The Cosmic Jokers were a seminal krautrock group that emerged from a series of jam sessions involving several key figures in the German psychedelic music scene of the early 1970s. Not so much a band in the traditional sense, The Cosmic Jokers were the result of impromptu collaborations between musicians associated with acts such as Ash Ra Tempel, Wallenstein, and Guru Guru. The driving forces behind this experimental project included producers Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser and Gille Lettmann (Gille Zeitschiff), who orchestrated recording sessions without a predetermined structure, leading to a free-form creation of cosmic and electronic sounds.

Their music was characterized by explorative synthesizer work, guitar solos, and spacey soundscapes which echoed the experimental rock movement of the era. Among their most acclaimed works are "Galactic Joke" and "Galactic Supermarket," albums that offer an aural journey highlighted by lengthy improvisational pieces that have been described as "cosmic courier" music. The release "Gilles Zeitschiff" features improvised electronic music, while "Sci Fi Party (Unser Flug durch die kosmische Musik)" is a slightly structured concept album that encapsulates their avant-garde approach to composition. Despite their brief existence and discography, The Cosmic Jokers have attained a cult status, with their recordings regarded as fascinating artefacts of the krautrock movement's most uninhibited and experimental phase.

Genres

Krautrock

Latest Release

Galactic Joke

Cosmic Jokers

Single - Released November 12, 1974