Ash Ra Tempel – Ash Ra Tempel

Picked up a copy of this for about 27 USD. Pretty damn impressive for a boot. Great packaging. Dynamic sound, after a good cleaning.Puffed some reefer and got lost in the the waves. It's not like O.G's or even official RP's of this are attainable. SO I'll take what I can get. If you see this for 40 bucks or under don't hesitate to pick it up. I do think some officially authorized and sourced RP will happen this year. Fingers crossed

This LP is one of my faves of the genre. But as I thought before buying this version - it is going to take either lots of good fortune, or lots of money to find a vinyl copy of this album that is both not mastered from a needle drop and also in great condition, and isn’t “unofficial”.

To say that the leader of Ash Ra Tempel was a space cadet is a gross understatement. Shoot - he was friends with Timothy Leary! And so the chances of him either loosing the master tape of the 1st album, or forgetting who he gave it to is a safe bet.

So far (I’m being optimistic), the best vinyl copy I’ve heard (and own) is the French reissue on Spalax. Even though it’s the “best” version I’ve heard - it has all the sonic markings of being mastered from a needle drop.

The greatest shame is that it is a mediocre needle drop. I’m a mastering engineer (part time - don’t get too excited , B-list at best) but most of my needle drop mastering jobs came out so good that only those with very revealing systems can tell that is how it was mastered. Yes, I have a very revealing high-end audio system, and to make my needle drop masters I use an analog set-up that costs as much as a luxury car. So I’m very sure that with a clean record it can be done successfully. These Ash Ra Tempel needle drops are messy, noisy, and obviously mastered this way.

I bought this version on “Ohr” because I wanted a fold out cover, that’s all, and wasn’t expecting much in pressing quality But a great job on the cover!!

Even though Discogs doesn’t say so, this copy is obviously unofficial. A pirate. A bootleg. How so? It looks brand new, and yet there is no bar code. I didn’t have to hire a private detective who specializes in Krautrock to determine this.

This record can be played on a mid-1960 transistor radio, or through an iPhone 4 speaker, and it will still be able to tell that the music on this LP is a work of an artistic genius, Creativity gushes from my system’s speakers. I love playing it LOUD!

I have a copy of this and it sounds good. I had to clean side 2 with a deep clean to get a more clear playback. It is well put together and pressed. If you are looking for an affordable copy of this rare album. It maybe the answer. It states ,it was pressed at MZ Media which is an Eastern European vinyl pressing plant and handles some well known acts vinyl pressings. It crops up on their listing of pressings on discogs but with an unknown release date. It’s a modern release for sure but I am not sure of its authenticity however if you see an affordable copy pick it up . I have a linn lp12 Akito set up with Yaqin mc100b amp and Proc Studio 130 speakers and it sounds good. In a nut shell I am not sure if it’s an official release ! However if you see an affordable copy pick it up as the packaging is excellent and it plays well .If it is a bootleg someone has done a good job of putting it together. It’s an essential album of that era and is way ahead of its time. It’s played with an intense ferocious pace and I suspect there were not many retakes as the band probably collapsed after playing it ! This is not an audiophile album anyway by any means but that’s not what’s it about. Why some one does not give a modern special release of this on vinyl maybe with a booklet or extras is beyond me. It deserves it as I am sure it would sell well.

anyone know if this one is a bootleg or repress ?