La Vie Electronique 1 [Digipak]

Performer: Klaus Schulze
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: The limited-edition box sets in the Edition series (SILVER EDITION, 1993, ten CDs; HISTORIC EDITION, 1995, ten CDs; JUBILEE EDITION, 1997, 25 CDs; all gathered [with extra material added] in ULTIMATE EDITION, 2000, 50 CDs) are the most sought-after items in Klaus Schulze collectors' circles, exchanging hands at outrageous prices. In 2009, Klaus D. Mueller and Schulze began releasing LA VIE ELECTRONIQUE ("The Electronic Life"), a series of three-CD sets that reissued all the material previously released in these long-deleted box sets, plus a few unreleased tracks, with all the material put back in chronological sequence (the Edition sets mixed things up, time line-wise). Volume 1 covers the years 1968-1972 and is mainly very interesting. One highlight is "I Was Dreaming I Was Awake and Then I Woke Up and Found Myself Asleep," a previously unreleased 25-minute piece that, is stronger than IRRLICHT, Schulze's debut LP. "Cyborgs Traum" is also major Schulze material. Also, "Dynamo" and "Traumraum" feature rare occurrences of glissando electric guitar in Schulze's music. On the other hand, the 64-minute "Die Kunst, Jundert Jahre alt Zu Werden" is mediocre: it sounds like a long, in-studio improvisation during which the artist is trying out ideas but developing none. Then again, that is what this whole series is about: archival documents, experiments, drafts, and blueprints. And there's more than enough here to satisfy the fan.

Klaus Schulze is the living essence of electronic music, having both practically invented it in the 1970s, and embodying many of its signifiers: Teutonic, intellectual, and highly experimental. A founding member of the influential electronic group Tangerine Dream, Schulz left after one album to pursue other avenues of expression, first with Kraut-rockers Ash Ra Tempel and then as a prolific and enduring solo artist. His explorations in synthesizer rock have yielded several classic albums and have influenced the New Age and Trance genres.

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