Klaus Schulze
Blackdance

THE REVIEW

Klaus Schulze made the history of electronic music in the last century and continues to be an integral artist today, consistently releasing respectable albums. In many cases, it is sublime craftsmanship that adds nothing to what he has already said in the past, yet it is a demonstration of the rediscovered inspiration of an artist who seriously risked losing himself in the '80s due to alcoholism. Schulze has carved out a place in the Olympus of Cosmic Gods thanks to a milestone like "Irrlicht." The German musician essentially invented Cosmic Music and was imitated by equally valid artists like the French Jean Michel Jarre. In the '70s, he was in a state of grace, and all his albums from that period are indispensable. The monumental space symphony of "Cyborg", the "Wagnerian" "Timewind", the meditative "Picture Music", and the classics "Moondawn" and "X", are all important and high-level works. However, my absolute favorite remains his third album "Blackdance" (1974), a judgment also shared by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree as noted by Schulze in the booklet of the Revisited Rec. CD reissue (2007).

"Blackdance", compared to "Irrlicht" and "Cyborg", is certainly more "light" and melodic if compared to its predecessors and marks a clear change. Nonetheless, this album maintains a dark gothic and cosmic aura that makes it unique. The cover, by Swiss artist Urs Amann, is in pure surrealist style and is inspired by the universe of the great Salvador Dalí. It is definitely an excellent introduction to the dreamlike landscapes evoked by the music. The first track - "Ways Of Changes" - is introduced by the grandiose sounds of the synth that envelop us in an infinite cosmic sadness. Then, the arpeggios of an acoustic guitar accompany us gently, followed by percussion that gives a decidedly rhythmic imprint to the music. Let's not forget how Schulze played drums in "Electronic Meditation" by Tangerine Dream and in the early Ash Ra Tempel. The following "Some Velvet Phasing" is quiet and meditative and fits perfectly within the "zeitgeist" of the Cosmic Couriers. The closure is entrusted to the long "Voices Of Syn" (over 22 minutes) introduced by the voice of opera singer Ernst Walter Siemon who sings an aria by Verdi. The combination created by the voice and the sounds of the synth creates a dramatic atmosphere of unreal beauty: it feels like being inside a deconsecrated cathedral during the celebration of an ancient and forgotten ritual. The synth pulses then take over, outlining what will be the future Schulze-sound. Then it is the turn of a majestic organ that gives an almost sacred aura to the music. Enveloping spirals of synth and electronic whistles close this epochal album.

"Black Dance" is one of the best albums by Klaus Schulze from his golden '70s era and should not be missing from any collection of electronic music lovers.