Vie Electronique, Vol. 13

Recording information: 02/1993.
Photographer: Klaus D. Mueller.
One of the pioneering voices of electronic music, Klaus Schulze rose out of the Krautrock scene in the mid-'70s with solo albums that wove airy synth textures into a tense dance between menace and beauty. Best known in some circles for his early cosmically wandering trip-outs, Schulze recorded prolifically for decades to follow. La Vie Electronique, Vol. 13 was originally released in 1993 as a three-disc set of mostly uninterrupted drones, meditations, and explorations of synths, sequencers, and cloudy ambient tones. Later versions of this massive set would split its 70-plus-minute synth adventures into more digestible separate movements, with themes of self-discovery and challenge running through instrumental pieces like "Leaves of Grass" and "Peyote Poem." A possibly overwhelming set of music to take in at once, but like the best of Schulze's work, it allows the listener the space and time to get lost in its druggy, terrified, and often contemplative segments. ~ Fred Thomas