Brainchips, the latest release by German sound artist Robert Schroeder, is a collection of accessible synth music that ranges from quirky instrumentals to R’n’B influenced vocal tracks.
Schroeder was discovered in the seventies by Klaus Schulze, and had a successful first album, Harmonic Ascendant. Since then, he’s released both solo CDs and work as Double Fantasy.
Brainchips has five vocal tracks, and the remaining tracks are new-age and synth music instrumentals. Rahal Brimil contributes the vocals, which take the music into more of a synth pop territory.
The CD is full of interesting synth work. Highlights of the CD include Space Track, a drone-based track that has more of a symphonic electronica feel; Froggy, a humorous instrumental built around samples of a vocalist singing “do”; and Hotspot Zone, a spacey instrumental.
The combination of vocal tracks and instrumental synth work is a bit uneasy. Schroeder appears to understand this – an instrumental version of Brainchips is also available which may appeal more to fans of pure electronic music.
Tracks:
- Doo Doo
- Wafer
- Electron
- Heaven
- Space-Track
- Froggy
- Serenade
- Long
- Hotspot Zone
- So Check Me
- Passing Streams
- Shallala
