LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Electric Sandwich were formed in Bonn in 1967 and developed into one of the more distinctive names of the German underground rock scene. Their music combined progressive rock ambition with heavy psych, blues, jazz touches and a restless, improvisational energy that made them stand apart from more straightforward hard rock groups of the period.

The band began playing live in 1968, gradually shaping a sound built around guitar, saxophone, organ, Mellotron, bass and drums. A decisive moment came on 16 October 1971, when Electric Sandwich shared second place with Scorpions at a band competition. Their performance impressed strongly enough to bring them a deal with Metronome/Brain.

Recorded with Dieter Dierks and originally released at the end of 1972 on Brain 1018 with the olive-green label, Electric Sandwich has since become a classic item for collectors of Krautrock, heavy progressive rock and early-70s German underground sounds. The album’s appeal lies in its mixture of structured songwriting and loose, exploratory playing: sharp guitar, expressive saxophone, organ textures and a raw rhythm section all working inside a dark, driving atmosphere.

The opening China immediately shows the band at full power, stretching into a long, hypnotic piece where guitar and saxophone push the music forward. Devil’s Dream and Nervous Creek continue the album’s harder, moodier direction, while Side B brings shorter but equally characterful pieces such as It’s No Use To Run, I Want You, Archie’s Blues and Material Darkness.

After many unofficial vinyl appearances over the years, this Garden Of Delights edition presents the album again as a legitimate LP release, taken from the master tapes. The 2026 vinyl edition comes in a gatefold cover and includes a substantial 68-page booklet, making it a definitive collector’s edition of this important German progressive underground album.