My connection is your connection! Casually stumbling into the new year without having to strenuously reorganise those awkward slices of obsolete black plastic, your faithful Finders Keepers Radio Show hosts head straight to one of the most reliable and varied corners of the record room and the trusty/crusty/musty shelf controversially marked KRAUTROCK! A German-born genre previously known as kosmische before the Wümme based group Faust adopted the potential slur as the movement’s new blanket tag.
Aiming to stretch the genre’s ready-elasticated boundaries that little bit further Herrs Votel, Mitchell und Shipton try to avoid the obvious major label gatefold trophy records (and happily fail at the first furlong) by adding 1970’s DDR pop, German DIY punk, early Krautsploitation horrotica, Deutsch library records and other strains of lesser known Krautsider pop. So expect all the big hitters from Dusseldorf, Munich, Cologne and, errr, Altrincham while swimming in a sea of crackle via freakish visiting cabaret bands and unlikely collaborations spanning five decades… For all those purists, snobs and naysayers out there, we are joined by the original vocalist from CAN, Mr. Malcolm Mooney who is happy discuss Stockhausen, The Fat Boys and David Bowie to add more salt to your tangerine!
Ho-Ho-Hope you’re still listening… As we come to the end of our first year of Finders Keepers transmissions and podcasts, the hibernating inhabitants of the Keepers Cottage present our biggest family gathering yet just in time for the festive season. Presenting a wide range of tenuous, strenuous and overambitious midwinter nuggets, Andy Votel, Pete Mitchell and Doug Shipton welcome a co-host cameo from our Belgian buddy Gerd “Hurt The Wild” De Wilde to help us sift through kristmas krautrock, synthesised Santa jams, festive folk funk and Lollywood Hogmanay classics in this “longer than advertised” bumper edition of our serialised music therapy sessions. Bringing good cheer to the ears of this months listeners we have surprise visits from some special stateside studio guests such as legendary synthesist Suzanne Ciani (of Buchla/Atari/Stepford Wives fame) joined by Iranian wax magnet Mahssa Taghinia (Finders Keepers US/Mount Analog) who will discuss early synth discoveries, skiing locations and cross-continental chocolate discrepancies accompanied by lesser spotted novelty records while gracefully deflecting the ill-advised humour of our admittedly inebriated hosts. Raiding the drinks cabinet and running up phone bills like babysitter on boxing day The FKRR crew also connect with some no nonsense musical legends via the Christmas miracle of technology as they speak to members of Nyah Rock movement originators Cymande as well as Phil Spector’s leading Christmas angel Darlene Love. With all these special guests it’s hard to imagine how we would possibly squeeze in our regular contributor Tape Worm aka The Slimy Santa without spilling egg nog on the hedgehogs in our snowy woodland retreat… but we’ll try. How many versions of Silent Night can you fit in a mini??? Turn On, tune in and find out!
