Customer Reviews

Wuivend Riet

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

 

 

This keyboardist was a member of Germany's electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream in the early-'80s. "Wuivend riet" is Johannes Schmoelling's first and, overall, best solo album. Still, this record neither is as melodic as "Exit" or "Optical race" nor as consistent as "Phaedra" or "Tangram". The first four tracks are lofty compositions with ethereal synth waves, piano-driven melodies, and slow-motion rhythms. "Zeit" with its tension-filled atmosphere and relentlessly ticking clocks is the only track reminiscent of TD. "Wuivend riet part 1" is a funny soundscape with samples frogs and other natural sounds. "Part 2" is an interesting, droning nightmare, but uncomfortable and hardly accessible. All in all, a surprisingly diverse album which transcends the borders of conventional synth-based music. For advanced listeners. For other albums by Schmoelling, search classical at amazon.com and read my review of "The zoo of tranquility".

Wuivend Riet marks Johannes Schmoelling's first solo recording since his departure from Tangerine Dream. Wuivend Riet ("wind-blown reeds" in Dutch) was first composed by Johannes for the play Opus ESP (by Hans Bosch). The music is nostalgic, moving, and best shows Johannes Schmoelling's talents as a solo artist. A definite must for any Tangerine Dream fan!

It's been said with much authority that Schmoelling is the one TD member who brought lasting quality to the work of the group. His melodies are the strength of not only their soundtrack days but also the force of their powerful 1980's tunes.

This album's first 4 songs are better than anything Tangerine Dream did prior to his arrival in the band. If you like TD and don't have this album, I highly recommend it.

It is not easy to come out of the shadow of a great band. But Johannes Schmoelling got it with his first(!) solo release! Here you can hear who was responsible for the big success of TANGERINE DREAM during the 80ies!

Fast, in good condition, Thanks!Let me do this again...
I liked Tangerine Dream when exposed in the late 1980's.
This is more melodic and has held up well.

Any of you who enjoy Tangerine Dream know this former member from the 80's when he joined them. He did a remarkable job, great synth playing with some percussion, very relaxing and worth the money.

If you are a Tangerine Dream fan, particularly of their early-to-mid-80s albums (w/ Schmoelling), then "Wuivend Riet" is an interesting time capsule from this rather fruitful period of electronic music.

While one can hear how Schmoelling's melodic sensibility influenced the TD sound from listening to this disc, I think this is markedly different in sound and style from Tangerine Dream. Schmoelling does not share the expertise with analog sequencers of Chris Franke, nor did he have the compositional talents of Edgar Froese. While much of Schmoelling's quirky sampling choices are reminiscent of Cluster, he simply does not have the know-how of a Moebius/Roedelius to incorporate odd sampled sounds with melodic synth sounds and have it "work." Consequently, parts of "Wuivend Riet" are quite piecemeal and incoherent, such as on the two-part title track with its rambling structure and jagged sound collages.

If you are a longtime TD fan and blindly put this album on without knowing who it was by, you would probably not mistake it for a TD release (though some might disagree here). The missing pieces are obviously Chris Franke and Edgar Froese, who maintained a signature chemistry as a composing duo in TD. Schmoelling, while a great addition to TD, does not sound as confident as a solo artist. "Wuivend Riet," for the casual TD fan, is not essential by any means. I would direct you to Edgar Froese's excellent solo excursions "Aqua" and "Stuntman" from around the same time. Both are far more interesting and engaging. But on its own, "Wuivend Riet" is hardly bad. It's certainly got a fair share of redeeming qualities. Give it a shot if you have the means and the wherewithall.

In this solo effort one can distinguish JS' input to the TD sound. Here you can listen to themes or sounds similar to his stint with TD particularly Logos. This album shows nostalgic melodies and instrumental choruses that used to be his contributions to this legendary band. The first 3 tracks are great soundtracks to start the day partly due to its strong aggressive and motivational themes particularly the sequencers. A very commendable debut for a former TD member.

1 Matjora Is Still Alive 5:01
2 Zeit (for Stephan) 6:38
3 Kneeplay No.9 4:00
4 Walking on Wooden Legs 3:58
5 Wuivend Riet p.1 6:20
6 Wuivend Riet p.2 12:50