Specials

Artist: Heimann
P: 2010   
A fresh melodic album produced in an excellent Heimann-typical sound! Pleasingly accessible though touching titles remind us of his successful albums like "Touch The Sky" and "Twilight Voyager". Heimann created many new ideas by combining dreamy melodies and harmonies with decently driving beats.
Recommendable to all fans of melodic electronic music!

 

Artist: Peter Mergener
P: 2010
On “Phonetic Society” Mergener returns to his personal artistic roots, by using more electronics and less acoustic instruments than on his latest offerings. Here once again you find wide, spacey sound scapes, sequencer runs, robots, digits and experiments. The technical world in all its cold beauty, expressed by elements of the traditional Berlin school of electronics as well as by modern beats. Both currents are brought together in the track “Time Passengers”. Here younger listeners get a chance to learn about the Berlin sound while older fans might be pleasantly surprised by the more modern grooves on this remarkable album. Peter Mergener, internationally renowned founder of important New Instrumental music groups such as SOFTWARE, deals with a hot issue on his new solo album “Phonetic Society”: the information overload! “We have to live in a constant stream of music and diverse noises, sounds are everywhere”, says Mergener. “Through our mobiles phones and other technical gadgets we are continually connected with some kind of sound”. This is why German composer Mergener speaks of a “Phonetic Society”. On his new album the thoughtful and sensitive sound sculptor tries to depict this man ic world through the means of music (as in the title track “Phonetic Society”), but also to complement it with relaxing and soothing moments (as in the track “Floating Energy”).

Artist: Peter Mergener & Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock
P: 2007
With more than 30 acclaimed albums to his credit Peter Mergener has become one of the most respected and prolific musicians in contemporary electronic and cosmopolitan music scene. Still he always kept being open to and well aware of the qualities in other musicians. So over the years Mergener and Hoffmann-Hoock have frequently collaborated – on “Visions Of Asia” you now can hear the most beautiful results of their musical friendship! The compositions are slick and charming, evoking distant lands thick with exotic flavor. Many of the tracks possess a calming quality despite their complex structure, applying their dreamy melodies to inspire a sense of epic scope.

Artist: Peter Mergener
P: 2000
"African Smiles" is the fascinating document of the composers impressions from a lengthy trip to the black continent. African rhythms, chants and natural sounds blend beautifully with Mergeners sensual synthetics. A musical vision with breathtakingly wide range!
 

Artist: Peter Mergener
P: 2004
On the DVD you can see and hear the whole concert, in another chapter you will have the opportunity to get an impression of the Mystic Night during a 14 minutes walk throught the illuminated aisles of the Kaiserthermen, another chapter shows the gladiators in the Amphitheatre and you can escort the legonaries from Porta Nigra to the Roman camp.
All music is recorded in real surround 5.1., so sit back, relax and enjoy a brilliant concert and the whole Roman festival.
As bonus you will find the complete Audio CD on the Set.

Artist: Klaus Schulze
P: 1996/ 2007
Produced & mixed by Klaus Schulze.
Composed, played & arranged by Richard Wahnfried & Jörg Schaaf.

KDM describes it: “Marooned” (13:12) is a track which I received from Klaus a few years after "Trance Appeal". It was part of twelve CD-Rs full of studio recordings by Klaus (and guests), planned for another set release that later became the five (or six) CD set “Contemporary Works 2".
The present bonus track is a little part from the fifty percent of then unreleased music. On both sessions (the orginal TRANCE APPEAL as well as on the bonus) Klaus is joined by Joerg Schaaf, and both sessions were indeed designated for Klaus’ “Wahnfried” project and albums.

Artist: Klaus Schulze
P: 1986/ 2005
Nr.:19
The four tracks that make up 1987 Dreams fit well into Klaus’ late 80’s work and, as well, disappear into a world of their own. The title track has been said to be the most disturbing of his works while Five To Four works upon Oriental colours and textures. A Classical Move and the 24+ minute Klaustrophony relate closer to the uneven rhythms and experimental stretches and drives coupled with dark synth sounds more common of Klaus Schulze’s works.
The previously unreleased 24 minute Constellation Andromeda has been added as a bonus track to the new edition.
DeLuxe Edition incl. Bonus Track & enhanced booklet with new photos & liner notes

Artist: Klaus Schulze Michael Rother,
Boots, Keller, Schönwälder u.a.
P: 1995
A very nice compilation with old and new tracks fro the listed artist. Compiled by the radioworkers from local stations.

Artist: Joerg Strawe
P: 1993
This is a tribute to the legendary Yamaha CS80 Synthesizer, which Vangelis used, best known on his Bladerunner-Soundtrack.
The music was played on the original instrument of Klaus Schulze.
Some tracks are melodic some are spacemusic.
 

Artist: Remy, Juno, Fractional...
P: 2006
Here we have a sampler of Remy's AKH Records label. All names except Remy's own are unknown to me. Lebenswelt starts this disc with "And My Life Is So Frail". I must say it's an interesting jazzy track with some synth coloring and a bit of FX but not EM. Anyway, on to Soapkills "Kadzoura". Sounds like a folk / classical piece, compete with female vocals! Gentle electronic rhythm / organs provide a nice backing. So, again, not EM, but nice to listen to anyway. It does make use of interesting sampling techniques but it ends up sounding like a mixture of Dub and Progrock. On to Iuno's "Spy" which opens with quiet piano playing but after a couple of seconds we can hear once again female singing similar to that heard on the previous track. I would say that there's little difference between this and "Kadzoura". In fact, they sound as if they were made by the same person. Another track by Iuno follows that features jazzy rhythmic backing and once again those female spoken / singed vocals. I must say it's nice stuff but all really not my cup of tea. Well, perhaps it will grow on me, as happened so many times with a lot of weird and different stuff. A track by Remy follows, called "In This Place". A mysterious bell-like melody casts its spell, echoing into the distance. Background Mellotron choir can barely be heard, as well as subtle strings. Great, moody stuff. A slow rhythm eventually appears and forms the basis for the last part of this highly repetitive, minimal track. We continue with Fractional's "Nirbel" that disrupts the flow with jarring rhythm / aggressive sounds. This is a nice track but it belongs to the Techno culture in my book. We continue with Sutrastore's "Succeed". Urban atmospheres are combined with broken rhythms. Looks like the album made a complete turn towards the IDM side of things. Male voice half-sings and is then joined by a female one for some sort of a chorus (year, right). Nice music, this one. "Central Station" by The After Affects only confirms my presumption about this sampler going for the IDM thing. Nice Pet Shop Boys-like processed vocals on this one. Remy closes the disc with "Visions". Mysterious piano notes make up for a nice intro. Well, actually the piano and the background pads are pretty much all we have on this number, plus a bit of a rhythm at the end. Nice track, though, and very different. I enjoyed it. The "AKH Records" sampler is something of a mixed bag, then, where Remy's own tracks were the ones I enjoyed the most.

Artist:
P: 2006
This release from 2006 offers 80 minutes of analog electronics.
Featured here are exclusive tracks by:
Rogue Element: watery and pensive with dreamy textures laced with chirping birds.
Francois-pol Cornec: energetic melody with bouncy keys and sweeping tonalities. 4m33s: a moody approximation of a sunrise streaming across an alien landscape.
Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij: surging chords flavored with celestial atmospherics that accretes notable vigor of high appeal.
Russell Storey: part one of a spacey excursion with dramatic disposition.
James J. Clent: mounting electronic cycles spiced with astral guitar.
Craig Padilla: an ambient intro plunges into high energy terrain with hyperactive loops and twinkling quasi-rhythms.
Kees Aerts: a determined electronic riff is enlivened with sinuous e-perc and fanciful effects.
Zen Paradox: eastern influences tweak an environment of erratic beats and a rising surf of lush textures.
Stephen Parsick (from 'Ramp): a spooky dose of ricocheting effects amid a nebulous fog of haunting demeanor that escalates into a dense tapestry of rewarding sonics.
Create: a heavenly excursion into moody layers and growling electronics.
Altres: acoustic guitar accompanied by congenial synth riffs and mirthful embellishments.
Russell Storey: part two of the prior piece, in which things take a darker turn with eerie results.
Remotion: lavish keys swim in a sparkling pool agitated by churning non-impact rhythms.
Remy: portentous textures ascend with majesty and are seasoned with pulsing tones and glistening effects.
EM2: carefree cycles become dominated by more resonant riffs with gentle e-perc nibbling at the edges.
Ron Boots: a monumental finale as dense tones fuse with masterful riffs of growing vigor, rising to a coda of shrill eruptions.
Again, the musicians demonstrate inventive applications of analog technology coupled with diversity and satisfying acumen. Standout contributions from Parsick and Boots.

Artist:
P: 2006
There is always much to do amongst musicians and/or fans of em about analog or digital? Will we use the warmth of analog or the more reliability but less character of digital? This album has become a sort of contest where each artist could use only three genuine analog synthesizers to create a piece of music (although modern recording techniques were permitted).
"Analogy, volume1" contains music by some of the finest em-musicians of today.
The music ranges from traditional sequencer-based berlin school (create, syn, altres, modulator esp), via melodical (remotion, emmens, aerts, tescee), ambient (ellis and roach, 4m33s) to experimental (nerell, roach and oken, storey).
All music was played and recorded with care and love for the music and the instruments that it’s played on. "Analogy, volume1" is a great and eagerly awaited project.

Artist: Harald Grosskopf
P: 1999
This music was composed and played 1980, just during and after his collaboration with Klaus Schulze. This was his first solo CD and all his musical forces he learned since the seventies was melt into this powerful music. Even the famous radiostation WDR 1 with the radioshow Schwingungen selectet his track: "So weit, so gut" as intro. So what to say about this all:
it is one of the best synthesizer CDs ever made.
 

Artist: Radium (Waveshape)
P: 1998
Incl. Comic and special packaging.
Return of the cosmic curiers.
This is a lavishly presented boxed CD with a 16 page A5 comic/booklet containing some stunning imagery and extensive sleeve notes which portray a Space related concept.
Waveshape’s sound has been drifting towards ambient/dance recently and here’s the manifestation of that trend, though it is firmly towards the “chill out” end of the bpm spectrum. When the rhythms really kick in they are pulsating and the sequences rarely deviate from the complex matrices which they construct. Waveshape’s sequencing prowess has obviously been focussed on this album to great effect.

Artist: Waveshape
P: 1996
CUE 263
Being produced as a live-tape in 1991 and first being sold as MC in fall 1992, this is now the new edition of "Wellenformen" in digital format.
Waveshape was inspired by older analogue instruments like Moog and Farfisa Organ and Eminent String Ensemble. Pieces of music with an almost classic structure impressing by their volatility but also vigorous color the content of which is explained by Waveshapes own musical language.