Kannibal Komix Kannibal Komix

Released in Germany in 1968 under the band name Die Anderen and two years later
in the US as Kannibal Komix, this Giorgio Moroder-produced LP is a fantastic display
of the sort of sounds that made the late 60s such an exciting time. From the
outstanding garage-soul nugget 'Neurotic Reaction' to wonderfully arranged torch
songs and psych pop delights, the album's top quality recalls the work of The Bee
Gees during the same period. Presented in facsimile gatefold sleeve and pressed on
180g vinyl. Changing the original artwork of an album in certain territories was
common practice back in the day, but using different band names in different countries
is definitely something else. Die Anderen may or may not ring the bell, what about
Kannibal Komix or Apocalypse? Well, they are exactly the same artists. They got
together in the north of Germany after meeting in a talent show called Beat-Band-Ball
in 1966. Jürgen Drews met the members of Chimes of Freedom, the winning band,
and simply asked to join them as lead guitarist. Not long after, the manager renamed
the group as Die Anderen and sent them to the recording studio with the great
Giorgio Moroder, Ariola's in-house producer at the time, and a whole album was
made. This was obviously much earlier than Moroder's Munich Sound days, so there
are no traces of Italo disco gimmicks here but good portions of fuzzy guitars instead.
In fact, the anthemic Kannibal Komix song eurotic Reaction', produced by Moroder in
these sessions, deserves to be included on a garage compilation next to classics like
'Try It' by The Standells. Maybe this explains why they were spotted at Hamburg's Star
Club and picked by some American managers to sign a deal with Colossus Records.
Their almost perfect vocal harmonies and soft psych tunes spiced with a pinch of
fierce guitars made the band sound very interesting for the US market but the group
needed a new name: Kannibal Komix (or Apocalypse in other territories). A second
album followed but nothing really happened despite rising high expectations, and the
band split by the end of 1969, almost at the same time that their second album hit the
shops worldwide. While 'Neurotic Reaction' would be a perfect choice for an
European "nuggets" comp, there is much more to this album than just that standout
track. 'Rosy Rosy' leans towards prog sounds while keeping some solid pop elements
that recall the best of the British Invasion, 'Elenor' is an almost perfect match between
orchestral arrangements and the dramatic voice of band leader Jürgen Drews,
resulting in a three minute psych-pop delight. And the remaining nine tracks are
further top quality examples of the sort of sounds that made the late 60s such an
exciting time, from tender moments to raw energy, always imaginatively arranged and
performed.