Moonlake - Klaus Schulze

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it rate alongside the competition	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Nice hypnotic grooves and soloing .
Disadvantages:	Overlong, can be boring in parts .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Klaus Schulze has released so much old material in boxed sets or re-issues in the past 10 years that it almost passed my notice that he hasn't released a straight forward new studio album for ages. And here it is, supposedly a "fan pleasing" album featuring a mix of his famed 70s sequencer style with his more rhythmic contemporary sound. The end result is rather a joyful upbeat album for Schulze. The standard overlong tracks are still there, but if you adjust your listening head to just float along, they pass by remarkably quickly.

The 30 minute "Playmate In Paradise" is really a track in two halves. The first is his standard contemporary style of rhythmic backbeats with only very sparse soloing. The track is built up very slowly (as is Schulze's style, why rush?) Just as you think it is going on for far to long, it is enhanced by Thomas Kagermann providing wordless vocals which sound Middle Eastern. A pleasant start which ends up fading into the second half of the track. Weird sounds, samples effects and vocals swirl around before a tolling bell sound develops into a wonderful sequenced movement. This part is very hypnotic, vaguely similar to "FM Delight" from his album En=Trance, and Schulze starts soloing along with more vocals from Kagermanns. The track does start to run out of puff towards the end but luckily this isn't one of Schulze's 80 minute pieces, and he brings back the chaotic sounds to bring the track to an end.

'Artemis in Jubilee' has an ethnic drum sound to begin with, and quickly settles into a quick groove. The track gradually develops with strings slowly filling up space and looping around. Again hypnotic, this is a great modern Schulze track, but not overstretched like some of his recent pieces.

The next two tracks were recorded live (although you won't hear any audience), the first of which "Same Thoughts Lion" is rather dull. It all starts rather pleasantly but then fails to progress anywhere and even though it is the shortest track on this album, it is overlong.

The last track "Mephisto" is the one that old time Schulze fans could well appreciate. It starts all too modern sounding with sequencers and percussion rattling on but slowly building until about half way through Schulze gets out his Moog and does one of his electric-guitar like solos bringing this album to an exciting end.

This album is typical of recent Schulze, and he could be accused of sticking to the same old formula, but the slight nod to his 1970s golden era does make this one of his more entertaining albums for some time. Yes you could trim minutes off the running length of every track as is the case with most Schulze albums, but if the mood gets you then you won't notice.

The album comes in a nice gatefold card sleeve with well printed booklet as with all his recent re-issues.