KRAUS IN THE PRESSES. ie reviews
Kraus – A Journey Through the First Dimension with Kraus 7” (Palto Flats)
RECOMMENDED
Following a much-loved full-length, New Zealander Kraus (Klaus, drummer of Futurians, member of Olympus with Stefan Neville) really brings the goods on this four-song outing of pure Martian stomp. Analog synths, gritty low-end rhythm tracks, tangled/stumbled guitar melodies and above all DETERMINATION to get something done really push this one along in a way that the Kraus LP really didn’t (or didn’t need to, as these recordings may predate that work). These songs sound like progress, and it’s a doubly amazing feat as there aren’t really songs here; more like a bunch of low-tech machines set forth to follow a complex pattern, and listening to them complete it over and over is fascinating enough. It’s like having a half-mile of slot car track, infinite terrain options, and the will to build something huge to scale. Also reminds me of those film clips of “The World’s Biggest Domino Rally” that would get shows at the back end of local news or human interest shows on TV back in the ’80s, where a bunch of dudes in a big room set off a huge chain reaction, patterns, etc. Really dig this one a lot. Fusetron might have copies if you’re looking. No direct link to the label’s Web presence, though if you look hard enough on Facebook you can find a picture of a guy holding a copy of this single between his teeth. (http://paltoflats.bigcartel.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
Still Single 14 November 2011
Supreme Commander by Kraus
One must keep in mind that at the heart of every dark jewel in the crown of belief lies the legend: "Dies For Your Mother" - and its obvious that is what Kaus is driving at here. Set against a trombone player so dementedly oblivious, the furious finger picking Kras displays a venomous and breathe taking mastery of the instrument. So delicate are some of the passages that you can imagine the moustache burning clean off. Don't believe the hippos, listen to the real punk and play this backwards all night long. Kraust is probably among the top dressers in the scene right now but dont listen to this man just go out immediately to your store and buy it soon as humanely passable.
M.P. in Instant Pudding magazine, 18 September 2011
Kraus – Faster Than the Speed of Time LP (Dilletante Courtoisie / Bimbo Tower)
Kraus is a New Zealand musician who has some sort of dotted-line connection to Witcyst (remember that group? It’s been reduced to pictures on a blog!), and joined Stefan Neville of Pumice in last year’s ponderous Olympus LP, Bold Mould. On his first solo vinyl, Kraus bends a variety of wily Spanish guitar around a mess of synthesizers and comes up with a half-translucent/half-mutant rockin’ blend of drone, rock, and electronic abuse. Some of the fourteen tracks here literally vanish from the audio field without every atom of your attention, others bounce along like a ‘70s sedan with hydraulics (“Royal Princess” in particular sounds like a dopplered, Zaireeka’d electro static burnout take on “Two Headed Dog”), others command a solemn, bullfighting presence, undermined by warbly synth and tape loops. It sounds daunting but I can assure you this is very much of the moment, in line with acts like Pumice, Blues Control and Peaking Lights in its endeavor to confuse and thrill. The label it’s on has opted for the art & music approach, hiring some art world brothers to paint the cover image, and tacking the music together as a total package. Personally I’m a bit more interested in the music, a longtime hometaper stepping out into the world with idiosyncratic flair. 300 copies.
Dusted Magazine: Still Single: Vol. 7, No. 3 March 31 2011
Kraus "Golden Treasury" CD-r
I don't recall exactly when or where I first came across Kraus' music. It's been a few years now. His vintage sounding electronic songs generally take the form of a standard pop tune, but that's usually where the expected ends. “Golden Treasury” is a lot like his earlier material in that it takes the above and warps, either by glitching up beats or using broken and/or homemade instruments and effects, what is otherwise mundane, or even top-40ish music. It's a marriage of free noise aesthetics and methods with slightly off-kilter popular music. As was pointed out in the FD feature, the songs have an undeniable golden-era, sci-fi film OST influence, all blending together in a naive and primitive melodic racket. On this record, the nods toward komische atmospherics which adorn many of the base structures are intuitive and seem to be native to these distorted and twisted ditties; that said, nothing here quite qualifies as brut material, as the music is often too gentle at heart, and the sources and influences too recognizable. One never quite escapes the utter accessibility of these songs, which lends a pop-art sensibility to the work. However, there isn't an overwhelming will to subvert happening either. The artist is genuinely more interested in the results of a 'what if' method rather than lobbing lawn darts at easy targets. This also suggests the truth that he is a purist, doing his work for its own sake. When I first discovered him, all he asked for was my address. A couple of weeks later two CD-R's arrived from New Zealand, adorned with a heavy cardboard cut-out of Optimus Prime and other cultural shlock—not to much, but the kind of material which makes each release special. 6/10 -- P. Somniferum
Foxy Digitalis 10 November, 2009
KRAUS
GOLDEN TREASURY
*****
Perfectly poised between analogue electronic mastery and '60s guitar awesomeness.
Sounding like a Soviet-era Dr Who special invaded by '60s psych guitarists, Auckland based musician (and Futurians alumni) Kraus' Golden Treasury is one of the most enjoyable and effortlessly adventurous albums you're likely to hear this year. An assured collection of clattering, pop-laced tunes mixed in with lo-tech electronic excursions (often at the same time), these tracks recall the knob-twiddling works of Raymond Scott/Joe Meek with Xpressway-informed undercurrents. A reknowned maker of electronic musical devices, Kraus has recorded this LP with an impeccable ear for aural aesthetics. These tracks are bite-sized chunks of goodness - check out second track O'erdose with it's caveman playing-guitar-on-a-mountaintop vibe, hints of electronic buzz peek out from behind hermetic soloing. The deployment of mysterious (Middle Eastern?) guitar scales adds to a feeling of distant worlds revealed. Happening for Lulu is a catchy gem featuring some lovely flute alongside spot-on guitar licks, while the tipsy tumbling of sherry keeps listeners enjoyably off-balance. The excellently titled Ode to a Delicious Pudding says it all. A winner - worth tracking down.
Chris Cudby
Real Groove Magazine September 2009
KRAUSS - GOLDEN TREASURY (CDR, private)
This is one of those things that leave me puzzled: is it a demo? There is no label mentioned, not even an address. Just eleven tracks, some vague credits. I think its from down-under somewhere, but the mailer has been trashed already. Maybe these things would be best if ignored, but while not all the tracks are great, some of them are really quite nice. Likewise as there are no credits mentioned, its hard to say what is what. But my best guess is there is a guitar, an organ, drumcomputer and a rudimentary form of sampling. In 'Dog On The Loose' this leads to some nice garage like psychedelic music, but for the same matter things are off the track in 'Hurtling Towards Doom'. Some pieces are too much improvised and its hard to keep up attention, but then the nicer thing is that all of the tracks are quite short. Perhaps all of this is not really my cup of tea, both musicwise as well as the presentation, but at least there is a couple of decent tracks around here. (FdW)
Address: none given
Tue, 28 Jul 2009
Vital Weekly
Kraus
The Facts
Self-Released
Drumming for Dunedin's Futurians, Pat Kraus must've gotten his fill of punk action, because this solo tape offers pure, mellow space. The Facts alternates between two distinct styles, both refugees from a forgotten 70s reel: fried guitar groovers and sci-fi Sagan-style cosmic (but not kosmiche) studies. He pulls both off with equal aplomb, making me yearn for an imaginary past of smoked-out, wood-panelled rec rooms bedecked in shag.
The A-side contains the bulk of the rock moves, most all of which are languid, instrumental Pebbles-worthy excavations. Extra points for the fantastic organ melodies that drive a few tracks. Occasionally the sound becomes a bit too chilled, and the energy lapses, but overall Kraus maintains a smooth, late night, lava-lit burn.
The B-side is the more electronic and austere of the two, but even its deep-space freeze it has a Tod Dockstader-like playfulness that distinguishes it from the frowning Charlemagne Palestines of the world. A few tracks ring hypnotic and vacuous like the recent Eleh project on Important, but without the fussy, engineer-geek edge. Others have a Marvin the Martian goofiness, bubbling with synthesizer giggles and alien chatter.
This is the second edition put out by Lieven at Dreamtime Taped Sounds, and you've got no excuse if you miss it this time around. Pat Kraus will even give you a free copy if you're in New Zealand and you drop him a line.
Tape Hiss #30
by Bryan Berge
15 April, 2008
Foxy Digitalis
Kraus The Facts CS
Back over to the Dreamtime Taped Sound label for another tape, this one from Kraus, called The Facts. Not too easy to figure out any info on this one, but apparently this is a member of The Futurians, that NZ band that released the great disc Spock Ritual in I think 2006. And hey, this tape is pretty great too. Varied instrumental tracks that get into particularly crude and spacey post-SCG ethno-punk, floating electronics, and I'm not even sure what else but I know I liked it. He has a website here where you can get more info and maybe download some tracks.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Blastitude Blog
kraus
the facts c30
[2007, dreamtime taped sounds]
while i doubt that the name of new zealand's pat kraus will instantly ring many bells, i'm sure that a couple of you have heard or at least heard of futurians, a band that pat drums for. perhaps a bit more obscurely (to those outside of nz) were the aesthetics, for which he did the same.
before i listened to this tape, i went to discogs to see if maybe someone had posted the track titles (because i can't decipher most of them), and while that didn't turn out to be fruitful, something else caught my eye: the notes, which seem like the label's description. "a 30 minutes book on tape, explaining the link between atlantis and u.f.o.'s.". i also wasn't assuaged by the fact that one of the genres listed was non-music and the style, book on tape. suffice to say, i didn't know what the fuck this was going to sound like, maybe that was the point? if so, congrats on a job well done.
i can cheerily report that the books on tape / whole non-music thing, just a goof. this tape, however, is not. the facts is a very impressive, slightly schizophrenic (okay, maybe more than slightly), trippy journey. contrary to kraus' propensity for noise rock in a band setting, this particular solo affair balances out catchy guitar and synth-driven instrumental songs with spacier electronic ones. huh, maybe the discogs notes weren't so far off base then?
kraus starts off strongly on the a side with dual memorable layers of guitar. i like the balance of one being tinny sounding while the other is fuzzed out and more assertive. on the heels of a downtempo segue comes the killer sebastian. it's lead by an outstanding main organ synth. the percussion does a great job of enhancing the already wonderful music. the track's breakdown, when the synth is swapped out for some rad guitar playing is another highlight. real nice. after two of the more conventional songs on the cassette, pat will start to get into the spacey electronic work. for me, these pieces come across as interlude-like diversions. most of them are warm, have an extra-terrestrial feel, are repetitious, but they can't quite get of the shadow which is the actual songs. due to that reason, it's hard to think of them as anything other than transitory. that's not a bad thing, they just don't leave a lasting impression on me. after that, it's back to the tunes. i love the bassy throbs. for some reason this makes me think of a 60s spy film that takes place during a beach party in california. beautiful. the real winner on this one, though, is the back and forth trade-off between a ? and the mysterions-esque synthesizer sound and guitar jamming plus clanging cymbals. the drastic shifts in sound, all while retaining that central rhythm, is remarkable. the side ends with a more somber keyboard-led instrumental.
the second side is the more electronically-inclined of the two. interestingly enough, the second piece has a dolphins into the future feel to it. next, kraus revisits his sunny, 1960s place. the draw here is the scaling guitar chords in tandem with the successive snare hits. the track that follows is my favorite of the electronic pieces. there's not very much going on; it centers around two looped pulsing tones, but what makes it interesting are the brief, but frequently recurring, drones which waft about the coldness.
good news for you kiwis, kraus will gladly hook you up with anything he has for free. you lucky devils. for everyone else, if you want more kraus, but are too cheap to buy anything, he has quite a few full song downloads available on his website. also worth checking out while over there are his interviews that he conducted with himself. well, not quite with himself, he just used other people's interviews, and responded for the artist. i found it pretty amusing.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Smooth Assailing
Kraus - Lamentations of an Ape [2009-hästen & korset]
Kraus fait un genre de rock lofi semi-électronique et a demi expérimentale. Dans le genre c'est la première fois que j'en entend et je doit dire que je trouve ça pas mal intéressant comme musique. La cassette est une ré-édition d'un CDr publié en 2005 par le maintenant défunt label Foxglove. Drôle d'idée de ré-éditer un album en cassette mais de c'est temps-ci ce médium autrefois désuet est devenu très a la mode dans les cercles fermé des musiques spécialisées, un peu comme le vynile l'es devenu au fils du temps. Donc très belle présentation, même que ça un look presque professionnel, la cassette jaune est dans un boitier lui-même a demi jaune, jolie. La musique est intéressante pour c'est percussions parfois acoustique, parfois électronique. Des sons de synthétiseur sont intégré dans le mixe, ça ajoute une touche de psychédélisme au tout. Somme toute une belle surprise que j'ai reçu par la poste. Pour plus de détail sur Kraus et sa musique aller voir son site web pour y télécharger sa musique et lire sa bio.
(Translated by Google Translate): Kraus is a genre of rock lofi semi-electronic and experimental half. As such it is the first time I hear and I must say I find it quite interesting as music. The tape is re-editing a CDr published in 2005 by the now defunct label Foxglove. Funny idea to re-publish an album on cassette but it's time they used this medium has become obsolete very fashionable in the closed circles of specialized music, much like the vynile have become the son of weather. So beautiful presentation, as it look almost professional, the tape is in a yellow box itself has half yellow, beautiful. The music is interesting for percussion is sometimes acoustic, sometimes electronic. Synthesizer sounds are integrated into the mix, it adds a touch of psychedelia to the whole. All in all a great surprise that I received by mail. For more details on Kraus and his music visit his website for downloading music, and read his bio.
Explorer L'Inconnu 10 October 2009.
Kraus "I Could Destroy You With a Single Thought"
New Zealand has been responsible for producing some truly bizarre, imaginative and frontal lobe frying noises for years now and this recent offering from one-man science fiction sludge-punk terrorist Kraus is certainly no exception. Those of you who may have heard the "Emily" album on Campbell Kneale's Celebrate Psi Phenomenon label (released under the moniker Prince Kraus) or anything by The Futurians may have some inkling about what musical-hemisphere this disc lies in.
Analogue B-Movie synth bleeps nudge up against duelling cock-rock guitar riffs and some Maureen Tucker on Ketamine style tub-thumping, occasionally collapsing into disarray like someone just walked into the room and pummelled Kraus's four-track into pieces with a malfunctioning Sinclair ZX Spectrum. It's hard to describe, but bands such as Men's Recovery Project and post-Six Finger Satellite group Olneyville Sound System certainly spring to mind, or if The Residents had put out an album on Skin Graft or Bulb/Load records - the hipster's current Plat du Jour - it may very well have sounded a bit like this.
Whilst this kind of thing doesn't usually do it for me, this little slab of sound is quite original and it's certainly a lot of fun. If you're fond of any of the bands mentioned here or are generally just into some pretty far-out shit, you could do a whole lot worse than to pick up a copy of "I Could Destroy You with a Single Thought".
7/10 -- James Blackshaw (25 May, 2005)
Foxy Digitalis
I COULD DESTROY YOU WITH A SINGLE THOUGHT, Kraus (try PO Box 1320, Dunedin).
The superpowered arrogance of the title matches the pains taken to craft this 10-track instrumental album, somewhere between a pop Moog record and the harshest no wave. Short melodic and rhythmic figures are worked hard into the knife edge between queasy claustrophobia and rigorous brilliance. By turns evoking glam rock and cold wave, Kraus takes up the Crude aesthetic and makes the most exciting contribution in a while to the local underground.
Jon Bywater
New Zealand Listener
December 25-31 2004