Klaus Schulze
Kontinuum

«After spending years playing analog instruments, constantly fighting against the poor sonic cleanliness of the filters and the continuous tonal oscillations, with the arrival of digital instruments, I decided to fully convert to them, abandoning the analog ones. It's clear that today that type of sound (analog, ed.) is considered beautiful, but back then it wasn't, and digital was seen as a new sonic horizon, unmatched in terms of quality and usability». (Klaus Schulze, interview with Albrecht Pitz, 2005, speaking about the album Inter*Face. Note: the text here is partly a reworking of Schulze’s actual statements, though it does not alter the meaning or the specific terms in any way).

And there I am, saying right away: he will regret it. What he just said today might be considered pure blasphemy by many purists of cables and knobs, even though adapted to the time it has its logical sense. Today, I read this "Kontinuum" as a sort of "request for forgiveness". It is indeed performed almost entirely with "old" instruments and can be calmly seen as a synthesis of who Schulze has been and continues to be in his electronic world. Three long tracks, like in the "old days" (unlike Inter*Face and following, early works with tracks under 15' duration). 76 minutes in which I re-listened, all together, to the Schulze that deeply moved me with "Irrlicht", completed the hit with "Cyborg," amazed with "Blackdance," touched with "Moondawn," relaxed with "Mirage" (especially in the first suite, "Sequenzer - From 70 to 07"), and made me meditate with "Timewind". And, not to leave anything out, I also find (although "Kontinuum" predates the collaboration) much of the sonic textures that would characterize the highly prolific and (in my opinion) extraordinary collaboration with Lisa Gerrard (particularly in "Euro Caravan"). 

In short, not much else to add, to be honest, except for the not yet clearly expressed concept: "Kontinuum" is extraordinary. It fuses all the best of Schulze, the youthful euphoria of "Irrlicht" combined with the maturity achieved later, and leaving aside that easily forgettable period that saw the release of near dance/trance albums (as mentioned in various titles), like "En=Trance" or "Trancefer", just to name a couple (but also the same "Inter*Face", despite the excellent homonymous suite). Recommended without a doubt to purists as well as to anyone who wants to approach Schulze. A particular purchase recommendation for the analog nostalgia and for those who, back in 1972, were struck by the mighty "Irrlicht".