Manuel Göttsching (DE)

The 70s. Founding of ASH RA TEMPEL, Manuel Göttsching (guitar), Harmut Enke (bass) and Klaus Schulze (ex-Tangerine Dream) (drums), after purchasing Pink Floyd's sound equipment in London. The idea was to combine blues influenced improvisations and new sounds with traditional instruments: guitar, bass and drums. In December 1976, Manuel played his first solo concert tour for the release of New Age of Earth in France. 1977 Ash Ra Tempel became Ashra. This was a break with the past; a new beginning. Manuel formed this new band with Lutz Ulbrich (guitar) and Harald Grosskopf (drums) performing his composition New Age Of Earth for the first time with his new band for Virgin's worldwide release of the solo album in London's Regents Park Open Air Theatre. The year 2000 referred to quite a lot of events, starting with a one time reunion of Ash Ra Tempel with Manuel Göttsching and Klaus Schulze playing at the Royal Festival Hall in London for Julian Cope's Cornucopea Festival on April 2nd. The reunion was rounded up with the release of two new Ash Ra Tempel albums, Göttsching's and Schulze's studio album Friendship recorded in 1999 / 2000 and the live album from the Royal Festival Hall concert. In 2007, Göttsching released his 33rd album "Live at Mt. Fuji" and his first DVD "Wroclaw Live" (check out the trailer), both featuring the concerts he played with video artist Kinga in Japan and in Poland, 2006. He performed again live to F.W. Murnau's "The Haunted Castle" open-air in front of 3000 people at the JIMFF Music & Filmfestival in Korea in August. On September 9, for his 55th birthday, Elliott Sharp, Joe Claussell and White, musician friends from USA and China, joined him for the official birthday concert in Berlin and a marvellous birthday party. In August 2008 Göttsching is head-lining Lincoln Center's prestigious music series "Wordless Music" with the US-premiere of "E2-E4" live on stage. He will also play a concert in the historic St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia as part of The Gatherings series.