Janus – Gravedigger Hybrid
In 1972, Janus released an album called “Gravedigger” on the EMI Electrola Harvest label. The band shared a roster with the likes of Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, ELO or Deep Purple, but they were something else entirely – a raw, untamed, boundary-pushing Krautrock band. But as much as the record captured the spirit of the era, it never quite captured the sheer power and chaos of their live sound. The studio, though cutting-edge for its time, wasn’t quite ready for a band like them – or the sheer volume they brought with them. In 2024, Janus guitarist Colin Orr decided it was time to revisit “Gravedigger”. Not just to remaster or remix it, but to reinvent it. Orr: “Using the original analogue tape recordings as a foundation, I stripped away much of the original instrumentation and rebuilt, in some cases rewrote or replaced parts of the tracks to reveal the raw essence we always intended. Playing these songs again after 50 years was an extraordinary experience. At times I was playing duets with my younger self. And here’s the truly surreal part: my daughters – born 18 years after the original album came out – lent their voices to these tracks. Together we bridged decades, generations and souls.”
“Gravedigger Hybrid” isn’t just about the past. It’s also a celebration of other Janus tracks that have meant something over the years. Janus has reimagined them, hybridized them, and breathed new life into them.
Tracklist:
- Gravedigger 09:52
- Suma Manatilly 03:39
- Bubbles 03:56
- Red Sun 08:57
- Watcha' Trying To Do 04:07
- I Wanna Scream 02:34
- I Don't Believe You 03:10
- I'm Moving On 03:16
- Cash Machine 04:16
- Great Uncle Joe 04:37
- Agnus Dei II 17:40
- Midnight In My Soul 03:20
- Desolation 06:57
- Old Friends 03:32
Total: 79:53 min.