Klaus Schulze – Big In Japan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3oqe9LcF9w

This video captures synth pioneer Klaus Schulze performing A Crystal Poem and Sequencers are Beautiful.

The video comes from Schulze’s Big In Japan, which was recorded 20 and 21 March 2010, during two solo concerts in Tokyo. 

The music from the concert was released in at least three version:

  • Limited Edition Box, released in Japan, which includes an 80 page booklet;
  • The American Edition set (which is in blue) contains a DVD (77:39) with the three tracks from CD 2; and
  • The “Limited Edition Box” as well as the European Version set (which are both in red-brown) contain a DVD (77:51) with two tracks A Crystal Poem (34:12) and the complete version of Sequencers Are Beautiful (43:49).

via pfenrw

15 thoughts on “Klaus Schulze – Big In Japan

  1. From a true expert and thus best qualified to be a Dik in the spirit of Synthtopia comment contributors:
    He’s using Roland gear! Doesn’t he know Roland sucks? Anybody on this site’s comments section could’ve told him that.DUH
    He’s using an Apple computer…well, he’s doing something right, because you know, windows sucks.
    It appears to me he’s playing to some sequenced tracks? Huh, that’s for sissies and the current crop of untalented types. Kinda like those who use that teenage engineering thingy, the slew of Korg micro analog crap and softsynths. Anything that is NOT analog costing a few grand with wood side caps, CV, modular and can produce one voice is a POS.
    Clearly Mr. Klaus is suffering from old age dementia…any numb nut can tell this simply in the fact that he is using digital synths…clearly this shell of a man hasn’t a backbone enough to ditch the cheap Japanese crap and instead play something from the golden age of the ’70’s that is found in a pawn shop.
    Hell, this guy should be circuit bending, shows how relevant he is today.
    Ok girls, did I pass the Synthtopia school of the opinionated…oh, one more thing, does anybody have one of those stupid analog step sequencers I can use so my music can be better…one PREFERABLY with a time signature other than the overused 4/4. You know, something like 12/45…oh, and make sure it has CV’s because MIDI is crap

  2. Digital, analog, computer – that doesn’t matter as much as bringing your ear and your vision to your music.

    Schulze has been making interesting music for 40 years and he’s never paid much attention to styles – he just does his own thing!

  3. this sounds better than a lot of the stuff hes done in the past 25 years or so

    but i think he should have stuck with all the analog gear instead, since his music tends to be so repetitive (which is not necessarily bad), because analog lends itself to subtle variations in texture and timbre much more easily, and is sometimes just a natural consequence of the particular device itself… his music sounds way more static and less interesting when its primarily digital, its too clean – his compositions are already somewhat clinical sounding, robotic, etc. and analog gear tempers that quite a bit

    its a hell of a lot more work tho… thats probably why he dont use it anymore… dude would probably need a whole crew of roadies to setup patches between sets

  4. At the beginning, the Crystal sequence comes from his 1975 album Mirage.
    Honnestly, I found the video a bit embarrassing. When he diverts from his pre recorded sequences, he seems a bit lost and confused. In those transitions, his playing is harsh, as if he had selected the wrong preset.

    I am glad that I did not pay to see this concert.

  5. Yeah I found it monotonous as well.

    His improvised playing was out of time and velocity all over the place.

    He’s lost his touch. Was one a pioneer /wizard when synthesizers were starting to take off.
    But these days a lot of us could out do him in our own bedrooms!

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