Electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze has released a new album, Silhouettes, his first album of new music in 5 years.
“In the wake of your 70th birthday, you naturally find yourself looking back at the past,” notes Schulze. “So the result is a reorientation, a renewed awareness of what is really important.”
With his new album, Schulze says that he has tried to reduce his music to its essential elements.
“No great distractions, nothing to force your attention in a certain direction, no major effects or gimmicks, no frills or dominant rhythms,” he explains. “It was important to me to paint the pictures in the depth of the space, the sonic fields of tension and atmosphere.”
You can preview Silhouettes below:
Tracks:
- Silhouettes
- Der lange Blick zurück
- Quae simplex
- Châteaux faits des vent
Silhouettes is available now via Amazon and other retailers and on major streaming platforms.
Instant buy from The Master!
Il pioniere della musica elettronica è stato Karl Heinz Stockhausen. Questo è mainstream banale.
I’m baffled why nobody is calling out this inspiration less, directionless, utterly bland album for what it is ? If this was released under any other name it wouldn’t be given a second listen, or even a completed first listen by anybody. Why does a famous name make so many people and reviewers so musically blind.
Sounds like you have a strange axe to grind – because this post isn’t a review, and I doubt that you could have seen a review or listened to this album yet, since it was just released.
Maybe you should explain why you’ve got this axe to grind, instead of an open mind about new music from a pioneer?
Gosh why would I have to be somebody with an axe to grind for being critical of this latest album? How predictable a response. I like an awful lot of his past music but I feel this is just a cynical can’t be arsed effort from somebody who is capable of so much more. There are several reviews already if you check, the album has been out over a week hasn’t it? Is this not enough time to form an opinion ? I don’t want to join in the usual dreary chorus of unqualified praise for something because the name of the artist carries weight. An artist should be judged on more than past glories.
What’s weird about your comment is that there’s no review here, there’s no ‘dreary chorus of unqualified praise’ here, yet you’re ranting about that and you’re randomly accusing people of being ‘musically blind’.
Who or what are you ranting at?
If the music isn’t to your taste, OK – you’d be well served to say so, rather than posting unsupported, irrelevant rants.
I never said the reviews were here, or the dreary chorus of praise. One only needs to read Facebook to find it all. Once you start to see what I’m “ranting” about, take a few minutes to consider my points, or if you have the album then listen to it carefully. Compare it to his better work in regards to production and composition. Ask yourself honestly if your opinion might be different if the artist name was different.
I did reply to this once but it never appeared …anyway, the Klaus Schulze Facebook page, and his fan pages have already posted several glowing reviews from various magazines, and the general consensus from the fans is how wonderful this new work is … for example, the first poster here who said “Instant buy from The Master!”.
What I am asking is, without the name Klaus Schulze behind this album, would people’s opinions be the same ? I think not, because the name and reputation is enough to make people automatically churn out the same comments and praise without any thought or consideration to the actual music, which in my opinion is sub standard, especially for Klaus.
None of this has anything to do with personal grudges or axes to grind, just an observation of the mindless automated reactions of fan bases and lazy reviewers.
I hope that clarifies things for you.
I fully agree.
Yeah, I also gotta call out your BS. You either got some weird thing against Klaus or your a troll seeing as there aren’t any professional reviews out for it yet and you likely haven’t even heard the whole album yourself.
erm you do realise the album has been out for 12 days now ? I bought on it on release date, May 25th. There are quite a few reviews out there too, usually Klaus’s Facebook page or one of his fan pages are posting them regularly.
A proposito di pionieri autentici ecco un breve elenco : Babbit, Stockhausen, Koening, Ligeti, Xenaxis, Robotnik,ecc. esiste un fraintendimento sul termine elettronica, anche la musica più banale è considerata elettronica perchè creata con strumenti elettronici appunto. In questo avete ragione, costui è un pioniere di questo tipo di musica elettronica. Soundcloud è pieno di musicisti elettronici di questo tipo, solo che non sono famosi.
Klaus you do any music you like.
You earned the right.
You are a legend.
Glad you are still making music Klaus.
Schulze has always seemed to me to have a role within popular electronic music similar to Miles Davis’s role within the jazz world.
In both of their careers, they made records that people thought were revolutionary. But if you judge either by their records that are considered revolutionary, you’re limiting yourself to a handful of albums. Look beyond those albums, and some of the best albums by both are ones deeper in their catalogs – and some of their most interesting work is how they create space for other people to solo.
Of course, their music is very different and they have very different strengths, but it’s fascinating to me to think what could have happened if they’d met.
I like the new album – it’s very much a mature album, he doesn’t have anything to prove anymore and that may be disappointing to people. He’s like Eno – he’s been amazingly successful in creating new musical territory to work within, and now he’s free to just do his thing.
I agree with Digdog only partly. If you’d take a listen to what you hear it’s clearly Schulze. Schulze, so crystal clear! Suppose you’ve never heard of him and listen to this for the first time your opinion might be different from those who call him the master. Nevertheless I discovered Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Michael Stearns and so many more without knowing them before. This is genious and although suppose I wouldn’t know him I’d immediately fall in love with his work!!!! Coloured by a name ? Alright! You have a point. But no, if you keep an open mind and are able to discriminate mediocrity from genious.