ASH RA TEMPEL

For most of the Space Rockin' sounds of Hawkwind, Gong, Acid Mothers Temple, and the pioneers of Space Rock Pink Floyd, there was a band from Germany that took the genre of Krautrock into Space and time. The band is Ash Ra Tempel. Released in 1971 on the Krautrock label OHR, Ash Ra Tempel's self- titled debut album is a Stoner trip beyond Stoner albums. Formed in 1970, Klaus Schulze left Tangerine Dream after the release of TD's debut album Electronic Meditation to join up with Manuel Gottsching on Guitar and Hartmurt Enke on Gibson Bass to make this Power-driven atmospheric rumbling album that would make you think you are in a spaceship with them as they take you a universe they never took you before in your wildest dreams.

The opening 19-minute Hard-Rockin' Experimental opening of Amboss, a rumbling space metal of sorts with Manuel just hammering the guitar like crazy while Klaus is pounding the drums really fast and Hartmut on the Bass also as they take you into a world similar to a scene from the movie either 2001 : A Space Odyssey or the 1981 cult classic animated movie Heavy Metal. The timing and the build-up is absolutely brilliant because they weren't just sitting down and doing nothing they were taking a ride like no other and just going absolutely Bonkers!

The last track the 25-minute Tangerine Dream sound of Traummaschine (Dream Machine) is almost a piece of music almost cut from Electronic Meditation. Female vocals coming from heaven and vocalizing in a sinister way while Manuel and Klaus just go to Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite.

Space Rock meets Krautrock in a Prog Metal way in the early '70s? A good combination of light speed!