Klaus Schulze Miditerranean Pads (Rerelease) Please go to the Store to buy this item.

Now l have a confession to make – 'Miditerranean Pads' was one of those albums that just passed me by upon its original release in 1990. So although not much has been changed/altered for this re-issue l can still go over it with a fresh perspective and see what Klaus had produced post 'En=Trance'. 'Miditerranean Pads', presented here in what now appears to be the standard double gate folded card sleeve for these re-releases has the cover artwork reproduced once again utilising high quality inlaid transfers. The enclosed 16 page booklet provides photos of Schulze from the era, a section of interview with the great man himself in 2004, and a two page write up about the making of the album.

Schulze states in the new sleevenotes that a renewed interest in drums and exotic percussion sounds led him to steer the music down a more rhythmic avenue, though a first listen through the album confirms that he's managed to stay true to his musical roots. The synths are there alright, but the thing that upset many a devoted follower of his music was this use of drums and percussion which remain consistent throughout two of the three tracks. Klaus explains that although the album wasn't warmly received upon its original release, there does come a time when an artist has to move things forward, embracing new technology in the eighties and nineties in just the same way as he did back in the seventies. He had reached that point where the artist must ask, am l producing my own heartfelt music or just playing purely on the sensibilities of the fans knowing what they want and endlessly serving up more of the same, leading into a steady stagnation and demise. On this particular recording Klaus does appear to have produced music not that far removed from what we may have expected from him at the time, sounding as though he had picked up where 'En=Trance left off. On the percussion side – well the drums are persistent, but not unduly out of place or overwhelming. Klaus also seems quite content with this project as a whole, not adding acres of bonus material, but instead opting to provide us with one of the pieces in its complete form,( the original being edited down for the 1990 release).

'Decent Changes',(32.38) is the first whopping slice of Schulzism on the agenda, presented here without the previous time restrictions. From the very outset Klaus has the drums ticking over steadily making them very much a focal point of the whole piece. A meandering bass looks for a direction as the good old Fairlight kicks to life in the background, and here's where the review goes onto hold for a moment. An important point l wish to raise about the music here: - Schulze's traditionalist fans and music pundits of the day may have had a pop at Klaus and his music on this album for being too modernesque and contemporary of its day, (so much so that Klaus is prompted to explain in the sleevenotes the musical approach at the time and the reasoning behind it, explaining that his sole purpose in life was not to annoy everyone). In actual fact, whilst Klaus had gone ahead and made a sample laden album, he was actually using what at the time was old technology!! The Fairlight CMI itself being a decade old by the time of this recording. Klaus was reaching back to familiar sounds of his eighties work to build upon, so this modernesque tag l feel is quite inappropriate and ill placed. Contemporary, well yes……..Klaus does have HIS contemporaries!!!

Back to the music - Sounding alittle gritty and harsh, sampled strings/cello arrive at the six minute mark to take up the lead in much the same way as the old Moog synth would have 15 years earlier. This improvised section of the music returning several times throughout the piece giving it a cyclical feel. Things get wee bit sinister and edgy later in the piece, the drums and percussion becoming alittle more involved now as much of the lead and synths are now stripped back. This reminding me of the 'En=Trance' album all over again. The Cello plays against acoustic guitar both samples sounding brash and hard edged, this pattern of play continuing throughout the entire piece. At 20mins a small flourish rekindles the track, the solo's returning with repeated shifts in the Cello/guitar interplay until the music's conclusion. The piece never tires or gets stuck in a groove in that there are always decent changes developing along the way.

The fourteen minute title track arrives like a breath of fresh air sounding absolutely glorious in its opening two minutes, capturing a mood in an instant as did Froese on the classic 'Maroubra Bay', transporting the listener to a place that you could only reach in your dreams. Sun drenched imagery of a place to possibly relax for a while at some luxury Mediterranean pad, (sorry about the awful play on words there folks, but if Klaus can do it……so can l ). Assisted at the Fairlight by Georg Stettner and choral voice of Mrs Schulze,( if only a sample) a lilting melody unfolds, in a completely percussion free environment which nails that equatorial atmosphere superbly. The track builds slowly, a clunky piano sample briefly masking the true beauty of the piece, prior to the return of the Cello sound playing a variation on the reflective refrain. A Saxophone sample topping things off nicely as the track swings towards a close. Sounds of synth strings and voice glide by as bells tinkle away in the upper registers, getting ever so Vangelisy. Wonderfully dreamy atmospheric stuff!!!