Search - Ash Ra Tempel :: Ash Ra Tempel

Psychedelic Rock German style

Junglies | Morrisville, NC United States | 04/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone who enjoys guitar bands especially those that play psychedelic rock must have a copy of this album in their collection.I first heard this through a friend of mine, ... shortly after it's UK debut. All at once I was deluged in this phenomenal album's sound. From the moment it starts off it transports you into another world and, thanks to the availablity of this album on CD it pretty much keeps you there. Although there are clear signs of the influence of Jimi Hendrix, Manuel Gotsching clearly is his own man, blending his superb guitar playing with electronic instruments to bring forth a veritable cascade of hallucinogenic sounds which predate those of Steve Hillage a few years later. This album can literally be played continuously for hours without inducing boredom into the listener. In a way this is the paramount drug band a path followed with great success by Spiritualized in our own day.One of the finest examples of so-called Krautrock ( for more information please read Julian Cope's book on the subject) this for me is the high water mark of Ash Ra Tempel's career, closely followed by Seven Up.For those of you in the audience who seek a return to those time, try this out ..."

Incredible spacy Krautrock

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 04/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ash Ra Tempel's debut, originally released in 1971 on Ohr, same label that Tangerine Dream's earliest material was on, is highly regarded as one of the greatest Krautrock albums of all time, and I have no argument about that. The original LP is said to have a gimmick cover like ELP's Brain Salad Surgery. This is the original Ash Ra Tempel with Manuel Göttsching, Hartmut Enke, and Klaus Schulze. There are only two side length cuts, both totally opposite of each other. "Amboss" is a mindblowingly intense guitar jam that reminds me a whole lot of Tangerine Dream's Electronic Meditation during their most intense moments (no surprise since Klaus Schulze was on that TD album before coming to Ash Ra Tempel). Side two consists of "Traummaschine", German for "Dream Machine", and as the name suggests, it's a rather slow, dreamy, spacy ambient piece that just simply blows me away. Rather creepy feel to it. Göttsching's guitar peeks from time to time on this piece, but overall, this is the opposite of "Amboss". Unfortunately Ash Ra Tempel had serious troubles keeping a stable lineup (they even once had Timothy Leary, of all people in their lineup at one point), as this lineup would not record until three albums later in 1973 with Join Inn. There are many out there who regard Ash Ra Tempel's debut as their favorites, and deservedly so, so that means if you like early '70s space rock, you can't go without this album."

Brilliant debut

Sean M. Kelly | Portland, Oregon United States | 04/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After leaving the first real lineup of Tangerine Dream ("Electronic Meditation" being their God-given toast to the world), drummer/synth guru Klaus Schulze hooked up with guitarist Manuel Gottsching and eccentric bassist Hartmut Enke to form what would become the most cosmic and powerful trio Germany ever produced- Ash Ra Tempel. Their self-titled debut lp is simply one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard. Like future Tempel works, there would be only 2 songs on the lp- a crunching rocker called "Amboss," (German for "anvil", which perfectly describes the tune), and a more ambient synth work called "Traummaschine.""Amboss" is indeed the anvil of God, complete with Schulze's powerful drumming, propelling the 20 minute piece to dizzying heights, Enke's understated bass holding the piece together, if barely... and then there is Gottsching's blistering guitar antics. His use of wah wah pedals, fuzz techniques, and more than several moments of uncontrolled feedback made the cosmic tune that much more cosmic. His guitar style, while much more fluid, is akin to that of Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi- that hard, crunching, fuzzed out style... the 3 men are very much in sync on this number, with Schulze disctating the pace and thrashing his drums for almost 15 of the 20 minutes of the song. The last 3 minutes are a menage of feedback, flailing drums, and riveting bass that makes the abrupt end of the track almost anti-climatic.. In concert, the 3 men allegedly played this piece for over 2 hours- and never looked at each other one time during its performance!! Now THAT'S cosmic!"Traummaschine" foreshadows Schulze's "Irrlicht" and "Cyborg" solo lps, complete with wonderful synth and mellotron work. The piece is much more relaxed (good for the listener, who needs a break after "Amboss") and easily more cosmic in some ways- a great track to roll up a joint to and relax... At 26 minutes, it gets a bit tedious, but Gottsching's guitar keeps the flow moving. A delight.Ash Ra Tempel would never reach these dizzying heights again, try as they may. Schulze would leave as their 2nd lp, the underrated "Schwinungen," was being worked on, then would return for "Join Inn," the original trio's final lp. Schulze to this day is the master of the moog synth, Gottsching still records under the Ashra moniker- new age synth music..and Enke?..well, no one is quite sure..his prodigious LSD intake led him to quit music and the world in general...an all too sad but realistic account of how drugs can change a musician...Still, this debut lp is worth finding at any cost..a powerful performance of the highest calibre."