Manuel Gottsching - Live At Mt. Fuji (2007)

Manuel Gottsching hasn't released as many albums in recent decades as he did earlier in his career but when he does release something new, it's always something special. Manuel's latest release was recorded live in Feburary 2006 during an excellent solo concert near Japan's Mount Fuji. Manuel performed the entire concert alone accompanied by stunning computer visuals by a Japanese graphic artist and he also dug into his back catalog coming up with new arrangements of classic material. The album opens with "Sunrain" which was originally from the 1976 classic "New Age of Earth". The familiar hypnotic sequencer pattern is already in place however on this new version, Manuel takes it in a slightly different direction and extends the piece to nearly 15-minutes. "Saint and Sinner" is a more recent piece which was originally heard on the 2004 release "Concert For Murnau". This laid back piece is taken a step up from its studio counterpart as Manuel adds a bluesy Clapton-esque guitar lead that wasn't there before. "Trunky Groove" is a brand new piece composed for this concert and is a showcase for the psychedelic music style that was the norm for Manuel back in his very early days in Ash Ra Tempel. A techno-style rhythm is accompanied by a long drone and intense orchestrations before giving way to an effects-drenched guitar solo. "Die Mulde" is a 20-minute excerpt from Manuel's long-form 1997 piece of the same name. It begins with the "Die Spiegel" section of the piece and shifts into the closing "Zerfluss" movement. As with "Saint and Sinner", Manuel adds a guitar lead which wasn't in the original version. Finally, to close the album, we have yet another arrangement of the classic "Shuttlecock" which originally is from the 1978 masterwork "Blackouts". The arrangement is similar to the 1976 live version that appeared on the 1996 CD set "The Private Tapes" but definitely has a modern twist. Manuel's guitar playing is up front and center here and is stellar - almost like taking a trip back to the mid 70s. "Live at Mt.Fuji" is yet another great CD release from the legendary Manuel Gottsching. There is some amazing music on this disc and every piece has some stellar shining moments. Manuel has definitely not lost any of his musical strengths in fact, he is playing better than ever now as he was then. This is definitely another solid addition to one's Gottsching and Ash Ra Tempel collection and is another classic gem from this pioneer. MANUEL GÖTTSCHING Live At Mt. Fuji music review by Louie

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Sunrain (14:48)
2. Saint & Sinner (9:51)
3. Trunky Groove (14:42)
4. Die Mulde/Zerfluss (19:50)
5. Shuttlecock (13:14)

Total Time: 72:25

Line-up / Musicians

- Manuel Gottsching / guitar, electronics

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MANUEL GOTTSCHING Live

Manuel Göttsching - Shuttlecock

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Manuel Gottsching - E2 - E4

 Very interesting and pioneering work by Manuel Gottsching which is very minimalistic in structure with repetetive guitar melodies and electronics weaving a tapestry of slowly ever evolving hypnotic sounds. This is just one very long suite over an hour long.

Excellent !

Line-up / Musicians

- Manuel Göttsching / guitar, electronics

 Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Ruhige Nervosität (13:00)
2. Gemäßigter Aufbruch (10:00)
3. ... und Mittelspiel (7:00)
4. Ansatz (6:00)
5. Damen-Eleganza (5:00)
6. Ehrenvoller Kampf (3:00)
7. Hoheit weicht (nicht ohne Schwung...) (9:00)
8. ... und Souveränität (3:00)
9. Remis (3:00)

Total Time: 59:34

Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 Part 1 of 6

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Manuel Gottsching - Inventions For Electric Guitar (1975)

Legendary guitarist and founder member of "Ashra Tempel" and later "Ashra" goes solo, with a groundbreaking foray into echo guitar manipulations with elements of trance and minimalism, which he was to explore even further on "E2-E4".
 These are seminal works on the whole and gems of the genre.



It's amazing to think that one guitar player created this great album. I have heard Ash Ra Tempel's/Manuel Gottsching's material in the past, but this album is my first actual purchase. IT seems to me that this album is fairly underrated by most proggers. Most of the criticism I hear towards the album is negative. I think that for what it is worth, this is a great album.

Manuel Gottsching is a guitar wizard. He creates passages in the compositions that flow from one to another. The sound is very electronic obviously and quite spacey. The pieces also seem to put the listener in some sort of hypnotic phase or trance. It is hard to pick a favorite track on this album because the whole is very solid and made up of only three long compositions.


This album may seem like a bore for some, but to me, it is an excellent listen. Sure, it is relaxing and can easily induce sleep, but some of the best music is like that. Take, for instance, Brian Eno. Much of his ambient work puts me to sleep (that is, when I am tired!!!), but these pieces still show how great he is at composing and creating musical sketches. In this case, I recommend this album to someone looking for a hidden electronic music gem. It is truly amazing that one guy played all this stuff.

It's an excellent addition to any prog lover's collection as long as they know what they are getting into before they go out in get it. They might actually enjoy it. While not a masterpice, this album still deserves four stars and is strongly recommended!!!( Review from Progarchives.com)


Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Echo Waves (17:45)
2. Quasarsphere (6:34)
3. Pluralis (21:36)

Total Time: 45:55

Line-up / Musicians

- Manuel Göttsching / guitars only

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Manuel Göttsching - Quasarsphere

Manuel Göttsching, performs "more INVENTIONS FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR" - Echo Waves @METAMORPHOSE2010

Manuel Göttsching, performs "more INVENTIONS FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR" - Pluralis @METAMORPHOSE2010

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