Customer Reviews

Mirage

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3 star:		(1)
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What Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" is to jazz fans, Klaus Schulze's "Mirage" is to fans of this genre of music that goes by many names (space music, kosmische musik, 70's electronic music, etc.) and is a lost art form. All of these artists later went on to commercialize their sound into an anemic, boring, pop-influenced mix, but for a few short years from about 1974 to about 1979 or '80, Klaus Schulze and a few others (e.g., Tangerine Dream, Edgar Froese, Ash Ra Tempel, Michael Garrison and Michael Hoenig) were making timeless, intellectual music that is still a musical experience unlike any other. I am a fan of almost every type of music from the last 4 decades of rock, to world music, to 5 centuries of classical, to 60's-70's R&B to everything but country-western and rap, yet if I had to choose 10 albums from all time and genres to take into permanent exile on a deserted island, two of them would be "Mirage" by Klaus Schulze and "Rubycon" by Tangerine Dream, both of which I consider to be THE quintessential statements in electronic music. Everything before or since in electronic music (including other albums by these 2 artists) is merely an attempt to reach (or mimic) what those two albums accomplished. Both are soundtracks for mind-bending psychic journeys. "Mirage" is a slow, wondrous journey through a complex frozen wasteland. Put it on late at night in the dark with no distractions and travel to a wondrous place you've never imagined. Pure musical genius.

1977 was a busy year for Klaus Schulze. I know he's been touring constantly, as he always does, but he sure spent a lot of time in the recording studio. He must of have a whirlwind of ideas in his head because he was so inventive for new sounds back then.

He did two albums for a porn movie called "Body Love". I'm sure that's something to be proud of, and I can understand it too. Believe it or not, Klaus Schulze's music is great background music for large living room orgies. In fact, try "Timewind" when you plan a big get together with your friends and spouses.

But his most cherishable work he's done in 1977 was this album called "Mirage". All of Klaus Schulze's earlier albums offer a dark and moody soundscape but this album can actually make you feel cold and desolate. The mental picture I get with this music when I close my eyes is a blinding white visual instead of the opposite, the warmth of darkness.

I've only learned of this album about 3 years ago. I had no idea it was going to be as good as it is. The appeal of Klaus Schulze albums are a series of "hits and misses" for me. My favorite albums of his are "Irrlicht", "Cyborg", "Timewind", "Dig It", and of course, this album.

"Picture Music" doesn't do much for me. Nor does "Moondawn". And of course, everything he's done during the eighties and beyond just seems way to simplistic and modern day electronic. Lots of artists were doing music like his, so he was no longer the innovator of dark ambient music that he once was. Somehow, the analog approach to sound was just so much more appealing back in the seventies. This happened to Tangerine Dream too. Their albums "Alpha Centauri", "Green Desert", "Phaedra", "Rubycon", "Encore", "Force Majeure", "Logos", "Hyperborea" and "White Eagle" all had these great album long, dark and moody, instrumentation that we Klaus Schulze fans have come to expect from these innovators. It's seems like electronic instrumentation just lost its unique appeal once everybody started using it.

If you like Klaus Schulze, then please check out Jean Michel Jarre. Start with his first three albums starting in 1976 with "Oxygene", then "Equinoxe" and then "Magnetic Fields". "Chronolgie" (from 1992) is pretty good too.

Along with Timewind and X, this is one of Klaus Schulze's masterpieces. Klaus Schulze was with Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel but then decided to go solo. Even though Tangerine Dream at their prime were groundbreaking, Klaus Schulze takes their ideas one step further. X would actually feature an orchestra but Mirage still has the feel of a lush symphonic piece without the "let's cover the classics with synth effects" that put artists like Tomita into the new age bin. The first track is perfect for indoors on wintry days. The 2nd piece Crystal Lake has to one of the best things that Klaus Schulze has ever done. It starts off minimalistic and gradually builds all within the same wintry landscape theme. The bonus track is excellent as well. There are elements of classic minimalism but this is from a composer who started in the rock field so people averse to classical music or minimalism will still enjoy it. The creative use of electronics by Klaus Schulze has rarely, if ever, been equaled.

This 1977 album showed Klaus moving away from the drum accompaniment heard on albums like Moondawn (1976) and back to a purely synthesizer based approach and as such, Mirage sounds somewhat similar to classic examples of electronica like Timewind (1975). According to interviews with Klaus (that have been reprinted in the liner notes) he wanted to create an "electronic winter landscape". Furthermore, the liner notes go on to indicate that Klaus had just experienced personal loss and this sadness (and loneliness I suppose) is reflected in this moody recording.

With respect to the instrumentation, Klaus uses layers and layers of synthesizers and a complete listing is provided in the liner notes - apparently a friend of his was very interested and Klaus listed every piece of equipment (including the components of his PA system!). In that I too share a fascination with analog synthesizers from the 1970s, here is an abbreviated list of the dominant synths used on Mirage: ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, Mini-moog, Micro-moog, Polymoog (a polyphonic synth), EMS Synthi "A", and Farfisa string orchestra. The sounds that Klaus gets are very natural sounding and he emphasizes sustained tones, with very little in the way of sudden changes in dynamics. In short, he creates a very spacey, drifting wall of sound that conjures up the cold vacuum of outer space. The music is also very meditative too, which is just as attributable to the droning synthesizers as the sheer length of each piece (Velvet Voyage = 28'16" and Crystal Lake = 29'15").

This remastered album by Revisited records (part of the InsideOut label) is of very high quality and features crystal-clear sound, restored cover art, loads of informative liner notes, and photos of Klaus. The bonus track In Cosa Crede chi non Crede? (19'39") is superb and fits in very well with the original pieces.

All in all, this is another excellent album by Klaus. Mirage is very highly recommended along with the similar Timewind (1975). For those of you that like the drum accompaniment, listen to Moondawn and Body Love. The album X (1978) is also worth adding to your Klaus Schulze collection.

Highly praised album that was recorded in January 1977 and shows Klaus Schulze possibly at his artistic peak. Here we have two titles reaching the 30-minute mark that a musically very different from another (like "Timewind"). From dark, ambient noises to melodies of unearthly beauty Klaus Schulze shows us all he has to offer. And what he delivered on side 2 with "Crystal lake" surely belongs to the top 5 five recordings of electronic music ever made, a track of almost mythical quality. If you're a fan of Tangerine Dream's "Cherokee lane" on the Encore album (and who isn't?!) you will play this piece a dozen and dozen times until you CD player begins to smoke. To sum it up: buy "Mirage" and lose your head.

When I first heard this it profoundly affected me.The pure, blue, cold crystalline purity of this movement,is perfect in every way - the timbres, the ambience, the seemingly infinite scope of this music, all these make this cd mesmerising. This was the absolute peak of his career,
the closest Schulze ever got to this perfect place again, was with the
double CD X. Klaus is the absolute undisputed master of Berlin Electronic
Music and music like this is the reason. a masterpiece.

As KS said:"music is a dream without isolation of sleep" His music is to make the listener powerful and happy ,and also guide them to being aware of emotion. With KS music we are able to experience one of the fineness form of sound,and if I want to point out his best album ,I introduce you to Mirage.

If you're new to the huge catalog of Herr Schulze this is the CD you need.

Long sweeps of electronics with subtle rhythms and - this is what puts Klaus in a class by himself - a real sense of dynamics and build-up.

Personally, I think "Cyborg", "X" and "Dune" are his masterpieces, but this is a very fine album and I can't think of a better starting point.

This was the very first Schulze piece I ever listned to, side 2 to be exact. I was at work on a Sunday afternoon, the radio was on a public station in Cupertino and 'Crystal Lake' was playing. Instantly I knew I had to find out who this artist was and was further delighted to find Schulze was a founding member of Tangerine Dream, another favorite of mine. Mirage truly is Klaus Schulze's Opus, his Masterpiece. A journey of both inner and outer space, and quite possibly realms beyond. When you read his thoughts on the music he plays you gain a deeper understanding of who he is and who he isn't. He's not selling 'new age' music to numb your critical thinking skills, or glibly playing some imitation based on insincerity. The music is there for us to enjoy and to explore. Not to sell something. And definitely not give you a pre-digested vision. If you have a love for electronic music, especially from the 70's, you'll definitely want this in your collection. I have been listening to 'Mirage', especially my favorite 'Crystal Lake', for over 10 years. It still draws me in after all this time. No other music has done this for me. Enjoy!

I couldn't agree more with the previous reviewer. Listen to it carefully, preferably in bed with headphones, and get ready for an unforgettable musical experience. If you like atmospheric music that takes you on a mind-trip, you WILL love this piece of art. Just open your mind and have a little patience.
This is the definitive synthesizer album of all time, with Crystal Lake as the most captivating electronic track ever. Nothing compares to it!
I feel sorry for anyone who can't enjoy or appreciate this music.