{"product_id":"various-under-and-above-the-clouds-yacht-rock-grooves-from-germany-austria-1979-1991","title":"Various - Under And Above The Clouds (Yacht Rock Grooves From Germany \u0026 Austria 1979-1991)","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-V4OwrxdNUg?si=R_9Ul5OEcfAGTloZ\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\t\nWhen people think of Yacht Rock—those smooth, sun-drenched sounds that once drifted from Californian radio stations in the late ’70s and early ’80s—they rarely imagine it echoing through rehearsal rooms in Hamburg or Linz. Yet even far from the Pacific coastline, the appeal of shimmering chords, laid-back grooves, and polished production found fertile ground.\n\nThis compilation gathers rare and overlooked tracks from Germany and Austria. These artists embraced West Coast aesthetics with sincerity and subtle twists, resulting in music that feels both familiar and refreshingly new—smooth sounds for cloudy skies. So drop anchor, pour something cool, and enjoy this unexpected cruise through the lesser-charted waters of Euro Yacht Rock.\n\nOur journey begins in Austria, where Reflection’s Because (1981) set the tone with blue-eyed soul and analogue warmth—a sunlit blend of Doobie Brothers polish and local charm. Its creator, Dieter Heyduk, reappears with Austrian Sky, a heartfelt nod to his homeland that fuses mountain calm with oceanic longing.\n\nFrom the North Sea island of Föhr, Ara Pacis dreamed of California on their 1979 self-release To the Westcoast. Inspired by Steely Dan and Lake, they turned German rock precision into breezy, melodic sophistication. Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, Mainpoint fused funk and jazz-rock on Frisbee, their 1980 single bursting with rhythmic drive and optimism before the tide of the Neue Deutsche Welle swept such grooves aside.\nBremerhaven’s Nuages offered the compilation’s only instrumental gem, Strange Weekend (1985)—a gentle blend of jazz-funk and rock and largely lost to time. Its cool restraint captures the European interpretation of Californian ease.\n\nAround the same period, British traveler Gavin James recorded River of Laughter in southern Germany, backed by the blues-rock band Black Cat Bone. His acoustic reflections on water and flow mirrored the soft, meditative pulse at Yacht Rock’s core.\n\nBerlin’s Top Spin kept things playful with Bikin (1985), a funk-fusion snapshot of urban joy that showcased the city’s finest session players. From the Ruhr area, the Jan Pack Band is up next. While not a typical Yacht Rock track, Cable Dance is driven by an effortless, groovy '80s vibe.\nPeter Seiler’s Goldfinger project reimagined Walkin’ in the Sand as a relaxed reggae-tinged track, while Munich’s Major Seven closed the voyage with Silverboat, a wistful soft rock ballad gliding between melancholy and light.\n\nAcross these hidden harbors of German and Austrian pop, the West Coast dream took on new forms—reflected in rivers, skies, and studio lights half a world away from L.A. Under and Above the Clouds celebrates that spirit: the enduring pull of smooth music, wherever it’s made.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Tramp Records","offers":[{"title":"1LP Edition","offer_id":45191331708972,"sku":"TRLP9137","price":265.0,"currency_code":"HKD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0388\/0461\/9308\/files\/various-under-and-above-the-clouds-yacht-rock-grooves-from-germany-austria-1979-1991.jpg?v=1768192061","url":"https:\/\/whitenoiserecords.org\/products\/various-under-and-above-the-clouds-yacht-rock-grooves-from-germany-austria-1979-1991","provider":"WHITE NOISE RECORDS","version":"1.0","type":"link"}