improvisation

The First Seven Days is one of the great early works of popular electronic music.

Released nearly 30 years ago, the music is a set of seven rock-fusion tone poems inspired by the idea of the seven days of creation.  It was a head-trip when it was released, and the remastered CD re-release makes it sound better than ever.

Jan Hammer is a talented keyboardist and composer. He’s best known for his soundtrack work for Miami Vice and his jazz-fusion playing with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. His talent with the Minimoog is legendary, ranking him up with other MoogerFoogers of the seventies, Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman.

This gem of an album, while little known, is probably his best work. The First Seven Days is a set of tone poems, loosely inspired by the story of creation. Part progressive rock, part jazz-fusion, and part genius, The First Seven Days is great music, and Jan Hammer’s keyboard work is some of his best.

“Darkness/Earth in Search of a Sun” starts off the album, and it’s one of the best cuts. It begins with what sounds like Mellotron string pad sounds. Eerie Moog howls rise out of nothing. From this, the music transforms into a searing rock-fusion number, with Hammer using his unique style of synth pitch-bending, tormenting his synth until it releases an electric-guitar like sound.

Other great tracks are “The Animals”, which combines funky percussion and exotic Moog work. “The Seventh Day” wraps thing up by returning to some of the ideas of the first track. Hammer ends on a high note with more of his innovative synthesizer soloing.

Though the album is almost three decades old, both the music and playing hold up well. The Mellotron sounds date the music, but it’s used so effectively that Hammer transcends the limitations of the instrument. You may want to look for a used Mellotron after listening to this. The music was innovative for its time, and the remastering brings out the best in the music.

The highlight, though, has to be Hammer’s Minimoog playing within the context of the trippy music. The music is evocative, almost psychedelic, and his synthesizer solos explode out of it. The First Seven Days has some of the best lead synth work that you’ll hear.

Bring on the Hammer!

This 1988 Vangelis CD is a bridge between the symphonic electronica sound that Vangelis made popular in the eighties and his current, more dense orchestral sound. Direct is a mixture of electronica, new age, space music, and folk sounds, mixed together in Vangelis’ unique way.

The CD starts of with “The Motion of Stars”, a symphonic electronica cut on which Vangelis plays lush string synths over a constantly shifting sequenced background. It sounds as if Vangelis may be playing over a continous sequence while he changes the sound that is played. The style is similar to his album Masks.

“The Will of the Wind” is more symphonic electronica. The cut features heavy drum machine backing, with an sampled asian flute melody.

Blade Runner fans should love “Metallic Rain”. It begins with a synthesizer solo over a droning string synth background. This section sounds a lot like Bladerunner Blues. The cut picks up after about a minute, and then builds to a rock-like section. The rock section has a blues-like feel also, but adds drums, a guitar-like distorted synth sound, and heavy blues bass. The remainder of “Metallic Rain” contrasts the mellow blues sound with the rock sections.

“Elsewhere” sounds like it could have come from one of his earlier albums. The melody sounds a little like some of the music on Opera Sauvage. The cut starts with a sequenced backing and adds a lilting melody over the top. It’s a pleasant enough cut until the drum machine cuts in, about three minutes into the song. The drum machine work is unoriginal and detracts from the rest of the song. The song returns to its original texture before a fade-out.

The next cut, “Glorianna (Hymn a la Femme)”, is one of the strongest cuts that Vangelis has recorded. On this track, Vangelis uses synthesizers and orchestral percussion to support two wordless vocalists singing in an operatic style. The result is operatic electronica, very melodic and beautiful. “Glorianna” points to one of the directions that Vangelis followed in the late 90’s, towards more of an operatic orchestral feel.

“Rotation’s Logic” is the sort of throw-away pop-electronica tune that Vangelis can churn out. The melody isn’t original enough to grab you, though, so it sounds like new-age background music.

Vangelis comes through with another classic piece of music with “The Oracle of Apollo”. This cut combines harp or sampled harp with synthesized strings and bass. The melody carries a sense of wonder and mystery, and is beautifully arranged. It also has a real direction and form, contrasting the original melody with a section that adds some tension. “The Oracle”, like “Glorianna”, capture many of the best elements in Vangelis style.

“Message” has a sequenced bass and layers lush strings at the start, accommpanying what sounds like a baby babbling. It quickly builds to his melodic symphonic style, and is similar to some of Vangelis soundtrack work for 1492. It’s melodic, grandiose, and bombastic. Cymbal crashes and wordless vocals “Message” sound impressive, even if the melody isn’t one of Vangelis’ best.

“Ave” is pop-rock and leaves little mark. The last cut, “First Approach” ends the CD on a high note. It’s very quiet and contemplative, and features synthesized cello and flute solos. The backing is built of Vangelis’ unique synth string sound, along with wordless vocals. Both the cello and flute sounds are used to introduce the melody, then the music builds to a crescendo. Finally, both instrument sounds are used to revisit the melody at the same time.

There are two extra cuts on the CD that were not on the original album version of this recording. “Dial Out” isn’t very memorable, but fits on the album. “Intergalactic Radio Station” is annoying, and seems out of place. This cut includes spoken vocals over a progressive rock synthesized backing. The vocals are sound like half of a phone call from a strange future. The result sounds a lot like work Vangelis did 20 years earlier on See You Later, but not as original.

Overall, Direct is a mixed outing for Vangelis. Some listeners will like the variety of orchestral electronica and more pop-rock new age cuts. The lack of focus, though, makes Direct sound a little like a grab-bag or compilation. Direct has some of Vangelis best work on it, especially “Glorianna” and “The Oracle of Apollo”, but seems padded out with weaker tracks.

Klaus Schulze has earned his place as one of the fathers of modern electronica. He has been called the Godfather of Trance and the head of the Berlin School of electronica.

He’s been exploring the boundaries of electronic music for over 30 years. He worked in one of the early incarnations of Tangerine Dream, and was a founding member of the Ash Ra Tempel. But it is his solo work that has most clearly definined him as an artist.

His work in the 70’s established his style. In works like Timewind and Body Love, he created a new style of electronic improvisation. His work of this era featured droning synthesized backgrounds, and used sequencers to create a pulse. Over these drones, he usually improvised synthetic string textures with organ, synthesizer or Mellotron. The focus of his music was his Moog soloing.

His solo style was not influenced by the bombastic neo-classical synth work that was made popular by people like Keith Emerson. Instead, his soloing was much more reflective. This reflected his technique; he background with Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Temple was as a drummer, not a keyboardist. One of the results of this was that Schulze does not try to be virtuosic, but instead tries to get inside the sounds. He lets his sounds have space, and slowly builds his music to a crescendo over relatively long periods of time. Many of his pieces of this time were 20-30 minutes long, because they would fit on a single side of an LP.

Schulze’s work has been varied. While the bulk of his work has been sole, he’s played in ongoing bands, such as Richard Wahnfried , and played with a range of instrumental soloist. In addition, he has recently created an opera, and also worked with combinations of orchestral instruments and electronics.

Schulze’s style bears the influences of the psychedelic 60’s, experimental jazz and rock improvisation, along with some middle-eastern flavor. His works often feature drone sections with slow Minimoog soloing, and then build into trance-like electronica built upon sequenced synthesizers. His work rarely features what you would call melodies, but instead is built upon exploring modes. After hearing much of his work, you’ll be able to hear his style living on in the work of many more recent electronica artists.

Key Dates

• 1947 – Born in Berlin
• 1969 – Member of Tangerine Dream. He records Electronic Meditation with them.
• 1970 – Founds Ash Ra Tempel and is heard on their record of the same name.
• 1972 – Releases his first solo work, Irrlicht.
• 1975 – Produces two LPs of Far East Family Band, whose keyboardist goes on to record dozens of LP’s as Kitaro.
• 1976 – Plays with Stomu Yamashta’s group Go. He also releases some of the most mature work of his early period on the recordings Moondawn and Body Love.
• 1978 – Records his tenth LP “X”. This is unusual in that it includes a classical orchestra on several of the cuts.
• 1979 – First Richard Wahnfried LP, Time Actor. This was an experimental group that Schulze put together to try out different ways of working.
• Early 80’s – Schulze started to become recognized as more of a legitimate artist. He created soundtracks for films and radio background music. He also released several live LP’s.
• Late 80’s – Schulze is subject of 10-part series on German radio about his work and importance as an electroninc music composer.
• Early 90’s – Schulze records many live concerts, including a concert from the Royal Festival Hall and a concert called The Dome Event.
• 1994 – Schulze proves his staying power by recording a Wahnfried production of electronic dance music, a cd of classical interpretations, and created an opera, Totentag.
• 1997 – the mega cd set Jubilee Edition is released. It features 25 cds of over 30 hours of previously unreleased music.
• Current – Schulze is busy as ever. He has released a 50 cd edition of rare works, covering work from the 70’s through the 90’s. He’s worked on remixes of various artists, solo concerts, and work with other likeminded musicians.

Schulze’s Views

Schulze comes across in interviews as humble about his work, but also cognizant of his role as a pioneer in electronica. In a 1994 interview, Schulze talked about his early work:

I did my music when “electronics”, “synthesizer”, “computers”, “trance” and “techno” were not existing, or fashionable, and I’m sure that I will still do it when any recent vogue is gone.

It was Edgar and me, who fighted hard, who starved, who put our souls into Electronic Music in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, etc.; it was me with my money who established in 1979 the first label for young electronic musicians: Innovative Communication (and gave it completely away in 1983). It was me who founded a school to learn synths, from 1978 to ‘79. It was me who did turn-on Kitaro (1975) and many others to electronics. It was Edgar and me who made hundreds of concerts since 25 years, and who gave literally thousands of interviews, showing and explaining the world about this crazy new music, the music of today and tomorrow…

Our music is now accepted by a new generation who does not have the prejudice of their parents; these kids grew up with electronic music of all kinds.

Schulze doesn’t seem himself as a keyboardist, but as a synthesist and composer:

 I am still no keyboard player. In comparision, say, to Oscar Peterson, I am an amateur. Because my craft is not playing the keyboard, but finding and combining sounds, building and using the structure to create emotions with sounds.

Schulze doesn’t see himself as being influenced by the work of German composers such as Stockhausen that had created electronic works. He also rejects comparisons to the minimilist composers of the late 60’s, and even John Cage.

Have you ever checked Stockhausen’s output? About 5 (five) compositions that could be called “electronic”, and they were done 30 to 40 years ago, made with an oscillator or something like this. He did over hundred of other compositions that have no relation whatsoever to electronic music. Besides, what I heard meanwhile, sounds awful to my ears and to most other people’s ears and hearts. Stockhausen is maybe a good theorist. Who’s listening voluntarily to his actual music, who “enjoys” it? I also had and I have nothing to do with Cage or Riley. Neither with their music nor with their theories and philosophies (if they have any…). I have nothing against it, but this is simply not my world. When I started to do my music, and before, I was listening to Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, before it was the Spotnicks and the Ventures, but not to the names you mention. Nobody in my surrounding and in my age did. This was a kind of “culture” that just did not exist among us. Only many years after, and because every second journalist asked me about “Stockhausen”, I finally bought his theoretic books and I read them. Interesting stuff, I must admit, but the musical results are still not my cup of tea.

More About Klaus Schulze

Schulze maintains a web site that is huge, and full of real information, not flash videos like many artists. The site features an extensive discography, along with the text of many interviews. It’s an excellent resource!

Opera Sauvage is a warm, mysterious blend of popular electronic music that sounds as good today as it did when it was released over twenty years ago.

Vangelis is known for taking simple materials and orchestrating them beautifully. Opera Sauvage is a good example of his abilities in this area. It is full of beautiful melodies, orchestrated with lovely sounds. The album uses a consistent palette throughout, emphasizing Rhodes electric piano and Vangelis trademark CS-80 sounds.

Most listeners will recognize the cut Le-enfant, which was used in the file The Year of Living Dangerously. Another familiar cut is Hymne, which has been picked up for commercial backing.

A standout cut is Chromatique, which features mellow Fender Rhodes electric piano.

Opera Sauvage maintains a reflective, quiet tone throughout. There are some jazz influences, but primarily this is a gentle slice of Vangelis’ melodic electronica.