Gaining entrance into Germany’s underground music scene is, for some relatively easy. But after wading through the most famous and popular (?) krautrock bands, where is there to go? With the revelation that Germany was instrumental in propelling popular forms of music into the avant garde territory, it would make sense that subsequent psychedelic and punk musics would ape a similarly bizarre mode of expression.
Bands like 39 Clocks were a bit of all the aforementioned music – and they should have been, seeing as the group was German and all. And while that ensemble didn’t sport a full line-up, using a duo set up for great portions of its career, the minimal approach to personnel seems pervasive in the country’s music history. Even Kraftwerk, for a time, was a duo.
But those better known ensembles were granted the opportunity to morph and become any number of things. Mittagspause, translating to either Lunch or Lunchtime, wasn’t around long enough to fully realize a different set up. While the ensemble was around, though, the lack of a bassist didn’t present a problem.
After the White Stripes and the Black Keys popularized the age old set up, it seems bizarre to wax all philosophical about a group that didn’t ever sport a bass player. With the inclusion of two guitarists, one given over to rhythm duties, the music retains some lows. Perhaps understanding that the entire endeavor wasn't a bit odd and knowing that blues players had worked without bass accompaniment, Mittagspause included faux applause on “Intelnet,” which for a moment devolves into a blues style groove.
The Düsseldorf based group was only able to get out a few singles and a long player prior to a line up shift, which yielded one more full length. But those early releases were a part of some bizarre and apparently incestuous, nascent punk scene in town.
Regardless, Mittagspause’s first release in 1979 included a track called “Herren Reite” and aurally explains how the group would work with two guitarists pretty succinctly. Mostly given over to chiming chords that need no supplemental backing, there’re a few brief moments of the group’s second guitarist wanking around with the bassiest sounds he was able to coax from his instrument. Interestingly enough, the melodic trickle that bridges each verse is undeniably memorable and if it was a bit longer, would be whistled by anyone getting an earful. And all of that was just from one track on the group’s first single.
Issuing a double seven inch the following year, which was basically the equivalent of a full length, comes off as closely related to the previous disc, but ratchets up the tempo on tracks like “Nordpol.” Being German, though, there’s a healthful dose of odd stop and go tracks, mimicking machinery, over the course of the disc - “X-9200” being particularly choppy.
It’s not difficult to find Mittagspause and its music endlessly entertaining. Not understanding anything the band says could prove problematic – and for some might make listening a complete was of time. It’s not, though.