Draft:Spells and Daubs

Spells and Daubs is a studio album by electronic music group Kreidler. It was released by German record label Bureau B on January 28, 2022 on cd, vinyl, limited double vinyl, and digitally.

Background and release
The album was recorded and produced in Düsseldorf at Kabawil, in Hilden at Uhrwerk Orange and in Berlin at Paulick Saal and 13 Floor Elevator between 2020 and 2021. And mixed by Peter Walsh in London. Three digital singles were released in the run-up to the album: Arise Above on November 5, 2021, Arena on December 17, 2011, and Revery on January 28, 2022, the latter with a video.

Dinked edition
An alternative edition of 300 of the vinyl album was released in the UK on January 21. It came with an additional 12" EP with three songs featuring Eric D. Clark as guest vocalist, and alternative artwork.

Artwork
The album artwork is by Heinz Emigholz. A selection of black-and-white drawings from his series The Basis of Make-Up on cover, inner sleeve and in the cd- booklet.

Critical reception
Boomkat labeled the album an "outstanding beatdown slink from Düsseldorf's artful, rhythm-driven minimalists", and continued "...they beautifully home in on the rhythmelodic impetus that was morphed in translation from US soul into english synth-pop circa the early ‘80s; juicing its essence into sleek instrumental forms that have been polished to a tip-of-tongue shimmer by Peter Walsh..." Paul Simpson of Allmusic wrote: "Kreidler's 12th (or so) studio album is their most concise, focused effort in decades, if not their entire career." Truck added "Legends in their scene, Kreidler fuse intricately produced electronic elements with organic instrumentation, resulting in a driving sound reminiscent of later era Kraftwerk, but with perfectly crafted pop structures."

While the fretless bass playing reminded some reviewers of Mick Karn of Japan: "coolly underlined by the presence of slippery, fretless Mick Karn-style basslines that thread from a Timba-meets-Japan arabesque 'Toys I Never Sell' to the balmy bliss of 'Revery' (Boomkat). "Revery is a middle of the night waking dreamscape with a slow pulse and sinuous bass textures conjuring up visions of China in the mist." (whisperinandhollerin) "In the elegant, almost lounge-like successions of "Unframed Drawings" peep some glimpses of the seminal technique handed down to posterity by the late Mick Karn and his bass." (Ondarock) "Toys I Never Sell Sell recalls the activities of Jansen, Barbieri and Karn." (Artnoir).

The album reached in February 2022 place 38 in the Official Record Store Chart.

Track listing
Credits adapted from ''Discogs.

Personnel
Credits adapted from Discogs and official album page.

Kreidler
 * Thomas Klein
 * Alexander Paulick
 * Andreas Reihse

Recorded at
 * Kabawil Düsseldorf
 * Paulick Saal Berlin
 * Uhrwald Orange Hilden
 * 13 Floor Elevator Berlin

Technical
 * Peter Walsh, mix, spatial soundscaping and additional production, at e2immersive London
 * Mike Grinser, mastering and vinyl cut, Manmade Mastering Berlin
 * Heinz Emigholz, drawings