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**Walter Wegmüller's Cosmic Journey Through the Cards**

In the pantheon of obscure krautrock curiosities, few albums burn as brightly or as bizarrely as Walter Wegmüller's "Tarot." This Swiss-born Romani artist didn't just stumble into the German underground scene of the 1970s—he exploded into it like a mystical supernova, armed with fortune-telling cards and a head full of cosmic visions that would make even the most seasoned psychonaut question reality.

Before Wegmüller became an unlikely hero of the krautrock movement, he was already carving out his reputation as a painter and fortune teller, reading tarot cards for anyone willing to peer into the unknown. His artistic background wasn't in music at all, which makes his collaboration with some of Germany's most innovative musicians all the more remarkable. When Cosmic Couriers label head Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser discovered Wegmüller's mystical worldview, he saw an opportunity to create something unprecedented—a complete musical interpretation of the tarot deck that would push the boundaries of what progressive rock could achieve.

The result was "Tarot" (1973), a sprawling double album that remains Wegmüller's masterpiece and one of krautrock's most ambitious statements. Recorded with an all-star cast including members of Ash Ra Tempel, Wallenstein, and other luminaries of the German underground, the album unfolds like a fever dream across four vinyl sides. Each track corresponds to a different tarot card, creating a sonic journey through the major and minor arcana that's equal parts spiritual quest and musical adventure.

Musically, "Tarot" defies easy categorization, blending krautrock's motorik rhythms with folk mysticism, space rock expansiveness, and avant-garde experimentation. Wegmüller's heavily accented vocals drift over layers of synthesizers, guitars, and percussion like a shaman guiding listeners through otherworldly realms. The standout track "Der Magier" (The Magician) perfectly encapsulates the album's hypnotic power, with its repetitive guitar motifs and Wegmüller's incantatory vocals creating an almost trance-like state. "Der Narr" (The Fool) opens the journey with playful yet profound energy, while "Die Welt" (The World) provides a suitably cosmic conclusion to this metaphysical odyssey.

Following the cult success of "Tarot," Wegmüller continued his musical explorations with "Sing, Sieh und Hör" (1974), though this sophomore effort never quite matched the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of its predecessor. The album maintained his mystical preoccupations but felt more earthbound, lacking the otherworldly atmosphere that made "Tarot" so compelling. Still, tracks like "Traumzeit" showcase Wegmüller's continued ability to weave hypnotic musical spells, even if the overall impact was somewhat diminished.

His third and final major statement, "Hallo Rabbit" (1976), saw Wegmüller attempting to bridge his esoteric interests with more accessible songwriting. The result was his most conventional album, which paradoxically made it his least essential. While it contained moments of brilliance, particularly in the title track's playful psychedelia, it lacked the uncompromising vision that made his debut so extraordinary. By this point, the krautrock movement was evolving, and Wegmüller's particular brand of mystical rock was becoming increasingly out of step with changing musical tastes.

Today, Walter Wegmüller's legacy rests almost entirely on "Tarot," which has achieved legendary status among collectors and connoisseurs of underground music. Original pressings command astronomical prices, and the album has been reissued multiple times by labels recognizing its historical importance. Its influence can be heard in everything from ambient music to modern psychedelic rock, with artists like Sunn O))) and Earth citing it as an inspiration.

What makes "Tarot" endure isn't just its rarity or cult status—it's the album's complete commitment to its vision. In an era when concept albums often felt forced or pretentious, Wegmüller created something that felt genuinely mystical and transformative. It remains a singular achievement in the krautrock canon, a reminder that the movement's greatest strength lay not in any particular sound or style, but in its willingness to explore uncharted territories of