ardo dombec

• Format: CD, album reissue, expanded edition, stereo
• Bonus Material: Four rare recordings, including two tracks from the Heavy Christmas compilation and two songs prepared for an unreleased Pilz single
• Packaging: Jewel case with an extensive illustrated booklet featuring band information and a detailed history of the Pilz label

Ardo Dombec were a short-lived progressive and jazz-rock group formed in Hamburg in 1970. Their only album was released the following year by the legendary Pilz label, whose catalogue was otherwise known primarily for psychedelic, folk-oriented and cosmic German rock. The band’s intricate rhythms, prominent saxophone and forceful blues influence gave the record a markedly different character.

Helmut Hachmann’s saxophone and flute frequently occupy the lead position, working alongside Harald Gleu’s electric guitar, harmonica and vocals. Michael Ufer’s agile bass playing and Wolfgang Spillner’s driving drums create a flexible foundation that allows the music to move between tightly arranged songs and more open instrumental passages.

“Spectaculum” introduces the group’s mixture of muscular guitar, saxophone and shifting jazz-influenced rhythms. “Supper Time” and “A Bit Near The Knuckle” combine direct rock songwriting with unusual changes of tempo, while the extended “Clean-Up Sunday” develops through bluesy guitar passages and animated exchanges between saxophone and flute.

“Downtown-Paradise-Lost” is one of the album’s most ambitious pieces, balancing melodic vocal sections with progressive instrumental development. After the deliberately brief six-second interruption “Oh, Sorry,” the band returns to its dense jazz-rock sound on “108.” The closing “Unchangeable Things?!” moves between heavy guitar, expressive saxophone and a more reflective melodic theme.

This expanded Garden of Delights edition adds four recordings from the same period. “Heavenly Rose” and “Open The Door, Open Your Mind” were originally released on the 1971 Pilz compilation Heavy Christmas. “Young And Strong” and “Riverside” were recorded for a planned Pilz single that was never issued, completing the surviving recorded output of the group.

Track Listing

1. Spectaculum – 4:02
2. Supper Time – 3:19
3. A Bit Near The Knuckle – 4:32
4. Clean-Up Sunday – 6:50
5. Downtown-Paradise-Lost – 5:52
6. Oh, Sorry – 0:06
7. 108 – 4:36
8. Unchangeable Things?! – 5:58
9. Heavenly Rose – 3:54 – bonus track
10. Open The Door, Open Your Mind – 2:11 – bonus track
11. Young And Strong – 3:15 – bonus track
12. Riverside – 4:15 – bonus track