Tyll – Sexphonie

There are still things in the pipes that deserve a proper reissue, though we’re certainly approaching peak lost record in the realm of reissues. However, this overlooked piece of Krautrock history from Tyll is definitely one of those lost era gems that slid from the view of most of the buying public. The album got a shout from the always intriguing Mutant Sounds a few years back and now, as luck would have it, Guerssen imprint Mental Experience has offered up a legit reissue of this lost nugget of German Progressive history. The band is an offshoot of sorts of fellow German psych band Eulenspygel, though not necessarily an amicable one. The two bands had a falling out that resulted in poached members (specifically drummer Günter Klinger) and legal disputes in the end.

The record’s story is atypical to be sure. Kerston Records approached guitarist Teflon Fonfara about recording a Progressive album and since he was on hiatus from Eulenspygel, he accepted and began to assemble a band of players and friends. The record came together quickly and was the group’s sole offering. With the band given a fairly antonymous amount of freedom to create whatever they liked in the studio, the record pushes outside the bounds of many more rote releases of the time. For every searing guitar lead there’s echo laden tape effects, grunted vocal intros, spaced out synths and music box outros. The rest of the album mixes folk guitars with acid psych and harder rock impulses. To call it a Krautrock album would probably be a bit misleading, as it lacks the propulsive bent that’s so often associated with the movement. Though there are definite Kosmische trappings in the spaced out effects that swirl around several of the tracks, giving it a clear connection. This is more of a true German Progressive album, capturing everything from Zappa’s influence, to jazz, folk and their homegrown Krautrock sounds. Its definitely the kind of album that feels like the hand of a label wasn’t holding on too tightly and that’s what makes it so much fun. Excellent to see that this kind of oddity has found its way back to vinyl.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.