CAMERA - Forced Exposure

$17.00 IN STOCK

With the band's tenth anniversary in their viewfinder, Camera are all set to push the button on Prosthuman, their fifth studio album. The Berlin band never tire of changing themselves, their music or personnel. As Karlheinz Stockhausen noted: "New methods change the experience. New experiences change man." Taking this as their lead, Michael Drummer (the drummer) and Camera surprise listeners more on Prosthuman as they reinvent and reformulate their sound without sacrificing the project's identity which has matured over the past decade. Emotional Detox (BB 312CD/LP, 2018), the predecessor to this album, was distinguished by the presence of two keyboard virtuosos (Steffen Kahles and Camera founder member, Timm Brockmann). Finding replacements for Prosthuman was difficult; the two keyboardists had -- in different creative periods --formed the backbone of a band structure. Decisive input came from an unlikely source: Tim Schroeder, who first teamed up with Camera as a performance and video artist on their 2017 USA tour. Over the course of jams and recording sessions, he was able to offer ample proof of his synthesizer skills. Alex Kozmidi, a musician and composer with a flair for experimentation, completed the triumvirate on guitar, with Michael Drummer adding his own guitar riffs. Change and friction can be useful allies in pursuit of creativity, something to which Drummer has grown accustomed as the only ever-present member of Camera. The pleasures and pain of isolation -- suddenly a mass phenomenon in pandemic times --are well known to the quasi-front man of the group. Virus-induced social distancing and quarantine measures came into effect during the recording process (June 2019 to June 2020). Finding the musical framework for Prosthuman required a great deal of commitment, enthusiasm, and plenty of time. In spite of shifts in instrumentation, the ten tracks comprising the album fall into place like a progressively unfolding narrative. There is no apparent beginning to the record, no obvious ending -- rather more a sense of being right in the middle, with no immediate reference to any of the previous albums. At the same time, traces of the paths travelled on past albums are discernible. Michael Drummer's approach to drumming is more than a constant reference point, emerging as the decisive element which pins everything together.

$22.00 IN STOCK

LP version. With the band's tenth anniversary in their viewfinder, Camera are all set to push the button on Prosthuman, their fifth studio album. The Berlin band never tire of changing themselves, their music or personnel. As Karlheinz Stockhausen noted: "New methods change the experience. New experiences change man." Taking this as their lead, Michael Drummer (the drummer) and Camera surprise listeners more on Prosthuman as they reinvent and reformulate their sound without sacrificing the project's identity which has matured over the past decade. Emotional Detox (BB 312CD/LP, 2018), the predecessor to this album, was distinguished by the presence of two keyboard virtuosos (Steffen Kahles and Camera founder member, Timm Brockmann). Finding replacements for Prosthuman was difficult; the two keyboardists had -- in different creative periods --formed the backbone of a band structure. Decisive input came from an unlikely source: Tim Schroeder, who first teamed up with Camera as a performance and video artist on their 2017 USA tour. Over the course of jams and recording sessions, he was able to offer ample proof of his synthesizer skills. Alex Kozmidi, a musician and composer with a flair for experimentation, completed the triumvirate on guitar, with Michael Drummer adding his own guitar riffs. Change and friction can be useful allies in pursuit of creativity, something to which Drummer has grown accustomed as the only ever-present member of Camera. The pleasures and pain of isolation -- suddenly a mass phenomenon in pandemic times --are well known to the quasi-front man of the group. Virus-induced social distancing and quarantine measures came into effect during the recording process (June 2019 to June 2020). Finding the musical framework for Prosthuman required a great deal of commitment, enthusiasm, and plenty of time. In spite of shifts in instrumentation, the ten tracks comprising the album fall into place like a progressively unfolding narrative. There is no apparent beginning to the record, no obvious ending -- rather more a sense of being right in the middle, with no immediate reference to any of the previous albums. At the same time, traces of the paths travelled on past albums are discernible. Michael Drummer's approach to drumming is more than a constant reference point, emerging as the decisive element which pins everything together.

$17.00 IN STOCK

"Started as the so-called 'Krautrock Guerrilla' in 2012, six years later the Berlin combo Camera are releasing their fourth full-length album, Emotional Detox. Customarily associated with the likes of NEU! and La Düsseldorf it is time to allow Camera to break free of the krautrock tradition. For fans of nominative determinism, there can be few more apposite appelations than Michael Drummer. He is the catalyst, linking everything together as he crosses the soundscape of everything captured on Camera. The band's moniker Camera, meanwhile, is an altogether more capricious calling card. Emotional Detox is the fourth full-length album by Camera, now a quintet, following two albums as a trio and one as a duo. The line-up here comprises Steffen Kahles, Drummer, Michel Collet, Andreas Miranda and Timm Brockmann, all based in Berlin. Drummer is the only constant through all four phases. Brockmann, who left the group in 2014, returns to the fold. He and Franz Bargmann, who left Camera the year before him, released the duo album Licht (BB 269 CD/LP), a celebration of keys, guitars and effects which, at times, emulated the ferocious potential of Camera. By the time Kahles joined the band, Brockmann had already departed, so the new ensemble adds another twist in bringing together two keyboard players from different Camera phases for the first time. The Brockmann-Drummer reunion, meanwhile, completes a circle tracing back to early Camera experiences shared in 2010/11, playing on the streets of Berlin. Paradoxically, the new Camera line-up sharpens the group's focus. With Drummer not so much joining the dots as hammering them home with a nail gun, the stronger framework allows even greater freedom for the musicians to express and align their disparate creative interests. The soundscape here assumes the quality of a cinematic loop, like watching the same film over and over, yet discovering new things each time it plays. The motorik origins of the band on their debut Radiate! (BB 116 CD/LP, 2012) eventually gave way to the playfulness on Phantom of Liberty (BB 235CD/LP, 2016). A spirit of experimentation still abounds on the new LP, but there's also evidence that the group have taken a step towards something more pop. The reference points are still there, but Emotional Detox is not dependent on them, encouraging us to disregard these multiple distractions." --Harry Calvino

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. Includes CD. "Started as the so-called 'Krautrock Guerrilla' in 2012, six years later the Berlin combo Camera are releasing their fourth full-length album, Emotional Detox. Customarily associated with the likes of NEU! and La Düsseldorf it is time to allow Camera to break free of the krautrock tradition. For fans of nominative determinism, there can be few more apposite appelations than Michael Drummer. He is the catalyst, linking everything together as he crosses the soundscape of everything captured on Camera. The band's moniker Camera, meanwhile, is an altogether more capricious calling card. Emotional Detox is the fourth full-length album by Camera, now a quintet, following two albums as a trio and one as a duo. The line-up here comprises Steffen Kahles, Drummer, Michel Collet, Andreas Miranda and Timm Brockmann, all based in Berlin. Drummer is the only constant through all four phases. Brockmann, who left the group in 2014, returns to the fold. He and Franz Bargmann, who left Camera the year before him, released the duo album Licht (BB 269 CD/LP), a celebration of keys, guitars and effects which, at times, emulated the ferocious potential of Camera. By the time Kahles joined the band, Brockmann had already departed, so the new ensemble adds another twist in bringing together two keyboard players from different Camera phases for the first time. The Brockmann-Drummer reunion, meanwhile, completes a circle tracing back to early Camera experiences shared in 2010/11, playing on the streets of Berlin. Paradoxically, the new Camera line-up sharpens the group's focus. With Drummer not so much joining the dots as hammering them home with a nail gun, the stronger framework allows even greater freedom for the musicians to express and align their disparate creative interests. The soundscape here assumes the quality of a cinematic loop, like watching the same film over and over, yet discovering new things each time it plays. The motorik origins of the band on their debut Radiate! (BB 116 CD/LP, 2012) eventually gave way to the playfulness on Phantom of Liberty (BB 235CD/LP, 2016). A spirit of experimentation still abounds on the new LP, but there's also evidence that the group have taken a step towards something more pop. The reference points are still there, but Emotional Detox is not dependent on them, encouraging us to disregard these multiple distractions." --Harry Calvino

$17.00 IN STOCK

Camera presents their third album, Phantom of Liberty. The beat hammers like the pulse of a pair of lovers on the run from a gang of racist thugs - the sound is manic, but from it speaks a seemingly insurmountable inner strength. This arch of tension is home to Camera. The Berlin band is rightly compared with icons of seventies Krautrock such as Neu! and La Düsseldorf, with a tight and driving sound, yet they are still somehow unpredictable. Hardly any other band understands how to mutate tiny musical nuances into volcanic eruptions like they do. Camera is a motor running at full throttle, where an explosion could occur at any second. Once you have embarked on this crazy journey, you will be fascinated by the alternating current somewhere between a flash flood and roller coaster running off the rails. The cascades of sound convey a blurry image of a boundless desire to revolt, with each blink of an eye threatening to end in purgatory, yet it is damned near indestructible. Michael Drummer is the ethereal Indian paleface who pummels his drums at every show as if we're in the midst of a 17th Century incarnational ritual. In Steffen Kahles, who hails from the world of film music, he has found the musical partner he needed to enrich the tribal kraut beat with diverse motifs and bold sounds. On Phantom of Liberty, there is clever use of playful sounds such as synths that beam the listener back into the Commodore 64 computer games of 1984; or slightly cranky keyboard pads, as if created by deliberately manipulating the speed of an old tape machine. With Phantom of Liberty, Camera show that they have become more mature and complex without losing any of their tremendous energy.

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. Camera presents their third album, Phantom of Liberty. The beat hammers like the pulse of a pair of lovers on the run from a gang of racist thugs - the sound is manic, but from it speaks a seemingly insurmountable inner strength. This arch of tension is home to Camera. The Berlin band is rightly compared with icons of seventies Krautrock such as Neu! and La Düsseldorf, with a tight and driving sound, yet they are still somehow unpredictable. Hardly any other band understands how to mutate tiny musical nuances into volcanic eruptions like they do. Camera is a motor running at full throttle, where an explosion could occur at any second. Once you have embarked on this crazy journey, you will be fascinated by the alternating current somewhere between a flash flood and roller coaster running off the rails. The cascades of sound convey a blurry image of a boundless desire to revolt, with each blink of an eye threatening to end in purgatory, yet it is damned near indestructible. Michael Drummer is the ethereal Indian paleface who pummels his drums at every show as if we're in the midst of a 17th Century incarnational ritual. In Steffen Kahles, who hails from the world of film music, he has found the musical partner he needed to enrich the tribal kraut beat with diverse motifs and bold sounds. On Phantom of Liberty, there is clever use of playful sounds such as synths that beam the listener back into the Commodore 64 computer games of 1984; or slightly cranky keyboard pads, as if created by deliberately manipulating the speed of an old tape machine. With Phantom of Liberty, Camera show that they have become more mature and complex without losing any of their tremendous energy.

$26.00 LOW STOCK LEVEL

Limited edition yellow vinyl. LP version. CD included. Camera presents their third album, Phantom of Liberty. The beat hammers like the pulse of a pair of lovers on the run from a gang of racist thugs - the sound is manic, but from it speaks a seemingly insurmountable inner strength. This arch of tension is home to Camera. The Berlin band is rightly compared with icons of seventies Krautrock such as Neu! and La Düsseldorf, with a tight and driving sound, yet they are still somehow unpredictable. Hardly any other band understands how to mutate tiny musical nuances into volcanic eruptions like they do. Camera is a motor running at full throttle, where an explosion could occur at any second. Once you have embarked on this crazy journey, you will be fascinated by the alternating current somewhere between a flash flood and roller coaster running off the rails. The cascades of sound convey a blurry image of a boundless desire to revolt, with each blink of an eye threatening to end in purgatory, yet it is damned near indestructible. Michael Drummer is the ethereal Indian paleface who pummels his drums at every show as if we're in the midst of a 17th Century incarnational ritual. In Steffen Kahles, who hails from the world of film music, he has found the musical partner he needed to enrich the tribal kraut beat with diverse motifs and bold sounds. On Phantom of Liberty, there is clever use of playful sounds such as synths that beam the listener back into the Commodore 64 computer games of 1984; or slightly cranky keyboard pads, as if created by deliberately manipulating the speed of an old tape machine. With Phantom of Liberty, Camera show that they have become more mature and complex without losing any of their tremendous energy. Last copies.

$17.00 IN STOCK

Yes, you can actually hear it. Respect. There it is, in the very first track on the new Camera album, a little sound signature elegantly woven into the hypnotic maelstrom of the music, contiguous to "From the Outside" -- like a distant echo -- Kraftwerk's revered "Autobahn." Which brings us directly to Krautrock, that perennial badge of hipness. The ultimate honorary title for repetitive music, as played by Camera. In fact, the Berlin band's penchant for playing without permission in underground stations or other public places (in the gents at the Echo Awards ceremony) has seen them dubbed "Krautrock Guerilla." Nevertheless, the Krautrock label remains just that, slapped on to rescue nameless music from limbo, vainly searching for a pigeonhole. Camera are not seeking to emulate the sound of older Krautrock bands, in any case. Nor have they been listening incessantly to NEU! or Can. "Perhaps we just have the same angle of approach," suggests keyboard player Timm Brockmann, "we start playing and simply go with the flow." Motorik-driven, energetic stretches laced with psychedelic overtones rise up from keyboards, drums and guitars, much as they did for the pioneers of German Krautrock some 40 years ago, without any sense of imitation or facsimile. The band does not even imitate itself. That would amount to nothing short of a moratorium, restricting their advancement. When it comes to principles, the principal objective is progression. Their commitment to playing anywhere and everywhere reaches beyond spontaneous concerts on the streets of Berlin. All the world's a stage. On the back of Radiate! (BB 116CD/LP) their debut album from 2012, Camera extended their range to Russia and the USA. While Radiate! was entirely the product of studio improvisation, Remember I Was Carbon Dioxide sees Timm Brockmann and drummer Michael Drummer revisit and revise jams supplemented by various different guitarists and other guest musicians, exploring the possibilities of the studio as a reflection loop without losing sight of their overriding impulse to improvise -- which is, after all, the essence of Camera. One hears a hypnotic beat. A musical drift that sweeps the listener into a trance. Shimmering elegance, forceful bursts of garage rock, a gentle flow, spherical flight. And one can hear it resonate beyond the horizon of this music. Searching, researching, yearning. Camera have the resolve to search and explore -- listen to "Hallraum," for example, the closing track on their new album -- they have an appetite for beauty, to play around with it a little. You can still call it Krautrock, if you must.

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. 180 gram pressing. Includes CD of full album. Yes, you can actually hear it. Respect. There it is, in the very first track on the new Camera album, a little sound signature elegantly woven into the hypnotic maelstrom of the music, contiguous to "From the Outside" -- like a distant echo -- Kraftwerk's revered "Autobahn." Which brings us directly to Krautrock, that perennial badge of hipness. The ultimate honorary title for repetitive music, as played by Camera. In fact, the Berlin band's penchant for playing without permission in underground stations or other public places (in the gents at the Echo Awards ceremony) has seen them dubbed "Krautrock Guerilla." Nevertheless, the Krautrock label remains just that, slapped on to rescue nameless music from limbo, vainly searching for a pigeonhole. Camera are not seeking to emulate the sound of older Krautrock bands, in any case. Nor have they been listening incessantly to NEU! or Can. "Perhaps we just have the same angle of approach," suggests keyboard player Timm Brockmann, "we start playing and simply go with the flow." Motorik-driven, energetic stretches laced with psychedelic overtones rise up from keyboards, drums and guitars, much as they did for the pioneers of German Krautrock some 40 years ago, without any sense of imitation or facsimile. The band does not even imitate itself. That would amount to nothing short of a moratorium, restricting their advancement. When it comes to principles, the principal objective is progression. Their commitment to playing anywhere and everywhere reaches beyond spontaneous concerts on the streets of Berlin. All the world's a stage. On the back of Radiate! (BB 116CD/LP) their debut album from 2012, Camera extended their range to Russia and the USA. While Radiate! was entirely the product of studio improvisation, Remember I Was Carbon Dioxide sees Timm Brockmann and drummer Michael Drummer revisit and revise jams supplemented by various different guitarists and other guest musicians, exploring the possibilities of the studio as a reflection loop without losing sight of their overriding impulse to improvise -- which is, after all, the essence of Camera. One hears a hypnotic beat. A musical drift that sweeps the listener into a trance. Shimmering elegance, forceful bursts of garage rock, a gentle flow, spherical flight. And one can hear it resonate beyond the horizon of this music. Searching, researching, yearning. Camera have the resolve to search and explore -- listen to "Hallraum," for example, the closing track on their new album -- they have an appetite for beauty, to play around with it a little. You can still call it Krautrock, if you must.

$11.00 IN STOCK

RSD 2013 release. New recordings by the Berlin-based trio Camera whose debut album Radiate! (BB 116CD/LP) has been acclaimed by music media (and music lovers) world-wide and led to a very busy jet-set touring schedule. In between shows they recorded two new songs in Berlin (A-side) which then were remixed by Bureau B label-mates Sølyst (aka Thomas Klein from Kreidler) and Alvin B. Clay (aka Pyrolator aka Kurt Dahlke) (B-side).

$17.00 IN STOCK

Dubbed "Krautrock Guerrilla," the Berlin-based trio Camera has played with Krautrock legends Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius and performed at the German Film Prize and Echo Awards ceremonies. And now, as unlikely as it may once have seemed, here it is, their debut album. A lot has been going on with the three boys. One thing at a time, however. Let us start with an accolade: first proffered by no-lesser figure than Michael Rother (Neu!, Harmonia), who played a number of shows together with the Camera boys. Further proof that Camera hit the genuine Krautrock nerve with their music was a joint gig with Rother and his old comrade Dieter Moebius (Cluster, Harmonia). The pioneers of 40 years ago have taken note of Camera's qualities, both supporting and promoting them. And what of the "Krautrock Guerilla" epithet? Well, Camera like nothing better than playing spontaneous concerts in public spaces, without permission, of course (to be watched on YouTube, et al.). Seeing Camera live for the first time occurs less commonly in a concert hall than in an unexpected, surprising location: an underground station in the middle of the night, an underpass or even public toilets. The threesome set up their minimalist drum kit (snare, floor tom, cymbals and headless tambourine) and two amplifiers, plug in their guitars and synthesizer and off they go, much to the delight of the audience, less so in the case of guardians of the law. Another of Camera's specialties is to sneak their way into highly official after-show parties (German Film Prize, Echo Awards etc.), arrange their portable equipment in a matter of minutes and play for as long as it takes for the security to realize they are not part of the official program. They actually performed in the gentlemen's toilets at this year's Echo Awards. This is their way of unleashing themselves on an unprejudiced, unprepared audience, meeting with an enthusiastic response. Anyway, here they are with their debut release. At first, the three musicians were not the slightest bit interested in recording, they just wanted to play, play, play. Yet, as time passed, form and structure increasingly appeared in their improvisations, with the potential to be crafted into individual tracks. With a little persuasion, they were ready. The next surprise in store was how successfully Camera transferred their spontaneity to the studio. Never really sounding constructed or orchestrated, these tracks could just as easily have been recorded on the street -- apart from the audio quality, of course. This is partially due to the fact that the album was recorded "live" in the studio. Camera's musical spectrum ranges from driving motorik rock to serene, epically-flowing tracks by way of foreboding soundscape ridges. In other words: it can be right in your face or elsewhere in interstellar spheres, where time and space have no meaning; cosmic/kosmische music. One can clearly hear the influence of their paragons, Neu!, Harmonia, Cluster and La Düsseldorf. Camera have taken Krautrock onto the street, straight to the people, making the magical achievements of German musical pioneers accessible to a wider listenership with their guerrilla tactics.

$26.00 LOW STOCK LEVEL

LP version plus CD. Dubbed "Krautrock Guerrilla," the Berlin-based trio Camera has played with Krautrock legends Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius and performed at the German Film Prize and Echo Awards ceremonies. And now, as unlikely as it may once have seemed, here it is, their debut album. A lot has been going on with the three boys. One thing at a time, however. Let us start with an accolade: first proffered by no-lesser figure than Michael Rother (Neu!, Harmonia), who played a number of shows together with the Camera boys. Further proof that Camera hit the genuine Krautrock nerve with their music was a joint gig with Rother and his old comrade Dieter Moebius (Cluster, Harmonia). The pioneers of 40 years ago have taken note of Camera's qualities, both supporting and promoting them. And what of the "Krautrock Guerilla" epithet? Well, Camera like nothing better than playing spontaneous concerts in public spaces, without permission, of course (to be watched on YouTube, et al.). Seeing Camera live for the first time occurs less commonly in a concert hall than in an unexpected, surprising location: an underground station in the middle of the night, an underpass or even public toilets. The threesome set up their minimalist drum kit (snare, floor tom, cymbals and headless tambourine) and two amplifiers, plug in their guitars and synthesizer and off they go, much to the delight of the audience, less so in the case of guardians of the law. Another of Camera's specialties is to sneak their way into highly official after-show parties (German Film Prize, Echo Awards etc.), arrange their portable equipment in a matter of minutes and play for as long as it takes for the security to realize they are not part of the official program. They actually performed in the gentlemen's toilets at this year's Echo Awards. This is their way of unleashing themselves on an unprejudiced, unprepared audience, meeting with an enthusiastic response. Anyway, here they are with their debut release. At first, the three musicians were not the slightest bit interested in recording, they just wanted to play, play, play. Yet, as time passed, form and structure increasingly appeared in their improvisations, with the potential to be crafted into individual tracks. With a little persuasion, they were ready. The next surprise in store was how successfully Camera transferred their spontaneity to the studio. Never really sounding constructed or orchestrated, these tracks could just as easily have been recorded on the street -- apart from the audio quality, of course. This is partially due to the fact that the album was recorded "live" in the studio. Camera's musical spectrum ranges from driving motorik rock to serene, epically-flowing tracks by way of foreboding soundscape ridges. In other words: it can be right in your face or elsewhere in interstellar spheres, where time and space have no meaning; cosmic/kosmische music. One can clearly hear the influence of their paragons, Neu!, Harmonia, Cluster and La Düsseldorf. Camera have taken Krautrock onto the street, straight to the people, making the magical achievements of German musical pioneers accessible to a wider listenership with their guerrilla tactics.