THE PRIVATE TAPES VOL. 6

The Private Tapes of Ash Ra Temple/Ashra/Göttsching close on six volumes and an intensively endeavored music material, assigning the krautrock or the electronic, the improvisation or the long analogy thought, the cluster or the unbreakable spirit.And every piece or musical chronic gets the "last but not least", "essential, but not solely", "brave, but never conspicuous" tensions, as to be artistic, profound, didactic, evanescent and gleefully present in the chronicles. Volume 6 spirits late 70s Ashra, in a short term, and an opposite Ash Ra Tempel (with tangency though on Göttsching), upon the first golden years and a most long composition ever so recorded. Intriguing and brandly recommended. As for the details:

The first part, going succinctly and merrily dedicated to the Ashra ensemble, is something I would call tired, but nice music, of a creative sort. Outside the very condensed pictogram, there is a sort of filling in the blind spot and the full minutes of effects, given that this easy roundabout tangles the contrasting epics and large compositions, generally but also in this album. The Ashra touch, most sincerely, received the lowest attention around the Private Tapes and the most sporadic cream top as well, so that to feel how these pieces, specifically, are a real flavor, matching the entire orientation and good taste; even more patiently, the touch is simply evoking the fascination of more concrete and simple music, in more distilled spoils. Here we do have, just as well, a "cleared breath" low sugar set of Ashra improvisations, mix of melodies and soft tunes, passionate rhythms and fragrances, plus different kinds of an e-motion that means little. Hausaufgabe sounds deep and shady, with full interventions of unreal sequencing, or with the loop taste in coloring the nerves of a closed circuit. Two more pieces get into a live streak ambiance. Ice Train was released properly at its time, so the only thing to say as "new" and "mentionable" about it is perhaps a more upbraid pulse, plus Phantasus makes the groove of it a pleasant constant libell. To say Ashra doesn't, didn't or can't have pleased in its own adapted way and music, is equally cruel and tempting.

Respecting the epic, classic-time, lengthy improvisation/jam/suspense Ash Ra Tempel grand manners, Ein würdiger Abschluß is a piece to give you goosebumps or to need a great endeavor; but it fashionably adapts a serene improvisation with a long mix of tinged thoughts, more specifically being an easy bread to feed on a spirit, and finally being the only possible good choice of the special (or "specialized") volume; the 54 full-echapee minutes contain clever acid music, deep sense and a bit moronic texture. Dating 1971, it comes to the decision that it is Ash Ra Tempel in big haze; the trio, in its flawless nature, events this music, but not integrally, cause I feel it like a momentary genius composition, advanced play and sensible predilection from Göttsching specifically. 54 minutes are anyway a courageous long play, out of which, truthfully, come about two great moments and two more impeccably tainted styles: the ones of dark dynamics and the raw finale on guitar chops, making Göttsching sound like a Hendrix-virile krauter, plus the ones of hard notches and fluctuating deep incisions in the brand of already mastered contentions. So feel the entire passion of this big dipper lies in Göttsching, by composition, by deep beatless sound and nature harass, and by the guitaresque drills. The rest of the kraut can state the Ash Ra Tempel trio.

A sixth important sense in the private and the good to be recalled music of these personal volumes; perhaps, with all its surprise and pressures, this volume,separately, has the least emotion and adaptability in it, yet this would mean two stars for the general magic, boosted to three stars by a marathon Ash Ra improvisation (being basically the centric image of everything here and a great choice around all the expressions in the six volumes); to add general applauses for a compilation worthy of recognition and a music worthy for such a classic rant as Ash Ra Tempel (by its art collective, dark foam and intensively abraded wave liberty), Göttsching (by its constant mastering and promoting anxiety) and Ashra (by their slide slip) have challenged, managed to debacle, inspirited or collapsed over the 70s. A treating event, to its end.

First of all I want to thank Tom Hayes for the info on this particular volume and the whole set in general. "The Private Tapes" were released in 1996 as a 6 disc set of previously unreleased studio and live tracks that Manuel Gottsching was a part of over the years. Manuel is of course the guitar player extraordinaire for ASH RA TEMPEL, ASHRA, COSMIC JOKERS etc. Instead of doing this chronologically they distributed different live and studio tracks from 1973-1979 over these six volumes and then added one long live track of 24 minutes or more from either a 1971 or 1973 concert. This particular disc has three tracks from the late seventies by ASHRA then a 54 minute live bomb from ASH RA TEMPEL from 1971.

First up is "Hausaufgabe" a studio track from ASHRA from 1978. The lineup here and for the following two tracks as well consists of Gottsching (guitar / synths) Lutz Ulbritz (AGITATION FREE) (guitar / synths) and Harald Grosskopf (WALLENSTEIN) (drums / synths). This first track kicks in quickly to an uptempo soundscape with guitars out front. Synths then lead as moog throbs after 5 minutes. Great sound ! "Ice Train" is live from 1979 by AHRA once again. The drums lead early then we get some nice guitar work after 1 1/2 minutes and 4 1/2 minutes, but throughout really. "Phantasus" is another live track from ASHRA and again from 1979. This is catchy and surprisingly upbeat.

The final track is the 54 minute live "Ein Wurdiger Abschluss" from ASH RA TEMPEL in 1971. Gottsching on guitar, Schulze on drums and Enke on bass. The guitar almost jangles in and out as spacey sounds help out. It settles back before 3 minutes as it trips along. It's getting louder before 6 minutes as sounds echo. It's becoming intense before 10 minutes but not for long. It's spacey after 11 minutes then it builds again before 13 1/2 minutes. Intense 15 minutes in. A beat then takes over. A catchy rhythm before 20 minutes. The guitar goes from threatening to set fire to the soundscape to burning it down 26 minutes in. It settles back 33 minutes in then the guitar starts to become prominant again after 36 minutes. Intensity 38 minutes in. The drums become the focus then we get a calm 45 1/2 minutes in as the bass comes to the fore. It's building 47 1/2 minutes in as beautiful sounds pulse. Here we go ! The guitar is ripping it up !

The only reason I have this one is because of my Brother In Law but I wish I had the whole set. Maybe it will be re-issued one day but until then i'm quite happy with this release.