TIMEWIND

Possibly Schulze's most respected and well-known album, 'Timewind' would be the release that would deservedly give the former Tangerine Dream-member and keyboard- and-synth-wizard an international profile. That was because it was the first of his albums to be released outside of Germany and, thanks in part to the striking, Dali-esque artwork, instantly became a favourite for lovers of both electronic and progressive-minded music, allowing Schulze a platform on which to build a long and successful career spanning over thirty studio albums and forty years worth of intense electronic experimentation. 'Timewind', which was recorded and released in 1975, was in actual fact Schulze's fifth solo album, following on from his 1972 solo debut 'Irrlicht' and it's various follow-ups, which included, in order, 'Cyborg'(1973), 'Picture Music'(1973) and 'Blackdance'(1974). Each of these albums progressed both stylistically and technologically from the previous one as Schulze, himself a former drummer, slowly built up a larger and more sophisticated collection of keyboards and synthezisers as his career progressed. Now, in 2010, Schulze is rightly heralded as one of the earliest innovators of purely electronic music thanks in part to his brief association with Tangerine Dream during their early, experimental phase(Schulze was part of the very first line-up of Tangerine Dream and helped to create their groundbreaking 1969 debut 'Electronic Meditation) and his mesmerizing ability to craft intensely lush and psychedelic soundscapes out of the most basic of technology. He was also a founder member of the Berlin-based cosmic-rock group Ash Ra Tempel, again on drums, and was a key component in the creation of their eponymously-titled debut and it's supremely psychedelic follow-up 'Join Inn', alongside another electronic pioneer, the guitar-virtuoso Manuel Gottsching. This musical and cultural grounding has given Schulze a special place at the heart of the genre known as 'Krautrock', and his endearing collection of solo albums have sprung from an association with a series of highly-imaginative and influential groups, informing his radical compositional style and confirming his status as a genuine 20th century musical innovator. His first ten or so albums make up the high-point of his career, but it is 'Timewind', with it's twittering synths, electronic rumblings and loving-crafted space melodies that truely defines what Klaus Schulze and his free-form style of music is about. Made up of just two, expansive tracks - 'Bayreuth Returns', which breaks the thirty minute mark and 'Wahnfried 1883', which is just a couple of minutes shorter - 'Timewind' is a truely astounding musical experience that slowly and carefully unfolds to reveal layers of meditative sonic patterns and rhythms, strange noises and electronic sounds, all the time sucking the listener into Schuzle's wonderous world. Fans of Harmonia, Neu! and Cluster will find much to admire amongst the discography of Klaus Schulze, whilst newcomers to the electronic side of Krautrock are urged to start with 'Timewind', an album that is equally this pioneering guru's most accomplished, accesible and adventurous release to date and one of the foremost creations of the entire electronic genre. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010