We were overdue to check in on Krautrock's unwitting supergroup, the Cosmic Jokers. But we weren't gonna do it without first going *deep* on Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser and Gille Lettmann.
At various times visionary, provocateur, entrepreneur, programmer, pamphleteer, carnival barker, and snake oil salesman, Kaiser was an essential figure in the Krautrock project. His life-partner-in-crime, Gille, brought a Star-Maiden's magic dust--and some wicked vocals--to the many delicious records Kaiser's Ohr, Pilz, and Cosmic Couriers labels issued in the early 1970s.
The Jokers releases were peak Kaiser-Lettmann material, recorded over a series of acid parties in Dieter Dierks' studios and released (so the story goes) without most of the players' knowledge or consent. We *love* these records and are grateful for the deception ... even if the resulting lawsuits ended Rolf and Gille's careers in the biz.
Come along as we survey the trippiest corners of the cosmos, with Krautrock's Power Couple as our guides. This was a fun one!
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