CHRIS KARRER - THE MASK

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audio promo

Usul Aksak (extract)

CHRIS KARRER

THE MASK

available as...
CD-R Cosmic Egg UTCE 013 CDR £8.00
bandcamp download

duration: 59'22"

1. Bolero Moro 4'12"
2. Grandezza Mora 5'21"
3. Ya Habibi 9'43"
4. Usul Aksak 13'21"
5. Andalusian Beat 12'02"
6. El Khahira El Kebira 14'41"

<a href="http://cosmicegg1.bandcamp.com/album/the-mask">The Mask by Chris Karrer</a>

Recorded at Burg Herzberg Open Air Festival on 21/7/1996.
Mixed by Norman Meirik in Rhön Records Studio, Fulda.
Digital mastering by Basement Music Prod., Kassel.
This remaster by Alan Freeman 23-24/10/2014 at Tachyon Studio, Leicester, UK.
Original artwork by Chris Karrer.
Reissue layout and design by Alan Freeman.
Reissue produced by Steve & Alan Freeman.
© 1997 Think Progressive.
© 2014 Chris Karrer & Cosmic Egg / Ultima Thule.

Chris Karrer: acoustic guitar, oud, violin, saxophone, percussion.
Jens Pollheide: electric & acoustic basses, flute.
Peter Paul Kuen: keyboards.
Christian Burchard: drums, percussion, santur, darbouka.
special guest
Mani Neumeier: drums (introduced on track 3).

review...
New remastered limited edition CDR reissue!
Translation of the original notes...
With this mask, we want to make a monument to one of the most important artists of the progressive and world music scene: Chris Karrer, Ur-Düül and Co-founder of Amon Düül 2, master of the oud, guitar and violin, who has written an important chapter in rock. This present edition is a hand-made image of Chris. ...

The Think Progressive release was presented as a hand made 1000 numbered edition. The "mask" - actually a large wooden panel hand-carved in the orient - was certainly a novel collectable artefact. Each one was individually painted by Chris, and a totally impractical CD holder attached. The set came with disc (in a sleeve) along with a "certificate" in a C4 manila envelope. No one knows if the complete edition was made. And Chris himself gave the impression that he got fed-up with painting them.

Well-known as the co-founder of Amon Düül II, Chris Karrer's multi-instrumental talents had always been a key factor of the AD2 sound, and ethnic music, Eastern tuning and World fusion elements were also key factors of their more creative works. In the late 1970's Chris tried his hand at being a pop star, which didn't work-out, so he re-indulged himself in the music of the East, North Africa and esoteric European cultures, coming up with his own new twist on world fusion. About this new diversion, here's what was said in The Crack In The Cosmic Egg "The much more recent DERVISH KISS comes after working with Popol Vuh, serving much time with Embryo, and working with the likes of Rabih Abou-Khalil. Aside from some occasional Amon Düül II and Embryo touches, it's so ethnic it barely sounds at all like a Chris Karrer album! It is superb nonetheless, and always a surprising album. When taken into context with his further solos, it proves to be the start of a new phase of innovative cross-culture styles, taken to more lively almost futuristic realms with SUFISTICATED (notable for the eccentric and lavishly rich arrangements) and then in a more free jamming context, as a superb live example of the uniquely Karrer fusion style on THE MASK."

Versions...
Original issue: CD (Think Progressive TPCD 1.708.016) - released 1997.
CD-R first edition: 20 numbered copies - released 30/10/2014.
CD-R second edition: 20 numbered copies (21-40) - released 29/11/2016.
CD-R third edition: 20 numbered copies (41-60) - released 6/10/2020.

Cosmic Egg on Discogs
Chris Karrer on Discogs

THE MASK
CD-R release
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