KLAUS SCHULZE

Another album by Klaus SCHULZE when he left, strange at first; less so when we know that this album is in fact the result of a commission dating from 2008 for a film!

01. INFINITY (part 1,2 & 3) with the dark, mystical, soaring, black start with brackish colored scents, yes dark I confirm; it progresses on airy droplets and a languid base before having a world variation by the oriental vocal; we find hints of Jean-Michel JARRE on the endless rise, a mysterious violin coming to cast even more doubt on the direction of the piece; latency and contemplation are required, the sound at the origin of 2008 is less austere, heavier and more pregnant 02. ALPHA in detached piece continues however on the line of the master by proposing a typical reverberation beginning, a plaintive air more than melancholic, we approach the meditative expiation here; a digression in fact

03. MULTI (part 1,2,3,4 & 5) dives into a sequence of more than half an hour with 5 parts; at the beginning it is different, but it is also a bit the same; we have to wait until the end of the second drawer to glimpse a desire to turn up the sound, the 3rd to realize that we have forgotten time and that the Schulzian sound still has an effect even after his death; yes these pieces are part of a work requested for a film soundtrack, but we know that Klaus is gone, and this sound resonates much more like a memory, a solemn hymn, a temporal hook beyond death, a bit like the famous library of Interstellar', but I digress; these multi-titles would be like multi-glasses allowing to communicate with Klaus, I digress, I dream, I soar, I start to believe it; the moment when I think I hear pads of his hands, he who was a drummer at the beginning; yes the 4th phase is indeed the start of the album by associating what made SCHULZE the creator of the linear, monolithic, hypnotic and dangerously mantranic sound; of the bass rhythming our brain with the treble pricking our heart, or the opposite; in short the final part is an extension that definitively buries us next to him to whisper his last notes, oh there this chronicle becomes subjective, unreal, incredible

04. META arrives, follows, a sequel, a redundancy, a passage with the velvety keyboards always, with this synthetic pad that sets the rhythm, makes you close your eyes and listen in a syncopated way to the musical framework reveal itself, again and again; this piece goes by faster, I wonder if I fell asleep as I often do for more than 40 years while listening to Klaus; yes his atmosphere is in my skin from now on 05. UNI (part 1, 2 & 3) with the electronic latency that continues at first glance, you need the second drawer to have one of these openings of which only he had the secret; an electro air coming out of a keyboard, another from a synth and the piece suddenly comes to life; a little about JARRE's spatial orientation again, ah yes he did good things at the beginning too; this long monologue of high syncopated notes that seem to fall on a still damp cement screed; long contemplative melody to approach the Heavens, again; the easiest piece to access on the edge of redundancy, lacking that little extra that imprints the electronic progression; in short the finale slows down the air, the pads become more present, the low sound is gone, the one that reassured by offering another nap and another replay because of the brain's escape. An album from 2024 that takes the time to last in a disordered world, a bit paradoxical. (3.5). originelly on Planèteprog on Facebook.

His second release of 1975, TIMEWIND has stood the time as one of KLAUS SCHULZE's most popular and endearing releases due to the fact that it was one of the few of his 70s canon that was readily available in North America as well as becoming a top seller all across Europe. It's the album that found him launched onto the world's stage as the electronic wizard who left Tangerine Dream only to became his former band's greatest competition in the abstract and bizarre surreal world of progressive electronic music. The album marks a major leap in SCHULZE's electronic space music evolution as it was the first to find him totally tapping into the world of sequencers which ultimately is what set the early world of Krautrock infused progressive electronic from the more layered world of the Berlin School world.

Not only did SCHULZE begin implementing a greater swath of technology for his crafty visions of electronic journeys to the stars but also found his ability to eke out sounds hitherto beyond his grasp as his familiarity with the genre was growing by leaps and bounds. TIMEWIND pretty much followed the trajectory of his first four releases with trippy ambient compositions that swallowed up entire sides of the original vinyl LP however this time around achieved the full spectrum effect that was lacking with the addition of the sequencers that took his musical visions to the next level. The original vinyl release featured two sprawling tracks that added up to just short of an hour's worth of pure escapism with both tracks serving as references to the 19th century composer Richard Wagner. "Bayreuth" is the Bavarian town where Wagner had an opera house built for his performances of "Ring Cycle" and "Wahnfried" was the name of his home in the city where he would be buried next to in 1883.

Amazingly enough despite the crazy amount of electronic manipulation of analog equipment and sequencer patterns, SCHULZE demonstrated his electronic wizardry by basically recording it all live in the studio thus showcasing his true talents and ability to manipulate the complexities of sophisticated equipment and turning the sound effects into an otherworldly excursion through sound. Another leap in ingenuity came from the fact that TIMEWIND also evolved more musical connections with chord and key changes that although glacial in development evolved into something greater than the sum of the parts. It all resulted in a wild electronic musical journey that tethered an emotional connection into what sounds like a navigation through the quantum realms or the vastness of unexplored space but no matter where these sounds take you as this style of music is highly subjective and personalized, one thing is for sure and that is that you've never been there before!

The first track "Bayreuth Return" is a majestic 30 1/2 minute rhythmic procession that finds oscillating swirlies and improvised melodies coalescing into a maelstrom of complex sound effects delivered via string synthesizer chords, multitrack atmospheric contrapuntal elements and a backing ambient drone effect. Sounds that emulate the wind accompany gurgling percussive rhythmic drives while the slow drifting of the track allows a subtle building up of sounds that slowly increase the tempo and Hawkwind-like pyrotechnic electronic randomness. The tack offers the perfect mix of elements and could rightfully be deemed the quintessential example of what the Berlin School progressive electronic style of music is all about. The tack is purported to be inspired by the "Phaedra" album from Tangerine Dream which emerged the year before although the two artists independently were sort of in an arms race of ingenuity and kept ratcheting up their mastery of the style throughout the 1970s.

Side two features the near 29-minute track "Wahnfried 1883" which refers to the site Wagner was put to rest in his grave however the term itself is a German compound noun stemming from Wahn (delusion, madness) and Friede (peace, freedom). While starting out in a rather chaotic swirl of wind effects and feisty electronic instability the track slowly evolves into a rather lukewarm procession of receptive motifs that don't offer as much variation as the first track which for my ears creates a rather lopsided album effect after the sheer perfection of "Bayreuth Return." A procession of recurring synth hooks accompanied by a suffocating fluff pile of ambient effects seems to drag on and by half way though the track's run loses my interest. Sounding more like some sort of proto-new-age music that would inspire the likes of Kitaro and others, this track just doesn't provide the same spaced out effect that i would've hoped for.

Overall this is an excellent album that deserves to be considered a classic but far from perfection due to the fact the tracks are not of equal caliber to my liking. The remastered editions feature a whole second disc of bonus tracks such as the excellent "Echoes Of TIme" which is basically a different version of "Bayreuth Return" but different enough making it a bit unrecognizable. It offers everything "Wahnfried 1883" lacks. Likewise the second bonus track "Solar Wind" is one of the coolest SCHULZE tracks ever released and although only 12 1/2 minutes long offers a major dose of surreality as it starts with moaning winds and offers a wild frenetic display of bending notes descending down the scale offering somewhat of a proto-industrial vibe. I would've much preferred that this track was teased out into the 30 minute sprawler and that "Wahnfried 1883" were the truncated bonus track instead. The short bonus track "Windy Times" is also brilliant. This one was feature don the "Contemporary Works II" that was released in the year 2000. A lopsided release in its original form. I find it much more palatable with the bonus tracks. An excellent album but not the masterpiece that many make it out to be, at least for my liking.

Klaus Schulze called it "psychedelic brunch", but this is quite a proper dinner. The fifth episode of the "Dark Side Of The Moog" series is opened by Robert Moog, the inventor of the first commercial synth who introduces the album with a short speech of 14 seconds, then we are projected back to the Virgin period of Tangerine Dream.

Strange to say, as Klaus Schulze left the band just after the debut album, but this is how most of the tracks sound to these ears. It's not Phaedra nor Ricochet, but that's the mood, and its pleasant enough. I think the main difference with TD is in the absence of squared waves, thtat were a sort of trademark for Edgar Froese.

But there are also two exceptions:

Part 5 lasts 16 minutes and is based on a repeated sequence of tuned toms. I don't know if real toms or made by a sequencer. I like thinking that Klaus Schulze has remebered to be a drummer. The soundscape is quiet and the sounds comning and going compose mainly major chords. Some layers are added, other disappear but the track remains fluid and mesmerizing.

The other exception is Part 7. About 8 minutes of good space Rock in the vein of Zeit (to remain in the TD zone). I still have to approach the following volumes of this serie, but up to now this is the one I've liked the most. About 1 hour of relaxing soundscapes.

Disclaimer: the relation with Pink Floyd is just German humour.

One of the most confusing releases in KLAUS SCHULZE's gargantuan canon, PICTURE MUSIC very well be one of the most confusing releases of the entire 1970s and better known for the enduring snafus that ensued rather than the music itself. For years believed to be the third release and then the fourth release but recorded before "Blackdance," a proper forensic investigation proved it to be both recorded and released as the fourth album due to the fact SCHULZE employed the use of an EMS VCS 3 synthesizer. Add to that bewildering uncertainty, the album has been released over the years with four vastly different album covers along with additional variations on each theme making the history of this album quite fuzzy indeed.

The most percussion oriented of the early SCHULZE years, the album was the only one of his entire solo canon to feature KLAUS back in the drummer's seat as most of the percussive duties were either electronically engineered or later handled by Harald Grosskopf of the Krautrock band Wallenstein. Like many of his releases across the board, PICTURE MUSIC featured two sprawling electronic tracks that each swallowed up an original side of vinyl and eventually offered a different version of "Totem" as a bonus track once the album found its way onto CD. This is once again the KLAUS SCHULZE show who alone plays all synths, organs and reprising his role as drummer after serving in Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before going solo.

Offering a heavier dose of space ambience, PICTURE MUSIC threatened to float off into the cosmos altogether only kept on a leash by an unusually robust percussive drive. "Totem" starts off as the usual Berlin School electronic swirly effect show but quickly adopts a jittery tribal percussive drive only synthesized but with a slow and darkened procession into a series of repetitive melodic motifs augmented only by the moodiness of a sole synth that offers the varying touches to keep the track from becoming monotonous. Kept Earthbound by the incessant sputtering effect of the percussion, the track unfortunately is never allowed to roam the realms of the space age effectively making it one of the most stilted sounding tracks of SCHULZE's early years. While meditatively compatible, the track lacks those extra touches that SCHULZE had become a master of crafting as if he fell into a cryogenic state and pushed the autopilot button before drifting off to meet Major Tom.

"Mental Door" is the more interesting of the two tracks with a proper space ambient effect and cool electronic sound effects sputtering in and out of the soundscape with an almost church organ cathedral vibe to the tones emerging from the main synth performance. The track is also more varied with more twists and turns and while starting out placid and serene becomes more agitated and aggressive as the keyboard stabs become more murderous in intent and the percussion bursts into rock and roll overdrive. This chaotic rumble ensues for a good second half of the track while the sputtering electronic effects join suit and crackle in the background like an ominous sign that someone dropped a torch in the fireworks factory. A bizarre track that seems to be self-defeating as the space ambience is extinguished by the persistent percussion racing pell mell to some unknown destination while the rock heft never reaches a satisfying conclusion due to the sparse accompaniments.

A noticeable departure from the more orchestrated and diverse nature of "Blackdance" or the more divine cosmos feel of what came before leaving PICTURE MUSIC one of my least favorite releases of the early KLAUS SCHULZE canon. Not unlistenable by any means but while SCHULZE's musical journeys into the koschmische unknown tended to bring enough elements to the table to keep your mind enthralled either actively or passively so, this one seems to drag on beyond what's offered actually delivers. A noble effort indeed but it would take SCHULZE a little more time to up his game to the refined perfection that he would soon deliver with "Timewind." All in all a decent release but just sounds stale compared to what else he had to offer in these early years. In short, too aggressive to succeed in being consistently meditative and too short of ideas to rock out.

3.5 rounded down

1. Osiris (Parts 1-4) 2 ethereal parts to get you started, 2 moments to wander with a bold sound, far from those primary ones of his productions of yesteryear; here it's cottony, melodic and of course minimalist; it's trippy, almost new age; part 3 suddenly goes up a notch before falling back into its hypnotic overloops and resuming the so characteristic syncopated tune; it is with the very short 4th period that we are entitled to the sensual and dreamlike rise, a quiet homage to the limit of the new age and its detractors; or how to spend 18 minutes without realizing it!

2. Seth (Parts 1-7) aggressive space attack, laser rockets come out of nowhere and graze us; 2 parts to make a passage between the stars, between the limbs of your cortex and we arrive at the dancing evolution of the album, a sound that JARRE himself would not have denied, yes the master who will look for fresh and popular tunes; watch out part4 and it's time for Wolfgang to throw austere notes from his cello; part5 and a radical change, a sound that will scratch on its instrumentations of the time, the one in which it was taken; the air between deep sadness and enlightening astonishment, just before believing in a God; next part and I find JARRE with 'Alice' for a stunning romantic-spleen piece confirmed by the even darker finale; meditative

3. Der Hauch des Lebens (Parts 1-5) changes location, instruments by offering a long monolithic melody with loop effects, with wandering spleen melancholy-divine darkness; a piece that comes and goes in your brain and there too the tertiary melody, the one that hooks us waits for the 3rd beat; it's something already seen and well done, it's above all dynamic enough to be guided; the last 2 parts are more languorous, the noises of a megaptera for example, sounds reaching deep within us, from him; remember that only he knew his advanced state with regard to the crab and there is no doubt that this last chapter could represent one of the passages to the musical beyond; the final climb makes you want to resume your flights for the umpteenth, for one last time? No, there will be eternal sweetness. A testament to the Berliner school that is much less expressive, much more intimate.

1. Totem with a slow melodic tune, not a crescendo that makes you vibrate with its rise; here a repetitive and throbbing electronic pad which allows the keys of the synths to go here and there throughout the musical space; a title that doesn't catch as much as the one before or those after it, a more electronic essay and not intimate enough, not intoxicating enough, not contemplative enough; yes when we are used to very good a little less and the whole atmosphere collapses; yes, too much on the easy sounds that JM JARRE will take up again next year... yes, the more symphonic and more tinkered finale leaves a little more regret.

2. Mental Door changes, for the better; a sound ripple, a musical jolt, an overloop search, you know when it's spinning and you can't get out of it; a synth note which swirls during the first third and which announces a surge with the presence of a drum, don't forget that he was a drummer before with TANGERINE DREAM; in short it goes in all directions, it's more cheerful, more lively than many of his titles, it's quite interesting to have missed it and to dive into it now; I find less emotion but is this due to the fact that I have fewer memories to cling to or actually cling to? In short, the fact is that the vibration is less intense and this raises the question: were we addicted to music 50 years ago, did we already want to have our Rollex so as not to miss out on life or were we in a form of recklessness by stuffing ourselves with the little that passed under our ears?

Deus Arrakis is Klaus Schulzes last album. I have been a fan of him since 1975, buying Timewind in the record shop, because of the intriguing cover (both front and back) and the long timings. I had not heard an electronic album before. I was deeply impressed and still am up to this day (maybe even deepler, since I have a keyboard rig like him, and he does amazing things with it). I first explored his backalbums, but they were really hard for me. Fortunately, I like them very much these days. Bought all albums and boxsets there after, and he is my most played hero. Now to Deus Arrakis, or maybe 'just before' it: The last 20 years I was not impressed by his output, mostly too much noodling and same chords repeated infinitely. But I am surprised with Deus Arrakis!

The first track 'Osiric' is very smooth, almost no rhythms but more arpeggiating. Quite nice chords he's using and a joy to listen to. The second track 'Seth', starts slowly and then has a peaceful rhythm. A bit repeating chords, but after ten minutes we go into other territory, great 'spooky' sounds. Then Wolfgang Tiebold joins in (from an old tape) and from there this is a really nice track, much in vein of the original Dune record. In fact, this as nice as those old days!

We finish off with a remarkable track. The mood was allready quite somber, and this track continues this. I think its fantastic. Great breathing sounds, great chords and great arpeggiators. Then, after 17 minutes, we get to the last sequel of Klaus, an amazing mix of what Klaus is/was. Beautiful stringpads, arp bubbles, great chords. It finishes off with some major chords and sounds really reminiscent of his Irrlicht and Cyborg organ drones. And then it stops... Everything is finished, the circle is round. Artistically this is an amazing album, the music on the first half is not groundbreaking, so 4 stars. Well done, Klaus. What a way to change cosmic address.

Review #114!

There are no synths on this one, for sure. But is that better? 'Irrlicht', Schulze's first studio album, is an artistic ambient album. All instrumental, minimal in sound variation, but powerful in instrumentation. Klaus Schulze uses an orchestra to elevate his sound and the ambience is superb. 'Satz Ebene' is a long piece that utilizes electric organs only as background (something that would change in his later works) and the orchestra and strings take the stage. 'Satz Gewitter' is a relatively short composition with an organ that fades in and out. This is great. The delicate synths and other weird noises create a dark, moody atmosphere. This might be my favorite song on this album. There is supposed to be some sort of segue between this song and 'Satz Ebene', so you should check that out. Then is 'Sats Exil Sils Mari', which I find quite boring. It just fades in and out for fifteen minutes with the same sounds until it changes up a bit. Those last six minutes are great, but everything else is weak. But this is still a great album. Maybe not Schulze's absolute best, but worth a shot. Prog on.

A hidden chronicle of ' Moondawn'! 1 Floating...you have heard, the musical crystalline note, the canticle, the pamphlet, the incantation; everyone has had a father who picked you up passing through your room and listening to this... you better tidy up your room and go to mass rather than listening to this... tuuuuu, duuuuu... the note rises, a crescendo without knowing what it was; a bit of OLDFIELD in it, yes it's much more recent than the tubular bells; 4 minutes passed without realizing the time passing; I think a bit and bam 2 more minutes on the clock, yes when it starts to fill up in the headphones, a sound reminiscent of 'Reality' with CHABAT yes go dig and you will see that there is Philip GLASS at the controls, another tenor; good 9 mins and it just starts / finally cross out the word you want; the stereo starts up, the pink noises give way to a melody with bubbles à la JM JARRE, yes he too is not just a little Frenchy; good, Harold's drums help take off, the sound gets louder, the dzin dzin at 13 min, yes I remember by heart... indicates that we are entering the title, it goes up, it becomes intense, oppressive , we're starting to wonder where we're going, are we going to have to lower the volume, won't the stereo be split, 15 minutes and these crystalline notes that fill the room, that clean your speakers ; yes Cabasse and JM Lab, but it doesn't mean anything these days .... what a sound with .... your your your your your, that's it I see the Synthanorma 3-12 sequencer which adds to it a diaper, I have to calm down otherwise I'm going to see Klaus in person in my room .... in meditation, in ecstasy, in a trance am I? Good you .... what stage are you at; bam the 2nd has just passed, it surely increases but inevitably, the drum roll has something to do with it; that's it I just understood, this sound is archaic, it comes from our viscera, finally from the schizoid ideas of Klaus, yes that's it! 19 and it goes up too loud all of a sudden, I lower the sound, come on I put it back, anyway the room is soundproof... it still vibrates, my whole body starts to shake, incredible what a vulgurus musica can do on a body....22 mins and I feel the end, yes well I know the album it's easy now but I'm still afraid of this abrupt end as I reach ecstasy, the sound having taken possession of the room, the 6 points with the subwoofer compressing my bubble of survival, this subwoofer a little too serious there, but what a foot; yes you did the same thing, that reassures me; that's it, I feel the end, go for a little more of this tireless, indescribable air before the real end, soft, where black noise reigns... bubbles of music for a while, end, the following silence is still part of the title. 2 Mindphaser for the title that I took time to domesticate, yes I admit it I cut to the explosion and I put back the intro! and yet these waves of departure, this implied serenity, this musical wisdom which imprints your preconscious and puts you in a state of hibernation; the flash has just fallen, yes the 4 minutes are exceeded; what it's a roar of waves oh well ok but each his representation; the dreamlike waves, these siren songs, come and go as you wander around, without drugs, without sex, of course! with a dram of a little whiskey of course my dear, go a glenfarclas 93 yes the one so fruity sherry you'd think you were drinking the juice dripping from a bunch of raisins; 8 mins I hurry, I'm fine ... yes let's not spoil; 11 mins and I'm in apnea, I'm waiting.. I'm always being had... that's it, the drums, the organ, everything happens, let's go for musical priapism.. yes it won't stop ... the drums will serve as a particular metronome by driving this synth, this organ, these keyboards to a proven state of hypnotic trance; the moment you let go, when you listen choking, when you tense up in fear of another explosion you couldn't control; the synth... the farfisa and big moog in the lead; at 16 min you wonder if the sound won't saturate, it becomes stressful, convulsive, mantranic, your head moves strangely, well the legs are not better, in fact you do your sports session without realizing it ; it squirts everywhere, the trance was only the start, there you are higher, you are familiar with the gods, you simulate the notes of Klaus, you have 15 fingers that touch the 4 synths arranged in front of you... yes how do you want chronicle this cult album OMNI which will trigger in each of you a different potential orgasmic coma and in every way similar? yet another musical oxymoron, one more paradox that I wanted to confront, struggle, fight, interact with... I capsize, I surrender at 25 minutes where the sinister melody no longer reaches me; my eyes are rolled back, the drool comes out of my mouth, I dance almost naked on the shards of bottles, remains of cans, glasses that have fallen by accident, I catch my breath, they call me, they wake me up, I was gone very far. Ok for a 5 points for this album!!!

For the fourth episode of the collaboration between Schulze and Pete Namlook, the project becomes temporarily a trio with the addition of some Bill Laswell. This is particularily evident in the opening track, which semms to be made of three different acts, from three different composers all mixed together.

Anyway, as for the previous chapters, also now the tracks are named just "part 1" to "part 9", despite the fact that they aren't so continuous that I can't consider them part of a single suite.

Part 1 has good moments, espcially in the most spacey segments, when only keyboard chords, background voices and very few electronic effects send the listener to the cosmos. The orchestral accents by surrogate strings sound a bit outplaced to me, but apart of that, it's quite my pot.

Part 2 is the longest track, scoring over 20 minutes. It seems that a time machine has sent it here directly from the 80s. It reminds to the Tangerine Dream of the Virgin period, even if Schulze was already out of TD at that time. There's some melody in background. It requires some attention. The first sudden change arrives around minute 8, when the chord progression turns to minors, while the foreground bass/drums loop has still no variations. After 4 more minutes, more percussions are added to enrich the basic loop with melodic whistles behind and electronic noises including unintelligible voices. As a Tangerine Dream addict as I am, of course I like this track, including its unexpected closure.

Electronic birds resounding full of reverb into a sort of cave have an Ummagumma feel without a Pict but with distorted voices like an astronaut falling into a black hole, later turned into a Tibetan guttural sound. I think Part 3 can be called "psychedelic". It's less than 5 minutes long but I would have liked it doubled at least. It fades seamlessly into part 4 which is a short interstellar travel.

At this point it's like we are effectively into a suite. Part 5 is based again on a percussive loop. Unfortunately, half of this two minutes track is nothing more that music in 4/4 ideal for a rave party. Listenable but unnecessary.

Another smooth transition and part 6 surprises us with a kind of spanish guitar over a floydian base reminding of the intro of Shine on you crazy diamond. It's the first time since the beginning of this project that I find something floydian other than the album title. Well it's not David Gilmour, but listen and let me know...It's likely Laswell who is known for being also a guitarist.

Part 7 is just two minutes of reverbed deadly bells transitioned into part 8 that's...the kind of track that makes me change station when I hear something of that kind on the radio. Are you on ecstasy, dancing and sweating like a monkey? If not, just skip it, even if what seems to be a guitar in the background is not completely bad.

Part 9 is just a minute of midi joke with some drone snare.

2.5 stars rounded up for track 6, where in my opinion they should have closed the album.