Customer Reviews

Lunz

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is fantastic. Most of us tire from the cookie-cutter music that is out nowadays, and this album is such a departure from that that its refreshing and soothing. Sometimes we just want to listen to "pure" music, no vocal accompaniment; to give us a chance to focus on the message of the MUSIC not the lyrics. I've listened to Tim Story ever since Search for Angels, and have bought Beguiled and The Perfect Flaw. Both of these are fantastic albums, but the addition of Roedelius and his electronic mastery make this album come out on top. If at first you listen to the album and think that it's "haunting," think again. Listen again. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Attracted by favourable reviews of this album, I was nevertheless, somewhat apprehensive as to whether this album would appeal. I need not have worried.
I find the music on this CD very difficult to describe. I guess piano with added electronic effects sums it up. The nearest composer to compare the music on this disc to that I am familiar with is Patrick O'Hearn.
The album has a sort of raw quality about it. The piano, far from being crisp and sharp, has a distant feel to it. The music for the most part is very engaging, and I particularly enjoyed Tracks 1 and 4. It is indeed very pleasant when the cello joins the piano on the opening track.
I've seen the accompanying video for Track 4 on television, and it is very surreal. The two compliment each other very well.
Certainly different from my normal musical diet, I enjoyed the experience nonetheless, and I recommend this to nay music lover who wants to try something a little bit different. I'm confident existing fans of Tim Story will lap this up.
Worth checking out.

Having worked with Tim on several projects, I must admit that his work with Hans-Joachim Roedelius is rather stunning; even some what more interesting then our output to date.

Lunz is a fine collection of 12 suspense filled, angular pieces. There are plenty of wistful moments as well as out right beautiful pieces. This collection of music is full of form and ambiguity. I highly recommend this CD, whether you are a Tim Story fan, a devotee of Cluster, or Roedelius' solo work.

Getting Hans Joachim Roedelius and Tim Story together on the same album is an irresistable invitation to the haunting reaches of the soul. Either artist by himself is a master of the fallen leaf, the chilled wind, the autumnal landscapes of the imagination. But together? I'm not sure if I can accurately describe this album in terms which do it justice.

Starkly poetic? Tuggingly authentic?? Mournfully magestic???

I could go on and on. Suffice to say that the piano work, guitar work, and other instrumentation is superbly crafted and executed in a flowing, languid style that recalls the past albums of both authors, while being singularly significant in its own right. Fans of both artists ought to be pleased by this album, and I was just dumbstruck by the aural beauty presented here; a beauty which seems to grow every time I give this disc a spin, especially during those quiet moments when I need to wander back through the dusty reaches of my life, seeking wisdom, or remembrance for its own sake.

Excellent, excellent. Grab your headphones, a hot cup of something enjoyable, pull up a comfortable chair at the window, and watch the rain and leaves tumble by in solitude.

Like a certain mood of a good friend that you prefer over another mood he or she may have, so goes the music of Tim Story. I loved the mood of Shadowplay, Beguiled and Perfect Flaw ; liked the mood of Three Feet From the Moon, I also like the mood of Lunz, but prefer Shadowplay ect.. There are a couple of tracks that the influence of Hans Roedelius overshadows and in my opinion distracts from Tim's music. If you're a real fan of Tim Story, you'll like this CD. I like it more each time I listen to it. Lunz wouldn't be my first suggestion for the first time listener.

"Lunz" is the second collaboration between the legendary German electronic composer Hans-Joachim Roedelius and American ambient music pioneer Tim Story. The duo's first effort "Persistance Of Memory" was an hour-long avant-garde work that focused mostly on atonality. With "Lunz", Roedelius and Story have created a pleasant collection of piano based pieces that are both tranquil and peaceful.
For the most part, the album maintains a single musical mood but there are a few exceptions. "Under Mars We Were" breaks the piano-based mold with it's eerie electronics and ghost-like synth-chords. "Ulfelose Sea" is a short interlude featuring distant cello sounds against an electric piano backdrop. "Akimbo" is a minimalist piece that has a slight reggae rhythm to it along with clarinet-like sounds. Other than this, the album is centered around the piano with synthesized backgrounds and the occasional cello. It is truly some beautiful music in both mood and texture.
This is definitely an album to play for peace and relaxation. Although there are a few unsettling moments on this album, the good outweighs the bad. As he approaches the age of 70, Hans-Joachim Roedelius is still as prolific as ever and shows no signs of slowing down. Tim Story is also as prolific as ever and has released a fine collaboration with Roedelius here.
"Lunz" is a must for Cluster, Roedelius and Tim Story fans alike.

After 'I love you', the next "three little words" to make one's soul soar just happen to describe the music on this CD:

Peaceful

Melancholic

Beautiful

I was a bit skeptical when I purchased this CD as I'm not really a big fan of classical music and the respective reviews cited Debussy and Satie as major influences. I personally listen to more contemporary electronic music such as Boards of Canada, Boom Bip, Ulrich Schnauss and Chris Clark. When I played it made an initial impression as being a chilled out piece of work. Reminding me of a film score that is key to developing the storyline. However, the more and more I listened to it the more and more I became smitten with it. What I thought was chill out was actually beautifully emotive music which more often than not is quite haunting. This is pefectly exemplified in tracks such as Under Mars We Were, Dew Climbs and Something Happened Here. The mood of the latter convinces you that something actually did! Imagine being home alone, quite calm and relaxed, until you hear a noise in the house that you are not familiar with. As a result you panic a little and become uneasy for the rest of the evening, fearing that someone may be upstairs. This is the best way I can describe Lunz. If you like atmospheric music that is far more than just background pieces, then I personally think is a must!