Recorded in front of an appreciative (and possibly astonished) German audience at the 1970 Donaueschinger Jazz Days and Berlin Jazz Festivals, here were two of Sun Ra's more elaborate performances. The large Intergalactic Research Arkestra was (as its name suggests) a more experimental big band experience, where the process of re-inventing jazz standards was temporarily abandoned in favour of a full on avant-garde approach. On the opening coupling of ‘Strange Dreams – Strange Worlds’ and ‘Black Myth – It's After The End Of The World’ the Arkestra plunge into a broiling sea of fiery improvisation, replete with apocalyptic vocal warnings from Joan Tyson and Ra foretelling the imminent end of the world. In many ways this is one of Sun Ra's greatest (and scariest) recordings, where huge flourishes of abstract organ and synth playing collide with the blurring blare of frantically played horns, damaged drums and strange strings. Flanked by fire eaters and dancers, and illuminated with a stereophonic lightshow, these elements tilted the music even further away from recognised jazz – the only respite being a lilting ‘Watusi, Egyptian March’ between sets before the Arkestra's beautiful chaos crowded in again. Like the section of Hieronymus Bosch's ‘Garden Of Earthly Delights’ painting that was chosen for the original album's cover art, this recording of Ra and Arkestra in full splendour is a delirious, hallucinogenic masterpiece.