Sixty Nine was an obscure German prog-rock band from Bad Kreuznach, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was formed in 1969 (hence presumably the name). Having emerged from a larger band, keyboardist, singer and guitarist Armin Stöwe and drummer Roland Schupp decided to continue as a duo after several line-up changes. Extensive live performances at the Giant Pop Festival in Würzburg, the Hard Rock Night in Saarbrücken and the Höxter Festival brought the two-man band Sixty Nine some recognition in 1972. As a result, they were offered a record deal by the major label Philips. The duo recorded their debut album, Circle Of The Crayfish, at Frankfurt’s Rhein-Main Studio in the autumn of 1972. It was released at the end of the year with a simple cover featuring a whirlpool with a crayfish in the centre, accompanied by a large poster.

The sound of the album is a varied mix of Stöwe’s keyboard-dominated hard-hitting and symphonic prog with exceptional synthesizer and Hammond organ interludes and occasional vocals, supported by Schupp’s powerful and technically accomplished drumming. However, their first LP received no attention whatsoever and the duo disbanded shortly afterwards after an unsuccessful live LP. The only studio album by this extraordinary two-man line-up is extremely rare in its original LP format with the accompanying poster and is a true gem for collectors of keyboard-heavy progressive rock.