THE COSMIC JOKERS

For one year only a super-group of kosmo-kraut, space-addicts, sound-pioneers, electronic-rock (marginal) artists and coup experimentalists joins in a project lead by the mastering of Dieter Dierks. After many transformations (within previous years), the ensembles gets the lofty, but characterizing name of Cosmic Jokers and sets up in a reunion mass composition like only Kluster did, back in 1971, by releasing three monumental albums, then "demising" into oblivion.

The quintet (for now, given this debut) that reunites under the spell of Cosmic Jokers is essentially made of pioneers, eclectic musicians, intrinsic personalities, grave explorers of their music and fascinated numb spirits (in an ethereal mix of perspective and dissolution), all five having their own illustrious movements of electronic, krautrock, acid bangle, psychedelic atrophy or noise melody resemblance: in no order of preference. For Klaus Schulze and Manuel Göttsching, this is a project most comfortable, as the best music from Ash Ra Tempel resembled the same damnation of sound and vivid exploration (and even did that about three years before this one, the debut of their band being an absolute masterpiece - or a landing project in all the mix I've already described). Harlad Großkopf, as drummer of very good value, sticks around the major kraut/electro movement, or gets similar invitations into similar imposable recordings. Jürgen Dollase, to my own shame, is an artist I know less, but his industrial space ethic gets good signs each classic time.

Cosmic Jokers is an impression of monumental work, composition and experimentation, on high grounds that only some of the most bizarre, adjacent and frightening gloats of the psychedelic, acid rock and void cosmic art can show. It will be the exactly the same monumental work and musicianship that will produce, later that year, some horrible and inexquisite loss of value; but, for the moment, two albums, wearing the same characteristic, make the project more than worthwhile. And the angered taste of this experiment is downright fantastic.

Going back to the most fruitful and out of ordinary experiments the krautrock fascination, along with some first signs of electronic distortion, have shown, from the machinelike spiritualists of Kluster to the less improving, but totally cosmic-ruptured tough works made by the various group that formed, between 1970-1973, Tangerine Dream, to Ash Ra Tempel and it's loose-art of deep, sedative and scorched sound rock, finally Cosmic Jokers come around the last best sad and assaultive magicians of this genre, maybe out of pure luck of experimental and grouch music substance, maybe out of a classic feeling that's never lost; only needs to be taken as most artistic, mindblowing and a bit lunatic, aggressive, hippy-marooned. For a good reason, the technicality of this band is replaced by the expression and the large consumption of strong inspiration, vision and ascension. Without a specific cult in mind, both the krautrock sustenances and the electronic precarious clear light for the entire insoluble great taste of Cosmic Jokers and, most specifically, of Cosmic Jokers. I myself think of this band in relation to Klaus Schulze, though himself just exists his great movement of mechanical, cosmic and sound-swaring creak-beliefs - it's just another way of seeing 1974 and this reunion of Cosmic Jokers.

Cosmic Jokers breaks away art, noise and shattering illusions, at the full indication of visions, intentionally harmful explorations, dark desolated experiences through the mechanical, traditional or expressive brightness of the rock, or even some doom-treated God-less points of alienating surround. But, in fact, it's more abstract, psychedelic-trendy, chemical and drastic, in bases of kraut and mind-feed. Cosmic Joy is quintessential, because of its lack of melody, true orientation, good moods and clear samples; it's an entire cosmic, toroidal collapse of brutal organs, lapse and loops, acidness and decorousness, plus it pulls a bit the technicality of the ascetic movement, though it has no tribal or shamanic chants. Galactic Joke is up front the kraut rock taste. It's main difference goes into beat, dark rhythm and space-exploding guitar improvisations by Gottsching. Small experiments become a heavy ambulatory experience, down the path of voyages and frantic sound changes.

A long, deep, tough and mordant composition and experience, more impressive as a passion and a force samlung then a bickering state of neurosis and over-pumping greasy sounds. Given the detail of reunion and fabulous musicianship, this is close to all the significant attractions and distractions krautrock, underground developed electronic, sound and noise music, from the psychedelic and rock-blow origins, has been done, masterfully. Cosmic Jokers start losing their grip soon enough, so profit from the best recommendation it has fleshed out, this Cosmic Jokers.