Silhouettes

Description

Even more than with a band, the creative work of a solo artist is the direct and unadulterated reflection of recent experiences, a mirror of the soul, an undiluted reaction to their current life situation. This formula has always applied to German electronic music artist, composer and producer Klaus Schulze, and even if the astonishing number of albums recorded and released by him is virtually impossible to pinpoint (experts estimate the number of releases featuring Schulze to be at least 200, but probably closer to 500), his latest offering Silhouettes is no less special for the 70-year-old. The four pieces on the album were created between summer and autumn 2017 following an extended period which was due to health problems very quiet and for this reason very meditative at times. Schulze: The result automatically was a phase of reflection, of retrospection, of pure contemplation. In the wake of your 70th birthday you naturally find yourself looking back at the past so the result is a reorientation, a renewed awareness of what is really important. Schulze describes the music on Silhouettes as a reduction to the essential things and has consciously worked only very sparingly with solos and vocal elements. He explains: No great distractions, nothing to force your attention in a certain direction, no major effects or gimmicks, no frills or dominant rhythms. It was important to me to paint the pictures in the depth of the space, the sonic fields of tension and atmosphere. Analysing individual works in detail would not do justice to the overall phenomenon of Silhouettes, in particular since the titles ´Silhouettes`, ´Der lange Blick zurück`, ´Quae simplex` and ´Châteaux faits des vent` are expressive enough in themselves. As a brief assessment, let it just be said that the overture ´Silhouettes` sees Schulze pave the way for an epic symphony, consciously leaving it at hints, shadows and scattered fragments, while the other three compositions feature the sequencers that are so typical of him. Other than that, the whole album lives up to the tried and tested motto of this innovative artist: let the music talk!