Irrlicht is the first album by Klaus Schulze. It was originally released in 1972, and in 2006 was the sixteenth Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. Recorded without a synthesizer, this set of "early organ drone experiments" is "not exactly the music for which KS got famous".[1]
Overview
The album's complete title is: Irrlicht: Quadrophonische Symphonie für Orchester und E-Maschine (German for: "Will-o'-the-wisp: Quadraphonic Symphony for Orchestra and E[lectronic]-Machine"). Its atmospheric drone music tone is similar to Tangerine Dream's album Zeit (released the same month) as it stemmed from a common idea that Schulze and Froese couldn't agree on and parted way about.
In 2005, Schulze said, "Irrlicht still has more connections to Musique concrète than with today's electronics. I still never owned a synthesiser at the time."[2] Schulze mainly used a broken and modified electric organ, a recording of a classical orchestra rehearsal played backward, and a damaged amplifier to filter and alter sounds that he mixed on tape into a three-movement symphony.[2]
This unconventional record was originally released on the prestigious krautrock label Ohr because Schulze was signed to them while a member of Tangerine Dream, so the label asserted that his solo album belonged to them too;[2] Schulze's reaction was, "I was just glad that Irrlicht was released at all. Any other company would have probably turned me away with this record."[2]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Klaus Schulze.
| Note |
| 1. |
"1. Satz: Ebene" |
on original release |
23:23 |
| 2. |
"2. Satz: Gewitter (Energy Rise—Energy Collaps)" |
on original release |
5:39 |
| 3. |
"3. Satz: Exil Sils Maria" |
on original release |
21:25 |
| 4. |
"Dungeon" |
reissue bonus track |
24:00 |
Note
The "Satz" prefixes are not part of the titles; they are German for "Movement [of a symphony]" and qualifiers for the track numbers ("1. Satz" being German for "1st movement").[2] Translated, the titles mean:
- Movement #1: "Plain" (as in the flat plain of Sils)
- Movement #2: "Thunderstorm"
- Movement #3: "Sils Maria exile" (possibly a reference to Nietzsche)
Personnel
- Klaus Schulze – E-machines, organ, guitar, percussion, zither, voice, etc.
- Colloquium Musica Orchestra
References
- Irrlicht CD booklet, 2006, Revisited Records, SPV 304962 CD
Notes
- ^ Both quotes from re-release producer Klaus D. Mueller (from the website and the booklet, respectively).
- ^ a b c d e Irrlicht CD booklet.
External links
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