. Vita: Der Mann in Nappa / The Man In Cidleather [10:49]
03. Vita: Dunn ist die Haut der Ekstase / Thin Is The Skin Of Ecstasy [5:21]
04. Acqua: Jeder Tropfen traumt vom Meer (HO) / Every Raindrop Longs For The Sea [23:02]
05. Aufwarmen im Vogelkafig / Warm Up In A Birdcage [live in studio] [3:25]
06. Geist in der Maschine / Ghost In The Machine [live in studio] [4:59]
07. Die Nacht davor / The Night Before [live in studio] [5:39]
08. Der Kafig ist geoffnet / The Cage Is Open [live in studio] [10:11]
09. Erinnerungen an die Nacht davor / Remember The Night Before [live in studio] [6:12]



Track List CD5 - Autovision (1974):

01. Eisenpferde / Iron Horses [4:40]
02. Tanz der Vogel in den Winden / Bird Dance In The Wind [10:42]
03. Drei in eins / Three In One [6:45]
04. Turbulenzen / Turbulences [9:06]
05. Jay Guru Dev [10:08]
06. Kopf in den Wolken – Beine auf der Erde / Head In The Clouds, Feet On The Ground [0:34]



Track List CD6 - Erholung (1975):

01. Gute Reise / Have A Nice Trip [12:17]
02. Alles inklusive / All Included [10:45]
03. Erholung / Recuperation [7:04]
04. Atmosphare / Ambience [7:36]
05. Heute ist das Gestern von morgen / Today Is Tomorrows Yesterday [live in Krefeld, 1973] [8:06]
06. Die Zukunft der Vergangenheit / Future Of The Past [live in Krefeld, 1973] [26:06]



Track List CD7 - Live in Koln (The Cologne Concert) (1973):

01. Domglocken auf Acid / Churchbells On Acid [36:53]
02. Heidnische Gebete / Gentile Prayers [41:34]



Track List CD8 - Transformation (Remixes 96) (1996):

01. Den Traumen hinterher / Chasing Rainbows [4:23]
02. Esoteric Eric [5:49]
03. Hinfort mit dem Wind / Gone With The Wind [5:49]
04. Jay Guru Dev [5:10]
05. In der Herberge zum sechsten Sinn / In The Inn Of Sixth Sense [5:25]
06. Prickel Pit [6:51]
07. Im Irrgarten des Geistes / In The Labyrinth Of The Mind [4:49]
08. Saxoflow [5:42]



Track List CD9 - 14 Pieces for Guitar and Echo Chamber (The Pure Stuff) (1970-74):

01. Melodi Echolalie / Melodia Echolalia [1:11]
02. Verloren im Spiegelkabinett / Lost In A Mirror Maze [2:26]
03. Schaukelstuhl auf Wolke 7 / Rockingchair On Cloud 7 [3:29]
04. Meerjungfrau im Whiskeyglas / Mermaid In A Whiskeytumbler [7:02]
05. Heile Welt mit kleinen Fehlern / Perfect World With Little Bugs [9:33]
06. Innige Umarmung auf dunnem Eis / Warm Embrace On Thin Ice [5:25]
07. Hier ist dein Weckruf / This Is Your Wake Up Call [4:07]
08. Schiwago Shankar / Zhivago Shankar [8:27]
09. Echo Boogie [2:13]
10. Innovation Shuffle [2:45]
11. Schwungvolle Botschaft / Swingin’ Message [1:42]
12. Erwachen jenseits von gut und bose / Awakening Beyond Good And Evil [3:43]
13. Psychedelia Instrumenia [3:52]
14. Der sanfte Wuchs / Gentle Growth [4:22]



Track List CD10 - Virtual Journey (DJ Aspects) (2017):

01. Hier ist dein Weckruf / This Is Your Wake Up Call [6:01]
02. Schwungvolle Botschaft / Swingin’ Message [4:09]
03. Meerjungfrau im Whiskeyglas / Mermaid In A Whiskeytumbler [7:17]
04. Schiwago Shankar / Zhivago Shankar [5:54]
05. Schaukelstuhl auf Wolke 7 / Rockingchair On Cloud 7 [9:26]
06. Echo Boogie [3:28]
07. Heile Welt mit kleinen Fehlern / Perfect World With Little Bugs [8:47]
08. Verloren im Spiegelkabinett / Lost In A Mirror Maze [5:59]