The original Amon Düül saw its beginning in 1967 as an art commune in Munich, albeit one of a more socio-political nature than that of a musical group. Most of their recordings stem from two jam sessions recorded in 1968-69 and were mainly released posthumously, after 1969's Psychedelic Underground. Led by Chris Karrer, Amon Düül II formed in 1968 as a live band, featuring the more "musically proficient members" of the commune: Karrer, John Weinzierl, Falk-Ulrich Rogner, Renate Knaup, Peter Leopold and Dieter Serfas comprised the original lineup.

Again recording as A.R. & Machines, 1972 saw Achim Reichel release the ambitious double-album opus, Echo. He enlisted the services of Conny Plank as engineer and featured a host of guest musicians including Dicky Tarrach, Hans Lampe, Jochen Petersen and others. It’s an unprecedented set, a complete long-form take of the A.R. & Machines’ trip, and easily one of the most stunning albums of the “krautrock” era.