Cosmic Dreams at Play - Stoned Circus radio show - Free

(A)same (Ohr OMM 56 013) 1971
(B)"Schwingungen" (Ohr OMM 56 020) 1972
(C)"7 Up" (Kosmische Courier KK 58 001) 1972
(D)"Join Inn" (Ohr OMM 556 032) 1973
(E)"Starring Rosi" (Kosmische Musik KM 58 007) 1973
(F)"Inventions For Electric Guitar" (Kosmische Musik KM 58 015) 1973
(H)"New Age Of Earth" (Isadora ISA 9003) (F) 1976
(G)"Le Berceau De Cristal" (Spalax 14275) (CD-only, F) 1994
NB: 7 was available in France a year before the international release. The French release was credited to Ash Ra Tempel and had a
completely different fold-out cover. "Communication-Best of" (PDU PLD SQ 6074, 1976) is an Italian-only sampler with tracks and
extracts from 1-6.
The story of the embryonic Ash Ra Tempel started in Berlin 1967 when school friends Manuel
Gottsching and Hartmut Enke decided to form a blues band together. Gottsching had lessons in
classical guitar for five years, while Enke just was starting to play bass. Other youngsters drifted
in and out of the band, which was playing versions of then current pop hits for school parties, etc.
Already as a 15 year old boy, Gottsching was beginning to experiment with fuzz, wah-wah and
echo effects, in the wake of psychedelia. In an interview I did with him in December 1989,
Gottsching admitted that Pink Floyd's innovative experimentation was a huge influence at that
time. With Volker Zibell (harmonica) and Wolfgang Muller (drums), Enke & Gottsching
appeared live on German TV early in 1970 as Steeple Chase Blues Band. This formation was,
however, short-lived. Zibell now lives in Norway and has recorded with several Norwegian new
wave bands.
Enke & Gottsching studied experimental composition at avant-garde composer Thomas Kessler's
studio in Berlin. There they met another eager student named Klaus Schulze, who then played
drums as well as experimenting with strange tape loops and effects. He had just quit Tangerine
Dream, and they soon found out that they shared musical ideas. Together they formed the first
Ash Ra Tempel line-up in August 1970, and soon begun to play live.
Their self-titled first work was recorded early March 1971 (with the late Konrad Plank
engineering). It was released on Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's legendary Ohr label in a most beautiful
gimmick cover. The front side of it could be opened up in the middle (like the Dr. Z album
released on Vertigo the same year), symbolising a double temple door. This was designed by a
friend of the group that later also did the cover for Schwingungen. The first album included just
two extended tracks, sounding close to their raw and sometimes really WILD live shows at the
time. "Amboss" is a kind of teutonic "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" without the keyboards. It
starts off calm and soft, but gradually increases to a furious, fuzzy acid guitar nightmare.
"Traummaschine" is, in sharp contrast, a floating, dreamy track, just as the title implies. This
diversion between the first and second album sides became a trade mark for several later albums.
It was a highly impressive start. Their strength was their ability to make the most unearthly
sounds in the usually very limited guitar, bass and drums trio format.
In September 1971 Klaus Schulze decided to leave. His artistic ambitions far exceeded the task
of being just a drummer in the band. Six months later, Irrlicht would start off his impressive solo
career. Wolfgang Muller from the Steeple Chase Blues band took his place.
Ash Ra Tempel's second album
Schwingungen was released in the Summer of 1972. This is a
more structured work, but still very much based on long, instrumental improvisations. Side one
included vocals by John L., a previous member of Agitation Free. He was fired from this group