TONWELLE

This second Wahnfried album gives no positive indications about K. Schulze's usual facility to build dense soundscapes. "Tonwelle" comes after a rather insignificant "Time Actor" (despite the presence of Arthur Brown on narratives). This album brings nothing really captivating. The two tracks (almost totally identical in structure and sound) are almost incongruous; delivering some bad beat electronic rhythms. The synth electronic passages look more to a programming function. The melodic phrases are particularly dull, surfing on new age "exotic" waves. "Schwung" starts with ethereal manipulated voices and long sustained synth notes. After a short passable introduction the song goes on a mechanical floating ambient excursion with discreet guitar chords and sampling drum patterns, a moment of evasion maybe but it stays quite superficial. Manuel Gottsching guitar solo is full of distortion, accompanied by almost disco rhythms (this song reminds me later Ashra works notably in "Tropical Heat"). "Druck" is an other "relaxed" ambient electronic irruption, fusing some crystalline synth motifs with computer programs which try to imitate tribal percussions. Once again Gottsching plays the guitar parts but nothing appears...A very disappointed work. Only recommended for those who like Schulze's collaboration with Rainer Bloss and 80s Ashra materials.