Cosmic Couriers
Encyclopedia
Cosmic Couriers was a German experimental/space-rock label set up by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser in 1973 following his association with Ohr and Pilz. A number of influential records in the Krautrock
genre were released on Cosmic Couriers, including Klaus Schulze
's 'Cyborg' and Ash Ra Tempel
/Timothy Leary
's 'Seven Up'.
Cosmic Couriers released many important Krautrock titles by artists including Klaus Schulze
, Ash Ra Tempel
, Manuel Göttsching
, Wallenstein, Popol Vuh
, and others, including Walter Wegmüller
's 'Tarot'. However Kaiser got into trouble when he started releasing albums under the name of the Cosmic Jokers
, a supergroup
made up of artists who did not even realise they were participating in such a project: Kaiser had taken recordings of informal jams by various artists from the label and had released them under the Cosmic Jokers name without their knowledge. The musicians affected - and in particular Klaus Schulze - were far from impressed with Kaiser's release of this material and took legal action. As a result of this and his involvement with Timothy Leary, Kaiser's contracts with his bands were voided by the German courts thus spelling the end for the Kosmische Musik label.
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
genre were released on Cosmic Couriers, including Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
's 'Cyborg' and Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel are a German krautrock group of the 1970s, and are an example of cosmic or space rock.-History:The group was originally founded by guitarist Manuel Göttsching, keyboardist/drummer Klaus Schulze, and bassist Hartmut Enke in 1971. All three founding members had previously played...
/Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
's 'Seven Up'.
Cosmic Couriers released many important Krautrock titles by artists including Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
, Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel
Ash Ra Tempel are a German krautrock group of the 1970s, and are an example of cosmic or space rock.-History:The group was originally founded by guitarist Manuel Göttsching, keyboardist/drummer Klaus Schulze, and bassist Hartmut Enke in 1971. All three founding members had previously played...
, Manuel Göttsching
Manuel Göttsching
Manuel Göttsching is a German musician and composer.As the leader of the group Ash Ra Tempel or Ashra, one of the most notable German groups of the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he is one of the most important guitarists of the Kosmische Musik genre. He also participated in the Cosmic...
, Wallenstein, Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh (German band)
Popol Vuh was a German electronic avantgarde band, in the mainstream-media so called Krautrock, founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch and Frank Fiedler...
, and others, including Walter Wegmüller
Walter Wegmüller
Walter Wegmüller is a Swiss painter and musician. He is probably best known for the Krautrock album Tarot, which was released on the Cosmic Couriers label in 1973.-References:...
's 'Tarot'. However Kaiser got into trouble when he started releasing albums under the name of the Cosmic Jokers
Cosmic Jokers
The Cosmic Jokers were a German krautrock supergroup, and a primary example of space rock.-History:The Cosmic Jokers was never an ensemble, per se; its members did not play together as Cosmic Jokers, and in fact were not even asked to join the group. Their music was created from sessions put...
, a supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
made up of artists who did not even realise they were participating in such a project: Kaiser had taken recordings of informal jams by various artists from the label and had released them under the Cosmic Jokers name without their knowledge. The musicians affected - and in particular Klaus Schulze - were far from impressed with Kaiser's release of this material and took legal action. As a result of this and his involvement with Timothy Leary, Kaiser's contracts with his bands were voided by the German courts thus spelling the end for the Kosmische Musik label.
Releases
- Timothy Leary & Ash Ra Tempel - Seven Up
- Sergius GolowinSergius GolowinSergius Golowin was a Bern writer, myths researcher, librarian, and publicist.- Life :Sergius Golowin was born in 1930 in Prague, Czechoslovakia...
- Lord Krishna Von Goloka - Walter Wegmüller - Tarot (2LP)
- Witthüser+WestruppWitthüser & WestruppWitthüser & Westrupp was a German singer-songwriter duo consisting of Bernd Witthüser , guitar, mandolin and Walter Westrupp guitar, ukulele, trombone, harmonium, psalter and many other instruments. The band was formed in June 1969 as "W&W's pop cabaret", singing German texts in a special way. In...
- Live *68-*73 (2LP) - Klaus Schulze - CyborgCyborg (album)-External links:* at the official site of Klaus Schulze...
(2LP) - Wallenstein - Cosmic Century
- Ash Ra Tempel - Starring RosiStarring RosiStarring Rosi is an experimental rock album in the Krautrock genre by Ash Ra Tempel. It was recorded at Studio Dierks, Stommeln by Dieter Dierks...
- The Cosmic Jokers - The Cosmic Jokers
- Popol Vuh - SeligpreisungSeligpreisungSeligpreisung is the fourth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1973 on Kosmische Musik. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with one bonus track .- Track listing :...
- Galactic Supermarket (Cosmic Jokers) - Galactic Supermarket
- Various - Sci-Fi Party (conceptual sampler)
- Sternenmädchen - Gilles Zeitschiff
- The Cosmic Jokers & Sternenmädchen - Planeten Sit-In
- Wallenstein - Stories, Songs & Symphonies
- Ash Ra Tempel (Manuel GöttschingManuel GöttschingManuel Göttsching is a German musician and composer.As the leader of the group Ash Ra Tempel or Ashra, one of the most notable German groups of the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he is one of the most important guitarists of the Kosmische Musik genre. He also participated in the Cosmic...
) - Inventions For Electric Guitar - MythosMythos (band)Mythos was a German band formed in Berlin by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Stephan Kaske, bassist Harold Weiße and drummer Thomas Hildebrand in 1969. All high school dropouts, the self-taught musicians released their eponymous debut in 1971...
- Dreamlab - Popol Vuh - Einsjäger und SiebenjägerEinsjäger und SiebenjägerEinsjäger und Siebenjäger is the fifth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1974 on Kosmische Musik. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with two bonus tracks...
- Various - Take Your Headphones (promo sampler)
See also
- KrautrockKrautrockKrautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
- Psychedelic musicPsychedelic musicPsychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
- List of record labels
- List of electronic music record labels
External links
- The Cosmic Jokers at Progarchives http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=944
- More discographies http://www.midsuffolk.unisonplus.net/Kosmische%20Musik,%20Ohr,%20Pilz%20and%20Brain%20Records%20Releases.htm
- Label scan http://www.collectable-records.ru/labels/E_M/kosmische_music/1.htm