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Klaus Schulze - Cyborg
Music CD CoverArtist: Klaus Schulze Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2006-09-12 Music Label: Revisited Records Soundtracks: Music CD 1- Synphära 22:48
- Conphära 25:51
- Chromengel 23:49
Music CD 2- Neuronengesang 24:43
- But Beautiful (bonus track) 50:55
Free Music Notes for CyborgFree Music Review: "Cyborg" Reissued!!! Hit: 5 Stars
"Cyborg" is Klaus Schulze's second solo album and is an epic piece of avant-garde mastery. The original album consisted of four long tracks taking up one side each on vinyl. Musically, it picks up where his debut "Irrlicht" left off and includes many innovative and orchestral music experiments.
For the latest CD reissue, the music has been remastered from superior tape copies and removes a lot of the hiss and hum heard in the original CD version (which didn't sound too bad at the time either). Also, the track titles and their running order are presented on CD for the first time in their correct order as they appeared on the very first LP issue. Therefore, what most fans thought was "Synphara" in later years was actually "Chromengel". The track titles now correspond to the correct music. Also, the reissue includes an excellent 51-minute bonus track which will be discussed below.
"Cyborg" opens with the beautiful "Synphara". Klaus's Farfisa organ dominates this piece accompanied by a percussive rhythm from his newly acquired VCS3 synthesizer. The mood of this piece is extremely dark and funeral-like. At the same time, it reminded me of walking into a giant cathedral with a large pipe organ playing consistently. There is very little change throughout this piece but it's themes and variations along with it's synthetic rhythms are superb.
The next track, "Conphara" is a 26 minute drone-fest opening with a chaotic cacophony of what sounds like air-raid sirens. Underneath, a steady bass pulse emerges which sets the tone for the rest of the piece. After the 'air-raid siren' intro fades out, the orchestra comes charging in with a long dramatic theme. This is music that would not sound out of place in a horror film of some sort. Towards the end of the piece, things settle down a bit as the orchestra backs off and some delicate flutes take over. The buzzing pulse heard throughout the piece then fades into silence.
The second half of the album opens with "Chromengel" (supposedly German for "Chromium Angel"). Here, the orchestra is up front and center with a beautiful wandering progression. Throughout the piece, Klaus creates an endless series of drones, bleeps and wind storms with his VCS3 synthesizer. This piece maintains the same mood throughout except when it moves towards the end. For the final six minutes, the orchestra drops out and Klaus is left alone in the mix conjuring up seas of white noise from his synth.
The closing track on the album is the experimental "Neuronengesang" ("Brain Song??"). Throughout the course of its 25 minutes, dark and grunting drones drift in and out the mix accompanied by a wandering Farfisa organ. Sharp synthetic bursts scatter throughout the piece sounding like an alien game of laser-tag. There are brief moments of calmness but for the most part, it is layer upon layer of droning pulsating tones creating an intense atmosphere. There are similarities between this piece and Tangerine Dream's "Nebulous Dawn" from their 1972 classic "Zeit". Both tracks feature the same idea of droning notes pulsing in and out of the mix.
The long bonus track, "But Beautiful" was recorded live in October 1977 at St. Michael's Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium. In contrast to the harsh experimentation heard on the original "Cyborg" album, this live piece is a calming atmospheric sequencer-style piece that is typical of Klaus's music ala "Timewind", "Moondawn" and "Body Love". There are enough changes, spontaneous playing and energtic passages to make this long epic piece flow by like shooting stars. This is some great classic Schulze here.
"Cyborg" was definitely ahead of its time when it was released back in 1973. It is still highly regarded as an avant-garde masterwork. Klaus wasn't finished after "Cyborg" though. After this, he went on to produce timeless classics such as "Picture Music", the groundbreaking "Timewind", "Moondawn", "Mirage" and "X", all of which are regarded as important works from this important musical genius.
The recent reissue captures "Cyborg" in its best quality yet. The sound is sharp and clear and is a real treat to be listened to with headphones. The new liner notes from Klaus Schulze and Klaus Mueller are also great too.
Classic Early Klaus Schulze and a true Avant-Garde Masterwork!!!
Cyborg PosterKlaus Schulze?s second album was originally a double L.P. released in October 1973 and the new Revisited Records definitive release finally places the tracks in the correct sequencing, previously impossible to due the time constraints of the vinyl running time. Schulze fans who have yet to discover his very early work really should give this a listen; Cyborg is certainly a stunning recording, always challenging, often preposterous, sometimes disturbing, this is Schulze at his absolute purest. The Revisited Records new deluxe edition includes the 51 minute bonus track, But Beautiful, recorded four years after Cyborg at the famous concert in Brussels? St. Michael Cathedral on the 17th of October 1977. This audience recording is the last not yet released from this historic event and it fits perfectly here, with both its length and atmosphere, as it gives the sometimes harsh avantgarde sounds of Cyborg a more beautiful conclusion. Klaus Schulze first attracted attention as a member of the German progressive rock band, Tangerine Dream. Following the release of their debut LP, Electronic Meditation, he departed for a solo career. Klaus' recorded work typically features extended pieces sometimes filling an entire album built around computer-generated synthesizers and other specially programmed electronic effects. Klaus Schulze remains a cult figure in the United States, where the bulk of his prolific output has until now been available only through the import bins. He is widely considered an avant-garde mainstay as well as a founding father of both the new-age space music and electronica genres.
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