Mammut -

Mammut was a German Krautorck band that made an album in 1971 on Mouse Trick Track Music.

Members: Klaus “Ede” Schnur (guitar, vocals), Peter “Mammut” Schnur (guitar, vocals), Rainer Hoffmann (piano, organ), Tilo Hermann (bass, flute, vocals), Günter Saier (drums, percussion)

Inception

Mammut sprung from Those, a Villingen psych combo with organist Rainer Hoffmann and bassist Tilo Herrmann.

Mammut

Mammut released their self-titled album in 1971 on Mouse Trick Track Music, a subsidiary of MPS.

The music unfolds in extended instrumental sections shaped by interlocking solos and abrupt transitions, centered on exchanges between guitarist Peter Schnur and keyboardist Rainer Hoffmann, with Klaus Schnur contributing rhythm and second lead parts. Bassist–flutist Tilo Herrmann and drummer Günter Seier ground the ensemble’s abrupt meter shifts and tonal pivots, shifting between low-end density and loose rhythmic suspension.

Mammut opens with “Bird Mammut,” a rhythm-driven piece that layers rapid bongo clusters beneath flute lines and falsetto interjections, alternating with terse rock stabs. “Classical Mammut” resets the pace with a short piano etude, which clears the way for the more volatile “Mammut Ecstasy,” built on syncopated keyboard–guitar interplay over clattering ride-heavy drums. “Footmachine Mammut” blends background chatter and tambourine with a blues-toned solo that cuts diagonally through the mix.

“Shizoyd Mammut” juxtaposes deadpan verses and disjointed vocal pairings with staggered transitions and a midsection breakdown that veers into near-chaos. “Nähgarn Mammut” steadies the energy with contoured guitar phrases, crisp organ accents, and sudden rhythmic pivots that expose each player’s line before reuniting. “Mammut Opera” acts as the album’s structural centerpiece—initially centered on rigid backbeat figures, it fragments midway into open sections where flute and guitar alternate control in long-form escalation. Across the set, the drumkit maintains a percussive fulcrum for contrasting gestures: manic riffing, circular keys, and short-lived vocal digressions.

A1. “Bird Mammut” (4:00)
A2. “Classical Mammut” (1:05)
A3. “Mammut Ecstasy” (4:30)
A4. “Footmachine Mammut” (3:05)
A5. “Short Mammut” (1:45)
A6. “Shizoyd Mammut” (3:15)

B1. “Nähgarn Mammut” (5:57)
B2. “Mammut Opera” (13:00)

Mammut recorded the album at MPS-Studio in Villingen under the supervision of producer and engineer A. Kienzler for Mouse Music. The pressing took place at Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, with packaging printed by Johannes Alt and distribution handled by Motofonic GmbH.

Discography: