Now, 2000 just seems like a year 17 years ago, but then there were pre-millennial tensions aplenty as we all waited for the meltdown of the world’s computer systems or the apocalypse itself.
Klaus Dinger tried to capture that weird energy in these improvised sessions. Kazuyuki Onouchi begins, uncertainly recounting her experiences in Germany over lyrical piano and electronics. Then Pure Energy takes off, typically stripped down to Dinger’s rather ragged sounding guitar, drums and unpredictable electronics in a trademark Neu!/La Dusseldorf groove, with Viktoria Wehrmeister incanting the title and Dinger scatting in the background. Mayday is a mantric, minimal ballad, although the lyrics ‘Mayday why don’t you come out and play/Mayday why do we have to fade away’, are not the most inspired. Untitled, Sept 12. 2000! is just drums with faux oriental guitar chords played at considerable volume, which starts in a slow 2⁄4 tread, but then accelerates two thirds in. Midsummer mixes pretty electric piano figures with loose guitar, drums and Wehrmeister’s vocals, peaking with cacophonous electronics. There is plenty to enjoy, but these feel like preparatory sketches for something we will never hear.
