Irrlicht (album)
Irrlicht is the first album by Klaus Schulze. Originally released in 1972, in 2006 it was the sixteenth Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records as part of a series of Schulze album reissues. Recorded without a synthesizer, Irrlicht's set of "early organ drone experiments" is "not exactly the music for which KS got famous".[3]
Overview
The album's complete title is: Irrlicht: Quadrophonische Symphonie für Orchester und E-Maschinen (German: "Will-o'-the-wisp: Quadraphonic Symphony for Orchestra and Electronic Machines"). Its atmospheric drone music tone is similar to Tangerine Dream's album Zeit (released the same month) as it stemmed from a common idea that Schulze and Froese couldn't agree on and parted ways over.
In 2005, Schulze said, "Irrlicht still has more connections to Musique concrète than with today's electronics. I still never owned a synthesiser at the time."[4] Schulze mainly used a broken and modified electric organ, a recording of a classical orchestra rehearsal played backward, and a damaged amplifier to filter and alter sounds that he mixed on tape into a three-movement symphony.[4]
Irrlicht, despite its highly unconventional nature, was originally released on the prestigious krautrock label Ohr. Because Schulze was signed to them while a member of Tangerine Dream, the label asserted that his solo album belonged to them too;[4] Schulze's reaction was, "I was just glad that Irrlicht was released at all. Any other company would have probably turned me away with this record."[4]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Klaus Schulze.
1. |
"1. Satz: Ebene" |
23:23 |
2. |
"2. Satz: Gewitter (energy rise—energy collaps)" |
5:39 |
3. |
"3. Satz: Exil Sils Maria" |
21:25 |
4. |
"Dungeon" (reissue bonus track) |
24:00 |
Notes
- On vinyl, "Ebene" and "Gewitter" were combined into one 29:00 long track.
- "Satz" is the German word for the musical term "movement", therefore "1. Satz" is German for "1st Movement".[4] Translated, the titles mean:
- 1st Movement: "Plain" (as in the flat plains of Sils)
- 2nd Movement: "Thunderstorm"
- 3rd Movement: "Sils Maria exile" (possibly a reference to Nietzsche)
- The 3rd Movement "Exil Sils Maria" was recorded backwards. The recording can be heard the way it was originally recorded by being played in reverse.
Personnel
- Klaus Schulze – "E-machines", organ, guitar, percussion, zither, voice, etc.
- Colloquium Musica Orchestra (4 first violins, 4 second violins, 3 violas, 8 cellos, 1 bass, 2 horns, 2 flutes, 3 oboes)[5] – recorded as raw material then post-processed and filtered on tape.[4]
References
- Irrlicht CD booklet, 2006, Revisited Records, SPV 304962 CD
Notes
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Piero Scaruffi review
- ^ Both quotes from re-release producer Klaus D. Mueller (from the website and the booklet, respectively).
- ^ a b c d e f Irrlicht CD booklet.
- ^ Original 1972 LP booklet as quoted at Discogs.
External links
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Albums |
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Richard Wahnfried albums |
Time Actor (1979) · Tonwelle (1981) · Megatone (1984) · Miditation (1986) · Trancelation (1994) · Trance Appeal (1996) · Drums 'n' Balls (The Gancha Dub) (1997)
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Boxed sets |
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Collaborations |
Electronic Meditation (1970) · Ash Ra Tempel (1971) · Tarot (1973) · Join Inn (1973) · Lord Krishna von Goloka (1973) · The Cosmic Jokers (1974) · Planeten Sit-In (1974) · Galactic Supermarket (1974) · Sci Fi Party (1974) · Gilles Zeitschiff (1974) · Planet of Man (1974) · Go (1976) · Go Live from Paris (1976) · Go Too (1977) · French Skyline (1984) · Aphrica (1984) · Drive Inn (1984) · Transfer Station Blue (1984) · Babel (1987) · Friendship (2000) · Gin Rosé at the Royal Festival Hall (2000) · Come Quietly (2009)
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