Tritonus - Between the Universes (1976)

Posted by Amelia Swhizzagers On 1:16 AM

Tritonus is another one of those bands that is interesting mostly because of their obscurity, but not really for putting out any groundbreaking music. The band didn't really have a specific, featured vocalist, but their vocal passages do leave an impression, although not always a good one. Former Kin Ping Meh member Geff Harrison is not a member but does some of the singing, while most of the rest of the band consists of Peter Seiler, who would abandon Tritonus shortly after this album in favor of similar music in duo form with Michael Bundt under the band name Sirius. The drummer is Bernhard Schuh, who is otherwise unknown to me and serviceable at best; and bassist/guitarist Ronald Brand, whose bass is nearly absent but who manages several decent passages of brooding, mostly strumming guitar work.
There's quite a bit of electronic wizardry here (or doodling, depending on your perspective), particularly on the spacey (and appropriately titled) "Mars Detection" and the three-part "the Day". This was released at the height of the synthesizer-heavy part of the seventies, especially it seems with German bands, and these guys were no exception. The keyboards are quite varied and prominent throughout, although some of it is plainly obviously in its source, especially several note-for-note lifts from Pink Floyd and ELP. Some of the vocals also sound a bit like early Moody Blues, or maybe the Nice.

So no prizes for originality, or for lyrical skills either, since most of the vocals are of the slightly psychedelic and theatrical style that so many bands tried to adopt shortly after their respective songwriters hit puberty and heard Sgt. Pepper's for the first time. Plenty of slightly hollow two and three part harmonies lumbering on about peace and love, or space aliens, or something. Not really sure and the liner notes aren't much help either.

And speaking of vocals, the opening title track has some really strange ones, with Harrison delivering a moody tenor, while someone else (Seiler, I guess) steps all over him with a slightly off-key vocal track of his own that sounds a bit like a couple of stoners trying to do harmonies but of different songs. It's actually a bit amusing. by ClemofNazereth
Tracks
1. Between the Universes (9:58)
2. Mars Detection (8:08)
3. The Day Awakes 7:55
4. The Day Works 5:53
5. The Day Rests 3:58
Listen

0 Response to 'Tritonus - Between the Universes (1976)'

Post a Comment