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Hedersleben: Die Neuen Welten
Hedersleben Die Neuen Welten CD Album Review

Hedersleben: Die Neuen Welten

Psychedelic/Space Rock
3.0/5.0

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Unsigned / Self-released
Words: Craig Hartranft    Added: 15.08.2014

To say that Hedersleben is both the opening and backing band for Nik Turner tells you everything you need to know about this German band. They play melodic, psychedelic, space rock similar to Turner, his former band Hawkwind, and most anything akin to its heyday in the Sixties and early Seventies. Die Neuen Welten, or The New Worlds, is their second album, giving me another reason to ignore any field trip back to Hippieland of yestyear. At least, back in the day, you could buy some decent reefer, because you'll need it for this album. But that's not a bad thing, hippie dudes.

Hedersleben Die Neuen Welten Photo

Hedersleben: in the fields of Hippieland.

The elements of psych/space rock are so simply formulaic to make it nearly condescending to the listener. There's the weird, unearthly, synthesizers, and maybe you can get some wanker to play the theremin. Piano is okay. Just be sure to repeat everything like a photocopier on cruise control. Toss in polyrhytmic beats and blather like that, in long pieces, seems to go on ad infinitum. Now throw in some psychedelic guitar leads to add some measure of spark, or allow a moderate bass solo here and there to give some prog reference. If you want vocals, make sure that they're gentle and soothing so as not to interrupt the buzz.

That's it. Then, press repeat. It may come out different, but always sounds the same. The drone and repitition are necessary to keep the pyschedelic or narcotic tripping listener free floating before crashing down the next day.

To this end, the title track (Zu) Die Neuen Welten, At The New Worlds, is basically an extended embellishment and improvisation of the keyboard layer of The Doors' Riders On The Storm. It's as if Ray Manzarek tossed out Jim Morrison and throttled the other band members by the throat and forced them to heed to maniacal synth overload. Nomad World and Xo5B merely soften space and psych tones so the chicks can stand and sway in their floor length flowered dresses, waving and flapping their arms in narcotic rhythm. The most interesting piece, though still following our formula, is (On The Ground) Safe and Sound merely because it's a guitar driven song, with the pychedelic lead line controlling the entire arrangement. It actually sounds pretty cool, staying essentially melodic until, of course, the guy has to weird out with unusual notes in the latter half of his solo.

As much as psychedelic space rock seems contrived and formulaic, it does take some skill to create it, and that's what sets Hedersleben apart. I'm guessing Nik Turner found the inner spirit and muse of his youth when he heard this band. They were destined to play together. So, in this sense, for space rock hippie types, Hedersleben's Die Neuen Welten is the real deal.


Hedersleben - Die Neuen Welten



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In Short

For space rock hippie crowd, still looking to drop a tab or smoke a bone, Hedersleben's Die Neuen Welten is the real deal.

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