Klaus Schulze La Vie Electronique series

[drone on]

I've been collecting these La Vie Electronique releases for the last couple years.  They are reissues of material from some of those massive limited edition box sets from the 90's like "Ultimate Edition," "Historic Edition," "Jubilee Edition," etc.  The first four LVE were released by SPV/Revisited in Germany.  Only the first two were available domestically.  Now a label called MIG (Made in Germany) is releasing the remaining volumes (5 and 6 recently released, 7 and 8 in the next couple months).  I received volumes 5 and 6 yesterday.  Same gorgeous, high-quality digipak foldout packaging (3 discs per set like the others), except....they are on CDR'S!!!??!  The disc labels are similar to the previous sets, yet the playing surface is BLACK (CDR).  What's up with this? Anyone have these and noticed this?

[Numina]

Drone On - resurrecting this thread because I just picked up Vols. 5-8 recently (still listening to Vol. 5) and had no idea these were pressed on CDRs.  And yeah, the packaging is awesome but what's the deal with CDRs for these!? At least they do not sell for a whole lot online but still, kind of a bummer on that.  I do have Vols 3 & 4 (on real CD) and I want to pick up Vols 1 & 2 and 9-12, but may skip 9-12... of course the completist in me may not be able to handle it.  Speaking of which, any comments on 9-12?

[drone on]

The label ceased with CDR's after using them for 5 and 6 (ironically, these two volumes are IMO the best), so all subsequent volumes are on pressed CD's.  I assume MIG got a lot of flack for the CDR's.  Their response to my query was they wanted the discs to look like vinyl records as the reason for CDR's, which is dumb as the label surfaces look like vinyl records anyway. Also, Schulze's manager, Klaus D. Mueller, who is a cantankerous little prick, argued with me back and forth that they were not CDR's, but real CD's!!

Jesse, beware 1 & 2 are pretty minimal and strange.  There are some good tracks, but overall the music is very experimental and not the "big sound" of his '75-'77 heyday.  As for 9-12:  I bought 9-11 and didn't care for 9-10 at all, but I liked 11, which is pretty damn good early 90's music (think it's from 1993) in the vein of the Dark Side of the Moog series on Fax, with long symphonic passages.  Actually the only ones I've kept in my collection are volumes 5, 6, and 11 (if that tells you anything), as many of the volumes either have poor sound quality (recordings from bootlegs) or are heavy on the cheesy new wave 80's sound he had.   

Volume 12 just came out and most likely I'll buy it, but want to hear some samples first...       

[drone on]

Just heard the samples of Vol. 12 and definitely won't be buying.  This has lots of those weird manic/schizophrenic operatic samples KS used on the early 90's albums like "The Dome Event," which ruins any nice synth parts that may be going on. 

[Numina]

Interesting and thank you for the reviews. I agree that from what I've heard From these releases - both the actual albums and the audio snippets - that vol. 5 & 6 are, so far, the more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. I'll take your advice on 1 & 2. I am a little up and down on KS's operatic and manic stuff. Some of it is.... listenable while at other times cringeworthy. Still, it can be fun but usually a one-time listening experience.

[DeepR]

I once got the Historic Edition, but I quickly ripped it and sold it. Only a few tracks are really worth it, like "Schwanensee I".
Seems to me the philosophy behind those massive releases is to just release anything that was recorded by KS no matter how weak the content.
While I still hold KS in very high esteem for his timeless classics from the 70s and the occasional good album in later decades, I've become more critical towards him recently.
When I take a look at some more recent videos of live performances on youtube, I feel that he is a bit of a one trick pony and his music hasn't evolved at all... doing the same thing over and over again, the endless synth noodling, playing the same chords he has used for decades and randomly improvising a bit with his limited keyboard abilities. Sometimes it has its moments, but after a while it just gets dull.
It's nice for him that he still enjoys what he does and that there are still fans, but I have to say that - just like Tangerine Dream - KS' prime was in the 70s and he never really moved beyond that time.

[El culto]

I once got the Historic Edition, but I quickly ripped it and sold it. Only a few tracks are really worth it, like "Schwanensee I".
Seems to me the philosophy behind those massive releases is to just release anything that was recorded by KS no matter how weak the content.
While I still hold KS in very high esteem for his timeless classics from the 70s and the occasional good album in later decades, I've become more critical towards him recently.
When I take a look at some more recent videos of live performances on youtube, I feel that he is a bit of a one trick pony and his music hasn't evolved at all... doing the same thing over and over again, the endless synth noodling, playing the same chords he has used for decades and randomly improvising a bit with his limited keyboard abilities. Sometimes it has its moments, but after a while it just gets dull.
It's nice for him that he still enjoys what he does and that there are still fans, but I have to say that - just like Tangerine Dream - KS' prime was in the 70s and he never really moved beyond that time.

Very good point of view. Of course a lot of hard core fans would like to kill you now for these words you have said (even for DT) but I totally agree on this - his time simply has passed. To be fair, in the 70īs this was rather "new and different" music but in general i never felt ever that his music had a long term value.

When i first heard the double album with Lisa Gerrard i honestly thought "what is this for a crap?" (and, before in a while APK appears here and trying to explain "you may have to get used to it..." - no need, thank you ;-))

Cheers,
Tomas

[APK]

 

[drone on]

In KS defense, there are many great artists who stopped evolving and got more dull.  iMO artists reach a creative peak which is hard to maintain. 

[dreamin4ever]

I too own most of the KS La Vie series. I still listen to KS and TD alot. Yes the old KS and TD back in the 70's were the prime. Edgar Froese has taken it to a new level. And most of the older TD fans dont care for it. I prefer the 70's and early 80's of TD and KS but times have changed. I think if they were to keep making the same style of music they will not have the newer fans. I've been to TD's concerts the last 6 years (4 times this year) and you have a mix of old and news fans. Even younger kids that came along with their parents. Just like going to a rock concert these days. I believe Edgar's (TD's) music is still the same but using acoustic instruments (ex. Linda Spa, Iris Camaa, and Hoshiko Yamane). It's like taking a step backwards from the 60's and 70's of the synth/electronic sounds. Yes he's added females to the band to attract more of the younger male, or older male. I guess you could say I am still a huge TD and KS fan. And I still prefer to see the Dream back in the days of improv. But I enjoy what Edgar puts out these days. After all I've flown across the pond the last 6 years to see them perform live.

[Numina]

Just unwrapped Vols 7 & 8 of the La Vie sets and they're both the all-black CDRs too. Oh well. Listening to 7 now, the opening track is nice.

Re: TD.  I quite like the live 35th Anniversary Phaedra DVD, but could do without the contemporary, I guess you could call it, acoustic stuff with the women and big hair. I skip over that stuff for the most part.  I did pick up "Epsilon Journey" 2-CD set and like about half of it.  Seems like disc two is better IIRC.  Anyway, I find KS and TD to be fun to listen to, but not necessarily "deep".  That's OK with me though.  Sort of like KS & TD is to Steve Roach as R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" is to Sisters of Mercy's "Marian".

 

[DeepR]

To be fair, in the 70īs this was rather "new and different" music but in general i never felt ever that his music had a long term value.

My criticism was directed at his post 70s and current music. To me his 70s classics do have long term value. When I listen to Mirage or Moondawn (also a bit of 'X') from time to time, I am still almost as excited as when I heard it for the first time. There's something wonderful and organic about those discs, something he has never managed to capture again. (Some of KS' moments on the Dark Side of the Moog series are very good though.)

If we're going to compare with Steve Roach... well, SR has moved way beyond KS & TD territory with some of his music and I believe he is still moving forward one way or another. So in my opinion... KS & TD 70s classics stand firmly among the best electronic/ambient music of today. But SR has been more consistent in quality and more innovative over a longer period of time.

[drone on]

Oh yeah Jesse, I forgot the black CDR's continued for a couple volumes after 5 and 6.  Probably because I sold them after listening only a couple times. 

KS was such an influential artist in EM and a number of his mid-70's albums are still amazing.  Just because his current music isn't that great doesn't negate the classics, or his importance in popularizing EM as TD did (playing and selling out large venues worldwide). 

The comment about TD not being "deep"--whoah, have you heard "Zeit" 

BTW, here is my list of the most innovative EM masters, regardless of the quality of their recent output:

1) Edgar Froese/Tangerine Dream
2) Klaus Schulze
3) Steve Roach
4) Brian Eno
5) Pete Namlook
6) Robert Rich
7) Robert Fripp
John Foxx
9) Manuel Gottsching
10) Tetsu Inoue 

[dreamin4ever]

My first TD experience was the "Sorceror" soundtrack. That took me to a different universe from Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, etc. Ricochet, Phaedra, Rubycon and the rest is history. Klaus Schulze, Jean Michel Jarre, Kitaro, etc followed soon after. Then the late 80's hit and the Dream was more of a nightmare for me. What happened? Melrose, Goblins Club, etc was not doing it for me. The radio stations that were playing EM style music was going to jazz, soft jazz. Which was fine. But were did my EM music go? I think it was the end of EM here in America. Then the early 90 rolled around and I was out in the middle of the Mojave desert camping and I just happened to turn on the radio late at night and heard this program called Hearts of Space. They were playing Steve Roach and Robert Rich and a few others I don't remember. It was a new journey for me into the world of Roach and Rich and other ambient artist. So I had found a new era of sounds/music to follow in Roach/Rich/Stearns and others. It kinda reminded me of the first time hearing TD. So I found myself listening to less of TD and more of ambient/drone style music. My first Steve Roach concert was back in 1996 in a coffee shop in Santa Monica. Again, blown away! I was on a mission to buy any and all Steve Roach albums. I've seen Steve "live" every year since (with the exception of the Soundquest Fest in 2010). Late 2000 and with the streaming internet radio I start to discover some of the EM music coming out of Europe. "Nattefrost" with its old TD sounds and others. I start to get back into the Dream and start flying across the pond to see Edgar and company perform in concert. I figure the Dream doesn't have many years left before Edgar calls the final chapter in the book of Tangerine Dream. Yes, it's NOT the Tangerine Dream of the 70's/80's. But to me it's the one and only that started the trip for me back in 1978. If it wasn't for TD I dont think I would here on this site. 

[Numina]

Zeit is deep!

[drone on]

Bought LVE 12 used at a store last night.   I'll post my comments after getting through it this weekend.

[drone on]

Some news on KS...

New solo album Shadowlands on SPV Jan. 2013, single disc and ltd 2cd version.  Also next year the Schulze/Schickert Sessions 1975.