Klaus Schulze – Cyborg

Hypnotic space music which transcends all others.

Klaus Schulze’s 1973 double LP followup to his epic debut “Irrlicht” finds the multifaceted synthesist making extraordinary sound with a modicum of resources.

With his VCS3, organ, and orchestral reference tape recordings capturing performances from the pupils attending the Colloquium Musica Orchestra, he traverses the surreal plains of his vast imagination.

Eschewing any concern for performance quality from those students, he instead relied on the resultant sonics of those renderings and how they would strengthen his low-fidelity, minimalist aural concoctions.

Revisiting the path he established for himself (and likely the genre as a whole) a year prior, he cites his publisher’s classification of “Cyborg” as cosmic music disdainful, instead inspired by a Frank Herbert novel. The book in question was likely the 1966 publication, "The Eyes of Heisenberg."

While it could be debated the protracted, dense amalgamations distorting the acoustic through electronic means is indeed sci-fi music, the meditative, non-melodic works offered here are perfect fodder for dreaming and cogitative excursions.

Restricted solely by a listener’s own experiences and thought processes, those who seek either tranquility or wisdom with the quartet of improvised works here should be given the chance to deduce what the music should be deemed.

New Age is an ill-fitting, lazily applied misnomer granted to such compositions, as is the ‘planetarium music’ moniker. With that idea in mind, Schulze is regarded as a groundbreaking space music master functioning within the parameters of the Berlin School of music.

This double CD deluxe edition from the MIG label contains a trio of original album cuts, all defined by their elongated, mindful approach to the Eastern drone musical architecture.

Disc one is comprised of “Synphära” “Conphära,” and “Chromengel,” three pieces linked as one otherworldly suite. Unified by their shared abstract intonations, as a whole they exemplify Schulze’s engineering and musical dexterity.

The second disc contains the remaining 1973 track, “Neuronengesang,” a fitting companion to the above tracks separated only by the time constraints of the CD medium. The bonus work is a 1977 live concert, “But Beautiful,” captured at the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Brussels.

It shares aesthetics with “Cyborg,” in particular with the VCS3 effects, but is more elaborately orchestrated for ARP and Moog synths.

Also, the sequencer-driven, throbbing journeys echoed throughout the serene expanses of the Belgian church exude an equally bold comfort.

While the sound quality is not on par with the rest of the set, it is an important piece for its subtle, unconscious connection to “Cyborg.” It simultaneously evokes comparisons to his “Mirage” LP released the same year.

By no means easy listening music, its strict adherence to ancient introspective mantras might test the patience of the occasional listener of such storied works.

Hypnotic space music which transcends all others.

Klaus Schulze’s 1973 double LP followup to his epic debut “Irrlicht” finds the multifaceted synthesist making extraordinary sound with a modicum of resources.

With his VCS3, organ, and orchestral reference tape recordings capturing performances from the pupils attending the Colloquium Musica Orchestra, he traverses the surreal plains of his vast imagination.

Eschewing any concern for performance quality from those students, he instead relied on the resultant sonics of those renderings and how they would strengthen his low-fidelity, minimalist aural concoctions.

Following the path he established for himself a year prior, he cites his publisher’s classification of “Cyborg” as cosmic music disdainful, given the title refers to a Frank Herbert novel.

While it could be debated the protracted, dense amalgamations distorting the acoustic through electronic means is indeed sci-fi music, the meditative, non-melodic works offered here are perfect fodder for dreaming and cogitative excursions.

Restricted solely by a listener’s own experiences and thought processes, those who seek either tranquility or wisdom with the quartet of improvised works here should be given the chance to deduce what the music should be deemed.

New Age is an ill-fitting, lazily applied misnomer granted to such compositions, as is the ‘planetarium music’ moniker. With that idea in mind, Schulze is regarded as a groundbreaking spacemusic master functioning within the parameters of the Berlin School of music.

This double CD deluxe edition from the MIG label contains a trio of original album cuts, all defined by their elongated, mindful approach to the Eastern drone musical architecture.

Disc one is comprised of “Synphära” “Conphära,” and “Chromengel,” three pieces linked as one otherworldly suite. Unified by their shared abstract intonations, as a whole they exemplify Schulze’s engineering and musical dexterity.

The second disc contains the remaining 1973 track, “Neuronengesang,” a fitting companion to the above tracks separated only by the time constraints of the CD medium. The bonus work is a 1977 live concert, “But Beautiful,” captured at the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Brussels.

It shares aesthetics with “Cyborg,” in particular with the VCS3 effects, but is more elaborately orchestrated for ARP and Moog synths.

Also, the sequencer-driven, throbbing journeys echoed throughout the serene expanses of the Belgian church exude an equally bold confort.

While the sound quality is not on par with the rest of the set, it is an important piece for its subtle, unconscious connection to “Cyborg.” It simultaneously evokes comparisons to his “Mirage” LP released the same year.

By no means easy listening music, its strict adherence to ancient introspective mantras might test the patience of the occasional listener of such storied works.

Obtaining a correct pressing on here can be hit or miss, I ended up getting it with "Chromengel" on the first side of both LP's despite the labeling.

Love this record, lots of layers of old-school analogue synth. Turns any day into a 70's sci-fi opus. Good for long, overcast mornings. Fairly relaxing but with ominous undertones - not easy listening by any stretch, but not harsh either. I much prefer the cover art on this version as well. Vinyl required some cleaning to play without crackles, but is now mostly quiet save for a few random pops here and there. As for reports of misprints, my copy plays all four epic tracks.

My copy has exact the same runout matrix, cover design and sticker, all the same but no label code on side 4 but record 1 has label code on both sides and a full circle rim text. Could it be that there was a transition of labels in the middle of the manufacturing process?

I have an odd version of this where there is only a label code on side 4. Obviously, if it had been one record with and one without label codes you would have suspected that some sort of exchange had taken place but here side 3 is without label code while side 4 has one. Any one else who owns this pressing?

this version (Japan Arcangelo 2007) seems to me the best ever, as mastering it seems to me superior to the European one...
maybe.....

My used copy looks NM, but it sounds like crap. Lot of pops and other distracting surface noises... Is this low sound quality inherent with the first pressing?

Is the original 1973 German pressing also Quadraphonic like the French pressing?

Pretty weird sounding cut. I don't have an original but I have the Japanese Brain LP and this kind of has everything pushed up front with EQ. Not as dynamic and not as easy on the ears. Not quite sure what they were going for.