Holger Czukay – central member of Krautrock legends Can, and a pioneer of sample-based music in his own right – gives two 1980s solo works another spin. 

The two albums in question are 1984’s Der Osten Ist Rot and 1987’s Rome Remains Rome, which have been bundled together as a single release. Groenland Records’ reissue arrives as a 2×10″ package, and also comes with three new remix versions.

Der Osten Ist Rot sees Czukay’s roots in appropriative music and musique concrète – he trained under Stockhausen – come to the fore. Working with Conny Plank, Czukay uses an Emulator sampler to build messy, madcap collages, pairing lush orchestration with shredded radio broadcasts and ethnic loops. Rome Remains Rome is similarly sampledelic, and, infamously, features a sample of Pope John Paul II.

Der Osten Ist Rot / Rome Remains Rome drops on July 8. Czukay discussed the album in a vintage FACT interview back in 2009.

[via Exclaim]

Tracklisting:
1. Music in the Air *
2. Sudetenland *
3. Der Osten ist Rot *
4. Traum mal wieder
5. Blessed Easter
6. Esperanto Socialiste
7. Das Massenmedium
8. Schaue vertrauensvoll in die Zukunft
9. Rhoenrad
10. Michi

* previously unreleased remix version