Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank got to know each other through their work on Cluster's 1971 album and remained close friends until Plank's death in 1987. They made a congenial pair as musicians, as amply demonstrated by their first album as a duo, Rastakraut Pasta, originally released on Sky Records in 1980. On this album, drums, electric guitars and bass are the cornerstones of every track; they provide the framework to which Moebius adds fresh color and life with his synthesizers. Thanks to the technical merits of Plank's studio, the keyboards sound barely distinguishable from one another. No samples -- strictly analog from start to finish. Holger Czukay (Can) plays bass on three pieces and his consummate professionalism sees his virtuosity finely-tuned to the concept of Moebius and Plank. Moebius has a predilection for surrealist cascades of noise, heard throughout the album, grotesque yet playful. An enigmatic form of pop music came into being on this LP, a breakneck, elegant mix of diverse elements: a touch of Krautrock, some avant-garde pop, new German electronica, even sporadic echoes of reggae. 180 gram vinyl LP housed in a printed inner sleeve with full-color photos and notes by Asmus Tietchens.
