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Reviews

Agitation Free — Momentum
(Mig Music 00261/00262/00263, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-03-10

Momentum Cover art

Agitation Free is a band with a history going back to the late 60s, when the group was founded by Michael "Fame" Günther (bass), Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich (guitar), Lutz Ludwig Kramer (guitar) and Christopher Franke (drums). By the time of their first album in 1972 (the classic Malesch) the group included Ulbrich and Günther, along with Michael Hoenig (keyboards), Jörg "Joshi" Schwenke (guitar), and Burghard Rausch (drums). Since that time, the band has existed intermittently, with the current spell starting in 2012 after the release of the Shibuya Nights live recording from 2007. The 2023 edition of the band includes Ulbrich, Rausch, and Hoenig with Daniel Cordes (bass) and Gustav “Gustl” Lütjens (guitar); there are also guest appearances from Benjamin Schwenen (guitar), Peter Michael Hamel (santur), and Pierre Lattès (spoken voice) on one track each. It’s great to have Hoenig back in the band - he left in 1974 and had some success as a solo electronic artist — and his keyboards, while not exactly flashy, are often the core of the music. Ulbrich and Lütjens work together to build up great rhythmic momentum, taking off for soaring solos at times as well. Speaking of rhythm, Rausch and Cordes lay down some tasty grooves, leaning more towards what we might now call space rock than pure funk. For modern listeners unfamiliar with Agitation Free, I might compare Momentum to the best that Ozric Tentacles has to offer. We may have lost some of the free-wheeling innocence of the early 70s Agitation Free, but what we’ve gained in maturity is a worthwhile tradeoff. Momentum is an excellent album on every level, brimming with engaging percussive grooves, bubbly synthesizers, sweet bass parts, and good guitar playing.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Agitation Free, Michael Hoenig, Lutz "Lüül" Ulbricht

 

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