FREDERICH SHULLER

— First review of this album —

Somehow the easy recording of music has brought upon its respective pros and cons. I will consider the cons. Nowadays studio time and its costs have been beaten down considerably, therefore musicians can release dozens of works any given month or year or Sunday. This advantage is a con?

Well taking into account that musicians have escaped from the industry , almost by rule, they also publish whatever they record and have become, not by rule, over indulgent with the record-sell ideology. I mean, instead of releasing and selling 6 albums per year they could release only 2, they could actually compile all of the recorded best compositions and just release one, or 2 tops, perfect albums.

Anyway, all these comes to mind, while listening to Frederich Shuller's, "Time Machine", 2014, so many good things yet some others are just too close to his personal influences therefore not unique. Quiet a dilemma.

"Eternity", track one, a cool and polished approach to both the Berlin and the U.S.A.'s West Coast schools. The moog soloing certainly is welcomed as it is measured and unpretentious, yet quiet effective. The splashes of Tangerine Dream's colors, well, are not that necessary, but as it seems most contemporary Progressive Electronic musicians just can not do without them, anyway 3 stars.

Track 2- "Changing Lanes" could be a cover of J.M. Jarre's "Equinox", a downer for starters, if we are looking for new things in progressive electronics, besides those very personal acoustic, woody "creaking" noises, which could become a perfect Frederich Shuller trade mark, but sadly not even this can keep my mind of J.M. Jarre (no problem with Jean Jarre, but if I want to listen to him, I will be doing so). 2 stars.

"Reversed Time", next track, is the sure winner in this release. A perfect union of attractive cosmic electronic and drone like elements, structured with a polished, quiet unique and personal language. 4 full stars.

"On the Clock", track 4, plays along with the previous track's ideas but sets them in a more pulse like environment, adding dynamic, yet losing personality by doing so in such a quiet done manner. 3 stars.

"Neverlasting", the last track, is inclined towards the robotic Alan Parsons' mode. It has it bright sections, adding some retro like fun-feeling, even between its cinematic drama, involving a retro-synths' sounds display. The kind of track that somehow stays short but proposes a bigger result. 3.5 stars.

3 good tracks , 1 so-so track & one almost masterpiece.

***3 PA stars.

— First review of this album —

True to its roots.

Frederich Shuller "THE UNTITLED ALBUM- A Berlin School Journey", 2014.

Frederich Shuller first (semi) untitled release, opens up with the right foot with the ultra close to the Berlin School's teachings, "Untitled pt.1", its first track. A highly attractive sequencer riff, rich enough to go through its own repeating pattern and still sound fresh. 4 stars.

"Untitled pt.2", next track, slows a bit and sets a dream/drone mode, to launch a more mechanical rhythm, which will remind you Klaus Schulze still is as relevant and influential, as time passes by and as his young disciples still show. The real thrill being, the recognizable 'classic synths' parading through, which will bring on great memories to anyone who had the luck to own or play one of those synths of yore. 3 stars.

"Untitled 3", explores a soft and eerie, nightmarish mood. The result is kind of disperse yet its experimental approach, although not that original and abusing a bit of the, then underrated and 'classic' now, synth's sounds, has its merit in breaking the route it had traced in the previous tracks and being, as mentioned, more experimental. 3.5 stars.

"Untitled part 4 & 5", a two section track and the closing one, starts off with "Part 4" a more J.M. Jarre oriented like sound, which I have also detected in posterior releases. This, of course, enriches the routes taken, but the same kind of substracts for originality. 3 stars.

"Part 5" is a slow paced, more personal, electronic "Cosmic" journey. Rich, imaginative and , along with track one, this release's best. 4 stars.

All in all, some very promising progressive electronic ideas (some better than others) , some original twist and turns here and there, but above all, worth giving it a try because what works, works out perfectly.

***3.5 PA stars.