Pynchon Music: Ziguri

Ziguri (1987–2002, 2011–present)

Pynchon Connection

Review of Kölsch-Schickert-Erdenreich

The band’s label describes Kölsch-Schickert-Erdenreich as “trance rock.” That may be true, but this is one heavy trance! Despite their namesake, Ziguri have more in common with the lumbering thud of stoner rock than the spaced-out dynamics of psychedelia. The trio plays with dazzling chemistry, Schickert’s famous “Echodrive” guitar laying down textures for Erdenreich’s minimalist bass and Kölsch’s motorik drums to actually, well, motor through. Ziguri also possesses that inimitable Krautrock aesthetic dating back to German Oak, where everything seems recorded in a bunker with just one take—and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Günter Schickert is incapable of smiling.

Kölsch-Schickert-Erdenreich opens with the cheerfully-demented “General Klickman.” The most traditionally “melodic” track on the album, a Lemmyesque bassline ushers in a pop hit from an alternate universe, one where Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd honed their chops in the German underground instead of the Beatles: Corporal Clegg’s Heavy Hearts Club Band. It’s every bit as awesome as it sounds. This is followed by “Massa,” a 7-minute instrumental animated by Schickert’s flickering guitar. The only track that feels non-essential, “Massa” never quite takes off, nor does it settle into the kind of perpetual groove that makes Krautrock so mesmerizing. It’s still pleasant enough, and soon brings us to the album’s highlight, the Pynchon-inspired “Yoyodyne.”

While Ziguri remains faithful to Pynchon’s lyrics, there’s little sign of Cayuga’s waters or any discernible tenderness: both Lot 49 songs are fused into a plodding groove driven by Kölsch’s glowering drumbeats; Can in “search and destroy” mode, or Kraftwerk suddenly turned inexplicably hostile. The vocals are especially effective, more chanted in unison than sung, Schickert sneering like a frustrated Dalek above Kölsch’s ironic recitation. The German accents don’t exactly reassure, either; the chorus transformed into the decidedly-less playful “Jojodyne.”

“Yoyodyne” is followed by the propulsive “Bella Hop,” a bizarre, stuttering song with nonsensical lyrics. Like “General Klickman,” it also has a “song from another universe” vibe: imagine The Wall-era Pink Floyd playing a sock hop at a pow-wow? Indeed, Pink Floyd is a clear influence on Ziguri, from Syd Barrett and “Interstellar Overdrive” to the later menace of “One of These Days” and “Run Like Hell.” Not to diminish Günter Schickert’s unique contributions to guitar history, but the same Floydian influence frequently noted in his mid-70s work remains present in Ziguri, and fans of Meddle will find much to enjoy here. There’s also a strong kinship with the “Native Americans-meet-Space Rock” incarnation of Hawkwind from the late 1980s. But don’t let all these comparisons fool you. Ziguri are simply too weird to sound derivative, and there’s plenty of room on the spaceship for fellow travelers.

The album closes with the longest track, a 12-minute slice of sublime Kosmische Musik called “Goa Constrictør.” It’s here that Ziguri leans hardest into their German pedigree, with Kölsch channeling Klaus Dinger and Schickert filling the air with echoing arpeggios that flutter around an unrelenting bassline. The song eventually comes to end, which seems like a real shame. Like “Hallogallo” or “Autobahn,” “Goa Constrictør” should just keep playing, on and on, spiraling into some kind of aural inevitability—at least until someone turns off the bunker radio.

Lyrics

“Yoyodyne”

Music

Additional Information

Pynchon on Record
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