NEU! - Pioneers in music history, their minimalist aesthetic and unparalleled simplicity have inspired generations of artists. Each track is an emotional journey, from icy melancholy to indomitable energy, revealing timeless beauty in their music.
"NEU! is so wonderful. They make me very happy. I love it when people glorify space and simplicity. Yay! for New!”
John Frusciante – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The 70s cult band for the first time ever on CD! What began modestly, if not simply – with Grönland's sub-signing of NEU! and the founding members of power plant, Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger – has taken on monumental proportions.
The three completely revised (Tim Young, Metropolis Studios, London) classic works: NEU!, NEU! 2 and NEU! 75, which Grönland re-released, were greeted enthusiastically, with prominent musicians commenting on the influence of NEU!. The long-awaited release in May 2001 was accompanied by massive press around the world (in Rolling Stone, US, SPIN Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, MoJo, WIRE and others) and new quotes from musicians such as Blur, David Bowie, Placebo, Radiohead, Sonic Youth and Stereolab show that the band has retained its influence.
"NEU? to me they sound like joy. like endless lines stretching on forever in parallel. fragile. like a BRandNEW new motorway and you are the first person to drive along it…”
Thom Yorke – Radiohead
NEU! was/is/will always be a big part of the history of 20th century music. They laid the foundation for a large number of musicians who followed them. But why were NEU! so great? Part of their appeal is the fact that their music was so simple, so natural, so easy to listen to and absorb. Each of their pieces draws you in with its own unique mood. The music is emotional in so many different ways : the icy melancholy of Weißensee and Lebwohl, the quiet yet eerie brooding of Im Glück, the anger and rage of Negativland, Hero and After Eight, and of course the indomitable driving energy of Für immer, Isi and Hallogallo.
The simple beauty of the music is especially apparent when you take the music apart and examine its components, not only because of the harmonic modality in some cases, but also because of the simple nature of the arrangement and instrumentation. This band and their music deserve recognition and applause!
“NEU!: aural visionary minimalist icons in a wilderness of psychedelia and beyond, inspired us with their heroic beats and flat-out grooves on the expressway to our collective skulls.”
Lee Ranaldo – Sonic Youth
