''Katzenmusik'' is the third studio album by the German solo artist

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 educatio ...

. It was released in 1979 and includes the single "Katzenmusik 9" b/w "Katzenmusik 2". The album was recorded between March and July 1979 in Germany at Rother's own studio in Forst and Conny's Studio. Receiving positive reviews the album was released as an LP in 1979 before it was re-released by Polydor in 1982. The album was issued on CD in 1990, and then reissued again in 1993 with bonus tracks and having been remastered. The artwork for the album was designed by Rike with photography by Ann Weitz and Rother himself.

Recording and music

Rother recorded ''Katzenmusik'' in conditions that were similar to his debut and second studio album, working again with

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 ...

and

Harmonia In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; grc, Ἁρμονία /Ancient Greek phonology, harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement") is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Rome, Roman counterpart is Concordia (mythology), Concordia. Her Greek op ...

producer

Conny Plank Konrad "Conny" Plank (3 May 1940 – 5 December 1987) was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was invo ...

and augmented with

Jaki Liebezeit Jaki Liebezeit (born Hans Liebezeit; 26 May 1938 – 22 January 2017) was a German drummer, best known as a founding member of experimental rock band Can. He was called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral". ...

from Can on drums. Aside from Liebezeit, the entirety of the album was written and performed by Rother utilising guitar and electronic instrumentation. Rother reduced the palette of instrumentation and wrote the album essentially as a suite in two parts. Instead of clearly differentiated tracks the twelve pieces are variations layered around four different five-note melodies that recur either as single string statements triple-track or stark chords supporting them. The album was the final collaboration between Rother and the producer

. Plank had produced all of Rother's albums including his work with Neu! and Harmonia with the exception of Harmonia's debut 1974's ''

Musik Von Harmonia ''Musik von Harmonia'' is the debut album from the influential German krautrock group Harmonia, released in January 1974 by Brain Records. Formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster (the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and ...

''. Rother is credited as the sole producer on his subsequent studio albums.

Releases

''Katzenmusik'' was first released on

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

as an LP in 1979. The album has been re-released several times, again as an LP on Polydor after Rother joined the label in 1982. In 1993, Rother secured the rights to his back catalogue and re-issued all of his solo albums with bonus tracks and remastered sound on his own label, Random Records. In 2000, Rother re-issued all of the albums again in partnership between Random Records and BSC Music. Expanded editions include the 1993-era tracks "Sweet Retro", "Doppelstern" and "Schlangentanz". The album has since been released in the US on Water Records and as a heavyweight 180 gram LP on the 4 Men With Beards imprint.

Reception

''Katzenmusik'' received positive reviews by the majority of critics. Thom Jurek writing for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

acclaims the album as one of Rother's best works: "singular in its achievement, a perfect melding of taste, dynamics, pace, melodic invention, and emotional and spiritual honesty, all woven into the spirit of rock & roll'.

Track listing

Personnel

* Michael Rother - Guitar, Electronics, Producer, Cover Photograph *

- Drums *

- Producer, Recording * Ann Weitz - Rear Cover Photograph * Rike - Design

References

{{Authority control 1979 albums Albums produced by Conny Plank Michael Rother albums