Picture Music

Hailing from Berlin, Klaus Schulze is one of the pioneers of electronic music. In the late 60s though, he was a drummer and an early member of Tangerine Dream, playing on their debut album Electronic Meditation. By 1970 he had left for Ash Ra Tempel, and upon leaving that band for a solo career, he made the switch to keyboards. His debut album, 1972's Irrlicht, was recorded on an organ and manipulated tape. Yet by the following year, he had added synthesizers to his arsenal, and began to tour throughout Europe. The career-defining Blackdance appeared in 1974 on Brain/Metronome, with international release now on Virgin Record's Caroline imprint. Released in early 1975, Picture Music marks his acquisition of the EMS VCS3 synthesizer. "Totem" graces the first side. Rising from a percolating pulse, the gentle tones dance effortlessly throughout, presenting one of the most amazing pieces of electronic music. Though similarities to Tangerine Dream could be drawn, Schulze's work is more meditative and accessible. The second side's "Mental Door" offers a far more complex soundscape, utilizing drums for the underlying rhythm. After a lengthy introduction, Schulze's improv on an ARP dominates, before yielding to a protracted cosmic fade. The album is one of the finest examples of purely electronic music. The popular Timewind, another of his classics, was released later the same year. An ode to Richard Wagner, the album is ambient, ethereal and romantic. This prolific period of Schulze's career would continue well into the 80s, as he released numerous albums and soundtracks, toured Europe many times, and participated in many projects, such as Go and Richard Wahnfried. He even found time to curate the Innovative Communication label with Klaus D. Mueller.