Amon Düül II were one of the wildest and most important bands in all of krautrock — a Munich collective born of a radical 1960s art commune, who turned communal chaos into some of the most thrilling psychedelic rock ever made. Across a run of albums from “Phallus Dei” (1969) to “Made in Germany” (1975), led by Chris Karrer and John Weinzierl and fronted by the extraordinary Renate Knaup, they were, with Can, founders of the whole German underground.

The short version

Formed in Munich in 1968 out of the Amon Düül commune, Amon Düül II were pioneers of krautrock, mixing free, tribal improvisation with structured psychedelic rock. Their early double albums “Yeti” (1970) and “Tanz der Lemminge” (1971) are cornerstones of the genre; later records like “Wolf City” (1972) show their more composed side. Wild, political and gloriously uninhibited, they remain among the most influential bands Germany produced.

Munich, 1968: out of the commune

Amon Düül began as an artistic and political commune in Munich — a group of students who made music partly to fund their communal life, with everyone joining in whether or not they could play. In 1968, around the Internationale Essener Songtage festival, the more musically ambitious members, wanting to make real records rather than endless free jams, split off to form a separate, more disciplined group. Keeping the name and adding “II” to set themselves apart, this band was led by guitarist and violinist Chris Karrer and guitarist John Weinzierl, with the powerful Renate Knaup on vocals, Falk Rogner on organ and drummer Peter Leopold among the core. The commune they came from was steeped in the radical politics of the day — some of its other members would go on to found the Red Army Faction — and that fierce, countercultural spirit ran through everything Amon Düül II did.

Wild, tribal, psychedelic

Amon Düül II made music of two halves. In their first, improvisational phase, they conjured long, free-form epics built on jagged, distorted guitars, droning violins, sitar and tribal percussion, topped by the ecstatic, wailing vocals of Renate Knaup — chaotic, hypnotic and utterly unlike conventional rock. Later they turned toward shorter, more structured songs, giving Knaup’s voice room to soar. Through it all ran a warm, almost folkloric “Bavarian soul” that set them apart from the cold, motorik precision of their Düsseldorf and Cologne contemporaries. Few bands captured the psychedelic, communal energy of the era so completely.

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From Phallus Dei to Made in Germany

Their debut, “Phallus Dei” (1969), drawn largely from their live set, was a wild, mostly improvised statement that helped lay the foundations of krautrock. The double album “Yeti” (1970) — better recorded and more varied, balancing structured songs like the beloved “Archangels Thunderbird” with epic improvisation, and wrapped in its famous grim-reaper cover — became a cornerstone of the genre and, championed by the DJ John Peel, broke the band in Britain. Another double, “Tanz der Lemminge” (1971), is for many the keystone of their catalogue, a sprawling, sci-fi-themed mix of song and free jamming. With “Carnival in Babylon” (1972) and the superb “Wolf City” (1972) the band moved into a more composed, song-based phase, Renate Knaup’s vocals now to the fore; “Vive la Trance” (1973) is often seen as the close of their classic era. “Hijack” (1974) and the pop-minded “Made in Germany” (1975) followed, pushing toward a brighter, more accessible sound.

Album by album

Eight albums tracing the band’s journey from communal chaos to structured psychedelia. Tap any title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

At their core Amon Düül II were Chris Karrer, John Weinzierl, Renate Knaup, Falk Rogner and Peter Leopold, around an ever-shifting cast of musicians. Early bassist Dave Anderson left to join Hawkwind, while Renate Knaup departed in 1974 to sing with Popol Vuh. As krautrock’s moment passed, the band’s fortunes faded; they carried on with changing line-ups into the early 1980s and reunited periodically from the 1990s. Drummer Peter Leopold died in 2006, and the band’s co-founder Chris Karrer in 2024 — but the music they made in their prime has never lost its power.

Where to start

Begin with “Yeti” (1970) — the double album that is both their most celebrated work and the perfect introduction, balancing wild improvisation with unforgettable songs. From there, “Tanz der Lemminge” (1971) offers their most ambitious sprawl, while “Wolf City” (1972) showcases their more composed, accessible side. Together they map one of the great catalogues in krautrock.

Why they still matter

Amon Düül II matter as founders of krautrock and as one of the most fearless bands of their age — a commune that turned itself into a rock group and, in doing so, helped invent a new kind of music. Wild, political, psychedelic and utterly their own, they influenced generations of experimental musicians and remain a touchstone for anyone drawn to the adventurous edge of rock. For all who love krautrock, they are essential — and very nearly where it all began.

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