IN COURSE OF TIME

Unbelievable! About a five year gap since the last album, Moebius, and you should expect a drastic change in style, substance, and technology (it was now the 1980s). Not at all, it's as if this was recorded in 1978, and for all I know it was actually recorded then, but never released until 1982, when a small Canadian label issued it, and then in 1983 a French label (probably due to French record stores stocking in the import section and was needing of a domestic release). If it was recorded in 1978 as I suspect, then I'm certain Polydor rejected this album. If it was actually recorded in 1982, then I'm really amazed how Zanov didn't even pay the littlest attention to the musical changes of the 1980s. But I have nothing solid to go by, just amazed to hear a 1980s album from a '70s artist still sound very '70s. That same '70s cosmic spacy electronic sci-fi vibe I come to love of Green Ray (1976) and Moebius (1977). Same great use of analog synths. It seems to have a bit of a less mechanical feel than previous albums, but absolutely nothing lost of the substance. If parts of "Sky Energy" sounds a tad familiar, well, Pierre Zalkazanov (that's Zanov's actual name) actually incorporated parts of "Plenitude" off Moebius in this piece. He's been often called the French Klaus Schulze, certainly I notice some elements of that but he explores realms that Schulze often didn't, and I couldn't mistake this for a Schulze album. Zanov's album are really criminally overlooked by electronic aficionados. In fact I only knew one person who heard of Zanov. Lovers of '70s electronic music should not be scared of when this album was released, this is totally essential, as is the previous two!

A masterful synthesis of cosmic electronic music in language and sound.

Zanov's 1983, "In Course of Time", is free as far as direct musical influences go! His freedom of language is its best attribute beyod the fact of using that era's keyboards. So are his unpretentious aspirations of spectacularity. Opposite to that his music is daringly personal, low keyed in instrumentation but extremely rich in music composition and straight forward creativity.

There is this ever present sensation of not being stuck in time, nor fads. Therefore it can show splashes of early baroque music as very 'Berlin' school ones. Surprises come all along the way, his environments are heartfelt and simple, he relies solely on his song writing and minimal yet deep sounds that confirm the "less is more" motto.

Time wise (1983), Zanov's "In Course of Time" personal quest was unpaired and unpolluted by almost everybody's 80s standards and direction. He himself in "Moebius", 1977, started to indulge in those same standards and yet he skillfully turned around and skipped this direction for a more intimate and far from stardom release (16 ratings? Come on you progressive electronic people!) .

This masterpiece shows without doubt, that at the end of the day, original music composition comes first, electronic keyboards, gadgets, fads and fans come and go!

*****5 "Masterpiece" PA stars!

Who says only Germans can do this Berlin School style of progressive electronic space music? Not Pierre Zalkazanov, who keeps the spirit of mid-1970s Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze alive for the 1980s on In Course of Time. Released in 1982 in Canada before a 1983 release in Zalkazanov's native France, at the period it may have seemed a bit of a throwback, especially compared to the material his countryman Jean-Michel Jarre was turning out at around the same time. Nonetheless, "In Course of Time" it has picked up a certain sense of timelessness. Use when you want the soundtrack of your life to be reminiscent of a deep space explorer craft.

This was album number three for Pierre Salkazanov and his solo project called ZANOV released in 1982. The man is from France and I gave his debut "Green Ray" the full five stars. While this one is a beautiful, spacey affair I just find it too samey. And yes I can detail the difference of each song but this is consistently mellow and spacey with electronics creating that spacey soundscape and also bringing in twittering, some sequencers and lots of atmosphere. Sounds echo at times but they also expand and recede and at times hover. Mostly though this is what I call very spacey music and I really like this style. Five songs over 37 plus minutes with the opener(11 minutes) and the closer(almost 12 minutes) taking up the bulk of the album.

I much prefer "Green Ray" but man this guy is very talented and still making music today.