LIVE AT MT. FUJI

Manuel Gottsching hasn't released as many albums in recent decades as he did earlier in his career but when he does release something new, it's always something special. Manuel's latest release was recorded live in Feburary 2006 during an excellent solo concert near Japan's Mount Fuji. Manuel performed the entire concert alone accompanied by stunning computer visuals by a Japanese graphic artist and he also dug into his back catalog coming up with new arrangements of classic material. The album opens with "Sunrain" which was originally from the 1976 classic "New Age of Earth". The familiar hypnotic sequencer pattern is already in place however on this new version, Manuel takes it in a slightly different direction and extends the piece to nearly 15-minutes. "Saint and Sinner" is a more recent piece which was originally heard on the 2004 release "Concert For Murnau". This laid back piece is taken a step up from its studio counterpart as Manuel adds a bluesy Clapton-esque guitar lead that wasn't there before. "Trunky Groove" is a brand new piece composed for this concert and is a showcase for the psychedelic music style that was the norm for Manuel back in his very early days in Ash Ra Tempel. A techno-style rhythm is accompanied by a long drone and intense orchestrations before giving way to an effects-drenched guitar solo. "Die Mulde" is a 20-minute excerpt from Manuel's long-form 1997 piece of the same name. It begins with the "Die Spiegel" section of the piece and shifts into the closing "Zerfluss" movement. As with "Saint and Sinner", Manuel adds a guitar lead which wasn't in the original version. Finally, to close the album, we have yet another arrangement of the classic "Shuttlecock" which originally is from the 1978 masterwork "Blackouts". The arrangement is similar to the 1976 live version that appeared on the 1996 CD set "The Private Tapes" but definitely has a modern twist. Manuel's guitar playing is up front and center here and is stellar - almost like taking a trip back to the mid 70s. "Live at Mt.Fuji" is yet another great CD release from the legendary Manuel Gottsching. There is some amazing music on this disc and every piece has some stellar shining moments. Manuel has definitely not lost any of his musical strengths in fact, he is playing better than ever now as he was then. This is definitely another solid addition to one's Gottsching and Ash Ra Tempel collection and is another classic gem from this pioneer.

First solo live release by Manuel Göttsching, "Live at Mt. Fuji" features two tracks from the first 70's ASHRA albums, two tracks from his 2000's recent albums and a new composition of 15 minutes.

"Sunrain" (from ASHRA's "New Age of Earth") is a bit deceiving. This interpretation sounds more cold and plastic, as if it was played in MIDI, whereas the original studio track possessed its own warm and human feel. The sonorities are not very adapted to the soothing ambiance of this classic electronic tune. Furthermore, this extended version is a bit too long. The slow "Saint & Sinner" (from Göttsching's "Concert for Murnau") is a curious choice for this live album. The languorous ambiance is however reinforced by Manuel's pretty cool guitar play.

"Trunky Groove" is a new piece composed for this concert. This previously unreleased track features more modern percussions and some nice sound effects. An enjoyable ambient tune, that sometimes reminds early THE ORB. "Die Mulde/Zerfluss" (from Göttsching's "Die Mulde") is a little more interesting this its studio version. First, it has fortunately been shortened to 20 minutes. Second, there are more variations than on the original, although the 90's cheesy sound effects remain. The rendition of "Shuttlecock" (from ASHRA's "Blackouts") is average as the electronic sequence is too present and thus tends to become slightly repetitive near the end.

As a live release from Manuel Göttsching, it is surprising not to hear any extract from his groundbreaking albums "Inventions for Electric Guitar" or "E2-E4". The chosen sonorities are sometimes cheap, which is a bit curious for such an electronic pionieer artist. To sum up, "Live at Mt. Fuji" is half ambient, half Göttsching-esque, not bad, but not great either.