Ash Ra Tempel (feat. Manuel Göttsching)
Inventions For Electric Guitar

LA RECENSIONE

Manuel Gottsching. One of the greatest guitarists of all time. Not an unnecessary "guitar hero", but an inventor, a great sound researcher. Thanks to his work, Ash Ra Tempel have written beautiful pages of krautrock, and his way of interpreting this instrument has inspired the entire post-psychedelic movement of the nineties, notably the New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery, who dedicated a project to him (Hash Jar Tempo). In short, Manuel Gottsching is a guitar genius and this "Inventions for Electric Guitar" is proof of it.

His first solo album from 1974, recorded in the midst of his activity with Ash Ra Tempel after Klaus Schulze's departure, is inspired by the cosmic suites of Tangerine Dream, but performed using only the guitar. Technically, the record is made by overdubbing parts and improvisations, using four-channel diffusion (who knows if the SACD will ever be released). Important details to fully appreciate the three long suites of the album. It starts with "Echo Waves" (17:45), a typical cosmic suite of the period, the rhythm is driven by a psychotic arpeggio similar to the introduction of "Another Brick in the Wall - Part I", and concludes with an epic rock solo, featuring a beautifully hyper-distorted guitar. "Quasarsphere" (6:34) is practically a new-age piece, perhaps coincidentally, but it appears very similar to the intro of "Shine You Crazy Diamond". The masterpiece of the album is the monumental "Pluralis" (21:36), dreamy and experimental, a delirium that leads to a trance.

With this album, Gottsching showcases his immense love for minimalism, evidently suppressed in Ash Ra Tempel. He fully manages to break away from the group, offering his very personal vision of the instrument he loves, thus becoming one of the most appreciated guitarists. Manuel Gottsching, not a virtuoso but a creative.