Customer Reviews

Body Love

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In the '70s Klaus Schulze was putting out his most groundbreaking and interesting work as well as some of the best exemplars of what used to be known as "Cosmic" music. Coming on the heels of what many people consider to be his masterpiece Moondawn, Body Love is another great album full of melody, odd timbres and a free floating spacy, yet rhythmically driven aesthetic. It's not quite as experimental as earlier works such as Irrlicht or Blackdance, rather Schulze has evolved by this point to a master melodicist and keyboard/synth player who uses melody as much as he used to use texture and atmosphere to create some very engaging electronic music. Synth lines float in and out of the rhythmic foundations laid down by drummer Harald Grosskopf in a consistantly interesting and dynamic way forming a sort of trance-like weave of sound. It's interesting despite, or perhaps because of the hypnotic insistance of the rhythms. Very nice, and this was the soundtrack to a porno. If you want to hear one of the great precursors or godfathers of modern techno and electronica, pick up some '70s era Klaus Schulze, turn off the lights and get lost.

Embarrassingly enough, this moody 1977 album was recorded as a soundtrack to a pornographic film. Evidently, Klaus was initially reluctant to record the music for "Body Love" but eventually decided to work with director Lasse Braun, who requested that he record something similar to Moondawn (1976). While perhaps not strictly similar to Moondawn, there are some of the percussive elements of that album, along with the pure synthesizer textures of albums like Timewind (1975). Like Moondawn, former Wallenstein drummer Harald Grosskopf joins Klaus (mellotron, mini moog, ARP Odyssey, ARP 2600, polymoog, "Big" moog etc.). Harald plays drums on Stardancer (13:38), part of P.T.O. (27:12), and generally does a good job of accompanying Klaus into the vacuum of outer space. His drums by the way are put down a bit in the overall mix and are not not obtrusive whatsoever - this is very much an "electronic" album. By far, my favorite tracks include Blanche (11:44) which recalls the spaciest moments on Timewind (1975) and features an unaccompanied Klaus on his banks of gloomy sounding synthesizers along with P.T.O. Also enjoyable are the tone colors that Klaus uses - they are very warm, yet evoke images of a grey and cold, windswept landscape. This fantastic sounding remastered album by InsideOut features pictures of Klaus along with detailed liner notes and a more "tasteful" cover than the original had. Oh and yes, various stills from the film have been included in the liner notes. The bonus track Lasse Braun (22:26) is excellent and works well with the original material. Both Harald and Klaus play on this track. All in all, this is yet another excellent album by electronica wizard Klaus Schulze and is highly recommended along with Timewind, Moondawn, Mirage (1977), and X (1978).

If you are looking for one of the classics of truly electronic synthesizer composed music from the 1970s, here it is. Klaus Schulze was one of the founding members of Tangerine Dream but left them shortly after the release of their debut album Electronic Meditation (1970). Next, he was one of the founding members of Ash Ra Temple and left it as well in 1971 after the release of their debut album. Klaus had realized that he was one of those real loners who could not wait to be left alone so he could start fulfilling his visions. His first solo album Irrlicht (1972) was back then and still is one of classics of ambient music (6 years before Brian Eno decided to use term ambient) but it is rather an atmospheric still background (which you may find quite strange) than an electronic music album as Body Love is. Body Love is my most favorite creation of Klaus Schulze. Back in the 1970s I was surrounded by other electronic music fanatics and this album was one of our monuments. My other favorite ones include Timewind (first suite is amazing), X, Moondawn, Picture Music, Mirage, Body Love 2 and Irrlicht. You definitely need good stereo equipment sensitive to high tones to be able to appreciate this music. You also need peace and quiet around you and a project to fulfill your mind with. At least that is how I enjoy listening to electronic music, as background to my reading or writing. This music takes you into its universe of sounds and keeps you involved but focused on...your own project. Klaus Schulze is able to stimulate our emotions by the use of his drums and machines. The sounds coming out of these machines never sounded more organic or more like they were forces of nature (well, maybe on his Timewind). Body Love is made out of 3 parts and I really can't decide which one I like the most. It is an extremely even album. Please keep in mind, we are not talking about electronica when we talk about that early electronic music. You may absolutely love it or you may decide I am crazy to listen to such music. Oh, by the way, and I am sorry I am bringing it up so late in the process, Body Love was a soundtrack to a porn flick. I have no idea how good was the movie and don't worry...no vocals here.

Body Love is one of Schulze's trademarks. Here you can hear pretty much his whole early period, from TimeWind all the way to X, Dune and Dig It. Then phase 2 starts. Being a drummer for Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel gives his trademark sound a Rocket through Space feeling that revolutionized modern music. Body Love and Body Love Two are classics in electronic music and Schulze one of it's masters.