Klaus Schulze - Moondawn (1976)


 

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

Review by Chris S
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars This is as an important electronic progressive release as was Tangerine dream's ' Phaedra'. The version I am reviewing is the Revisted Records release which includes the stunning bonus track ' Floating Sequence'. A variation somewhat of the original first track ' Floating'.The album as a whole delivers perfectly the reason why Krautrock is the home of progressive electronica music. The originators and pioneers. Popol Vuh, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Faust to name a few. ' Floating' and ' Mindphaser' are powerfully structured songs spread over 52 odd minutes. The drumming build ups are excellent and Moondawn has all the necessary ingredients within the electronic genre to justify a masterpiece rating. There are moments on ' Mindphaser' when quite literally you feel like you are being propelled through another dimension. Music is THE drug, you just need the right musician or composer to take you on the journey. Klaus Schulze succeeded on Moondawn. Great reading and overall presentation with this remaster cover and jewel case CD version. A definitve cult album and majestic piece of work from 1976.

-----------------------------------------------
dONT-tRIP-oN-YR-aSS 2006-5-10
5 stars This is one of Klaus Schulze's best albums, and his first one performed in Berlin School style. For those who don't know what Berlin School is, here's a short definition (thanks to Wikipedia ^_^): "The Berlin School of electronic music, or just Berlin School, was a development of electronic music in the 1970s characterized by soaring electric guitar or synthesizer melodies in high-register accompanied by complex, shifting sequencer bass ostinatos. The lead soloist's warm, human improvisations were counterpoint to the cold, robotic precision of the bassline. Sound effects such as wind, and washes of Mellotron choir, flute, or strings were often added for color. Most works were instrumental, vocals were used sparingly." The addition of drums adds a great new element to Klaus's electronic excellency. The first track Floating grabs your attention right away when you hear (and what I just found out) the lords prayer in Arabic. The rest of the track continues with soaring synthesizers and twinkling effects soon to be accompanied by improvised drumming. Mindphaser is my absolute favorite track. It starts off with the calming sound of the oceans water splashing up against the shore, with choir effects and the addition of thunder. This continues for half of the song and is then interrupted by blasting organs and racing drums. The track then carries out into the sound of early electronica. The bonus track, Floating Sequence, is another great addition to this album. By far one of my top 5 Klaus Schulze albums. 5/5.


Tracks

1. Floating (27:15)
2. Mindphaser (25:22)
3. Supplement - Bonus (25:22)

Total Time: 77:59

Musicians

- Klaus Schulze / ARP 2600/ARP Odyssey/Farfisa Professional organ/ Farfisa Syntorchestra/EMS Synthi A/Crumar keyboards/sequencer synthanorma 3-12 and The Big Moog
- Harold Grosskopf / drums

Releases information

Revisited Records SPV 085-304142 CD - REV 018 (2005) (re-release with bonus track)

3 comments:

danilo said...

Great to this post of a an influential musician.

Anonymous said...

thank you very much!!!x2

jack bond said...

Thank you