Ash Ra Tempel

Ash Ra Tempel was a German krautrock group active from 1970 to 1976. It was Manuel Göttsching's first prominent musical output. Ash Ra Tempel featured revolving members, with only Göttsching remaining constant. Eventually, Göttsching retired the use of the Ash Ra Tempel name after he became the sole remaining member. His first solo album Inventions for Electric Guitar was the last album to bear the Ash Ra Tempel name. It was subtitled "Ash Ra Tempel VI" functioning as the sixth and final album. Göttsching later began using the name Ashra for his solo output as an homage to his former group. Ashra eventually evolved into a full band and continued along with Göttsching until 1998.

History

The group was founded by guitarist Manuel Göttsching, keyboardist/drummer Klaus Schulze, and bassist Hartmut Enke in 1971. All three founding members had previously played together as part of the short-lived group Eruption founded by Conrad Schnitzler. Prior to that Schnitzler and Schulze had worked together in Tangerine Dream.

A short-lived project Manuel Göttsching had in 1970 was the Steeple Chase Blues Band, which also included Hartmut Enke, Wolfgang Müller, and Volker Zibell.

Ash Ra Tempel released its self-titled debut album in June 1971. This release is considered by critics to be a classic of the genre; Schulze temporarily departed for a solo career shortly after its release. Schwingungen (1972), Seven Up (with Timothy Leary) (1972), and Join Inn (1973) are all considered key works from the band. The pop-oriented 1973 album Starring Rosi was thus named because it featured lead vocals by Rosi Mueller.

A reunion concert performance with the original line-up took place in Cologne on February 28, 1973.^[1]

Later, after recording the soundtrack Le Berceau de Cristal (1975; unreleased until 1993) Ash Ra Tempel shortened its name to Ashra, making a more melodic, synthesizer-based music. In 2000 the band was reunited in the line-up of Manuel Gottsching and Klaus Schulze. The pair had previously worked together on Schulze's album In Blue.

Musical style and influence

Early work by Ash Ra Tempel had a psychedelic rock sound. The band's later music shifted to electronic and acoustic ambience, described as cosmic and atmospheric.^[2] The band was influential in the development of ambient music, as heard in albums such as Le Berceau de Cristal, Inventions for Electric Guitar and New Age of Earth.^[3]

Ash Ra Tempel exerted a relatively large influence on later space rock, krautrock, electronic and ambient music. The psychedelic bands Acid Mothers Temple and Hash Jar Tempo named themselves in reference to Ash Ra Tempel. The experimental rock ensemble Al Berkowitz covered Light: look at your sun, from Schwingungen, and featured it on their live album Apprenticeship and attitude (2009).^[4] Hungarian psychedelic hardcore, 'shaman punk' band Galloping Coroners also said that they were influenced by Ash Ra Tempel in the late 1970s.^[5]

Members

• Manuel Göttsching – guitars, synthesisers, vocals (1971–1976, 2000–2001)
• Hartmut Enke – bass, guitars, synthesisers (1971–1973; died 2005)
• Klaus Schulze – drums, synthesisers, vocals (1971, 1972–1973, 2000–2001)
• Wolfgang Müller – drums, percussion (1972)
• Rosi Müller – vocals (1973–1976)

Discography

See also

• List of ambient music artists

References

External links

• Official website
• Unsung: Ash Ra Tempel
• Myspace
• The Making Of Seven Up from April 2003 issue of Mojo magazine:
• "Ash Ra Tempel". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2010-03-25.