Black Dance [Import]

Klaus Schulze | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal/Polygram
• ASIN: B00000853W
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,754 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wave Of Changes

2. Some Velvet Phasing

3. Voices Of Syn

Editorial Reviews

1974 album for one of the founding fathers of contemporaryelectronic music (Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent, March 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Dance (Audio CD)

I think this is a masterpiece record. It reflects the best of the best in the Schulze's music. It brings darkness and light. Beautiful

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best CD ever!!, July 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Dance (Audio CD)

I think this is a masterpiece. A dark joy behind the mist. You have to get this CD

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Klaus Schulze expands his horizons!!, May 12, 2003

By 

Louie Bourland (Garden Grove CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Dance (Audio CD)

1974's "Blackdance" is Klaus Schulze's third or fourth album depending on which was you look at it. "Picture Music" was recorded first but was released after "Blackdance" for contractual reasons.
With this album, Klaus expands his musical horizons abundantly. Besides his usual array of synthesizers and organs, Klaus shows off his versatility on 12-string acoustic guitar, trumpet, piano and percussion instruments. This gives "Blackdance" a more varied sound than previous albums but still provokes the same dark atmosphere as heard on "Irrlicht" and "Cyborg".
The opening track "Ways of Changes" begins with a quiet organ intro followed by a quiet 12-string guitar. This shifts into the main section of the piece consisting of a fast-paced rhythm box pattern accompanied by congas, organ and spaced-out synth oscilations.
The next track, "Some Velvet Phasing", is a lush orchestrated piece much like "Synphara" from the "Cyborg" album but with less emphasis on weirdness. It is quite possible that an orchestra was used on this track although it's not credited on the cover. The strings almost sound like a mellotron. This is a very peaceful track with a lullaby-like quality to it.
The closing piece, "Voices of Syn", is a long epic which opens with an opera singer. Klaus sets up the mood for the piece while the singer does his thing out front. Another primitive rhythmbox pattern enters as the vocals fade out and this carries the piece the rest of the way. The majority of this piece sounds like an improvised jam as opposed to a fully realized piece of music. Klaus is heard mostly jamming on his electric organ with the drum machine. It does get rather tedious after awhile but it still is an amazing listen.
"Blackdance" appears to be a bit more low-key than titles like "Irrlicht", "Cyborg" or even his later works like "Timewind" or "Moondawn". This is not his greatest album but it is still quite good and innovative. It's worth checking out.