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Agitation Free

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German krautrock band

Agitation Free
Agitation Free performing in 2024
Background information
Origin	Germany
Genres	Experimental rock krautrock progressive rock psychedelic rock space rock
Years active	1967–1974, 1998, 2007, 2012–
Labels	Vertigo,BMG,Barclay, Spalax, IRI, Prudence

Past members	Michael Günther Lutz Ulbrich Christopher Franke Lutz Ludwig Kramer Axel Genrich Jörg Schwenke Burghard Rausch Michael Hoenig Stephan Diez Gustl Lütjens

Agitation Free is a German experimentalkrautrock band formed in 1967 by Michael "Fame" Günther (bass guitar), Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich (guitar), Lutz Ludwig Kramer (guitar) andChristopher Franke (drums).

Name

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They were initially called Agitation, a name they chose at random from a dictionary. The band had to change the name because another band with the same name already existed. Agitation Free was chosen based on a poster for a free show played in the early 1970s saying "Agitation Free" (meaning "free concert").^[1]^[2]

History

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After losing guitarist Ax Genrich toGuru Guru in 1970 (Genrich having replaced Kramer the same year) and drummer Franke toTangerine Dream in 1971, the band recruited Jörg "Joshi" Schwenke (guitar), Burghard Rausch (drums) andMichael Hoenig (keyboards). They released their first album,Malesch, in 1972 on the Music Factory label. The album was inspired by their tour through Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, sponsored by theGerman Goethe Institute. Later that year, they performed at the1972 Munich Olympics.

A second album was released in 1973, and guitarist Schwenke was replaced first by Stefan Diez, then Gustl Lütjens. The band disbanded in 1974.

Agitation Free reunited in 1998, with the 1974 line-up, and releasedRiver of Return in 1999. The band again reformed in 2007 for a series of concerts in Tokyo. In 2008, remastered CDs of their back catalogue were officially released, and in 2011 they releasedShibuya Nights, recorded at their 2007 Tokyo concerts. In 2012, the band toured again to promote this album.

The band is included on theNurse with Wound list.

Musical style and sound

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Agitation Free's music is psychedelic, experimental krautrock with elements of spaced-out ambient, experimental electronic and drone. The music for the most part consists of driving organ-patterned drone-like rock; seamless psychedelic cosmic musical textures with intricate musicianship and musical variety; hard, driving rock similar toAmon Düül II; and jamming that occasionally invokes the interplay and styles of Garcia, Weir and Lesh ofThe Grateful Dead and hints at a blues rock base not unlikeThe Allman Brothers Band. Many of their songs have a trance-inducing, psychedelic feel with sections of driving rock fueled by fiery and melodic moving guitar lines and solid, propelling and intricate drumming and a prominent bass line. All of Agitation Free's songs are instrumental apart from some recitation on "Haunted Island".

First Communication

A sample of the track "First Communication" from the album2nd

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Their first albumMalesch is cosmic, aggressive, psychedelic, creative, ethnically flavored (mainly by short interludes of recordings from Egypt), whereas their second, titled2nd is more laid-back and upbeat, with longer structure, much more of an emphasis on traditional styled jammingà la theGrateful Dead and a warmer and more straightforward sound. OnMalesch the songs blend together to make a seamlessly flowing, tangential and uninterrupted musical journey, whereas on2nd songs are more predictably structured, more varied in their sound and stand more as independent works.

Their sound is similar to, but fairly distinguishable from, other contemporary Krautrock bands such asAsh Ra Tempel,Amon Düül II,Guru Guru,Brainticket, Yatha Sidhra andKalacakra, as well as the mixed-influence blues-based jam rock of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers noticeable on2nd, and slightly later and more symphonic bands like Asia Minor andAnyone's Daughter.

Personnel

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Members

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Lutz Ulbrich – guitars(1967–1974, 1998–1999, 2007, 2012–)
Michael Günther – bass guitar(1967–1974, 1998–1999, 2007, 2012)
Christopher Franke – drums(1967–1971)
Lutz Ludwig Kramer – guitars(1967–1970)
Michael Duwe – vocals(1967)
Ax Genrich – guitars(1970)
Jörg Schwenke – guitars(1970–1973)
Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics(1971–1974, 2007, 2012–)
Burghard Rausch – drums(1971–1974, 1998–1999, 2007, 2012–)
Dietmar Burmeister – drums, percussion(1973)
Stefan Diez – guitars(1973)
Gustl Lütjens – guitars(1973–1974, 1998–1999, 2007, 2012–2013)
Bernhard Arndt – keyboards(1974)
Daniel Cordes – bass guitar(2012-)

Lineups

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N.B. changes inbold

1967–1970	1970	1970–1971	1971–1973
Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Lutz Ludwig Kramer – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Christopher Franke – drums	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Christopher Franke – drums Axel Genrich – guitars	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Christopher Franke – drums Jörg Schwenke – guitars	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Jörg Schwenke – guitars Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Burghard Rausch – drums
1973 spring	1973 mid	1973–1974	1974
Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Jörg Schwenke – guitars Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Burghard Rausch – drums Dietmar Burmeister – drums, percussion	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Burghard Rausch – drums Stefan Diez – guitars	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars Bernhard Arndt – keyboards
1975–1997	1998–1999	2000–2006	2007
Disbanded	Lutz Graf-Ulbrich – guitars, keyboards Michael Günther – bass guitar Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars, keyboards	Disbanded	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics
2008–2011	2012	2013	2014–present
Disbanded	Lutz Graf-Ulbrich – guitars Michael Günther – bass guitar Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics	Lutz Ulbrich – guitars Burghard Rausch – drums Gustl Lütjens – guitars Michael Hoenig – keyboards, electronics Daniel Cordes – bass guitar	Disbanded

Discography

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Malesch (1972)
2nd (1973)
Last (released 1976, recorded live 1974)
Fragments (released 1995 and again in 1996, recorded live 1974)
At the Cliffs of River Rhine (released 1998, recorded live 1974) Garden of Delights
The Other Sides of Agitation Free (released 1999, recorded in Berlin, 1974)
River of Return (1999)
Shibuya Nights (live February 2007 in Tokyo, released 2011 on Esoteric Recordings)
Momentum (2023)