STARRING ROSI

Ash Ra Tempel's 4th album is a very uneven album that will hardly be missed by anyone but ardent fans. Ash Ra Tempel toned down their experimental urges in both form and sound. In stead of side-long tracks we get 7 short compositions, instead of sonic exploration we get a fairly standard Kraut rock sound with dry drum and bass and spacey guitar.

I'm not a huge fan of the bossa nova styled world beat of Laughter Loving. That kind of fusion was still rather young around those days so it gets some points for innovation, but it's simply not my thing. Day-Dream is more to my liking, soothing, hazy and dreamy, a light whispering male voice echoes spoken words by a Rosi's girlish voice. Bluesy acoustic strumming and lead guitars provide for the required droning ambience. Beautiful.

Schizo is like a 3 minute excerpt from the side long ambient improvisations from earlier albums. Wonderful eerie piece. Cosmic Tango is the entire opposite again, it's down to earth and quite a silly take on Latin rhythms again. Interplay of Forces is a rather uninspired space-kraut jam with chaotic percussion and predictable guitar work.

The album ends with two great short pieces. The Fairy Dance is dreamily romantic and pastoral (Water's Julia Dream anyone?). Nice theme for your Sunday afternoon film classic. Bring Me Up sounds like the moody funk bits Can would start doing from Landed onwards. Ash Ra Tempel beat them to it apparently. It's the only track where the mix of Kraut psychedelics with Latin rhythms actually works for me. The vocals at the end almost make it into a Santana song. Great tune to dance to!

An uneven album with only 16 minutes that are really great. But nothing is really awful neither.

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