PETE NAMLOOK & K. SCHULZE: THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOOG

This is the first of a serie of albums entitled "The Dark Side Of The Moog", born by the collaboration between Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook, a frankfurter musician and producer (real name Peter Kuhlmann) passed away in 2012.

Regardless the paraphrase, the link to Pink Floyd is not very strong. This is mainly an instrumental suite made of melodic moments alternated with electronic noises. Personally I found it very enjoyable for the similarities of some parts with Zeit, that's my favorite Tangerine Dream album. Tracks 2 and 3 in particular have "emotional" minor chords progressions. I personally prefer when there's no solo, so that the soundscape gets closer to space-rock. I think that Saucerful of Secrets has been highly influential for the whole electronic movement.

Going ahead, track 4 is a sequenced loop on with drone drums taking the part of the solo instrument. An interseting rhitmic section that I feel connected to both techno-wave and several species of small furry animals. A Scottish gramelot would have fit well. Very interesting. Track 5 adds a hypnotic ringtone-like sound to the drumloop. I'd say several species of small furry robots... Then back to deep space with track 6 up to track 8.

Track 9 is more rhithmic. Between the main theme of Blade Runner and "Set the controls for the heart of the sun". The melody reminds a bit also to "One Of The Few" in the structure. But similarities apart, I find it very enjoyable even alone, taken out of the suite.

Track 10 and last, enters a different realm more made of major chords, even with some dissonances. Finding similarities with other electronic artists is quite easy: usually the instruments used condition the composition style. In this case I see a link with Vangelis. I must say that the distinction between the tracks is based only on their length. The last three minutes of track 10 don't have anything to do with the first three. They put us back to the Ummagumma cave without a Pict.

...and the suite ends suddenly. Maybe the best way to close it.

not bad, really. Especially if you like the genre. Not a masterpiece but I think I'll dig the following episodes of this collaboration.