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The Cosmic Jokers - Sci-Fi Party CD (album) cover

SCI-FI PARTY

The Cosmic Jokers

Krautrock


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loserboy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Ladies and gentlemen... Our next stop will be the to visit the "Sci Fi Party" on route through the cosmos of our minds. "Sci Fi Party" was another chapter in the cosmic music voyage from the collaborative forces of Germany's Schulze, Gottsching, Grofkopf, Dollase and Dierks. This is progressive space like you have never heard before and for those who are familiar with the "Galactic Supermarket" will know just what I mean. Juxtpose Gottsching's guitar expressions with the space keyboard talents of Klaus Schulze and fellow cosmonauts and you have a recipe for space travel. Ever since I found "Galactic Supermarket" I have been addicted to the music of the COSMIC JOKERS discovering their musical genius. "Sci-Fi Party" is a wonderful headphone experience for those late night cold winter evenings alone in your upper flat. Also the cosmic musical theme established on their first album is once again re-introduced to sustain the continuity of their cosmic musical story line. Creative and highly imaginative...!

Report this review (#28816)
Posted Friday, March 19, 2004 | Review Permalink
philippe
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This album is a compilation from different Cosmic Jokers' musical sessions, here recorded for shorter tracks. Supervised by the producer Rolf Ulrich Kaiser, the exclusive owner of the CJ's project, the music is made of totally freaky, acid, hypnotic guitar / synth experiences. Manuel Gottsching's unique spacey and bluesy guitar style is punctuated by sudden cosmic, weird electronic sounds. The general climate is turned to improvisations and to a tasteful extensive essay of massive cosmic synth work (played by Mr Shulze). Conceptually orientated to acid test, this relevant, intergalactic music perfectly illustrated the statement.
Report this review (#38819)
Posted Friday, July 8, 2005 | Review Permalink
stefro
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A band in name only, kosmische krautrock supergroup The Cosmic Jokers was in actuality a studio-only affair constructed mainly by producer Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, who gathered in a stellar cast of early-1970's German musicians, a liberal dose of LSD, and proceeded to construct four albums worth of supremely trippy cosmic rock, all of which saw the light of day in 1974. The fourth to be released after 'The Cosmic Jokers', 'Galactic Supermarket' and 'Planeten Sit-In', 'Sci-Fi Party' featured former Tangerine Dream drummer Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Tempel's Manuel Gottsching and producer Dieter Dierks on bass, and is possibly, with the exception of the first self-titled album, The Jokers most adventurous release, featuring as it does a fairly-strong symphonic prog influence mashed into the psychedelic soundscapes. Klaus Schulze, who had by this time put down the drumsticks and started what would become a long and successful career as one of the early innovators of the electronic music scene, is the central figure on 'Sci-Fi Party', coating everything with dreamy synths and creating a collage of strange electronic sounds upon which all else hangs. Indeed, 'Sci-Fi Party' can be seen to be a precursor for Schulze's classic album 'Timewind', which was released in the same year, sealing Schulze's international reputation. His array of synthesized tricks unwinds across eight drifting tracks, creating a highly ambient dynamic that is only broken by the oddly up-temp guitar led kraut-rock of 'The Cosmic Jokers Meet South Philly Willy', which finds Manuel Gottsching taking turn and letting rip with some earthy-yet-intricate guitar riffs that almost bring to mind the likes of Family, Led Zeppelin and, most of all, early 'The Knife-era Genesis. The hint, of course, is in the blues-flecked title. The rest of 'Sci-Fi Party' shares much in common with it's two main protagonists burgeoning solo careers, with the soft, slowly-unfurling rhythms of Ash Ra Tempel more and more evident as the album progresses and Schulze's primal electronic sounds never far away. Their are bluesy hints of Grateful Dead-esque guitars - see the drowsy rocker 'Interplay Of Forces' - but for the most, this is an album that sticks closely to the psychedelic mantra of classic kosmische krautrock. Those who dig Ash Ra Tempel's 'Join Inn', Schulze's 'Irrlicht' or 'Timewind', or the ethnic- flavoured kosmische music of Yath Sidhra's 'A Meditation Mass', will to well to start investigating the strange and wonderful back catalogue of 'The Cosmic Jokers'. You cosmic kids out there will gte a trip out of this. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010
Report this review (#329171)
Posted Sunday, November 21, 2010 | Review Permalink
Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Five COSMIC JOKERS albums were released in 1974 with all the music coming from the sessions they had from February to May in 1973. An all-star lineup with ASH RA TEMPEL members Klause Schulze and Manual Gottsching along with WALLENSTEIN members Jurgen Dollase and Harald Groskopf. Dieter Dierks who recorded the music in his studio adds some bass, while Rosi Muller adds vocal expressions. Certainly the first two albums are the best in my opinion but this one is right there as well. It just took me a while to appreciate it because it's a little different with the shorter tracks and lots of spoken words, but once I got used to that i've been so impressed with this recording.This is a sci-fi party alright ! There certainly was some controvery associated with these albums as Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser released these albums without telling the musicians or giving them royalties. On the other hand these musicians knew they were being recorded, in fact that's why they were there for the love of music and drugs.

"Im Reich Der Magier" opens with drums, keys and other sounds but It settles down quickly. It's spacey with atmosphere. Male and female spoken words come in after 2 minutes and they echo at times.The sound gets fuller before 5 1/2 minutes. Nice.This is amazing as drums pound and Schulze does his thing on the synths. It blends into "Der Herrscher" then the sound changes. I love this track. Check out Gottsching on the guitar. So good. Male spoken words come and go. "The Cosmic Curriers Meet South Philly Willy" opens with piano and drums. Guitar before a minute as the sound kicks in. An excellent instrumental where Gottsching and the boys impress with a surprisingly symphonic track.

"Kinder Des Alls I" is "out there" with the electronics. Some drums and female vocals that echo. Check out Schulze sounding very much like he did on his solo albums. A very spacey ending that blends into "The Electronic Scene". Male spoken words then Rosi's words come in and echo.This is haunting and draped in atmosphere. "Kinder Des Alls II" features mellotron-like sounds throughout and it's simply breath-takingly beautiful. "Interplay Of Forces" is spacey to start as female spoken words arrive before a minute. Strummed guitar 3 1/2 minutes in as the mood brightens. Electric guitar comes in over top along with drums and bass. Nice. "Planeten Sit-In" opens with electronics. Drums join in and there's lots of atmosphere before 2 minutes. Piano before 2 1/2 minutes as the atmosphere fades out.

This is an incredible trip from the masters. A must for Krautrock fans and space cadets.

Report this review (#363819)
Posted Saturday, December 25, 2010 | Review Permalink
Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
1 stars If you got as far as this one in the Cosmic Jokers series then the story behind these releases must be well known. If not, feel free to focus your attention on their first two albums instead. But when it comes to this album there still seems to be some misunderstandings, and fans of the Cosmic Jokers should take extra care with this. In fact, this isn't a Cosmic Jokers album but a sampler containing previously released tracks from different bands on Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's record labels.

Im Reich Der Magier is simply Galactic Joke part III from the first Cosmic Jokers album, it has been given another title in an attempt to awaken your interest. There are some over-dubbed vocals added, some of those from producer Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser himself. They don't add anything. Also Kinder Des Alls I & II and Planeten Sit In were taken from previous Cosmic Jokers albums.

The remaining 15 minutes are from other bands, Der Herrscher from Walter Wegmuller, The Cosmic Couriers meet Philly Willy from Wallenstein, and Electronic Scene and Interplay of Forces from Ash Ra Tempel's Seven Up and Starring Rossi.

Without mentioning so, this is a compilation of previously available material from different bands, released under the Cosmic Jokers name in order to generate sales. It has deliberately altered track titles and unneeded overdubs and remixes. Really, this time Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser was not only cheating his musicians but also every fan buying this album. I don't think I've ever seen a clearer definition of a total rip-off.

Report this review (#372620)
Posted Tuesday, January 4, 2011 | Review Permalink
Dobermensch
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars Strangely disturbing faces gaze out from the sleeve at me as I try to think of some words of wisdom to put down whilst listening to this 'Kosmische' album. Sci-Fi Party is actually pretty good all round if you've not heard any of their other albums. If you have, then you'll realise quite quickly that this is basically a re-mix of their previous albums, hastily cobbled together for a quick buck. And therefore is pretty much a waste of time for fans.

The gang are all here - young Klaus Schulze with his 3 chords per minute keyboard notes, Old Harald pumps away uninhibited at his treated drums. Dieter Dierks competently produces and records despite his association with 'The Scorpions' and Manuel Göttsching as ever, twangs those guitar strings as he did ever so well with "Ashra Tempel".

The good thing here, as on all Cosmic Joker albums is that literally everything is put through some weird effect unit creating a sound unlike anything around at the time. This is where the 'Kosmische' moniker originates.

The bad thing is that it's all been heard before on their far superior self titled album and 'Galactic Supermarket'.

So do yourself a favour, seek out the aforementioned and give this one a miss. This is a cash cow.

Report this review (#1381230)
Posted Thursday, March 12, 2015 | Review Permalink

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