Biography
This influential German band originated when four teenagers—Hellmut Hattler, Jan Wolbrandt, Jan Friede, and Johannes Pappert—first connected in the South German town of Ulm during 1967. Each had already performed in local jazz and rock groups, and their informal jamming sessions gradually evolved from free jazz into tighter compositions shaped by the influences of Pharaoh Sanders and Frank Zappa. After operating on an amateur level, the musicians committed fully to their craft by relocating to the small town of Wintrup, where they maintained a communal household for nearly five years while steering clear of conventional employment in favor of art, film projects, and intensive rehearsal. Rejecting the name Jack Steam, they settled on Kraan, a term they found memorable despite its Dutch meaning of “faucet” and its lack of significance in German.
Their self-titled debut, recorded quickly in 1971, blended psychedelia with jazz while incorporating Arabic and Eastern European rhythms into funk-rock frameworks; an unbroken 18-minute improvisation occupied half the album without any slack. Strong reviews greeted the record’s soulful instrumental focus and high level of musicianship. The 1972 follow-up Wintrup edged toward jazz-funk, a direction that intensified on 1974’s Andy Nogger. Both releases highlighted exotic rhythms and intricate exchanges between Hattler’s nimble bass lines and Wolbrandt’s guitar, with Pappert’s electronically treated alto sax frequently resembling almost any instrument except a saxophone. Pappert’s dynamic range allowed him to dominate certain tracks while receding on others, and each album also contained Wolbrandt’s distinctive vocal contributions—impressionistic lyrics delivered through a mix of singing, speaking, growling, and yelping—though these passages remained few and brief.
The band reached a peak in 1974 with the two-record live set taped in Berlin by veteran engineer Conny Plank. Earlier material benefited from the group’s increased confidence and skill, and Hattler’s bass emerged as the lead voice on many selections, showcasing lightning runs and chordal work that rank among his finest. The stellar interplay drew a far wider audience, and the 1975 Sounds poll subsequently named Kraan Best Live Act, Hattler Best Instrumentalist, and Kraan Live Best Album. To support the release, the quartet added keyboardist Ingo Bischof, formerly of the symphonic rock band Karthago, and embarked on an intensive touring schedule. Bischof’s presence proved uneven on the next studio album, Let It Out, whose stronger tracks were undercut by excessive electronic effects and one piece consisting solely of nearly five minutes of echoing chants over heavily processed keyboards. Although the experimental spirit echoed the band’s earliest phase, it clashed with audience expectations; despite solid sales and some fan goodwill toward the new lineup, critics responded harshly. The negative coverage disheartened the members, prompting Bischof’s departure soon after release and, six months later, Pappert’s exit for a solo career—losses that cast doubt on the group’s future.
The remaining musicians persisted, yet the chemistry shifted permanently and never recovered its prior intensity. Bischof rejoined in time for the 1977 album Wiederhoren, a restrained effort containing flashes of brilliance but signaling a move toward softer, less densely arranged material. He also participated in the year-end recording of Hattler’s solo project Bassball alongside the rest of the current Kraan lineup. While many tracks suffered from Hattler’s vocals, which surpassed even Wolbrandt’s in awkwardness, the instrumental sections recaptured the old high-energy style complete with eccentric time signatures. Drummer Jan Friede departed shortly afterward and was replaced by Udo Dahmen. The revised lineup, now dominated by Bischof’s keyboards, adopted a more conventional jazz-rock approach that bore little resemblance to earlier work. Flyday, issued in 1979, displayed instrumental virtuosity yet struck many longtime listeners as overly mellow and keyboard-heavy. The subsequent live album Tournee, though competent, invited unfavorable comparisons to the more dynamic 1974 Berlin recording.
Nachtfahrt, released in 1982, further eroded the band’s standing by mixing reggae, dub, new wave, and pop elements with their established sound, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction. After the group disbanded, a reduced version featuring only Hattler and Bischof from prior lineups issued an unchallenging jazz album the following year. Wolbrandt, Hattler, and Friede soon reunited, enlisted trumpeter Joo Kraus, and documented their return with the live album Kraan 88. Subsequent releases have remained competent yet uninspired, failing to recapture the vitality of the band’s initial period. Hattler issued another solo outing, No Eats Yes, in 2000, and the full band recorded a further live set that appeared the same year as Kraan 2001.
Their self-titled debut, recorded quickly in 1971, blended psychedelia with jazz while incorporating Arabic and Eastern European rhythms into funk-rock frameworks; an unbroken 18-minute improvisation occupied half the album without any slack. Strong reviews greeted the record’s soulful instrumental focus and high level of musicianship. The 1972 follow-up Wintrup edged toward jazz-funk, a direction that intensified on 1974’s Andy Nogger. Both releases highlighted exotic rhythms and intricate exchanges between Hattler’s nimble bass lines and Wolbrandt’s guitar, with Pappert’s electronically treated alto sax frequently resembling almost any instrument except a saxophone. Pappert’s dynamic range allowed him to dominate certain tracks while receding on others, and each album also contained Wolbrandt’s distinctive vocal contributions—impressionistic lyrics delivered through a mix of singing, speaking, growling, and yelping—though these passages remained few and brief.
The band reached a peak in 1974 with the two-record live set taped in Berlin by veteran engineer Conny Plank. Earlier material benefited from the group’s increased confidence and skill, and Hattler’s bass emerged as the lead voice on many selections, showcasing lightning runs and chordal work that rank among his finest. The stellar interplay drew a far wider audience, and the 1975 Sounds poll subsequently named Kraan Best Live Act, Hattler Best Instrumentalist, and Kraan Live Best Album. To support the release, the quartet added keyboardist Ingo Bischof, formerly of the symphonic rock band Karthago, and embarked on an intensive touring schedule. Bischof’s presence proved uneven on the next studio album, Let It Out, whose stronger tracks were undercut by excessive electronic effects and one piece consisting solely of nearly five minutes of echoing chants over heavily processed keyboards. Although the experimental spirit echoed the band’s earliest phase, it clashed with audience expectations; despite solid sales and some fan goodwill toward the new lineup, critics responded harshly. The negative coverage disheartened the members, prompting Bischof’s departure soon after release and, six months later, Pappert’s exit for a solo career—losses that cast doubt on the group’s future.
The remaining musicians persisted, yet the chemistry shifted permanently and never recovered its prior intensity. Bischof rejoined in time for the 1977 album Wiederhoren, a restrained effort containing flashes of brilliance but signaling a move toward softer, less densely arranged material. He also participated in the year-end recording of Hattler’s solo project Bassball alongside the rest of the current Kraan lineup. While many tracks suffered from Hattler’s vocals, which surpassed even Wolbrandt’s in awkwardness, the instrumental sections recaptured the old high-energy style complete with eccentric time signatures. Drummer Jan Friede departed shortly afterward and was replaced by Udo Dahmen. The revised lineup, now dominated by Bischof’s keyboards, adopted a more conventional jazz-rock approach that bore little resemblance to earlier work. Flyday, issued in 1979, displayed instrumental virtuosity yet struck many longtime listeners as overly mellow and keyboard-heavy. The subsequent live album Tournee, though competent, invited unfavorable comparisons to the more dynamic 1974 Berlin recording.
Nachtfahrt, released in 1982, further eroded the band’s standing by mixing reggae, dub, new wave, and pop elements with their established sound, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction. After the group disbanded, a reduced version featuring only Hattler and Bischof from prior lineups issued an unchallenging jazz album the following year. Wolbrandt, Hattler, and Friede soon reunited, enlisted trumpeter Joo Kraus, and documented their return with the live album Kraan 88. Subsequent releases have remained competent yet uninspired, failing to recapture the vitality of the band’s initial period. Hattler issued another solo outing, No Eats Yes, in 2000, and the full band recorded a further live set that appeared the same year as Kraan 2001.
Albums
