Artist: Ash Ra Tempel Album: Schwingungen

Year: 1972
Duration: 38:30

Ash Ra Tempel's Schwingungen: A Music Genre Masterpiece

When it comes to music genres that transcend time and space, psychedelic rock is at the forefront of any conversation. And in the 1970s no one dominated that genre more than Ash Ra Tempel. With their blend of hypnotic guitar riffs, synthesizer sounds, and pulsating rhythms, Ash Ra Tempel created some of the most innovative works in the field. One of their best compositions is Schwingungen, a masterful album that showcases the band's creativity and experimentation. This post will provide a of the album, including a brief history of Ash Ra Tempel, the music genre of the album, the best songs of the album, the most innovative parts, and a critique of the album.
Ash Ra Tempel was a German progressive rock band formed in 1970 by guitarist Manuel Göttsching, along with Hartmut Enke and Klaus Schulze. Göttsching was only 20 years old at the time, yet his musicianship was already top-notch. As a trio they released their eponymous debut album, which was marked by long improvisational jams that blended rock and jazz elements. However, in the following years, the band underwent several lineup changes and experimented with different sounds, including electronic music.
Schwingungen, which translates to vibrations, was released in 1972 as the band's third album. It is considered one of the pioneering works of the krautrock genre, which emerged in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a reaction against the mainstream rock of the time. Krautrock fused elements of psychedelia, progressive rock, electronic music, jazz, and even classical music. Schwingungen showcases all of these influences and has been described as a cosmic journey that takes the listener on a mind-bending trip.
The album contains only four tracks, yet each one is an epic composition. The opening track, Light: Look at Your Sun, is an 18-minute piece that starts with an atmospheric soundscape of electronic pulses and gradually builds up to a monstrous guitar riff. Göttsching's playing is filled with delay, reverb, and wah-wah effects that create a hypnotic groove. Darkness: Flowers Must Die is a more experimental track that features eerie synthesizer sounds and a spoken-word performance by Timothy Leary, the infamous counterculture figure who championed LSD use. Suche & Liebe is a peaceful interlude that showcases Göttsching's acoustic guitar playing. The closing track, Determination: Nimmersatte Liebe, is a tour de force that combines heavy guitar riffs, saxophone solos, and a driving rhythm section.
The most innovative part of Schwingungen is probably its use of electronic music. Klaus Schulze, who had left Ash Ra Tempel by that point, contributed some of the synthesizer sounds on the album. The result is a futuristic and otherworldly sound that is both psychedelic and avant-garde. It's worth noting that Schwingungen was released a year before Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, which is often cited as a landmark album in the use of electronic music.
Critiquing an album like Schwingungen is a difficult task, as it is a work of art that defies easy categorization. However, one could argue that the album's main weakness is its length. At around 40 minutes, it might feel too long and repetitive for some listeners. Also, the spoken-word section on Darkness: Flowers Must Die might seem out of place or even cheesy to some. Nevertheless, these are minor quibbles that do not detract from the overall excellence of the album.
In conclusion, Ash Ra Tempel's Schwingungen is a masterpiece of the krautrock genre and a must-listen for any fan of psychedelic music. With its blend of hypnotic guitar riffs, synthesizer sounds, and pulsating rhythms, the album showcases the band's creativity and experimentation. The album contains some of the most innovative parts in the history of music, such as the use of electronic music and the spoken-word section by Timothy Leary. Although it might seem too long or repetitive for some listeners, Schwingungen remains a timeless work of art that deserves to be celebrated.