Virtual Outback: Klaus Schulze: Amazon.ca: Music

1. The Theme: the Rhodes Elegy - Klaus Schulze

2. Chinese Ears - Klaus Schulze

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In 2002 Klaus Schulze released the second part of his box set series “Contemporary Works”. “Virtual Outback” is the first of five CD's from this set, which was only available online and has been sold out for a long time. “Virtual Outback” is now available with a new booklet including updated liner notes and the bonus track 'Chinese Ears', which Klaus recorded for the China Millenium Show in Beijng.

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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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Karl von eckartshausen, July 3 2008

By Cruising through the ether - Published on Amazon.com

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This review is from: Virtual Outback (Audio CD)

Von eckarsthausen is my favourite German writer on life s truths . K Schulze is my favourite german music maker after learning about him back in 2002 ( yes , im very contemporary as far as KS is ] .

Virtual outback is from the contemporary works - II - Box set from 2002 . It was a limited edition box , that started off with this extremely strong CD . This CD includes an intriguing bonus track ' Chinese ears ' .

The centerpiece is Rhodes elegy . 64 or so minutes of pure , strong , well crafted e music that could be produced these days . Peaceful at times , ethereal . Jammy and spacey . it is a fine musical proyect of KS , and i salute him on that .

Thanks

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegiac Schulze, Mar 1 2009

By Steve Benner "Stonegnome" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Virtual Outback (Audio CD)

'The Theme: The Rhodes Elegy' is probably one of the most beautifully hypnotic pieces Klaus Schulze has ever produced. From its opening minimal two and three note phrases (played in a software synthesised copy of the Rhodes Electric Piano -- hence the title), through an elegiac oboe tune that gradually develops over a growing electronic percussion pulse, the piece swells and calms repeatedly over some 65 minutes in all, each time re-emerging with slightly different instrumentation and melodic material as various guest musicians make their contributions to its progression. Easily the most structured of Schulze's large-scale works, this track is utterly beguiling from start to end and can be regarded as Schulze at his absolute best.

First released in 2002 as part of the "Contemporary Work 2" collection, 'The Rhodes Elegy' originally had a CD to itself. For this re-release, however, it has been paired with a previously unreleased work, 'Chinese Ears', part of a failed Millennium project intended for performance in the People's Republic of China. By contrast with 'The Rhodes Elegy', this track is brash, abrasive and overly rambling; the two works generally make for uncomfortable bed-fellows and personally I would have made do without the additional 15 minutes of make-weight material on this CD. The closing track really does spoil the main piece, in my opinion, leaping in as it does almost before the other has died away, and certainly before one has had to time to draw breath and recover from its effect. This is, of course, nothing that a bit of CD-player programming cannot fix but remains an annoyance nevertheless. That one niggle aside, however, this release comes close to faultless.

Schulze fans who missed out on the "Contemporary Work 2" release will simply have to have this release. Anyone else with the slightest interest in electronic music from the German 'Krautrock' school ought to have it also, so, what are you waiting for? Go for it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Schulze rewards the patient - invest an hour of your time, Jun 10 2010

By P. Baldwin "ambient" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Virtual Outback (Audio CD)

This is about the 10th KS album I have bought and it is my personal favourite, topping the playcount on my portable device by a healthy margin. At 65 minutes the Rhodes Elegy track takes you on a journey full of atmosphere and with much to reward the patient listener. To me it is a one-movement symphonic masterpiece which, although you can tune in and out of, is best played when you are ready to listen with full concentration.

It has a slow build up, with only a few notes played over an atmospheric backdrop, until a cor-anglais theme starts at 1:30. The first percussive sounds eventually are added at about 5:00 and for the next 8 or 9 minutes these continue until strings replace the cor anglais. This catchy rhythm continues for a while, but is never too obtrusive so as to over-ride the ambient sound.

At about 21 minutes the rhythm stops, but the gentle ambient sound continues, this time combined with various voices until near the half way mark of the piece whereupon the woodwinds return.

Then, just as the music appears to be ebbing away to a gentle close at around 29:53, the surprise masterstroke ( and personal highlight of the entire piece ) a haunting, highly distorted guitar is introduced and plays solo for a few mintues until combined with a somewhat more energetic percussion backing which then continues for a good while.

At around 42 minutes the groove continues but the guitar subsides, to be replaced by keyboards played over a gentle choral backdrop.

At 49 minutes the piece begins its winding down, with the ending of the rhythm and for the next 8 or so minutes various distorted string or guitar sounds are played over the ambience, until the groove returns for it's final farewell. The piece ends quietly and you return to the drudgery of your real world.

This piece takes you wherever you want to go, but my choice is by the ocean at night. Listening to the sound of the waves, looking up into the night sky lit up by various comets, shooting stars and constellations, wondering where heaven is.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars

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