GILLES ZEITSCHIFF

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Here is an other concept album around « acid test » and levels of consciousness by Rolf Ulrich Kaiser (the producer and invisible member of the Cosmic Jokers). The Kaiser reiterates the use of esoteric, drug inspired recitations already mentioned in his « Tarot » and « Lord Krishna Von Goloka » projects and give the job to his female partner Gille Letmann. The result is not as sensational as in the previous recordings but offers as usual a great dose of Cosmic / Psychedelic effects with the help of ancient Krautrockers. A Further exploration in synthesized/ acid rock based guitar sounding which provides a kind of cerebral climate. Not the most powerful album signed by the Kaiser but greatly significant for listeners who want to get in touch with the unique Germanic / Intergalactic rock music.

this is probably one of the worst Krautrock albums of all times (and believe me, I am a big fan of Krautrock, and I like the other albums of the Cosmic Jokers a lot). what's more, the lyrics are so childish and ridiiculous, building up a cult around acid-guru Timothy Leary (with whom the band was associated; he appears on Ash Ra Tempel's "Seven Up"). lines like "Tim bleibt in der Schweiz. Tim bleibt bei uns" ("Tim stays in Switzerland. Tim stays with us") really make one laugh in their naivety. as to the music: the Cosmic Jokers need side-long epics for their music to flow. the short tracks on this album are not something the band can shine in. an album which is a curiosity, but that's all. just goes to show the hype of Rolf Ulrich Kaiser and his marketing of "Cosmic Music"

In the start Ms. Gille Letman introduces the group over a cosmic soundscape and tells some wonderous stories for some time, after the concept album of short tracks emerge. The styles of the tracks vary from cosmic blues, short mellow scenes, acid rock and experimental drongings to celestial cosmic visions. But there are some factors here which reduce the listening pleasure quite much for me; The tracks building up the album sides are very short (unlike in the previous records), and the ideas do not evolve to the full potential but create a chaotic mix of emotional excerpts jumping from mood to another displeasingly. They work more like a background to the voices which are constantly narrating the album in Germany, and as I am not very good in German I do not understand much of it. There are some beautiful moments in the record, but the listener is in my opinion constantly disrupted and prevented from enjoying them. When compared to the other albums of this group which I have heard, this album was a disappointment, sounding little like a really stoned mix-up of Ash Ra Tempel's track's with Rosi's narration and their "Seven Up" album done with Timothy Leary.