WALKIN' THE DESERT

Manuel Gottsching and Lutz Ulbrich combined talents in 1989 writing and performing live most of the music contained on this CD for Berlin's E-88 World Cultural Festival. On June 4th, 1988 this music was performed live at Berlin's Planetarium and finally we are able to hear the studio output created for this show. ASHRA combine multilayered guitars, keyboards, and sampled sounds producing a rich yet mesmerizing soundscapes. In the progressive tradition, "Walkin The Desert" experiments with a numerical mix of instrumentation used... ie. "1st Movement" uses only 2 keyboards, "2nd Movement" 6 voices, "3rd movement" 4 guitars, "4th movement" 12 samples and finally the last track "Dessert" employing 8 tracks. The powerful result is a startling, yet faintly familiar sound made up of arid keyboards, charming crystalline sequences and finally, the resounding bent-sustain guitar notes that ASHRA fans have grown to worship. Incredibly since the rise in popularity of today's "Electronica", the music of ASHRA is being currently re-discovered by the youngsters. More than simply satisfying, "Walkin' The Desert" is a stunning example of ASHRA's creativity and represents another breathtaking chapter in the expanding music output for this band.