TRANCE-FORMATION (WITH THE SECRET SOCIETY)

Fourteen years before Enigma, ever curious musician/composer Eberhard Schoener was exploring the possibilities of melding electronic beats with liturgically (and ethnically) derived vocal themes. But Schoener, never willing to sit with one idea when he can throw in a handful, also covers ambient electronica and analogue space drift in this cohesive 1977 album. The composer plays moog, organ, piano and mellotron while the tasty guitar cutting through the keys is courtesy of Andy Summers (Police). It may seem an unlikely collaboration, but Summers is a skilled and versatile guitarist whose presence here adds much to the music. A transporting and satisfying album.