This is the final posthumous release from Klaus Dinger. If you're not familiar with the name, he was an early member of Kraftwerk, and then went on to found Neu! with Michael Rother. Later he presided over various incarnations of the group La Düsseldorf  before spending the years from 2000 until his untimely death in 2008, working with a group of Japanese musicians and artists who lived in Dusseldorf. The record was finished off by Miki Yui, who, as well as being in the band, was also Dinger's partner, and will be released on March 25th by Gronland Records.

In some ways this album follows the classic template for a Krautrock record. There are the obligatory long, repetitive songs ('ChaCha 2008' and 'Sketch No4'), interspersed with short, atmospheric tracks and sound effects. There are a couple of surprisingly gentle, straightforward songs ('Spacemelo' and 'Osenbe'), and the full-on rocker 'Karnival' which wouldn't have been out of place on Neu! '75.

There's no denying that some of the tracks on here still feel a bit unfinished - a couple of them have 'Sketch' in their title, and some of the instrumentals such as 'Kittleback Symphony' feel as if they need another couple of layers of melody and vocals. But in a way that almost feel right, the sense that something is missing is almost tangible and accurately reflects the fact that Dinger is no longer with us. And while it's sad that he's gone, it's great to think that he was still making creative music such as this until he passed.

8/11

@TheDJCull

So many column inches or centimetres have already been written or spoken about the phenomenon  that was the release of David Bowie's first album of new material in many a long year earlier this month. There is most probably not a lot left to say other than to express what the record means to me personally.

When was the last time you sat down and just listened to a record whilst doing nothing else? Well if you fancy trying that out, then, this is the album for you. Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards - Blindspot, is a slow burning gem that really does deserve your undivided attention. 

Dan’s baritone voice is his trademark and the record's centerpiece. An octave or two higher this time around (?), he remains thankfully the owner of one on the deepest voices in modern music. 

The album seems a close to 2011’s Sudden Fiction, which Dan described in our interview at the time as “a reaction to the landscape and atmosphere of Texas”. 'Blindspot' is a nice companion piece which blooms the more you listen to it.

Electric guitar paired with acoustic strings, piano and background horns give the album a purposeful, yet fragile perspective. Perhaps, we can claim, a ‘British’ Amercana sound?

Beautiful songs sung from the heart of a relationship. Dan deserves far more recognition than he gets. He now has a real canon of songs from Absentee, solo and Coastguards albums with another eight here, to add to that total.

You do find yourself wishing the LP had more songs at the end of side 2, it's that good so perhaps, a double album next time around ?

Pete

9/11

Blindspot is released on 25^th March on the State51 Conspiracy label