Deluxe
Harmonia
- LP
- Label
- Brain, Grönland Records
Deluxe is the second album from the West German krautrock group Harmonia, consisting of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother and the Cluster duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. It was recorded in June 1975 in Harmonia's studio in Forst, Germany. It was first released on the Brain Records label in 1975.
For Deluxe, Harmonia worked with producer Conny Plank (who had previously worked with both their main projects Cluster and Neu!). He brought a 16-track recording machine and mixing desk to the band's country studio. Plank brought along drummer and Guru Guru member Mani Neumeier to perform on several tracks. Deluxe emphasized Rother's rock and pop sensibility over Cluster's more improvisational approach, which led to some creative tension between the members.
Ned Raggett's review for Allmusic describes the album as "a touch more immediate and song-oriented than its predecessor, but no less enchanting and lovely to hear," noting that "the motorik pulses and rhythms, however soft and subtle, still dominate the proceedings, while the glazed, warm feeling of the whole album is astounding."