Klaus Schulze Dziekuje Poland Live '83 (Reissue) Please go to the Store to buy this item.

What was this early eighties attraction to Poland?? T.D. and Schulze both going there in the same year, both going on to produce live double albums of the recorded event? Anyway, 'Dziekuje Poland',( or for those in the know, 'Audentity' on the road) provides us with a digitally recorded account of Schulze's promotional tour of 1983. Taking along musical collaborator Rainer Bloss, the two of them went on to entertain some seemingly huge Polish audiences across eight cities, suffice as to say it all seemed to go down rather well, hence the resulting album – Thank you Poland. Something tells me that this is gonna be another top seller with you SMDers,( as one or two of you seemed to like the Audentity re-issue) the foundations of most all the 'Dziekuje' pieces being made up from many of the main sequences and rhythms of 'Audentity'. The combined talents of messrs Schulze and Bloss providing us with pretty much a completely different take on the studio album set.

Again this is a recording that displays music that is amongst some of Schulzes most powerful and vibrant that pounds the listener into submission with a huge wall of sound coming from both synths and samplers. Though it is readily identifiable in places as chunks of the 'Audentity' album l have to say that sonically it has more in common with 'Angst', its hard abrasive edge overriding much of the warmth that Bloss's piano playing tries to inject into the set. With numerous solo's guaranteed to rattle your fillings loose and booming percussion that'll crack the plaster on your living room walls this is a dynamic album that gives us subtlety, but only as a token gesture.

'Dziekuje' comes to us presented in a gatefolded card cover slipcase with quality inlaid transfers of all the original artwork and photos plus more shots from the actual shows,(together with a rather inadvertently amusing one of Klaus sat at his synths with his head in his hands – hey, we've all had days like that mate!!!). Schulze provides us once more with a brief write up containing several of his insights into the album and the time he spent in Poland on the tour in the accompanying 16 page booklet. As you can see from the running times of the CDs 'Dziekuje Poland' has been significantly expanded upon from its original one and a half hour running time by the addition of over an hours worth of bonus material split over two huge extra tracks. A very substantial slice of Schulzism awaits you.

'Katowice',(26.22) gets the show on the road opening up with Mr. Bloss at the piano. Gradually the sound of contorted strings and sampled synths creep up on us as familiar synth riffing between the two players gets us to a point where the industrial strength percussion can kick in,( as per Audentity). Both Schulze and Bloss really getting into their stride straight away having what sounds akin to a musical sparring session as they solo over the rhythm section. It's a warts an' all recording that see's the duo really attacking the synths with a sense of purpose as the sequencer twists and turns. Finally the full 'Spielglocken' sequence emerges from the maelstrom which helps refocus the piece prior to a steady wind down and several false endings stepping through several moods to the final fade.

'Warsaw',(24.16) continues the trend of power house electronics overwhelming us. This track has alittle more pace and is jauntier than 'Katowice' taking the 'Tango-Saty' sequence and theme as the basis for development here. Though l was never bowled over by the short studio version, this live interpretation takes it to a new level completely making for something undeniably fantastic as the duo remain ever busy with the improvisation. Klaus takes the lead big time with a screaming synth solo which cuts a path through the whole track, the awkward 'Tango-Saty' brass theme raising its head on several occasions all of which work brilliantly.

The first of the mighty bonus tracks makes up the remaining 25.15 minutes of the first CD with 'The Midas Hip Hop Touch'. This is a piece which previously featured on the 'Jubilee Edition' box set, but is now featured here, five minutes longer than was previously experienced. It's a studio track that again finds its origins from around the same period of time in the eighties. Sounding very tribalistic, Klaus does something alittle out of the norm for him painting a sonic picture simplistically, but very effectively. The long cyclical nature of the track allowing parts to slowly evolve and dissipate smoothly. A wonderful and complex percussion pattern pinning the whole thing down.

CD number two gets underway with the twenty one minute 'Lodz' from the original album. The track opens with Klaus addressing the audience announcing that he/they are about to embark on a live rendition of 'Ludwig II Von Bayern',( a prospect which should please many of you in an instant). Opening up with a nice section of neo-classical organ work you may begin to wonder where the piece is heading. A huge synthetic swathe washes in, clearing away leaving only the string bridging section from 'Ludwig' and so the piece progresses without much by way of deviation from the original. 'Gdansk',(15.45) see's the pair veer off into some electronic jamming. It's not the most melodic part of the album, but the musicianship is absolutely spot on, neither of the players putting a foot wrong. Strewn with bizarre slabs of wavetable synthesis and samples the pair play a kind of musical hopscotch. Strong syncopated riffs and counter rhythms don't seem to be able to pull the track into any kind of shape as time slips by before finally tailing off. The opening few minutes are amazing by the way!!!

Oh it's a shame – Klaus spends nearly six minutes on 'Djziekuje' thanking most all the management, road crew and even the equipment on the stage, but Rainer doesn't get a look in. Well it's alittle belated now, but thanks anyway Rainer.