Selbstportrait, Vol. III: Reise Durch Arcadien

Working with groundbreaking experimental rock/electronic acts like Cluster and Harmonia, keyboardist/composer Hans-Joachim Roedelius helped define the sound of Krautrock in the '70s and beyond. His Selbstportrait series of solo albums tended more toward spare instrumental sketches made on various synthesizers and keyboards, often recorded quickly at home but no less unique in the character of the songs. Selbstportrait, Vol. 3: Reise Durch Arcadien was technically Roedelius' fifth solo album, and in its eight compositions the groundwork can be heard for future generations of electronic musicians. Playful sketches like opening track "Sonntags" and "Hochzeit" are bouncy and curious, not unlike future work by Child's View or Boards of Canada, while a more minimal track like "Fieber," with its rudimentary looping drum figure, set the scene for dark ambient artists or even some sects of industrial music. While not quite an essential classic of the early Krautrock genre, Selbstportrait, Vol. 3 is a satisfying and often carefree footnote to the endless recordings made by Roedelius and his scene of creative minds, and more testament to the impact their influence would have on artists who followed them. ~ Fred Thomas