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Klaus Schulze - Mirage CD (album) cover

MIRAGE

Klaus Schulze

 

Progressive Electronic

4.27 | 369 ratings

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Modrigue
Prog Reviewer
3 stars Do mirages exist in frozen lands?

3.5 stars

Subtitled 'An electronic winter landscape', this seventh album from Klaus Schulze is dedicated to his big brother Hans-Dieter, who taught him drumming and just died shortly before. The least we can say is that all these points are reflected in the music. Although the German pioneer deploys an impressive amount of various electronic devices here, this sonic research does not extend the futuristic and melodic approach previously adopted on "Body Love", or even "Moondawn". No Harald Grosskopf here, so no percussive elements either. The two 30 minutes compositions are atmospheric, static, like on "Timewind". However, instead of the oneiric and surrealistic soundscapes of the 1975 opus, "Mirage" proposes a musical trip to far away icy soundscapes, frozen for eternity, out of time, crystalline and melancholic. The track contain six sections each, but they're difficulty distinguishable from one to another.

The ambient and gloomy opening of "Velvet Voyage" resembles the 'screams' part of PINK FLOYD's "Echoes Part 2". Like "Wahnfried 1883", there are almost no sequences, but rather slow stretched and depressive waves, even taking us back to the "kozmische musik" years at times. The contemplative ending is great. A cold beauty, however a bit too imposing.

The highlight of the record is the superb "Crystal Lake", which perfectly carries its name. A dreamy and crystalline painting with unique bells sonorities. The middle section is melancholic, sad, and even a little mystic. Then the 'bells' sequence returns. Undoubtedly Schulze's iciest composition. For me, the lake is located underground, in some mysterious crystal cave, reflecting every entering murmur.

With "Mirage", the German artist proposes something different and goes one step further. Considered by some fans as his summit, I find this seventh opus slightly overrated though, mainly due to "Velvet Voyage". But I adore "Crystal Lake". Nonetheless, this album remains one of his most original, personal, majestic, and definitely his most depressive.

Do not expect futuristic or lively music here. "Mirage" is a disc to listen to when you're in a particular mood, melancholic, looking at the snow fall through the window at the winter...

Modrigue | 3/5 |

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