Category Archives: Mani Neumeier

Krautrock Legends Guru Guru Release “Made In Switzerland – Official Bootleg”

For Immediate Release

Krautrock Legends Guru Guru ReleaseMade In Switzerland – Official Bootleg”

50 years of Guru Guru – that’s 50 years of Krautrock!

If you hadn’t believed possible that Mani Neumeier (born 1940) and his GURU GURU still rank among Germany’s most active and prolific rock bands, well, then you’d be proven wrong!

Founded in 1968, the year of the student’s revolt, Guru Guru has reached its 50th anniversary and still maintains its innovative spirit. Where many a musician made it big as a one-hit-wonder just to fade into oblivion soon after, Guru Guru carved its way outside the mainstream and short lived trends by blending experimental rock, avant-garde, jazz and world-music into an unique, original form of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

No one will deny that there were ups and downs, but nowadays, Mani shares the stage with two long-standing companions. Roland Schaeffer and Peter Kühmstedt have been with Guru Guru for more than 40 years. The passing of Hans Reffert, aged 69 († 21.02.2016), was a severe blow, but Guru Guru overcame this tragedy and proved that they are not in the least tired of creating music. Those four “Krautrockers” are living legends and next to the Rolling Stones among the longest-serving rock bands on this planet. Mani and Mick are in fact standing next to each other in the Tokyo House of Wax! Mani Neumeier and his Gurus are the epitome of a band that defies musical trends and fads and transcends limitations and genres.

When the Covid pandemic struck, all activities came to an abrupt halt and led to guitar player Jan Lindqvist leaving the band. But Guru Guru reinvented themselves yet again by adding a whole new dimension to the band’s sound: Zeus B. Held, former keyboard player in Birth Control joined the outfit and gave songs like “Moroso” or the fabled “Elektrolurch” a whole new level by his energetic virtuoso style. To document this milestone in the Guru Guru’s development, a concert in Switzerland was recorded and subsequently released on CD in a small edition to allow rock aficionados worldwide a glimpse into Guru Guru 2022. No overdubs, no digital “cheating” was done on this album “Made In Switzerland – Official Bootleg”. It is a statement of the rock ‘n’ roll feeling an experienced live act with 4 seasoned musicians at their peak can deliver on stage! This CD will not be available through any distribution channels other than directly from the band. No amazon, no streaming and no distribution company between Guru Guru and their loyal fans

After more than 50 years they continue to go their own way because they’ve always been – and still are UNIQUE!

Musicians:
Mani Neumeier – Drums / Percussion / Kaossilator / Vocals
Roland Schaeffer – Guitar / Saxophon / Nadaswaran / Vocals
Peter Kühmstedt – Bass / Vocals
Zeus B. Held – Keyboard / Bluesharp / Vocals

Discography:
1970 UFO
1971 Hinten
1972 Känguru
1973 Guru Guru
1974 Der Elektrolurch
1974 Don’t Call Us, We Call You
1974 More Hot Joice
1974 Dance Of The Flames
1976 Tango Fango
1976 Rattenfänger
1977 Globetrotter
1978 Guru Guru Live
1979 Hey Du!
1979 Giri Fushi
1980 Mani in Germani
1983 Neumeiers neue Abenteuer
1987 Cosmic Hole
1988 Jungle
1988 Guru Guru 88
1988 Guru Guru Live 72
1993 Shake Well
1995 Wah Wah
1997 Moshi Moshi
1999 Live ‘98 – 30 Jahre Finkenbach (3 CDs)
2000 2000 Gurus
2005 In The Guru Lounge
2008 PSY- 40 Jahre Guru Guru
2009 Live On Tour 2008
2011 Doublebind
2013 Electric Cats
2014 45 Years Live (CD & LP)
2016 Live in Heidelberg (DVD & BluRay)
2018 Rotate!
New Releases:
2019 Live in China CD + DVD
2021 Made in Switzerland – official bootleg
2022 “New Album tba”

To purchase:
Digital: https://guruguru1.bandcamp.com/releases
CD: https://www.discogs.com/de/sell/item/1753725982

For more information: http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/guru_10_shop.htm

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com


Krautrock Legends Mani Neumeier & Zeus B. Held Release New Album “The Secret Lives”

For Immediate Release

Krautrock Legends Mani Neumeier & Zeus B. Held Release New Album “The Secret Lives”

New Album By Krautrock Legends Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru and Zeus B. Held of Birth Control

This is how a spontaneous project came about – long overdue! A colorful bouquet of ideas, rhythms, sounds, images and stories … They met in 1973 at a Krautrock Festival in Frankfurt – Mani played and was Guru Guru, Zeus was the newcomer to Birth Control on the keyboards. Since then they have met again and again, jammed and played gigs together. Then finally – in the summer of 2019 they went two days to Bernie Michael Land’s Synxxs Studio in Rodgau – a wall of modular synth and wonderful gongs and percussion – this is how the basics of the tracks with Mani’s percussive playing on the “Haken Continuum” and various electronic drum pads came about. Zeus built the chord structures and sequences for this. Then it went to Zeus’ KG Beat Studio in Freiburg, where Mani recorded an acoustic drum kit as an overdub. There were also some outbreaks of poetics – so for some pieces texts were created about the common sound images. Afterwards they started again in Mani’s Odenwald Secret Retreat.

“Discreetly, almost secretly we’ve been putting together a first album – after we’ve known each other as musicians since a long time …”

Released September 18, 2020

All Tracks written by Zeus B. Held & Mani Neumeier

Mani Neumeier: Electronic, Acoustic Drums, Percussion, Kaossilator & Vocals
Zeus B. Held: Keyboards, Voice & Production
Luigi Archetti: Guitar on A3, B2, B3, B4 & B5
Bernd-Michael Land: Analogue Sequencing
Etsuko Watanabe: Voice On B1

Recorded at Synxxs-, Kgbeat & Hilsenhain-Studios MMIX & MMXX
Mastered by Lars Lafayette Fasbender

Cover Photo & “Wabi Sabi” painting By Mani Neumeier
Postcard Photo by Kamikaze Jane
Sleeve & Typography by Percy

To purchase: https://bellerophonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-lives

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com


Guru Guru Legend Mani Neumeier & Okinawa Friends Release GALAPAGOS

For Immediate Release

Guru Guru Legend Mani Neumeier & Okinawa Friends Release GALAPAGOS

Even after his 80th birthday, Mani Neumeier, a famous drummer from Germany who is familiar with “Mani-san,” and is still active with solo various projects including GURU GURU, has visited Okinawa and its beaches. There he played with coral percussion. Heavenly swaying in the south, with prog and free musicians participating, led by guitarist Ishihara, who manipulates from low-pitched to roaring, ambient to noise, and Kengo Sakamoto, who is one of the 100 views of Koenji, gathered as if invited by the sound. Together they formed a psychedelic jam band. This work was recorded in Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture in February 2019. Their first Taiwan tour in February 2020 this year received critical acclaim.

Mani Neumeier: Drum, Plate percussion
Takeshi Ishihara: Right Guitar
Halls: Left Guitar
Uechi Gacha Kazuya: Right Bass
Kengo Sakamoto: Left Bass

1. Galapagos
2. Sitting on the Banyan Tree
3. Groove Club Shuffle
4. Aka Roots
5. Goya boys
6. Kiiro Roots
7. Sango Beach
8. Midori Roots

For more information: http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/guru_10_shop.htm

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com


German Music Legends Guru Guru Celebrate 50 Years With New CD “Rotate!”

For Immediate Release

German Music Legends Guru Guru Celebrate 50 Years With New CD “Rotate!”

50 years of Guru Guru – that’s 50 years of Krautrock!

Dudenhofen, Germany – If you hadn’t believed possible that Mani Neumeier and his Guru Guru still rank among Germany’s most active and prolific rock bands, well, then you’d be proven wrong!

Founded in 1968, the year of the student’s revolt in Germany, Guru Guru has reached their 50th anniversary and still maintains their innovative spirit. Where many a musician made it big as a one-hit-wonder just to fade into oblivion soon after, Guru Guru carved their way outside the mainstream and short lived trends by blending experimental rock, avant-garde, jazz and world music into an unique, original form of rock ‘n’ roll.

No one will deny that there were ups and downs, but nowadays, Mani (Drums/Percussion/Vocals) shares the stage with two long-standing companions. Roland Schaeffler (Guitar/Saxophone/Vocals) and Peter Kuhmstedt (Bass/Vocals) have been with Guru Guru for more than 40 years. The passing of Hans Reffert, aged 69 (Feb. 21, 2016), was a severe blow, but with newly recruited guitar player Jan Lindqvist they overcame this tragedy and proved that they are not in the least tired of creating music. Those four “Krautrockers” are living legends and next to the Rolling Stones among the longest-serving rock bands on this planet. Mani and Mick are in fact standing next to each other in the Tokyo House of Wax! Mani Neumeier and his Gurus are the epitome of a band that defies musical trends and fads and transcends limitations and genres even on their newest CD called “Rotate!”

After more than 40 releases (LP, CD & DVD), Guru Guru demonstrates that the “overhauled Flagship of German rock” – as they have been called by the German magazine Musikexpress – have not lost their ability to entrance and provide an extraordinary spectacle. Songs like “Ooga Booga Special” span the decades, from the early days of “Magic Tree” to their latest studio album “Rotate!” which has been released to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary in 2018. Never to be missed of course is the immortal “Elektroluch”: The underground hit that has written “Krautrock” history and is, to this day, an intregal part in the band’s live performance.

Whoever thought that Guru Guru would slow down or that Mani would retire to a quiet life in the countryside couldn’t be more wrong. After 50 years they continue to go their own way because they’ve always been – and still are unique!

To purchase Guru Guru’s “Rotate!”:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7gh80xxfsl5jwNtUZJrzRQ
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rotate/1376597257
https://www.amazon.de/Rotate-Guru/dp/B07BF3V4PN

For more information: http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/

TRANCE-Music: PH: 06232 / 94076 (Germany), trance-music@t-online.de

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com


Rare Release Feat. Legendary Guru Guru Founding Members Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte “Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969” Now Available!

0253 guru-guru med res

For Immediate Release

Rare Release Feat. Legendary Guru Guru Founding Members Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte
“Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969” Now Available!

Los Angeles – A newly discovered gem finally sees the light of day courtesy of Guru Guru founding member of Mani Neumeier! Titled “Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969”, this historically important release was recorded in a small studio in Heidelberg Germany 1969 with Neumeier and future Guru Guru member Uli Trepte, as well as a host of guest musicians, performing a collective free style modal improvisation that would form the foundation of many Krautrock bands to come!

“It was the year 1967, when Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte left the Free Jazz Trio Irene Schweizer Group. It was the time of a musical revolution, and a sense of change was in the air. When they first heard Jimi Hendrix on the radio, they were so turned on by his tripped out sound that they decided they wanted to create something radical that hadn’t been heard or done before. Drawing more musical inspirations from the likes of The Mothers of Invention, Karl Heinz Stockhausen, Indian music, Albert Ayer, and Pink Floyd, Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte developed the concept of collective free style modal improvisation. Each musician and instrument was supposed to play an equally important role. They had a huge sound, which was dominated by the use of two full Marshall stacks and Mani Neumeier’s fluent and inventive drum style. In the first half of 1968, they formed their own sound. The first studio session took place in Heidelberg, Germany. It was a sound expedition recorded on LSD, with several guests on sax, voice and guitar. The band told the engineer that they wanted to play all night. The music was fed through an echo machine to add to the spaced out feel. Now forty years later, Mani Neumeier discovered these very recordings, which can be heard on this album for the very first time! All tracks were recorded two years prior to the first GURU GURU album UFO, which came out in 1970. They were also recorded five years before anyone used the term Krautrock. So here it is, the birth of Krautrock! You better believe it!” – Jurgen Engler

“Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969” is available on both CD and a special 200 gram white label, hand stamped vinyl pressing!

To purchase:
Buy the CD: http://flyt.it/GuruGuruGrooveBandCD
Buy the Vinyl: http://flyt.it/GuruGuruGrooveBandLP
Buy the digital version: http://flyt.it/GuruGuruGrooveBandDig

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
http://www.CleopatraRecords.com


Solo Album From Guru Guru Drum Legend Mani Neumeier “Talking Guru Drums” To Make Its U.S. Debut

0211-mani-neumeier-cd med res

For Immediate Release

Solo Album From Guru Guru Drum Legend Mani Neumeier “Talking Guru Drums” To Make Its U.S. Debut

Los Angeles – Mani Neumeier, drummer and frontman of German Krautrock legends Guru Guru, will be releasing for the first time in the U.S. his solo album “Talking Guru Drums” on Purple Pyramid Records on May 20, 2016! Considered one of the most influential percussionists of all-time, Mani offers this eclectic album of explorations into psychedelic, world, and folk music! Composed entirely by Neumeier, the album features guest vocalists, field recordings, and background singing by a group of Maori people of New Zealand!

Although best known for his work with Guru Guru, Neumeier has also collaborated with numerous bands and artists, such as Dieter Möbius, Damo Suzuki, Harmonia, Hans-Karsten Raecke, Irène Schweizer, Peter Brötzmann, Sonny Sharrock, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Jojo Hiroshige, Kawabata Makoto, Yoshida Tatsuya, and Luigi Archetti. Neumeier has lived in Germany and Japan, where he regularly collaborates with Japanese bands Acid Mothers Temple and Hijokaidan.

“Talking Guru Drums” will be released on CD and special clear vinyl pressing of the album that comes in a transparent acetate jacket with insert.

Track List:
1. Time Drops
2. Jingle A
3. Shaman Dancer
4. Jingle B
5. Mori No Kaeru
6. Jingle C
7. Maori Haka News
8. Jingle D
9. Im Zaubergarten
10. Om Mani Tom
11. Jingle Shiva-Bells

To purchase Mani Neumeier’s “Talking Guru Drums”:
http://flyt.it/ManiNeumeierCD
http://flyt.it/ManiNeumeierLP
http://flyt.it/ManiNeumeierDig

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
http://www.CleopatraRecords.com