Klaus Schulze Mirage

Next up for review is the re-issue of the 1977 album, 'Mirage'. For those of you that have not come across the album before, (where have you been!!!!!!) this was seen as a coming of age album for Schulze. In previous years having established his credentials as a serious solo performer with a number of successful releases behind him, 'Mirage' was produced to international critical acclaim.

The liner notes describe a very personal album, so know one was more surprised by its success than Mr. Schulze himself!! The CD album is presented in a double gate leg card folder with all of the original artwork reproduced as per the 1977 vinyl version. Photographic reproduction of the cover art is presented here again by inlaid high quality transfers. The enclosed 16 page booklet providing photos from the era, a section of interview with the great man himself in 2004, and also a two page write up about the album itself. On the musical front we are treated to a 19.39min bonus track,( all re-issues will be released with additional material, from the same era whenever possible).

The first track 'Velvet Voyage' kicks off brilliantly with its rather disturbing chords and atmospherics during the early stages. The mood is cold and empty, ( just as Schulze intended – a winter landscape. This being conveyed perfectly ). The 28.16min composition shifts undiscernibly like a snow storm though a variety of six linked musical stages, (1984/Aeronef/Eclipse/Exvasion/Lucid Interspace & Destination Void) none of which are clearly definable, none of which have index points on the CD. So to this day l'll never really know where l am with the music. According to Schulze in the sleeve notes this was an entirely intentional decision.

Eventually a sequence emerges, taking a hold from the drifting blizzard of synths and FX, building to a point at which some soloing can be undertaken. The Moog's mono voice calls out working its magic, but is ultimately overwhelmed by the power Schulze's huge synthesiser soundscape.

The epic,'Crystal Lake' drifts into play at 29.15mins with its repetitive merry little music box style beginnings. Once again we step through six musical stages of development, (Xylotones/Chromewaves/Willow Dreams/Liquid Mirrors/Springdance & A Bientot). Again, no single stage being clearly definable as one part morphs into the next. The protracted crystalline sequence is boosted as a big Moog bass drops in to say hello, and consequently the whole composition shifts to follow the bass.

Lead synths move around the mix avoiding the other FX which come and go with remarkable ease. Things wind down slowly only to build again into a thick mix of both choral and synthesiser treatments with any further leads set well back in the soundfield. The closing stages display a sense of latent power buried within the track as a sequence surges forward that Schulze plays against expressively trying to tell us that musically he has more to say, more to play, but time and vinyl were obviously against him back in 1977 and it was curtain call on this one.

As a bonus this time we have the third and final track, 'In Cosa Crede Chi Non Crede' from 1976. The recording, as explained in the sleevenotes, is not exactly pristine and early on sounding rather like a demo tape. It opens with some conventional organ work before veering off into a sequencer section or two before finally getting back to the organ once again. We're told in the sleeve notes that it's a completely different mix of 'Destination Void', (part six from track one) though to listen in on it you'd never really guess.