Music : Klaus Schulze, Timewind

Hi!

From time to time I go through my record collection and pull out some vinyls which I haven't listened to for a long time.  I recently played a record which I bought as teenager. Timewind by Klaus Schulze.

It is interesting how some of those records which one liked as a kid aged very well and still sound fresh and relevant while others don't.

Schulze's timewind definitely is one of the first category. Klaus Schulze was among the pioneers of electronic music and heavily influenced generations after him. He experimented a lot with synthesisers and sequencers. Timewind was released in 1975 on Brain. My particular copy was pressed in France and distributed by Virgin. This was his 5th record and can be considered as his break through. The first track which gave the album it's name is a mesmerising and pulsating flow of the typical analog synth sounds of the 1970ies which gained a lot of popularity again most notably in the revival of the Moog Modular Synthesizers. These analog sounds are still unmatched by digital instruments.
Klaus Schulze was among the creators of the 'Berlin School' style. Nowadays it would be called Ambient. The name Berlin School was given since most musicians who experimented with this were working in West Berlin during that time.

The surrealistic cover art perfectly matches the music which Schulze dedicated to Richard Wagner. Klaus was active and successful over a long time and gave concerts up to 2010. More information can be found on his website.

If you are into electronic music and don't have this album get the vinyl and savor it!

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Yello, Toy

Hi!

Being a fan of Yello since the 1980ies, I had to get their new album as soon as it was out. It is called Toy, and deserves a quick review.

It took them about seven years to release a new album after the last one 'Touch' which came out in 2009. It is Yello's 13th album. Being in the music business since the late 1970ies can they keep up with the high expectations their fan base has towards a new album?

Most Yello albums are both very different from the previous releases yet carry the typical sound signature of the Swiss duo which is easily recognised. The first track of Toy is very unlike Yello. It reminded me of typical synth music from the 1970ies. It sounds a lot like Jean Michel Jarre. Which was a funny coincidence because just a few days before I pulled out Jarre's Oxygene and blasted through both sides. I wanted to see how some old electronic music sounds through the ultimate phono stage and ultimate line preamp (it's amazing what this combo picks out of such old records). So it seems Yello paid an homage to Jarre with their intro called 'Frautonium'. They are also ending the album with such a track.

All in all the music on Toy is rather slow and mostly dominated by Dieter Meier's typical narrative style of singing. And of course Boris Blank did his part with his amazing sound creations and samples. As on many other albums there are guest musicians. Most notably Mahlia who sings in some newly interpreted titles from her album 'Convergence' which was produced by Boris Blank.

Yello reuses a lot of material from their own previous work and also from Boris Blank's Electrified. At first listen this can appear as some lazy rehash of old material, but it all has a fresh touch and does not disappoint. They not only pay a homage to Jarre but also to themselves.

The track 'Star Light' also reminded my of some song I new. After a while I realised which one it was. The base line, guitar and melody seem to be straight of the late 1990 hit 'Bakerman' by Laid Back.

The title 'Magma' and 'Toy Square' on the last side carry many sound elements as found on the Yello album 'The Eye'.

Did they overdo the sampling and quotes from other albums? Laziness or homages? I go for the latter since the album is great. May be not one of their best releases but special nonetheless.

Recording quality is superb as is usual with Yello albums, and it is available on vinyl. My copy has some surface noise on some tracks but otherwise appears to be well pressed. Maybe the spare copy I got is a bit better.

If you like Yello, get the vinyl and savor it!

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Dreams of a Chinese Opera

Hi!

In the retrospective post about the High End show 2016 I mentioned the discovery of some interesting music and as promised I am presenting that record today.

The record is called Dreams of a Chinese Opera II. It is contemporary classical Chinese music. A genre which is probably quite unheard of in the western world.

The record is published by Rhymoi, a Chinese label which is specialised in this type of music. The records are actually made in Germany. The music is also available on CD. During the High End fair Mr Ye, the producer of this record visited our room and asked if we would like to play a record. We are always happy to play visitors records. This is a great opportunity to discover some new music. And this one was a very pleasant surprise. We did not know what to expect. The whole room was very quiet when the first beautiful sounds came off the vinyl. What beautiful music. It is actually a mix of classical western orchestra with traditional Chinese instruments. The audience was quite awed by the music as I was myself and Mr. Ye received applause for providing us with this treat.

In addition to the beauty of the music it is also very well recorded and the vinyl is of superb quality with low surface noise. The tone is very rich in harmonics and colourful.  A pleasure to listen to.

Such kind of music deserves more exposure outside of China and I am trying to arrange the import of some of these records for distribution in Europe.

Here a video clip with the first track of the record for you to enjoy:

Many thanks to Mr. Ye for letting me have this album which I enjoyed a lot since we met in Munich.

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Freddy Quinn, Auf hoher See

Hi!

At events like the ETF or the High End fair I occasionally like to play some fun records. It is interesting to watch the reactions. While some seem to take things too serious, others really enjoy them. This is one of those records. 'Auf hoher See' by Freddy Quinn.

Freddy Quinn was very popular in Germany during the 50ies and 60ies and produced a lot of records during that time and also played in some movies.

Most of his songs are about the sea and sailors. This is also the theme of this record as is evident from the title and cover. The album was released in 1962 on Polydor. Like most of the Polydor albums of this era, the recording quality is exceptional. Also the vinyl quality of these early Polydor discs leaves nothing to wish for. They can be recognised by the orange label with the stars at the top. Later releases have a red label and are of lesser quality but still mostly very good. The first song on the album is probably the best and also the one which often leaves people with their mouths open if they haven't heard such a record before. It starts with water waves which almost give the feeling as if the water is splashing over your feet. Then a choir slowly sets in which is unbelievably realistic. And finally Freddy starts to sing. His particular accent and the way he rolls the 'rrrrr' together with the hilarious lyrics is really funny. Freddy Quinn probably didn't take himself too serious when he recorded this.

And this is how to listen to such a record. Don't expect anything serious or artistically challenging. Just have fun listening to it and be amazed by the truly exceptional recording quality.

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Max Richter, Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - Recomposed

Hi!

As last year, I discovered some new music during the High End fair. Last year it was the Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble. This year it is again a record brought to the fair by Bernd, Vivaldis Four Seasons recomposed by Max Richter.

As the title implies this is not just another performance of The Four Seasons but a recomposition of Vivaldis work.

While the original album was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2012, the version I have is a new release which contains some bonus material on the second LP. The first record contains Richters recomposition performed by Daniel Hope on the violin and the Kammerorchester Berlin, conducted by Andre de Ritter. The second LP contains remixes and mash ups with sampled sounds and Moog synthesisers. The Four Seasons belongs probably to the most popular classical music and you might have heard it a bit too often. Richters recomposition makes it listenable again. This is a modernised version but it leaves the original art work intact. Very interesting and worth checking out.

We played the record many times during the High End fair and there was no getting tired of it. I also noticed many visitors taking a photo of the cover.

And the best about it: It is available on vinyl. I got my album just a few days ago.

To get an impression check out this clip by MoizAudio taken at the High End.

Best regards

Thomas

Music: Boris Blank, Electrified

Hi!

When I read that Boris Blank, co-founder of the Swiss band Yello, plans to release a solo album, I was excited. And of course I had to get it. It is called 'Electrified'.

This contains a collection of sound tracks from the last 4 decades of Boris' work. Unreleased tracks and experimental pieces which were the foundation of some Yello songs. As such it is not a regular album like the Yello records we now. Unusual was also the realisation of the project. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign, managed by Ian Tregoning.

Of course I had to get the deluxe set which contains some extra material and offers the music on 4 (!) different formats: Vinyl, cassette tape, CD and digital download.

In addition there is a DVD with 12 videos and a beautiful booklet with photographs from Boris Blank. Everything exquisitely packaged. Cassette tape, CD box and booklet are laid into the right side of the box:

On the left side there is a sleeve which contains 3 vinyl records.

Although I don't even have a casette deck any more, this is a cool touch to include it as second analog format besides the records. The digital download and CDs come in handy for listening in the car. But of course what I'm most interested in are the vinyls.


As mentioned above this is not an album in the conventional sense as you'd expect when you know Yello. It's rather a collage of tracks, sounds and snippets from the last 4 decades. I was a bit disappointed when I first listened to it. But it quickly grew on me and I enjoy it a lot. Boris is the guy behind the sound of Yello and this becomes very apparent when listening through this collection. It is amazing how h kept his indistinguishable style over so many decades. His sound now only defined the sound of Yello but was influential for the electro pop music scene. This album is a must for hardcore Yello fans!

The recording quality is excellent. As far as you can talk about sound quality of purely electronic music. Huge detail, extended frequency response with silky treble without any trace of harshness. Some tracks have a huge artificial soundstage which almost has a psychedelic character.

Many gems to be discovered in this collection! Thanks a lot to Boris Blank and Ian Tregoning for realising this project.

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble, Mr. Machine

Hi!

Today I am presenting a record which I didn't know until recently. The guys with whom I exhibited at the High End fair in Munich brought this record to my attention. We used it a lot to demo and most visitors liked it a lot. Mr. Machine by the Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble.

Brandt Brauer Frick is a techno/minimal music/experimental ensemble, founded in 2008. They combine electronic repetitive techno grooves with aspects of classical music. Classical interments are sampled and mixed in a collage with electronic sounds. The Ensemble consists of 10 people.

Mr. Machine was recorded 2011 and published on Studio !K7. Although the opening of the album seems very improvised and dis-harmonic, it quickly draws you in when the rhythm builds up. What at first seems difficult to listen to gets pure pleasure and you want to blast through all 4 sides of the double LP. The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble is often described as a modern version of Kraftwerk. For sure they have been influenced by that ground breaking band from the 70ies, which still needs to be covered in the music series of this blog. The title of the album which is also the title of the first track is probably a reference to Kraftwerk's Mensch-Maschine (Man-Machine).

We played this record a lot during the High End show and never got tired of it. Many visitors came back after their first visit and asked if we can play it again. Many photos have been taken of the album so people could buy it.

Of course I also had to get this record. It is available on vinyl and easy to find online.

Added 12-Jul-2014:

Just found this video on you tube in which a track of this album is played:

Best regards

Thomas

Music: Manu Chao, Clandestino

Hi!

Manu Chao's Clandestino is a record which I used to play a lot years ago, but then I kind of forgot it until recently. A visitor browsed through my records, pulled it out and asked me to play it. While we enjoyed listening through the album, I decided that it deserves a spot on my blog.

Manu Chao is a Spanich/French Singer. Clandestino is his first solo album. The style is Latin/Reggae. The general flow of the music is rather slow and soothing. Chao sings in various languages and the album is full of atmospheric sound bites including samples of speeches.

The album was released in 1998 on Virgin Records. Despite the many sound effects, the album is well recorded. They could have used less vocoders on the vocals but somehow it matches the style of the record. Each track moves seamlessly into the next and it is a joy to blast through both sides at once. I can't really say what it is that I like about the album. I hardly understand any of the vocals except the few tracks with english lyrics. But this doesn't seem to matter. It is the atmosphere of the record which beams your mind into a nice location in Mexico or South America. The slow pace of the music is very relaxing and is best enjoyed with a nice cool cocktail and a cuban cigar.

Most of the tracks are collages of samples, minimalistic guitar play, rhythm and overdubbed vocals. They are well made and reflect the passion of the musicians.

Favorite title on the album: 'Welcome to Tijuana'. The track consists of several layers of vocals recorded in different styles. Some with very close up miking, some processed through vocoders. The whole room is filled with sounds and voices. Although entirely artificial, they way some of the voices are almost in your face gives a tingle on the spine.

If you don't have this record yet, go get the vinyl and savor it.

Best regards

Thomas

Music : Ry Cooder, Paris Texas Soundtrack

Hi!

A great aspect of demoing gear to visitors who come to audition an amplifier or preamplifier is all the different music they bring along. This is a good way to discover records which I was not aware of before. A few weeks ago some nice chaps visited and brought Ry Cooder's Soundtrack of the movie Paris, Texas.

Ry Cooder's score of the Wim Wenders movie is dominated by his atmospheric acoustic guitar play. Mixed with some sound effects and lot's of echo this album is a great journey.

Most of the tracks are instrumental. With the exception of the title 'Cancion Mixteca' which is a beautiful ballad with spanish vocals by Harry Dean Stanton who is an actor in the movie. A very touching song, even though I don't understand spanish. Very different is a track on the second side called 'I knew these people'. This opens with an extensive dialogue from the movie between Stanton ans Kinski which is then complemented by Cooder's guitar and a piano. Very cool track. The record ends with an instrumental guitar track similar to the opening piece. If you liked the movie, this record is a must have. Even if you haven't seen the film the soundtrack is worthwhile to get.

Best regards

Thomas

Music: John Zorn, Spillane

Hi!

I got John Zorn's album Spillane as a gift from a friend. This is a great album which I probably never would have bought myself and missed. Thanks a lot to Hartmut who gave this record to me many years ago. I still cherish it!

The album could be categorised as avant-garde. It was published 1987 on Nonesuch records. It is meant as a homage to crime novel author Mickey Spillane. The first side only has one long track which is a continuous collage of sounds voice and music sampled from a turntable, occasionally mixed with some instruments.

Snippets from movies, TV shows, a voice reading from a newspaper. These sometimes appear like an audio drama or a sound track and intend to give an impression of Spillane's main character, Mike Hammer. The second side begins with a title which Zorn wrote for guitarist Albert Collins. It opens with Collins' bluesy guitar play and could be mistaken for a blues title. But halfway through the track it changes considerably. First with a voice reciting some text. Then a groovy hammond organ joins and it appears like a completely improvised part.


The second and last title and side two is again a rather wild collage of sounds, string instruments and voice.

This record is definitely not to everybody's taste but worth checking out. The recording quality is exceptional. Very transparent and neutral. Some of the sounds pop frighteningly realistic out of the speakers. There is lot's of details to discover. A record which can be played over and over again to discover new things.

Best regards

Thomas

Music: Santana, Abraxas

Hi!

Here is another record from the 70ies which many of you probably still have somewhere in the record collection or in the attic. It definitely deserves to be pulled out and played again. Santana's album 'Abraxas':

Everybody knows Carlos Santana and loves his guitar play which is unique and distinguishable from anybody else within just a few riffs. This album is a fine example.

Abraxas was Santana's second album, released 1970 on Columbia. The record opens with a psychedelic instrumental piece called 'Singing Winds, Crying Beasts'. Quite a rather 'non-commercial' opener for an album. Probably influenced by the early Pink Floyd. The second track is the most well known on the album. Santana's version of 'Black Magic Woman'. It made it high up in the charts. This song fits well to the latin style which is underlying the entire album. This track also shows the incredible recording quality of the album, which is remarkable for that period. The voice is breathtaking. A fine example of the typical Santana sound. Incredibly colourful guitar riffs. On a well set up system the guitar sounds seem to bypass the ear all together and tingle the brain directly. Towards the end of the title it turns quite psychedelic again, with a rocking guitar. It seamlessly moves into the next track 'Oye Como Va', which features a brilliant Hammond Organ solo, one of my favourite instruments.

The music on the second side swings back and forth between rock and latin style. Most notable the slow ballad 'Samba Pa Ti' which is dominated by Carlos Santana's guitar style, with congas, bass guitar and a Hammond Organ in the background.

Abraxas is a fine example of music which resists the passage of time and turns into a classic.

Many of you probably have this album somewhere since it was extremely successful. It ranked on spot 205 on Rolling Stone magezine's list of 500 greatest album of all time. It was forgotten by many audiophiles since it would sound pretty awful on some of the typical 'high end' systems with false resolution and effect full (but false) dynamics. The intense guitar play can turn into annoyingly squealing sounds if reproduced on the wrong system. Also some digital 'restoration' probably did a lot of damage. The original recording does not need any restoration. Its great as it is. If you don't have the vinyl somewhere or if you only have it on CD, go into a second hand record store or get it from ebay. It'll cost little and will give a lot of pleasure.

Best regards

Thomas