Ash Ra Tempel by Ash Ra Tempel

Their sound is marked by very strong psychedelic and cosmic elements. The early albums, and thus this debut too, leaned toward psychedelic rock sounds and generally had one track per side: one more dramatic and forceful, the other more atmospheric in nature.

The band’s name comes from the union of Ash (ash), Ra (the Egyptian sun god) and Tempel (in German it means “temple”, and at the same time a place of rest for the group).

The first lineup was formed in 1970 in Berlin and consisted of Manuel Göttsching, Hartmut Enke and Klaus Schulze, who had just left Tangerine Dream after the album Electronic Meditation.

After this album, Schulze will leave the band to focus on his solo career (only to return for the release of the album Join Inn in 1973) and will be replaced by Wolfgang Müller, with whom Schwingungen is released in 1972.

There are no sung parts on the record (apart from a few wordless vocal passages in Traummachine). 

Two tracks, one per side, for a total of about 45 minutes.

Amboss is an outstanding guitar jam, slowly evolving with a pulsing sound that progressively expands, with the drums (by Schulze) laying down a hypnotic rhythm that intensifies.  The guitar solos are fantastic. In the middle section there’s lots of experimentation and then the guitar returns, wonderful, with its melodies.

Traummaschine (which means Dream Machine) is a ghostly, very ambient piece, with rare guitar incursions; this too is a great track, but for reasons opposite to the first. It starts with a bed of electronic sounds, almost unsettling and spacey. Beautiful percussion and the brief guitar part that breaks the atmosphere.  

The artwork is beautiful, now iconic, and became famous independently of the record for its beauty and unique style.

This is one of the greatest Kosmische Musik albums ever.

Manuel on guitar is exceptional, as are Schulze’s drums and percussion, which produce wonderful rhythms. A gem of spacey, psychedelic jamming, it’s a great start for anyone venturing into the world of Kosmische Musik. A masterpiece in its genre and a MUST for all fans of Space Rock and Kosmische Musik or, as it’s commonly called, Krautrock.

My Version

Label: MG.ART – MG.ART 611
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 50th Anniversary Edition
Country: Germany
Released: 29 Sep 2023

Tracklist

1. Amboss (19:40)

2. Traummaschine (25:24)

Length 45:04

Lineup

- Manuel Göttsching - guitar, electronics, vocals

- Hartmut Enke - bass

- Klaus Schulze - drums and percussion, electronics