RICHARD WAHNFRIED

Maybe this is not typical Schulze's work, but the result is not so bad. The first two songs are techno-beet-driven avantgarde pieces, and can be viewed as one long poem in two parts, because a lot of similarities. In my opinion this is the best part of the album. The next two songs are slower (and quieter), more ambient and reminds me of some works by Brian Eno in the 90's (though only occasionally), and again, they are very similar. Dissorted emission (cello is most pronounced here) is a techno-krautrock connection with shizoid vocals, much like a longer songs number 6 and 7 . Agamemory style stands out from other songs and I think it could be excluded from the album. And again, it might be a reason for some to accept this song. Arthur Brown's most narrative vocal fits well with the music, but the collaboration on the album Dune gave better results. Conclusion-The first half of the album is somewhat better: 3, the rest of the album: 2 together: -3!

This is a dehumanised, cold, aseptic technoid ambient album from Klaus Schulze (with Arthur Brown as singer). Each composition is almost the same, developping similar synth waves floating in a spacious environnement, insistent repetitive electronic pulses and Arthur Brown's narratives, partly excentric vocals. It contains no variations, suffering of a lack of creativity and invention, very mechanical and definitely uni dimentional. The musical style is pretty similar to face B from Dune but less consistent and without emotion (despite an honest and glacial-seductive "charming the wing" with Arthur Brown's great lyrical voice). This is a ryhtmical, electronic beat album, linear and without reliefs. The musical background is very minimal and doesn't enable Arthur Brown to express his genius. Klaus Schulze should have been concentrated on dark, gothic, haunted organ chords (similar to Irrlicht and Cyborg), Arthur Brown would give the best on it. "Time Actor" is terribly conformist, empty and non human. To avoid!

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.

During the eighties, the German synth legend Klaus Schulze pursued his solo adventure, working at the same time for his Wahnfried project...but for what? This "Megatone" brings nothing new (or almost nothing) to his usual "kosmische musik". A new element appears once again after the classic "Time Actor"; the presence of a singer (Michael Garvens). The voice appears in the modern and "mechanical" electronic piece called «Angry Young Boys". Schulze synth explorations are also sustained by guitar parts & sequencers, drum- machines. This vast & epic cosmic "trip" mixes pure atmospheric realms (the synth strings) with perpetual, repetitive drum rhythms. I'm perplex, Schulze really tries to get involved on "new agey" territories. "Megatone" is a deep ambient album but not as abstract or as meditative as before. The electronic pulsations and the pop arrangements put Schulze's music into a more "mainstream" level. Not a big surprise. Only for Schulze maniacs.