The report for Guru Guru's "Dance Of The Flames" focuses on the 1974 original release and the significant 2006 remastered reissue, which is commonly archived in high-fidelity FLAC format. Album Overview Original Release: 2006 Reissue: Released in May 2006 by Revisited Records Jazz-Rock, Fusion, Krautrock, Space Rock Format Notes: The 2006 edition is a remastered CD, often ripped to for lossless preservation. The 2006 Revisited Records Edition
This specific reissue is highly regarded for its technical improvements and additional content: GURU GURU Dance Of The Flames reviews - Prog Archives
To understand Dance Of The Flames, one must understand the climate of 1974. The initial Krautrock explosion was fragmenting. Can was moving toward world music, Kraftwerk was shedding guitars for synthesizers, and Neu! was perfecting their motorik beat. Guru Guru, led by the manic drummer Mani Neumeier, took a different path: deep, greasy, jazz-funk psychedelia. Guru Guru - Dance Of The Flames -1974 2006- -FLAC-
After the departure of founding guitarist Ax Genrich, Neumeier recruited Roland Schaeffer (guitar, sax, vocals). The shift was immediate. Dance Of The Flames trades the abrasive, free-jazz noise of earlier works for a tighter, more rhythmically complex groove. This is Guru Guru at their most danceable—a term rarely associated with German experimental rock.
The 2006 FLAC transfer (sourced from the original master tapes) reveals layers previously buried in the murk of vinyl pressings. Here’s what burns: The report for Guru Guru's "Dance Of The
1. “The Meaning of Meaning” (8:22) The album opens with a taut, almost funky bassline from Hartmann. Neumeier’s slide guitar doesn’t soar—it crawls, like hot tar. The FLAC encoding captures the microtonal bends and the grainy texture of his amplifier. Midway, the track collapses into a free-jazz drum breakdown (Fischer is a revelation here), then reassembles into a mocking call-and-response vocal. It’s absurdist philosophy set to a riff.
2. “Dance of the Flames” (5:45) The title track is the closest Guru Guru ever came to a hit. A hypnotic, Afro-tinged percussion loop drives the song. Neumeier’s vocals are half-spoken, half-sung, like a beat poet who just set his beret on fire. The FLAC’s dynamic range shines here: the congas pop with air, the bass drum has actual weight, and the guitar solo—a controlled feedback squall—feels like it’s happening in your room. Guru Guru — Dance of the Flames (1974;
3. “The Song of the Mosquito” (10:14) The epic. A live studio take that borders on field recording. Neumeier mimics a buzzing insect with his guitar’s high strings while Hartmann lays down a prowling, modal bassline. Halfway through, it morphs into a minimalist motorik section (a nod to Neu! before collapsing into chaos). The 2006 remaster isolates the stereo panning: the mosquito flies from left to right speaker. In FLAC, it’s disorienting and brilliant.
4. “Hurry Up, Let’s Go” (3:30) A rare, two-minute burst of pure garage-punk energy. The FLAC reveals the rawness of the tape hiss underneath—a beautiful imperfection. Neumeier shouts nonsense over a Chuck Berry riff that’s been fed through a ring modulator. It ends with a laugh. The band sounds like they’re having more fun than you’ve ever had.
By 1974, Guru Guru had already detonated the scene with UFO (1970) and Hinten (1971). But Dance of the Flames saw a seismic lineup shift. The power-trio format remained, but with Neumeier joined by bassist Hans Hartmann and drummer/percussionist Butze Fischer (replacing the legendary Uli Trepte). The result is leaner, funkier, and more rhythmically complex.
Forget the space-drone of Tangerine Dream. Dance of the Flames is earthbound, sweaty, and weirdly danceable. It’s the sound of a band who listened to James Brown’s rhythm section while tripping on bad acid and watching Kung Fu reruns.