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Part dream engineer, part sonic philosopher, in his earliest efforts Klaus Schulze utilized a new instrument (the synthesizer) to realize a new music for a new age. His atmospheric explorations of timbral and temporal space, of extended durations and considered harmonic structures came to be referred to as (for lack of a better term) Space Music. Untethered to traditional disciplines this new era of expression opened up space and then moved through it like nothing before. Released posthumously, his Deus Arrakis (77'28") is yet another superb release in a long line of albums inhabited by flowing synths, delimited imaginings and gradual revelations. Marked by an unmistakable spirited energy, the three lengthy pieces of Deus Arrakis develop under ethereal textures and spiraling effects. The deft cello-bourne melodies of Wolfgang Tiepold and extended vocals by Eva-Maria Kagermann heighten these compositions with a luxurious feel. Restless variations expose concealed connections as the stream of transformations encourages neural firing in the brain. As sprawling sequencer lines pulse ahead, Schulze's imaginative scoring and simmering intensity evokes limitless horizons. Fantastic in their construction, endlessly complex in effect, the cycling patterns motor on - whirling by in a magical motion of syncopated notes. Always working at a scale that transcends the listener, he showed us the difference between being merely close to the music and being inside it. A heroic explorer, Klaus Schulze's reach is long. If we learned anything from his body of work it is that the mind is bigger than its thoughts - an idea that will keep us engaged for many years after his music has stopped.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 7 July 2022 |
