STERNZEIT

Berlin based artist Adelbert Von Deyen published most part of his musical catalogue on the legendary Sky (known for the releases of many late 70's electro-kraut albums). His music is in the direct vein of spacious textured electronic epics of Klaus Schulze but with a much more expansive explorations throw minimal impressionistic melodies. Consequently the music is less agitated, calmer, sometimes admiting the effusion of trancey dark cinematic drones. Sternzeit is more a dreamy-like, melancholic trip focused on flowing abstract, crystalline synth waves, molecular effects and punctual minimal hypno pulses. The result is really convincing. The cover reminds Klaus Schulze's majestic "Cyborg" double album. The opening theme per aspera ad astra contains some explicit references to Cyborg notably with the use of gorgeously angelic organic processes and obsessive cosmic sounds. However the musical aesthetism is rather different. Von Deyen beautifully turned Klaus Schulze's tripped out creepy ambiences into a more aquatic, new agey, intimate environment. The second piece is less melodic, entirely built on shimmering, buzzing hypno-loops and on analog synthscapes. Suspensful, dark-astral droning sequences in the genre of early Schulze. This album is highly recommended for fans of proggy "kosmische" music. Similar experiences can be heard on synthezised works from Bernd Kistenmacher or from Robert Schroeder.

I find Berlin school electronic artist Adelbert Von Deyen's early albums offer a huge sense of drama, tension, and shifting emotions. I've always responded to his albums as being very machine-like and empty one moment, but then filled with very human feelings and expression the next. Sometimes those places are not the happiest to be, but they do leave an impression on you.

I'm certainly not able to review this album from a production/instrument point of view, as I don't have enough of an understanding of how that works on these kind of electronic albums. Other reviewers will be able to go into better detail about Von Deyen's technical programming and recording techniques. I'm only able to relate to them from how I respond emotionally to his albums.

`Sternzeit' is made up of two side long electronic droning pieces, creating a very cosmic and mysterious sound. Side A's `Per Aspera Ad Astra' begins with a quick electronic melody repeating over and over, while the synths start whirring away. There's an alien pulse than almost leads you into a calming hypnotic trance. Other than that, there's no percussive elements in this track. This piece seems to offer an equal balance of warmer melodies and darker moments. It creates some very abstract sounds, shifting back and forth, sometimes in perfect unison at the same time. It is a fairly basic and primitive arrangement, but still very effective. There's a section that drifts in just after the fifteen minute point that I find quite terrifying and heavy. The final few minutes a little samey, not revealing anything new that the rest of the track has already offered.

The title track on the second side has less melodic moments, instead mostly built around endlessly repeating hypnotic loops that rise and fall away. Sometimes they're quite oppressive, other times mysterious. The first half is also quite abrasive. The middle of the piece seems to have a very distorted or filtered organ that is extremely unsettling. Something about this piece sounds quite menacing. The final few minutes are a little more melodic, but the synths are heavy and foreboding.

I used to think that both this album and the follow up album were more or less the same. However I now think they sound quite different, and both illicit completely different emotional responses from me. `Nordborg' is barren, icy, cold and isolating. `Sternzeit' instead has a quiet menace, causing a sense of panic and helplessness. I find this album is a more of a perfect companion piece to `Nordborg', but not quite leaving as much of a lasting affect on me.

To me these sort of records sound so far ahead of their time and beyond any perceived musical trends. They exist in a world of their own, that opens up around us while we listen to them and immerse ourselves in them. Why not give a listen to these alien soundscapes and see how you respond to them?

Von Deyen doesn't hide the fact that this album is a Klaus Schulze homage; the cover art clears any lingering doubts. As a pastiche, Sternzeit is admirable, and in particular, side one is clever. Of his first three albums (the only three with which I'm familiar), this is probably Von Deyen's best.

Taken as an attempt to add to the mid-to-late-1970s Schulze catalogue, there's not much to recommend here, given the volume of original Schulze material from the period. This has become even more true since the release of the La Vie Electronique series, of which volumes 3 through 7 cover this same era. From this point of view, Sternzeit seems completely unnecessary.

But taken on its own, Sternzeit is not a bad album, and is enjoyable in parts. I'd recommend it to those unfamiliar with Schulze and interested in Berlin-school electronic music.