Ashra (band)

Ashra
Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1976
Founder	Manuel Göttsching
Defunct	1998
Headquarters	Berlin, Germany
Products	Electronic music albums

Ashra was a musical group created by Manuel Göttsching in 1976, originally intended to accompany his solo projects, with additional musicians joining subsequently. The band's name is inspired by Göttsching's earlier ensemble, Ash Ra Tempel, marking a transition from psychedelic sounds to a style more focused on electronica.

History

The final performance of Ash Ra Tempel took place in February 1973, the same year they recorded their last album, Starring Rosi, which included future Ashra member Harald Grosskopf. Following the dissolution of Ash Ra Tempel, Göttsching paused his musical activities until 1975 when he launched his solo debut Inventions for Electric Guitar, showcasing effects that would later become characteristic of Ashra’s music. That year also saw Göttsching composing a film score, eventually released in 1993 as Le Berceau de Cristal under the Ash Ra Tempel name, featuring Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich, formerly of Agitation Free, who would later collaborate with Ashra.

In 1976, Göttsching introduced Ashra with the album New Age of Earth on Isadora Records, widely regarded as the band’s most renowned record, performed solely by Göttsching. This was followed by another solo Ashra release in 1977 titled Blackouts.

The 1979 release Correlations featured an expanded lineup including Ulbrich on guitar and keyboards as well as ex-Wallenstein drummer Harald Grosskopf, who had contributed to Ash Ra Tempel’s last album. This formation produced one additional album named Belle Alliance.

In 1981, Ashra appeared on "Musical Express," a program broadcast by Spanish channel TVE, where they participated in a jam session alongside Neuronium and Teddy Bautista.

During the mid-1980s, the trio recorded Tropical Heat, which was not released until 1991. In 1990, Göttsching and Ulbrich collaborated on the album Walkin' the Desert. The subsequent live album Sauce Hollandaise from 1998 featured Göttsching, Grosskopf, Ulbrich, and Steve Baltes, who also contributed to the techno-influenced @shra series beginning in 1998. As of 2011, the latest release under the Ashra name is @shra. Manuel Göttsching passed away in December 2022.

Discography

Italicized dates indicate recording periods; standard text represents release years.

Studio albums

1976/1977 – New Age of Earth (1976) (Reissued in 2008 credited to Göttsching)
1978 – Blackouts (1977) (Reissued in 2008 credited to Göttsching)
1979 – Correlations (1978) (Expanded five-disc version released in 2008)
1980 – Belle Alliance (1979) (Expanded two-disc version released in 2008)
1990 – Walkin' the Desert (1988)
1991 – Tropical Heat (1985-1986)

Live albums

1998 – Sauce Hollandaise (1997)
1998 – @shra (1997) (Reissued alongside @shra Vol. 2 in 2008)
2002 – @shra Vol. 2 (1997) (Reissued with @shra in 2008)

Compilations

1996 – Sunrain: The Virgin Years (1976-1979)

External links