PROGRESSIVE ELECTRONIC

His second release of 1975, TIMEWIND has stood the time as one of KLAUS SCHULZE's most popular and endearing releases due to the fact that it was one of the few of his 70s canon that was readily available in North America as well as becoming a top seller all across Europe. It's the album that found him launched onto the world's stage as the electronic wizard who left Tangerine Dream only to became his former band's greatest competition in the abstract and bizarre surreal world of progressive electronic music. The album marks a major leap in SCHULZE's electronic space music evolution as it was the first to find him totally tapping into the world of sequencers which ultimately is what set the early world of Krautrock infused progressive electronic from the more layered world of the Berlin School world.

Not only did SCHULZE begin implementing a greater swath of technology for his crafty visions of electronic journeys to the stars but also found his ability to eke out sounds hitherto beyond his grasp as his familiarity with the genre was growing by leaps and bounds. TIMEWIND pretty much followed the trajectory of his first four releases with trippy ambient compositions that swallowed up entire sides of the original vinyl LP however this time around achieved the full spectrum effect that was lacking with the addition of the sequencers that took his musical visions to the next level. The original vinyl release featured two sprawling tracks that added up to just short of an hour's worth of pure escapism with both tracks serving as references to the 19th century composer Richard Wagner. "Bayreuth" is the Bavarian town where Wagner had an opera house built for his performances of "Ring Cycle" and "Wahnfried" was the name of his home in the city where he would be buried next to in 1883.

Amazingly enough despite the crazy amount of electronic manipulation of analog equipment and sequencer patterns, SCHULZE demonstrated his electronic wizardry by basically recording it all live in the studio thus showcasing his true talents and ability to manipulate the complexities of sophisticated equipment and turning the sound effects into an otherworldly excursion through sound. Another leap in ingenuity came from the fact that TIMEWIND also evolved more musical connections with chord and key changes that although glacial in development evolved into something greater than the sum of the parts. It all resulted in a wild electronic musical journey that tethered an emotional connection into what sounds like a navigation through the quantum realms or the vastness of unexplored space but no matter where these sounds take you as this style of music is highly subjective and personalized, one thing is for sure and that is that you've never been there before!

The first track "Bayreuth Return" is a majestic 30 1/2 minute rhythmic procession that finds oscillating swirlies and improvised melodies coalescing into a maelstrom of complex sound effects delivered via string synthesizer chords, multitrack atmospheric contrapuntal elements and a backing ambient drone effect. Sounds that emulate the wind accompany gurgling percussive rhythmic drives while the slow drifting of the track allows a subtle building up of sounds that slowly increase the tempo and Hawkwind-like pyrotechnic electronic randomness. The tack offers the perfect mix of elements and could rightfully be deemed the quintessential example of what the Berlin School progressive electronic style of music is all about. The tack is purported to be inspired by the "Phaedra" album from Tangerine Dream which emerged the year before although the two artists independently were sort of in an arms race of ingenuity and kept ratcheting up their mastery of the style throughout the 1970s.

Side two features the near 29-minute track "Wahnfried 1883" which refers to the site Wagner was put to rest in his grave however the term itself is a German compound noun stemming from Wahn (delusion, madness) and Friede (peace, freedom). While starting out in a rather chaotic swirl of wind effects and feisty electronic instability the track slowly evolves into a rather lukewarm procession of receptive motifs that don't offer as much variation as the first track which for my ears creates a rather lopsided album effect after the sheer perfection of "Bayreuth Return." A procession of recurring synth hooks accompanied by a suffocating fluff pile of ambient effects seems to drag on and by half way though the track's run loses my interest. Sounding more like some sort of proto-new-age music that would inspire the likes of Kitaro and others, this track just doesn't provide the same spaced out effect that i would've hoped for.

Overall this is an excellent album that deserves to be considered a classic but far from perfection due to the fact the tracks are not of equal caliber to my liking. The remastered editions feature a whole second disc of bonus tracks such as the excellent "Echoes Of TIme" which is basically a different version of "Bayreuth Return" but different enough making it a bit unrecognizable. It offers everything "Wahnfried 1883" lacks. Likewise the second bonus track "Solar Wind" is one of the coolest SCHULZE tracks ever released and although only 12 1/2 minutes long offers a major dose of surreality as it starts with moaning winds and offers a wild frenetic display of bending notes descending down the scale offering somewhat of a proto-industrial vibe. I would've much preferred that this track was teased out into the 30 minute sprawler and that "Wahnfried 1883" were the truncated bonus track instead. The short bonus track "Windy Times" is also brilliant. This one was feature don the "Contemporary Works II" that was released in the year 2000. A lopsided release in its original form. I find it much more palatable with the bonus tracks. An excellent album but not the masterpiece that many make it out to be, at least for my liking.

Harald Grosskopf could tell some stories. He has been a part of so many bands over the years. And when we're talking about the world of krautrock/electronics, you know there were a lot of characters. He is a drummer/synth player but usually a drummer first and foremost on most of the albums he has appeared on. He was the drummer for the SCORPIONS in 1967 long before they were releasing songs like "Loving You Sunday Morning" or "The Zoo". Harald had a great musical partnership with Klause Schulze over the years. He was in ASH RA TEMPEL, WALLENSTEIN, ASHRA, WALTER WEGMULLER, THE COSMIC JOKERS and YOU.

YOU released their debut "Electric Day" in 1979 the year before Harald's debut "Synthesist". I mention that because in the liner notes for "Synthesist" Harald relates how he does pretty much everything here like the composing and arranging and playing... "except electric strings and second solo voice on "Synthesist" and all space sounds which are played by Udo Hanten." And Udo was playing electronics on that YOU debut, being part of that band with Harald. And I like that album.

Far from a perfect album this one, and it does have some variety which doesn't always work for me like that title track and "Transcendental Overdrive" where we get a light melodic sound with high pitched synths. Still, they provide a contrast to some of the dark soundscapes featured here like "B. Aldrian" and "Trauma" two of my favourites. "Trauma" is incredible considering the title of it. I'd also mention "So Weit, So Gut" the opener along with "1847-Earth" and the closer "Tai Ki" as favourites.

Not the best of the best or anything like that, but I really enjoy this one. Worth the 4 stars.

I have no doubt that Edgar Froese knew the controversy that would erupt upon the release of "Cyclone" in 1978. I'm pretty sure that's why he called it "Cyclone". I would have loved to have seen the expressions on the faces of hard core TD fans when they first heard the vocals here. I mean I was really surprised myself, knowing there were vocals sure, but I didn't expect such a passionate singer. I was thinking the vocals would be more like FLOYD's "A Saucerful Of Secrets" style, you know mumbling the words pretty much. Nope! Steve Jolliffe is a singer. And a player adding more synths, flute, english horn, bass clarinet, tenor and soprano sax, electric and grand pianos. He brings a lot.

So it's been fun reading the passionate reviews on here for this controversial album. I like it myself but I'm also glad this was a one-off, and I'm sure that was the question many a TD fan had after spinning this record, is this a new direction? I would have been concerned. Reminds me of RUSH's "Signals" album, a complete left turn and I wasn't happy at the time. This is much more extreme. So three tracks with Froese and Franke doing their thing. And yes I like drummer Krieger's playing on here a lot. This is a great sounding album.

The first side has the vocals and certainly that opener "Bent Cold Sidewalk" would have shocked many a fan. I'm not into the processed spoken words to get us started but a nice relaxed sound takes over with upfront bass. Vocals come and go and then a complete change of direction at 4 1/2 minutes as the sequencers kick in along with synths. Some theatrical shouted words before 8 minutes. Back to that original theme after 10 minutes. Then we get the short "Rising Runner Missed By Endless Sender" at under 5 minutes and a post rock- like title. A determined sound that sounds really good as the vocals arrive. And he's singing with passion at times. Some theatrical vocals later and I love those spacey synths when the vocals step aside.

"Madrigal Meridian" ends it at 20 1/2 minutes. No vocals here and more like the TD we know and love. Lots of atmosphere early before it turns experimental. Sequencers kick in after 3 minutes and here we go. Fast moving here with active drumming. Violin-like sounds will follow which is cool. Sequencers continue but when the step aside it turns spacey. Piano after 16 minutes then flute 19 minutes in as it trips along to the end.

This may have been accepted more at the time if the singer wasn't so passionate, but I have no problem giving this 4 stars. I like it a lot.

That is one of the coolest album covers I have ever seen. Who came up with that? SPACE ART were a duo of electronics and drums forming in France in 1977, and releasing this, their debut that same year. The key for me with the music here is the real drums, and the man is good. We get a 34 minute album with seven tracks. I find it interesting that jean- Michel Jarre who released his two acclaimed albums the year before and the year after SPACE ART's debut, actually asked this duo to go with him to China and play live, which they did. They were one of the first international acts to play there as well.

That opener "Onyx" is a favourite of mine, the way it builds, and when the drums join in around a minute, it's really good. The second track is more mellow, an almost mysterious piece of music with melancholy. Another winner. "Interlune" is just that, and it's dark and quiet. "Axius" has some energy and power right off the hop. Amazing sound after a minute but it will change. "Aquarella" is the closest thing to berlin school but not quite. The longest track is "Ode A Claviius" at 8 1/2 minutes, and while it has it's moments it also isn't one of my favourites. A lot of high pitched synths here. The closer at just over 6 minutes rivals the opener as my favourite on here. Powerful stuff including the atmosphere. Drums are more to the fore here as well.

A very solid debut that is just a little different from the rest.

Klaus Schulze called it "psychedelic brunch", but this is quite a proper dinner. The fifth episode of the "Dark Side Of The Moog" series is opened by Robert Moog, the inventor of the first commercial synth who introduces the album with a short speech of 14 seconds, then we are projected back to the Virgin period of Tangerine Dream.

Strange to say, as Klaus Schulze left the band just after the debut album, but this is how most of the tracks sound to these ears. It's not Phaedra nor Ricochet, but that's the mood, and its pleasant enough. I think the main difference with TD is in the absence of squared waves, thtat were a sort of trademark for Edgar Froese.

But there are also two exceptions:

Part 5 lasts 16 minutes and is based on a repeated sequence of tuned toms. I don't know if real toms or made by a sequencer. I like thinking that Klaus Schulze has remebered to be a drummer. The soundscape is quiet and the sounds comning and going compose mainly major chords. Some layers are added, other disappear but the track remains fluid and mesmerizing.

The other exception is Part 7. About 8 minutes of good space Rock in the vein of Zeit (to remain in the TD zone). I still have to approach the following volumes of this serie, but up to now this is the one I've liked the most. About 1 hour of relaxing soundscapes.

Disclaimer: the relation with Pink Floyd is just German humour.

Decimo Cerchio is a collaboration between Claudio Milano as vocalist and performer and the band "I Sincopatici". The album is the result of a very interesting project that has its roots in the pictures of Dante's Inferno published by Gustave Dore' in the year 1861. 50 years after, three Italian film makers, Francesco Bertolini, Giuseppe De Liguoro e Adolfo Padovan released "L'Inferno", a movie clearly inspired to the Dore' paintings.

153 years after Dore's work, I Sincopatici and Claudio Milano have put music on this movie, that of course was mute, and performed it during the projection of the movie in various theathers. Here on this site I have posted a youtube movie of the full performance. Viewing it will be surely better than reading my words, so invite the readers to spend about one hour on it.

I assume that everybody knows about Dante and the Inferno which is the first of the three parts that compose the "Comaedia" or "Divine Comedy". The subject is very dramatic and in some parts very dark (can anything be darker than the Christian Hell?). Useless to say, the music fits very well with the images, but it works well even on its own. Claudio Milano is able to add a sort of "visual" mood to his singing thanks also to his huge vocal extension which allows the use of very high and very bass notes.

Add to this the excellent musical compositions of I Sincopatici, in particular the piano of Francesca Badalini who makes it sound melodic or dramatic depending on the situation, An example is "Amor Che A Nullo Amato Amar Perdona", which refers to one of the most famous episodes of the Inferno: the two lovers, Paolo and Francesca. On this track the piano sets a specific mood for the different parts of the episode, while Claudio shows their sufference with the vocalisms at the end of the track.

Another track that I can't not mention is "Il Conte Ugolino". Here in Italy we study Dante's comedy in the schools, as it's the first big poem using a language that can be called "Italian", instead of the Latin that was the literary language in the 13th Century. Knowing the story of the various episodes surely helps in appreciating the way they have been translated into music.

At this point, let me say that vieweing the performance with the movie, and listening to the CD are very different experiences: in the first case it's a complete performance and also the movie has its value, invluding some "special effects" that were ahead of its times in 1911, while the pure listening gives the possibility of creating your own mental images. It's quite like the difference between viewing a movie and reading a book.

I suggest both. In the video, Claudio Milano shows also his ability as live performer.

In the end, through "Il Cammino Sotterraneo" (the subterranean path), after you have passed Lucifer, you'll finally see the stars again, on the movie or in your mind.

If you don't know much of Dante's Inferno it's better starting with the video. If you have alredy your mental images of it, the CD first is better.

Up to you.

Review Nº 810

Tangerine Dream is a German progressive electronic rock band that was formed in Berlin in 1967 by Edgar Froese. Tangerine Dream is considered a pioneering act in the electronic music. The band's career is divided into several phases. The first one started in 1970 and ended in 1973. It marks a sound inspired by the psychedelic era of Pink Floyd in the Syd Barrett's phase, with several keyboard interventions and sound effects. It's close to the German progressive scene called krautrock. Their electronic work in those years produced albums that had a pivotal role in the development of the German music scene known as "kosmische music". In those years Tangerine Dream released four studio works.

"Decades 70's" is a compilation album of Tangerine Dream that was released in 2013. As its name indicates it covers the 70's but it's only focused in the first years of their career, the years that became known as "The Pink Years". Thus, has only tracks that belong to the first five albums of the band when Tangerine Dream was linked with their record label Ohr, "Electronic Meditation", "Alpha Centauri", "Zeit", "Atem" and "Green Desert", despite this last one have just been released in the 80's. So, from "Electronic Meditation" we have "Resurrection" and "Cold Smoke". From "Alpha Centauri" we have "Sunrise In The Third System" and "Ultima Thule Part 1", despite this last track have just been released in the format of a single, at the time, a rare single in our days. From "Zeit" we have "Zeit". From "Atem" we have "Circulation Of Events" and "Fauni-Gena". From "Green Desert" we have "Astral Voyager" and "Indian Summer".

So, "Decades 70's" has nine tracks. "Resurrection" begins with an almost solemn organ melody, to which a narrator declaims a true incomprehensible text that was recorded backwards. In the further course, the theme of the opening track is taken up. "Cold Smoke" begins with quiet organ sounds, which are repeatedly interrupted by short outbursts of chaos. Then the cello scrapes again, and snappy drums come and go, and another relentless psychedelic guitar attack ensues. The pounding drums and acid guitar is one of the main characteristics of this track. I think it was mostly Pink Floyd that gave the inspiration to this track with its lengthy guitar and organ freak outs. "Sunrise In The Third System" contains some slow spacey sounds and effects. It's a stealthy and hypnotic piece, with a dense organ and a ghostly flute. It has also a clear nod to Pink Floyd thanks to the sound of the organ. It forms a perfect introduction to the main cosmic journey, a kind of decompression chamber that helps the listener get acclimated to the alien landscape of Tangerine Dream's musical world. "Ultima Thule Part 1" is an excellent song despite be short, an absolutely astounding piece. It offers a very edgy music, dominated by heavily distorted guitar sounds, which is still kept in the style of the debut album. This is an accessible slice of psychedelic rock that implemented heavily distorted guitars and drums for a change. "Zeit" consists of free form synths and electronic effects along with Froese's guitar. It goes into full avant-garde weirdness with a barrage of terrifying sounds. It leaves the listener with the possibility of returning to land or continuing the journey towards unexplored coordinates. "Circulation Of Events" hasn't a recognizable melody or rhythm. It's dominated by organ and synths, slightly rippled by the vibrations of VCS3. It can be seen as a sinister sounding piece due to the strange electronic effects, basically nearly six minutes of humming and gloomy electronic sounds, making a great tension, a reminiscent of the earlier work "Zeit". "Fauni-Gena" shows the primitive ancestor lost in the lush and bewildering rainforest. It sounds as a forest of an alien planet bending the sounds of birds and other creatures with Mellotron and flute. The Mellotron is mysterious with notes which are the wide eyed wonder of a human being showing the hesitation of him probing the primeval environment. The band did a superior job evoking birds and insects through electronics, creating a virtual mechanical botanical garden. "Astral Voyager" is carried by a fast sequencer-like motif, and with its digital-sounding sounds much like an intensive Edgar Froese post processing, more after 1984 than after 1973. If one knows the Edgar Froese's pronounced "improvement vein", this assessment becomes almost to certainty. You may never know how it sounded in the original version, really. "Indian Summer" offers wave movements and scattered string chords that come across as suspiciously modern. This sound image is interspersed with delicate melody lines. It's a mellow piece on which some synthesizers take the lead from time to time.

Conclusion: We can really say that "Decades 70's" is a very good compilation album of Tangerine Dream that is only focused in their first years, the years that became known as "The Pink Years", the years when the band was linked with the Ohr record label. As I said, it comprises only tracks that were recorded on their first studio albums, "Electronic Meditation", "Alpha Centauri", "Zeit", "Atem" and "Green Desert", despite the last one have just been released in the 80's. So, these albums that are more linked with their most psychedelic, avant-garde and most experimental phase. This is a very interesting phase from the band, the phase where Tangerine Dream used for the first time the synthesizer and Mellotron. This was also the phase where their most known and best line up started with Froese, Frank and Baumann.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

4.5 stars. I've had a bit of an itch for Electronics of late, and while I have to do my "best of" Electronic list yet, it's just not happening for a while. So I thought I would sprinkle in some Electronic reviews over the coming months, hopefully taking away my itch. And REDSHIFT is a great place to start. Led by Mark Shreeve, this is a four piece band of almost all electronics plus some guitar and lots of mellotron. They are from the UK, and this is an interesting release with two songs being live, and two songs being done in studio.

The live tracks were done at the Jodrell Bank Planetarium in 1996. The crazy thing about this is that possibly my all time favourite Electronic album "Knutsford In May" by RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL was performed at the same venue, and the same year! Just earlier. The two tracks done live were the opener "A Midnight Clear" at 24 minutes, and the closer "Ether" at 27 1/2 minutes. The two studio tracks are "Bombers In The Desert" at 8 1/2 minutes and "Static" at over five minutes.

So a 65 minute album released in 1998 that recalls "Rubycon" from TANGERINE DREAM, as well as RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL, especially the guitar and mellotron. I think my favourite part of the album is early on that opener where it's dark and the mellotron rolls in. Such an incredible soundscape. When they want the music to move they bring out the sequencers, yes Berlin School all the way. So a nice mixture on the opener of soundscapes and sequencer driven music.

I am really into the two studio tracks, and really the whole album sounds the same, in that the live and studio sound no different from one another other than the applause to open and close those live tracks. Both studio numbers have some dark spacey soundscapes before the sequencers arrive. I'm a big fan of both tracks. The closer and title track is where we get some guitar late to change things up a little, but really all four of these songs are in the same style. Uniform sounding for sure.

Mark Shreeve was in a band called ARC that is well worth checking out. Also my buddy Guldbamsen recommends DIE WILDE JAGD who I'm surprised aren't on this site. Guldbamsen is one of the few listeners like myself who likes to go places when listening to music. Taking that trip. Maybe you had to have been into psychedelics at one point of your life to get this. So many dismiss psychedelic music for being too simple, with often weak vocals etc. Missing the point completely that it's about the mood and ideas. Guldbamsen will always be my favourite here, I connect to no one more than the big Dane. Read his review here of "Ether" to understand what I'm talking about.

One of the most confusing releases in KLAUS SCHULZE's gargantuan canon, PICTURE MUSIC very well be one of the most confusing releases of the entire 1970s and better known for the enduring snafus that ensued rather than the music itself. For years believed to be the third release and then the fourth release but recorded before "Blackdance," a proper forensic investigation proved it to be both recorded and released as the fourth album due to the fact SCHULZE employed the use of an EMS VCS 3 synthesizer. Add to that bewildering uncertainty, the album has been released over the years with four vastly different album covers along with additional variations on each theme making the history of this album quite fuzzy indeed.

The most percussion oriented of the early SCHULZE years, the album was the only one of his entire solo canon to feature KLAUS back in the drummer's seat as most of the percussive duties were either electronically engineered or later handled by Harald Grosskopf of the Krautrock band Wallenstein. Like many of his releases across the board, PICTURE MUSIC featured two sprawling electronic tracks that each swallowed up an original side of vinyl and eventually offered a different version of "Totem" as a bonus track once the album found its way onto CD. This is once again the KLAUS SCHULZE show who alone plays all synths, organs and reprising his role as drummer after serving in Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before going solo.

Offering a heavier dose of space ambience, PICTURE MUSIC threatened to float off into the cosmos altogether only kept on a leash by an unusually robust percussive drive. "Totem" starts off as the usual Berlin School electronic swirly effect show but quickly adopts a jittery tribal percussive drive only synthesized but with a slow and darkened procession into a series of repetitive melodic motifs augmented only by the moodiness of a sole synth that offers the varying touches to keep the track from becoming monotonous. Kept Earthbound by the incessant sputtering effect of the percussion, the track unfortunately is never allowed to roam the realms of the space age effectively making it one of the most stilted sounding tracks of SCHULZE's early years. While meditatively compatible, the track lacks those extra touches that SCHULZE had become a master of crafting as if he fell into a cryogenic state and pushed the autopilot button before drifting off to meet Major Tom.

"Mental Door" is the more interesting of the two tracks with a proper space ambient effect and cool electronic sound effects sputtering in and out of the soundscape with an almost church organ cathedral vibe to the tones emerging from the main synth performance. The track is also more varied with more twists and turns and while starting out placid and serene becomes more agitated and aggressive as the keyboard stabs become more murderous in intent and the percussion bursts into rock and roll overdrive. This chaotic rumble ensues for a good second half of the track while the sputtering electronic effects join suit and crackle in the background like an ominous sign that someone dropped a torch in the fireworks factory. A bizarre track that seems to be self-defeating as the space ambience is extinguished by the persistent percussion racing pell mell to some unknown destination while the rock heft never reaches a satisfying conclusion due to the sparse accompaniments.

A noticeable departure from the more orchestrated and diverse nature of "Blackdance" or the more divine cosmos feel of what came before leaving PICTURE MUSIC one of my least favorite releases of the early KLAUS SCHULZE canon. Not unlistenable by any means but while SCHULZE's musical journeys into the koschmische unknown tended to bring enough elements to the table to keep your mind enthralled either actively or passively so, this one seems to drag on beyond what's offered actually delivers. A noble effort indeed but it would take SCHULZE a little more time to up his game to the refined perfection that he would soon deliver with "Timewind." All in all a decent release but just sounds stale compared to what else he had to offer in these early years. In short, too aggressive to succeed in being consistently meditative and too short of ideas to rock out.

3.5 rounded down

A multi-sensorial experience!

Believe it or not, everytime I review a Claudio Milano-related release I kind of put myself a disguise and embrace a theatrical mood. His music is so visual, but this time it really had to be, because "Decimo Cerchio" is the original soundtrack for the 1911 silent film "L'Inferno" which was impulsed by three talented musicians who work under the name of I Sincopatici. These guys are Francesca Badalini on piano an synths, Andrea Grumelli on bass and electronics, and Luca Casiraghi on drums & percussion, the first two participated in the latest Nichelodeon album, by the way.

Well, I Sincopatici is a project who loves joining music with films, so they create music for silent films and perform it while the film is being screened, generating a wonderful artistic and multi-sensorial experience, which, for this time was complemented by Milano's voice and theatrical skills, because this release was recorded live from a 2021 performance. Fortunately for us, we can watch these performances on Milano's Youtube channel, a great opportunity to actually see what a experience like this looks like.

This album features 26 songs -mostly short- that make a total time of 67 minutes. The music created here is in the experimental, avant-garde side of things, though there are some moments that they take us to other realms such as the classical or opera one, or others much deep like zeuhl. Of course the whole experience would be fullfilled if we attended to a live performance, however, it is possible to enjoy it by only listening to the music, so we can create our own pictures, passages and scenes. Enigmatic first two minutes, some spacey atmospheres and Claudio's voice; then piano starts building beautiful sounds, while bass and percussion join in a delicate way. Emotional vocals take over for some moments, but then piano let us know thay musically its the main guide, so since the very first tracks we can notice Badalini's capacity to create different moods and musical passages that take the listener / spectator to a fictional world.

I love the contrasts and the changes, for instance, the sorrow provided in track 3 suddenly fades out and a delicate passage begins in track 4. There are some chords that sound like a lullaby for some seconds, but when they disappear, a dark atmosphere begins. And I could go on and make a lot of examples of the changes, but it's important to say these changes make sense, they all have cohesion and a purpose, so the experience naturally flows. I like a lot track 5, its delicious fretless bass sound, MIlano's voice exploding, and those keyboards and percussion that put a gothic-like atmosphere on it.

On track 9 they put a heavier first and then faster rhythm, creating a bit of chaos and letting us know the rock element is also present in their music. Dark atmospheres, some RIO and zeuhl here and there, wonderful. There are several tracks where we can listen to quite different sounds and genres, going from delicate instrumental passages to explosive moments where theatrical and poetic vocals appear. But one of my favorite episodes comes from track 14 to 17, where the guys create more winks to zeuhl, in moments that give me energy but at the same time, sounds tense and scary. Chaotic and explosive passages are also implemented here, all the instruments play crucial part of its success.

The percussion also help creating folk-like rhythms, like it happens in track 20, which has a world music feeling on it. And again, the changes, because track 21 is creepy, disturbing, confusing; and then the zeuhl returns in a kind of coda or reprise in track 22, which has a quite interesting inner change due to the delicate piano sound and those voices echoiing here and there.

And yeah, every journey has its start and its end, and it is great the end comes with applause from the audience.

This is a great work by I Sincopatici e Milano, I would love to see them onstage, however, I am aware their music might not be the easiest to dig, nor to recommend to a regular listener.

Congrats to these wonderful musicians / artists who do what they love, and I am sure, love what they do.