WIESBADEN 1973

This rather stupidly named instrumental Krautrock trio from Göttingen released their music only in a cassette form in their three years of activity in the early seventies, as they concentrated on playing live. Last year Garden Of Delights released this live performance as a CD, accompanied by a detailed group history etc. It's unusual to see an 82-minute CD - and all music divided in only two parts under the title 'Sternenmaskerade', Teils 1 und 2.

The nearest comparisons in my experience are the early TANGERINE DREAM and ASH RA TEMPEL. Unless you enjoy those too, I wouldn't recommend you this one, which seems to be very improvisational trip into cosmos. But as tiresome as it may be, it is not without some sort of beauty. Bernd Diesner's guitar has a melancholic and meditative flavour, and Karl-Heinz Keffer's bass succesfully increases the music's depth. The drummer Ulrich Masshoefer handles also the early EMS synthesizer; its bubbling and twittering sounds complete the sense of cosmic journey. But 82 minutes is definitely too much and too samey to a casual listener of Kosmische Musik. The latter half is better as it partly features Tim Belbe of XHOL [CARAVAN] on flute. This release is suitable for the most dedicated cosmic Krautrock fans, but for those it may indeed be worth purchasing. Lots of detailed information (in German and English) and pictures are included in the leaflet.