When American bands take their queues from bygone Krautrock recordings, it’s quite common for them to take a lot of that inspiration from the analog-keyboard-based pioneers. For example, 21st-century artists like Jonas Reinhardt and Life Coach sound like they were spawned from the same DNA as seminal 20th-century groups like Neu! and Kraftwerk. But Planes of Satori are one of the few new Krautrock-inspired bands that lean harder on the guitar wizardry of yore.
The quartet describes its sound as “psychedelic Afro-Kraut.” Like their present-day contemporaries, they share an affinity for the nuanced flourishes birthed from rhythmic repetition. But Planes drummer Chris LaBreche can seamlessly segue from Can-inspired mantras to Ethiopian-flavored jazz grooves. Over this tectonically shifting foundation, 6-string luminary Raze Regal emits allocated bursts of lysergic, Uni-Vibed wah-wah leads.