Brain was a

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

-based

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

prominent in the 1970s releasing several important

Krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...

records by bands such as

Neu! Neu! (; German for "New!"; styled in block capitals) were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, w ...

, Cluster and Guru Guru. Many of its more prominent records are currently being reissued on CD by

Repertoire Records Repertoire Records is a record label from Hamburg, Germany (with UK subsidiaries in Leatherhead, Surrey and London), specialising in reissues of classic pop and rock albums originally issued in the 1960s and 1970s. It was founded in 1982 by Ki ...

. In the middle of 1971, Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's management style at Ohr caused two of his A&R men, Bruno Wendel and Günter Körber, to leave Ohr and set up their own record company, which they called Brain. Wendel & Korber brought Guru Guru with them from Ohr, and immediately signed Cluster, who had recorded one LP for Philips; they soon recorded and released ''Cluster II''. Brain was rapidly a success throughout West Germany and much of western Europe, although had little presence in the US. Signings throughout the seventies and into the eighties included Neu!, Cluster,

Harmonia In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; /Ancient Greek phonology, harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement") is the goddess of harmony and concord. Her Greek opposite is Eris (mythology), Eris and her Roman mythology, Roman counterpart is Concordia (mythol ...

Klaus Schulze Klaus Schulze (4 August 1947 – 26 April 2022) was a German electronic music pioneer, composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried and was a member of the Krautrock bands Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and the Cosmic Jokers ...

Edgar Froese Edgar Willmar Froese (; 6 June 1944 – 20 January 2015) was a German musical artist and electronic music pioneer, best known for founding the electronic music group Tangerine Dream in 1967. Froese was the only continuous member of the gro ...

, Guru Guru, Grobschnitt,

Novalis Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801), pen name Novalis (; ), was a German nobility, German aristocrat and polymath, who was a poet, novelist, philosopher and Mysticism, mystic. He is regarded as an inf ...

, Jane,

Birth Control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

Embryo An embryo ( ) is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sp ...

Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...

, Curly Curve,

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

, Electric Sun, Accept and many more. A later reissue series called ''Rock On Brain'' saw many early Brain recordings reissued, although mostly with entirely different sleeves and even album titles. Brain also reissued a number of recordings licensed to their parent company Metronome, such as Amon Düül's first album ''Psychedelic Underground''. Many came out on the M2001 label which is closely linked to Brain. Brain licensed and issued a number of British releases for the West German market, in this case mainly featuring the original sleeves. These included Greenslade, Caravan, If,

Spirogyra ''Spirogyra'' (common names include water silk, mermaid's tresses, and blanket weed) is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is charact ...

, Atomic Rooster, Alexis Korner, Gryphon and Steamhammer. There were of course exceptions - the Brain issue of Atomic Rooster's ''Nice n Greasy'' features an entirely different sleeve to the UK issue, and If's ''Double Diamond'' didn't receive a UK release at all. Some Brain releases later proved highly influential. Brain 1004 was Neu!'s eponymous debut ''

''; Brain 1062 was ''

Neu! 75 ''Neu! 75'' is the third studio album by German krautrock band Neu!, released in February 1975 on Brain Records. It was recorded and mixed at Conny Plank's studio between December 1974 and January 1975. The album was officially reissued on CD on 2 ...

'', which undoubtedly contributed to the sound of

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

. Körber left in 1976 to start

Sky Records Sky Records was an independent record label specializing in krautrock/Kosmische Musik and electronic music. They were based in Hamburg, Germany. Some of their releases could be classified as progressive rock or art rock, experimental music, indust ...

, which released much Cluster-related music plus

Michael Rother Michael Rother (; born 2 September 1950) is a German experimental musician, best known for being a founding member of the influential bands Neu! and Harmonia (band), Harmonia, and an early member of the band Kraftwerk. Early life and educat ...

's early solo work, and bands like Streetmark. When he left the labels of Brain LPs changed from green to orange.

Discography

*1001 –

– '' Lonesome Crow'' *1002 – Jane – '' Together'' *1003 – Gomorrha – ''I turned to See Whose Voice It Was'' *1004 –

– ''

'' *1005 –

– ''St. Radigunds'' – licensed release (UK: B & C, 1042) *1006 – Cluster – ''Cluster II'' *1007 – Guru Guru – ''Känguru'' *1008 – Grobschnitt – ''Grobschnitt'' *1009 – Steamhammer – ''Speech'' – licensed release (non German band) *1010 – Caravan – '' Waterloo Lily'' – licensed release (UK: Deram, SDL 8) *1011 – Atomic Rooster – ''Made in England'' – licensed release (UK: Dawn, DNLS 3038) *1012 – Spirogyra – ''Old Boot Wine'' – licensed release (UK: Pegasus, 13) *1013 –

Light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

– ''Story of Moses'' *1014 – Gash – ''A Young Man's Gash'' *1015 – Os Mundi – ''43 Minuten'' *1016 – Wolfgang Dauner Group – ''Rischka's Soul'' *1017 – Creative Rock – ''Gorilla'' *1018 – Electric Sandwich – ''Electric Sandwich'' *1019 – Khan – ''Space Shanty'' – licensed release (UK: Deram, SLDR 11) *1020 – Sameti – ''Sameti'' *1021 – Thirsty Moon – ''Thirsty Moon'' *1022 – Alexis Korner – ''Korner & Snape'' – licensed release (US: WB, BS 2647) *1023 –

– ''Steig Aus'' *1024 –

– ''Bells, Boots and Shambles'' – licensed release (UK: Polydor, 2310 246) *1025 – Guru Guru – ''Guru Guru'' *1026 – Spermüll – ''Spermüll'' *1027 – Greenslade – ''Greenslade'' – licensed release (UK: WB, K 46207) *1028 – Neu! – ''

Neu! 2 ''Neu! 2'' is the second studio album by the krautrock band Neu!. It was recorded in January 1973 and mixed in February 1973, both at Windrose-Dumont-Time Studios in Hamburg, West Germany, and released in 1973 by Brain Records. It was reissu ...

'' *1029 –

– ''Banished Bridge'' *1030 –

Cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (; ), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, or nuts. In Greek, it was called the " horn of ...

– ''Full Horn'' *1031 –

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

– ''Tears are going home'' *1032 – Jane – ''Here we are'' *1033 – Atomic Rooster – '' Nice 'n' Greasy'' – licensed release (non German band) *1034 – Kollektiv – ''Kollektiv'' *1035 – if – ''Double Diamond'' – licensed release (Canada: GRT, 9230-1032) *1036 – Embryo – ''Rocksession'' *1037 –

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

– ''Get Out of the Country'' *1038 – Caravan – '' For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night'' – licensed release (UK: Deram, SKLR 12) *1039 – Alexis Korner & Snape – ''Live on Tour in Germany (2LP)'' – licensed release (non German band)? *1040 – Curly Curve – ''Curly Curve'' *1041 – Thirsty Moon – ''You'll never Come Back'' *1042 – Greenslade – ''Bedside Manners are Extra'' – licensed release (UK: WB, K46259) *1043 – Steamhammer – ''This is...'' (2LP) *1044 –

– ''Musik von Harmonia'' *1045 – Yatha Sidra – ''A Meditation Mass'' *1046 – Various – ''Krautrock'' (3LP) *1047 – Zabba Lindner & Carsten Bohn – ''Vollbedienung Of Percussion'' *1048 – Jane – ''Jane III'' *1049 – Satin Whale – ''Desert Places'' *1050 – Grobschnitt – ''Ballermann'' (2LP) *1051 –

– ''Black Dance'' *1052 – Emergency – ''No Compromise'' *1053 –

– ''Aqua'' *1054 – Caravan – ''Caravan and the New Symphonia'' – licensed release (UK: Deram, SKLR 1110) *1055 – If – ''Not just another Bunch of Pretty Faces'' – licensed release (UK: Gull, 1004) *1056 – Release Music Orchestra – ''Life'' *1057 – Guru Guru – ''Der Electrolurch'' (2LP) – Reissue of ''Känguru'' (1007) and ''Guru Guru'' (1025) *1058 – Tasavallan Presidentti – ''Milky Way Moses'' – licensed release (Finland/UK: Sonet, SNTF 658) *1059 – Jukka Tolonen – ''Tolonen!'' – licensed release (Finland: Love, LRLP 47) *1060 – Hardcake Special – ''Hardcake Special'' *1061 – Creative Rock – ''Lady Pig'' *1062 – Neu! – ''Neu 75'' *1063 – Tasavallan Presidentti – ''Lambert Land'' – licensed release (Finland/UK: Sonet, SNTF 636) *1064 – If – ''Tea Break Over Back'' – licensed release (UK: Gull, 1007) *1065 – Cluster – ''Zuckerzeit'' *1066 – Jane – ''Lady Jane'' *1067 – Klaus Schulze – ''Picture Music'' *1068 – Achim Reichel – ''Erholung'' *1069 – Eroc – ''Eroc'' *1070 – Novalis – ''Novalis'' *1071 – Gryphon – ''Red Queen to Gryphon Three'' – licensed release (UK: Transatlantic, TRA 287) *1072 – Release Music Orchestra – ''Garuda'' *1073 – Harmonia – ''De Luxe'' *1074 – Edgar Froese – ''Epsilon in Malaysian Pale'' *1075 – Klaus Schulze – ''Time Wind'' *1076 – Grobschnitt – ''Jumbo (version en Ingles)'' *1077 – Klaus Schulze – ''Irrlicht'' *1078 – Klaus Schulze – ''Cyborg'' (2LP) – reissue (Kosmische Musik, KM2/58.005) *1079 – Thirsty Moon – ''Blitz'' *1080 –

Günter Schickert Gunter or Günter may refer to: * Gunter rig, a type of sailing rig, especially in small boats * Gunter Annex, Alabama, a United States Air Force installation * Gunter, Texas, city in the United States * the former German name of the village of ...

– ''Samtvogel'' – reissue (Sch 33003) *1081 – Grobschnitt – ''Jumbo (version en Aleman)'' *1082 –

Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup of the grou ...

– ''Alpha Centauri/Atem'' (2LP) – reissue (Ohr, OMM12 & OMM31) *1083 – Release Music Orchestra – ''Get the Ball'' *1084 – Jane – ''Fire, Water, Earth & Air'' *1085 – Locomotiv GT – ''Mindig Magasabra'' – licensed release (non German band) *1086 – Tangerine Dream – ''Zeit'' (2LP) – reissue (Ohr, OMM21) *1087 – Novalis – ''Sommerabend'' *1088 – Klaus Schulze – ''Moondawn'' *1089 – Guru Guru – ''Tango Fango'' *1091 – Various – ''Brain history of German Rock'' (2LP)

60.000 – series

*60.007 – Eroc – ''Zwei'' *60.008 – Edgar Froese – ''Macula Transfer'' *60.009 – Thirsty Moon – ''A Real Good Time'' *60.010 – Schicke, Führs & Fröhling (SFF) – ''Symphonic Pictures'' *60.019 –

– ''Backdoor Possibilities'' *60.031 – Ruphus – ''Let Your Light Shine'' *60.000 – serie (en Brain naranja) *60.039 – Guru Guru – ''Globetrotter'' *60.040 – Klaus Schulze – ''Mirage'' *60.041 – Grobschnitt – ''Rockpommel's Land'' *60.042 –

Gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word is derived from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*gatan'', meaning an opening or passageway. Synonyms include yett (which comes from the same root w ...

– ''Live'' *60.047 – Klaus Schulze – ''Body Love'' *60.053 – To Be – ''To Be'' *60.055 – Jane – ''Between Heaven and Hell'' *60.065 – Novalis – ''Konzerte'' *60.066 – Birth Control – ''Increase'' *60.068 – Schicke, Führs & Fröhling (SFF) – ''Sunburst'' *60.078 �
Message
– ''Using the Head'' *60.079 –

– '' Herz aus Glas'' *60.093 – Gate – ''Red Light Sister'' *60.094 – Novalis – ''Brandung'' *60.097 – Klaus Schulze – ''Body Love Vol.2'' *60.104 – Blonker – ''Die Zeit Steht Still'' *60.105 – Führs & Fröhling – ''Ammerland'' *60.115 – Release Music Orchestra – ''Beyond the Limit'' *60.117 – Liliental – ''Liliental'' *60.120 – Zeus B. Held – ''Zeus' Amusement'' *60.124 – Jane – ''Age of Madness'' *60.139 – Grobschnitt – ''Solar Music Live'' *60.149 – Birth Control – ''Titanic'' *60.164 – Novalis – ''Vielleicht Bist Du Ein Clown?'' *60.165 �
Message
– ''Astral Journeys'' *60.167 – Popol Vuh – '' Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts'' *60.173 – Schicke, Führs & Fröhling (SFF) – ''Ticket to Everywhere'' *60.185 –

Epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

– ''Return to Reality'' *60.186 –

Anyone's Daughter Anyone's Daughter is a German progressive rock band founded in 1972 in Stuttgart by Uwe Karpa und Matthias Ulmer. They are considered Progressive rock, similar to German bands like Eloy (band), Eloy and Novalis (band), Novalis. History The ...

– ''Adonis'' *60.187 – Guru Guru Sunband – ''Hey Du!'' *60.188 – Accept – ''Accept'' *60.194 – Release Music Orchestra – ''News'' *60.196 – Electric Sun – ''Earthquake'' *60.197 – Eroc – ''Eroc3'' *60.218 – Jane – ''Sign No. 9'' *60.219 – Novalis – ''Wer Schmetterlinge Lachen Hort'' (compilation) *60.223 – Führs & Fröhling – ''Strings'' *60.224 – Grobschnitt – ''Merry Go Round'' *60.225 – Klaus Schulze – ''Dune'' *60.240 – Birth Control – ''Live '79'' *60.242 – Popol Vuh – '' Die Nacht der Seele'' *60.274 – Epitaph – ''See You In Alaska'' *60.291 – Grobschnitt – ''Volle Molle'' *60.000 – serie (en Brain negro) *60.353 – Klaus Schulze – ''Dig It'' *60.354 – Jane – ''Jane'' *60.365 – Grobschnitt – ''Ilegal'' *60.385 – Epitaph – ''Live'' *60.397 – Scorpions – ''Lonesome Crow'' (reissue) *60.510 – Grobschnitt – ''Razzia'' *60.513 – Accept – ''Restless and Wild'' *60.519 – Jane – ''Germania''

80.000 – series

*80.001 – Jane – ''Live at home'' *80.013 – Various (Jane, Novalis, etc.) – ''Brain Festival Essen'' *80.014 – Neu! – ''2 Originals'' – Reissue ''Neu!'' (1004) and ''Neu!2'' (1028) *80.017 – Various (Novalis, SFF, etc.) – ''Brain Festival Essen 2'' *80.018 – Guru Guru – ''Live'' *80.023 – Klaus Schulze – ''X'' *80.048 – Klaus Schulze – ''Live''

200.100 – series

*200.145 – Guru Guru – ''This Is Guru Guru'' *200.146 – Amon Düül – ''This Is Amon Duul'' *200.148 – Julie Driscoll – ''This Is Julie Driscoll'' *200.149 – Brian Auger – ''This Is Brian Auger'' *200.150 – Wolfgang Dauner – ''This Is Wolfgang Dauner'' *200.151 – Atomic Rooster – ''This Is Atomic Rooster'' *200.164 – Caravan – ''This Is Caravan ''

Albums Sampler

*201.035 – Various (neu, guru guru, release music orchestra, emergence, cluster, grobschnitt, jane, hardcake special) – ''German Super Rock '' *888 – Various (Neu, Kollektiv, etc.) – ''German Rock Scene'' – 1973

References

External links

www.discogs.com/label/Brain
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080616022139/http://www.furious.com/perfect/brainrecords.html {{Authority control German record labels Rock record labels Electronic music record labels Record labels established in 1972