Galaxy Cygnus-A (1982)

1 Search Direction 4:44
2 Receiving Signals 8:26
3 Lift Off to the Galaxy 3:19
4 1050 Mill. Light Years 4:24
5 Galaxy Cygnus-A 10:03
6 Constellation Swan 6:36
7 Interstellar Quasars 12:49
Communication KS 80.021 (CD 38:25) ***** 
Spheric Music SMCD 2022 (2010) (CD 50:25) *****
If Harmonic Ascendant has put the name of Robert Schroeder on the map, “Galaxy Cygnus-A” has solidified the immense talent and creativity of the Aachen synthesist. Initially conceived for a science fiction project, the main idea behind “Galaxy Cygnus-A” was to capture the sound waves coming from galaxies with the help of a radio telescope placed in high altitude. Robert Schroeder edited and sampled these galactic tones on a music that he performed during a big event in sounds and images in front of a big screen which was broadcasting images of cosmos during this concert presented within the framework of the prestigious ARS-Electronica in Linz, Austria, in 1982. Released on Klaus Schulze's label (Innovative Communication), “Galaxy Cygnus-A” got lost in a couple of CD-r editions and was never released as a proper factory CD until this last December when Spheric Label presented a reworked version of this little masterpiece of ingenuity. From the start, I have to admit that I was a little disconcerted by this new reworked version which puts down lot of emphasis on sound effects and the strength of sound, abandoning a bit the warmer approach and the subtleties of the vinyl sound curves. But if the purpose of Schroeder was to let us hear all that we missed due to limitations of the vinyl, I may say mission accomplished. Because in spite of the difference between both productions, “Galaxy Cygnus-A” remains a pure masterwork where the melodious approach of the synths espouses marvellously those tones coming up beyond our terrestrial frontiers. And this new version out of the Spheric Music factory even includes a bonus track left aside for a lack of space on the vinyl at this time.
A huge resonant sound strike falls and scatters some static sound strands. Then fall strikes of mallets, whereas the static of the tones and the astral choirs are floating in a sublime cosmic immersion.
Sounds which stretch out such as slender serpentines with deformed metallic resonances give to "Search Direction" a strange floating motionlessness stuffed of white noises and tones of arcade games. Already the differences between both works are perceptible; everything is more exhaustive and more limpid…and also more powerful! The effects of voices of Schroeder's vocoder float among stunning convoluted synth layers which twist themselves and then untwist over a choir hummed by a Mellotron. Sounds, tones and their colors which wobble and roam in a cosmos so near that we could touch it on the tips of our fingers. And there appears this small cosmic duck which cackle its fuzz wah-wah succeeding each other in a series of two. "Receiving Signals" is by far, at this moment, one of the most beautiful pieces of music produced by Robert Schroeder. Everything is perfect on this track which increases in intensity and drama. The cybernetic "Wah-Wah" establishes a first pattern of minimalism tempo. Besides the galactic sound effects, a synth with floating layers, as much spectral as astral, wraps a bass line which leans on this delicate atypical rhythm. The percussions which arrive in a asymmetric way create a superb jewel of tranquillity and serenity which surrounds itself constantly of new assets and galactic sound effects. The key point is this synth which gets loose at around the 5th minute in order to offer the most beautiful cosmic melody that my ears heard to this day. The synth cries with so much authenticity that our soul is quite moved. To me, "Receiving Signals" (or Teil 2) is one of cosmic EM highlight and as much as on this new edition as on the original the impact is the same; it’s a track simply splendid. "Lift off to the Galaxy" imbibes us with cosmic tones. Here no rhythm but all sound effects! Tones all so strange than others which could effectively come from galaxies situated at light years from earth and which surround fine notes of a kind of electronic harp with a zest of Chinese fragrance and suave layers of misty mellotron. We perceive there all those subtle fluid moves of a synth which frees celestial choruses. That’s a prelude to the undulating and hopping rhythm which livens up "1050 Mill. Light Years" where extraterritorial sonorities invade a suave rippling sequence to uncertain tempo and a synth filled by a lunar saxophone tone. It’s a soft rhythm which is breaking through blackness of space and concluded the whole first side of “Galaxy Cygnus-A” album.
Following huge reflecting and resonant sparkles, the title-track widens its galactic sonorities whereas a superb sequential minimalist movement settles a tempo with delicate alternating strikes. If "Receiving Signals" is a jewel, "Galaxy Cygnus-A" is a pure diamond of cosmic tenderness where the fine hypnotic tempo pulses beneath suave astral choruses, sonorities of misty flutes and cosmic signals which accompany a sulphurous synth with piercing sonority. It’s a very beautiful music piece where the meshing of various synth tones to the hypnotic rhythm leads us near an imagination without borders. "Constellation Swan" ended the original work with a long ambient track to cosmic fragrances. On this version, the cosmic noises, the interferences and the astral choirs are amplified so that nothing escapes the attentive ears fond of sounds. The synth is fluid and melodious freeing brief twisted solos among a palette of analog tones, among which these singings of whales that are so associated with the extraterrestrial communications. "Interstellar Quasars" is the bonus track from this new edition of “Galaxy Cygnus-A”. It’s a long track which is really in the spirit of this conceptual work with its heavy reverberating tones which float in a mellotron fog. We feel synth momentums, as on "Lift off to the Galaxy", which are snapped by extraterrestrials conversations on an absent rhythm, an abstract structure. Choirs roam here and there with erratic synth pads and cosmic sounds which yell among stars. A slow ambient structure is floating there before a circular tempo makes a brief appearance. A tempo quick absorbed by meanders of cosmos and which will return later in the form of hopping and crystal clear sequences dancing beneath the breezes of a poetic synth.Cygnus-A, or of “Galaxy Cygnus-A”, is a pure masterpiece of cosmic EM. Even if the difference between those two editions can disconcerted the ears moulded in the furrows of the first edition, we are fast absorbed by all the beauty of this cosmic work. And when we listen to those two works in parallel, we eventually find a justification in this reworked version which displays all the power limited by the recordings of this period. As for me it’s a major work which has its place in any EM record collection, whether it’s Berlin School or cosmic music, so much the magic which comes out of it hasn’t finds an equal yet regarding that kind.
Sylvain Lupari (August 24th, 2011)
gutsofdarkness.com & synthsequences.blogspot.ca

-CHRONIQUE EN FRANÇAIS-

Si Harmonic Ascendant mettait le nom de Robert Schroeder sur la mappe, Galaxy Cygnus-A concrétisait l’immense talent et la créativité du synthésiste d’Aachen. Initialement conçu pour un projet de science-fiction, Galaxy Cygnus-A consistait à capter les ondes sonores provenant des galaxies à l’aide du radio télescope placé en haute altitude. Robert Schroeder éditait et échantillonnait ces sonorités galactiques pour une musique qu’il performait lors d’un évènement haut en sons et images, puisque qu’un grand écran diffusait des images du cosmos, lors d’un concert présenté dans le cadre du prestigieux ARS-Electronica à Linz, Autriche, en 1982. Publié par le label de Klaus Schulze (Innovative Communication), Galaxy Cygnus-A s’est perdu dans les rééditions des CD et n’a jamais vu le jour en un tel format manufacturé. Il a fallu attendre en Décembre dernier où le label Spheric Music présentait finalement une version retravaillée de ce petit chef d’œuvre d’ingéniosité. D’emblée, je dois admettre que j’ai été quelque peu décontenancé par cette nouvelle version rebaptisée Cygnus-A qui met beaucoup d’emphase sur les effets sonores et la force du son, délaissant l’approche plus chaleureuse et les subtilités des courbes sonores du vinyle. Mais si le but de Schroeder était d’étaler tout ce que nous manquions dans les limitations du vinyle, on peut dire mission accomplie. Car malgré la différence entre les deux productions, Galaxy Cygnus-A reste un pur chef d’œuvre où l’approche mélodieuse des synthés épouse à merveille des sonorités captées au-delà de nos frontières terrestres. Et cette nouvelle version inclut même un titre en prime laissé de côté en raison du manque d’espace sur les vinyles de l’époque.
Une immense frappe résonnante tombe et éparpille des filaments sonores statiques. Et tombe les coups de masse, alors que la statique des tons et les chœurs astraux flottent dans une sublime immersion cosmique. Des sons qui s’étirent tels d’oblongs serpentins aux difformes résonnances métalliques donnent à Search Direction une étrange immobilité flottante remplie de bruits blancs et de sonorités d’arcade. Déjà les différences entre les deux œuvres sont tangibles; tout y est plus détaillé et plus limpide et surtout plus fort! Les effets de voix du vocodeur de Schroeder flottent parmi de splendides couches de synthé alambiquées qui se tordent et se détordent au-dessus d’une chorale fredonnée par un Mellotron. Des sons, des sons et leurs couleurs qui ondoient et errent dans un cosmos si près que l’on pourrait le toucher du bout des doigts. Et là apparait ce petit canard cosmique qui caquète ses fuzz Wah-Wah se succédant en série de deux. Receiving Signals est de loin l’un des plus beaux morceaux de musique produit par Robert Schroeder. Tout est parfait dans ce titre qui augmente en intensité et en drame. Les wah-wah cybernétiques instaurent un premier plan du tempo minimalisme. En plus des effets sonores galactiques, un synthé aux couches mouvantes, autant spectrales qu’astrales, enveloppent une ligne de basse qui s’appuie sur ce délicat rythme atypique. Les percussions qui arrivent d’une façon asymétrique en font un superbe joyau de tranquillité et de sérénité qui s’entoure constamment de nouveaux atouts et effets sonores galactiques. Le point fort est ce synthé qui se détache vers la 5ième minute pour offrir la plus belle mélodie cosmique que mes oreilles ont entendue à ce jour. Le synthé pleure avec tellement d’authenticité que notre âme en est toute remuée. Lift off to the Galaxy nous imbibe de sonorités cosmiques. Ici point de rythme mais des effets sonores tous aussi étranges que les autres qui pourraient effectivement bien provenir de galaxies situées à des années-lumière de chez nous. Ces effets encerclent de fins accords d’un genre d’harpe électronique aux parfums de Chine et de suaves couches d’une brume mellotronnée. On y perçoit de subtiles mouvances d’un synthé qui libèrent des chœurs célestes. Un prélude au rythme ondulant et sautillant qui anime 1050 Mill. Light Years où les sonorités extraterritoriales envahissent une suave séquence ondoyante au tempo incertain et un synthé aux sons d’un saxophone lunaire. Un doux rythme qui s’enfonce dans les noirceurs de l’espace et qui concluait la toute 1ière face de l’album de Galaxy Cygnus-A. Suivant un gros éclat reflétant et résonnant, Galaxy Cygnus-A étend ses sonorités galactiques alors qu’un superbe mouvement minimaliste séquentiel installe un tempo aux délicates frappes alternantes. Si Receiving Signals est un joyau, Galaxy Cygnus-A est un pur diamant de tendresse cosmique où le fin tempo hypnotique pulse sous de suaves chœurs astraux, des sonorités de flûtes embrumées et de signaux cosmiques qui accompagnent un sulfureux synthé à la sonorité perçante. Un très beau morceau où le maillage des différentes sonorités synthétisées au rythme hypnotique nous amèene aux portes d’une imagination sans frontières. Constellation Swan terminait l’œuvre original avec un long titre ambiant aux effluves cosmiques. Sur cette version les bruits cosmiques, interférences et chœurs astraux sont amplifiés, de sorte que rien n’échappe à l’oreille attentive et friande de sons. Le synthé est fluide et mélodieux, échappant de brefs solos torsadés parmi un éventail de sonorités analogues dont ses chants de baleines qui sont tellement associés avec les communications extra-terrestres. Interstellar Quasars est le titre en prime de cette nouvelle édition de Galaxy Cygnus-A. Un long titre qui est vraiment dans l’esprit de cette œuvre conceptuelle avec ses lourdes sonorités réverbérantes qui flottent dans une brume mellotronnée. On y perçoit des élans de synthé, comme Lift off to the Galaxy, qui sont happées par des conversations d’extraterrestres sur un rythme absent, une structure abstraite. Des chœurs errent ici et là avec des nappes de synthé erratiques et des sonorités cosmiques qui crient parmi les étoiles. Une lente structure ambiante y flotte avant qu’un tempo circulaire  ne fasse une brève apparition. Un tempo vite absorbé par les méandres du cosmos et qui reviendra plus tard sous forme de séquences sautillantes et limpides dansant sous les souffles d’un synthé poétique.
Cygnus-A, ou Galaxy Cygnus-A, est un pur chef d’œuvre de MÉ cosmique. Même si la différence entre les 2 éditions peut décontenancer les oreilles moulées dans les sillons de l’édition originale, on se laisse vite absorber par toute la beauté de cette œuvre cosmique. Et lorsque l’on écoute les 2 œuvres en parallèle, on finit par trouver une justification dans cette réédition qui étale toute la puissance limitée par les enregistrements de l’époque. En ce qui me concerne c’est une œuvre majeure qui a sa place dans toute discothèque de MÉ, que ce soit Berlin School ou cosmique, tant la magie qu’elle dégage n’a pas encore été égalée sur ce concept.

Sylvain Lupari (04/06/2011)

Floating Music (1980)

Floating Music ... 17:30
a) Floating Music
b) Divine my Future
c) Pastime 
Out Of Control ... 18:34
a) Out Of Control
b) Visions 
c) Meditation for the Next Part
d) Shadows in the Night
e) Rotary Motion
Rotary Motion V II 5:17
Rotary Motion V III 8:01
Innovative Communication | KS 80.001 (CD 36:04) ****
News-Music ‎| NEWS CDR-12.002 (CD-r 49:13) ****
After a first album, Harmonic Ascendant, where the ambient and atmospheric structures were moulding to a deep romanticism, Robert Schroeder undertakes a first musical change of direction by offering a 2nd album filled of a very great wealth in eclectic tones. Here, no romantic guitars that flirt with a solitary cello or vocoders which roam in a cosmic mist, Floating Music (whose title has nothing to do with its musical structure) is an album where the rhythm at once funky and sensual thrones among suave cosmic flights. A first change of course from an artist whose versatility will be the cornerstone of his musical charms.
Floating Music’s 1st part is opening with a long twisted breeze coming out of a synth with quavering and spectral tone. A first sequential movement introduces a minimalism structure with a tempo fed of low felted notes where limpid chords of a fickle keyboard cavort. Hesitating, the rhythm of Floating Music follows the tangent of an unreal world where the sequential movement waves and moves stealthily among a thick cloud of synthesized laments, an outbreak of undisciplined chords and maracas which erode a tempo vitamined by a little bit funky bass and heavy percussions. Already the soft musical universe of Harmonic Ascendant flees by this heavy and minimalist beat which takes advantage of every chord to grow richer of a new tone. But the wandering spirit of Schroeder lives and can be feels a little more in Divine my Future where the tempo is discreet and drawn by fine pulsations which beat under galactic sound effects and beautiful pads of a mellotron synth which go down from cosmos like leaves fall in waltzing from a tree. It’s a soft eclectic interlude, because a more caustic and insistent sequence plunges Pastime’s intro into the uncertain rhythm drawn on Floating Music. Less funky but more sustained, the rhythm of Pastime is moulded in a sturdier psychedelic minimalism where each strikes of percussions and sequence chord initiate a sound renewal of an exceptional wealth for that period.
Out of Control begins with small electronic chirpings coated by a somber synth layer. A cosmic envelope where twisted solos are entangled there whereas percussions alternate their heavy striking in concordance with resonant chords. Yet, Rotary Motion’s track is drawing while a fine synth pad wraps this stillness rhythm from where fuse fine solos with well chiselled edges. Visions follows with its spectral synth line which dives into a swaying sea where crystalline chords are lulling in a soft swirl of an always so romantic synth. But the tension increases and Visions offers a finale a little less gleaming with fatter chords that dance agreements fatter which dance and gambol on a sinister approach before falling in the charms of Meditation for the Next Part and its notes from a quixotic guitar which draw a brief moment of nostalgia. A glum well framed by a foggy and melancholic synth which is lying down up to Shadows in the Night doors and its soft cosmic intro which quietly is leaking away in rumblings, resonant chirpings and cosmic that overwhelm the tranquility of Shadows in the Night. Quietly, the heavy structure of Rotary Motion is rising with percussions which roll and hit curtly, sequences with alternate striking and chords in form of suctions. Rotary Motion tumbles of a wild electronic rhythm, with its discreet funky bass, surrounded by furious synth solos. It’s a furious track that will become a Robert Schroeder classic and will draw the path to more explosive musical pieces that will punctuate his long career. This last edition of Floating Music contains 2 versions of Rotary Motion. If number II is more aired and frees a more electronic approach with beautiful synth solos which roll up a structure always so furious, version III is closer to Jean Michel Jarre's synth pop style with a funkier approach and solos always so suave and twisted.
Floating Music won some prizes and allowed to EM of this circa to overflow towards a more rock tangent while keeping its cosmic aspect. That’s a cosmic electronic rock where the heavy and funky rhythm cohabited with fineness with brief floating surges. With Floating Music, Robert Schroeder redefined the genre and proved that the so said synthetic music could have as many visages as tones. It’s a pivotal work in EM history because it gave a new drive to the use of synths and sequences which were amply going to furnish the new wave of synth pop music.
Sylvain Lupari (April 2011)
gutsofdarkness.com & synth&sequences.com

Après un premier album, Harmonic Ascendant, où les structures ambiantes et atmosphériques se moulaient à un romantisme décapant, Robert Schroeder entreprend un premier virage musical en offrant un 2ième album rempli d’une très grande richesse en sonorités éclectiques. Ici, point de guitares romantiques qui flirtent avec un violoncelle solitaire ou des vocodeurs qui errent dans une brume cosmique, Floating Music (dont le titre n’a rien à voir avec la structure musicale) est un album où le rythme à la fois funky et sensuel trône parmi de suaves envolées cosmiques. Un premier changement de cap pour un artiste dont la versatilité sera la pierre angulaire de ses charmes musicaux.
La 1ière partie de Floating Music s’ouvre avec un long souffle torsadé d’un synthé à sonorité chevrotante et spectrale. Un premier mouvement séquentiel initie une structure minimalisme avec un rythme nourri de basses notes feutrées où gambadent de limpides accords d’un clavier volage. Hésitant, le rythme de Floating Music suit la tangente d’un monde irréel où le mouvement séquentiel ondule et avance à pas de loup parmi une nuée de complaintes synthétisées, une recrudescence d’accords indisciplinés et des maracas qui érode un tempo vitaminé par une basse un peu funky et des percussions lourdes. Déjà le tendre univers musical d’Harmonic Ascendant fuit par ce beat lourd et minimaliste qui profite de chaque accord pour s’enrichir d’une nouvelle sonorité. Mais l’esprit vagabond de Schroeder demeure et transpire un peu plus dans Divine my Future où le tempo est discret et tracé par de fines pulsations qui battent sous des effets sonores galactiques et de belles nappes d’un synthé mellotronné qui descendent du cosmos telles les feuilles tombent en valsant d’un arbre. C’est un doux interlude éclectique, car une séquence plus mordante et insistante plonge l’intro de Pastime dans le rythme incertain tracé par Floating Music. Moins funky mais plus soutenu, le rythme de Pastime est moulé dans un minimalisme psychédélique plus costaud où chaque frappe de percussions et chaque accord séquence initient un renouveau sonore d’une richesse exceptionnelle pour l’époque.
Out of Control débute avec de petits gazouillis électroniques nappés d’une sombre couche de synthé. Une enveloppe cosmique où de solos torsadés s’y emmêlent alors des percussions alternent leurs lourdes frappes en concordance avec des accords résonnants. Déjà, le sillage de Rotary Motion se dessine alors qu’une fine nappe de synthé enveloppe ce rythme stationnaire d’où fuse de fins solos aux abords bien ciselés. Visions s’ensuit avec sa ligne de synthé spectrale qui plonge dans une mer ondoyante où les accords cristallins se bercent dans les doux remous d’un synthé toujours romanesque. Mais la tension monte et Visions offre une finale un peu moins miroitante avec des accords plus gras qui dansent et gambadent d’une approche patibulaire avant de tomber dans les charmes de Meditation for the Next Part et ses accords d’une guitare chimérique qui tracent un bref moment de nostalgie. Une nostalgie bien encadrée par un synthé brumeux et mélancolique qui s’étend jusqu’aux portes de Shadows in the Night et sa douce intro cosmique qui tranquillement se perd dans les grondements, les gazouillis résonnants et les nappes cosmiques qui envahissent la quiétude de Shadows in the Night. Tranquillement, la lourde structure de Rotary Motion se dresse avec des percussions qui roulent et frappent sèchement, des séquences aux frappes alternantes et des accords en formes de succions. Rotary Motion déboule d’un rythme électronique sauvage, avec sa discrète basse funky, encerclé de furieux solos de synthé. Un titre endiablé qui deviendra un classique de Robert Schroeder et qui tracera la voie à des titres plus explosifs qui ponctueront sa longue carrière. Cette dernière édition de Floating Music comprend 2 versions de Rotary Motion. Si la II est plus aérée et dégage une approche plus électronique avec de beaux solos de synthé qui enroulent une structure toujours aussi endiablée, la version III est plus près du répertoire de Jean Michel Jarre avec une approche plus funky et des solos toujours aussi suaves et torsadés.
Floating Music a remporté de nombreux prix et a permis à la MÉ de l’époque de déborder vers une tangente plus rock tout en gardant son aspect cosmique. Un rock électronique cosmique où le rythme lourd et funky cohabitait avec finesse auprès de brèves envolées planantes. Avec Floating Music, Robert Schroeder redéfinissait le genre et prouvait que la musique dite synthétique pouvait avoir autant de visages que de sonorités. Une œuvre charnière dans l’histoire de la MÉ car elle donnait un nouvel élan à l’utilisation des synthés et séquences qui allaient garnir amplement la nouvelle vague de musique synth pop.

Harmonic Ascendant (1979)

“The best way to start your Robert Schroeder discovery”

1 Harmonic Ascendant 22:16  
2 Future Passing By 9:19 
3 The Day After X 11:41 
IC ‎– KS 80 033 (43:15) *****
(Retro Berlin School)

Klaus Schulze's old apprentice, Robert Schroeder was a victim of bad timing when he launches this all-time classic in EM; “Harmonic Ascendant”. Whereas EM knew its first difficulties in Europe and while the breath of digital instruments gave a colder tonus to this wonderful musical art, Robert Schroeder released with a naive freshness a superb album which combined the moods of a sort of psychedelic electronic music tinted of a moving romanticism.
The whole thing starts when some notes of a soft guitar cross the reverberations of mislaid piano’s notes. Suddenly, everything stops! A light bluish mist is settling down and its smog is dispersing with the superbly nostalgic acoustic guitar of Udo Mattusch. So we are enthralled by this tone so clear which comes out of this delicate fusion of the piano and the acoustic guitar. A very ethereal synth wraps this inmost complicity which loses its piano in the mist a little bit farther. Alone, the guitar breaths in those misty mellotron pads while that Wolfgang Tiepold's cello embraces this long romantic track of its first bow rubblings. This is a purely wonderful moment the we have here. Like a soundtrack of a poignant movie, Tiepold strings eat our emotions of an ignored sensibility until here, while the first bites of Robert Schroeder's synth create the same charms. In a magnificent celestial movement, the guitar, the cello and the synth combine their strange lamentations which merge in a single appeal to the soul. At around the 9th minute Udo Mattusch's finds itself alone introducing the first sequences of "Harmonic Ascendant". Harmonious, minimalism and hypnotic this sequenced movement is a road to perdition for the guitar and the foggy synth, leaving all the room to Tiepold’s sublime cello which plows a melodious path more and more accentuated by a firm sequencer, revealing a psychedelic-electronic passage of a melancholic cohesion and of a harmonious beauty. 
On the other side of this truly and splendid masterpiece there are "Future Passing By" and "The Day After X". Two tracks which are quite the opposite of "Harmonic Ascendant" with their electronic approaches and their strange moods. "Future Passing By" lets filter a vocoder which chews its words in an ambient universe. A universe which is waking up quietly on a synth painted of melodious prisms and on a  sequencer which is waving lightly. Filled of choirs and of dark breezes, "Future Passing By" turns into a slow ethereal procession which fades out in its moods. "The Day After X" presents an intro which is rather similar to "Future Passing By". In fact, a meshing could have been done between both extremities so much that is sounding like that. The intro is more ambient and is crossed by metallic streaks and some very metallic laments. A fine sequence is getting out of this strange industrial mood. Undulating and vaguely indistinct, this movement of the sequencer is substituting to this heterogeneous intro in order to forge a minimalism tempo which draws its harmonies on a superb synth filled of soft solos which get wrapped by foggy layers and so melting to these light modulation lines of the sequencer.
Produced by Klaus Schulze on his Innovative Communication label, “Harmonic Ascendant” was like a breath of fresh air on the scene of EM at that time. Even if not as much sequenced or rhythmic as the major works of that era, it amazed a lot of people by its fascinating minimalist approach. It’s a superb album with 2 different sides of EM. The romantic mood of the title-track remains a masterpiece which has travelled through the ages. It’s strongly recommended for the fans of Klaus Schulze and to those who have this romantic flame in the soul.
Sylvain Lupari
gutsofdarkness.com & synthsequences.blogspot.ca
Liens/Links related to this album:
The title-track on YouTube
The whole album on YouTube

Ancien élève de Klaus Schulze, Robert Schroeder a été victime de mauvais timing ors du lancement de son immortel classique; “Harmonic Ascendant” .Alors que la MÉ connaissait son 1ier creux de vague en Europe et que le souffle des instruments numériques donnait un tonus plus froid à la MÉ, Robert Schroeder déposait avec une fraîcheur naïve un album électro psychédélique teinté d’un romantisme désarmant.
Le tout débute lorsque des accords d’une douce guitare croisent la réverbération d’une note de piano égarée. Soudainement, tout s’arrête. Une légère brume bleutée s’installe dont les voiles se dissipent  auprès de la superbe guitare acoustique d’Udo Mattusch. Nous sommes subjugués par la sonorité si claire qui émane de cette délicate fusion piano/guitare acoustique. Un synthé très éthéré enveloppe cette intime complicité qui perd son piano dans la brume. Seule la guitare hume la brumeuse mellotronnée, alors que le violoncelle de Wolfgang Tiepold embrasse ce long titre romantique de ses premiers frottements d’archets. Que c’est beau. Comme une trame sonore d’un drame déchirant, les cordes de Tiepold ramassent les émotions d’une sensibilité ignorées, pendant que les premières morsures du synthé de Schroeder opèrent le même charme. Dans un superbe mouvement céleste, guitare, violoncelle et synthé combinent d’étranges lamentations qui fusionnent en un seul appel de l’âme. Vers la 9ième minute, la guitare de Udo Mattusch se retrouve seul, initiant les premières séquences de Harmonic Ascendant. Harmonique, minimalisme et hypnotique, ce mouvement séquentiel est une route de perdition pour guitare et synthé brumeux, laissant toute la place au sublime violoncelle de Tiepold qui arche une route mélodieuse de plus en plus accentuée par un séquenceur tenace. Dévoilant un passage psychédélico-électronique d’une cohésion mélancolique et d’une beauté harmonieuse. Un petit chef d’œuvre!
Future Passing By exploite un vocodeur qui mâchonne ses mots dans un univers ambiant. Un univers qui s’éveille tranquillement, sur un synthé aux prismes mélodieux et une légère séquence ondulante. Truffé de chœurs aux souffles sombres, Future Passing By devient une lente procession éthérée. The Day After X présente une intro assez similaire à Future Passing By. En fait, un maillage aurait pu subsister entre les deux extrémités que ça aurait bien passé. L’intro est plus ambiante et est traversée de striures métalliques aux lamentations acerbes. Une fine séquence se dessine. Ondoyante, elle se substitue à cette intro hétéroclite pour dessiner un tempo minimalisme qui puise ses harmonies sur un superbe synthé aux solos doux, nappés de couches sonores brumeuses qui se fondent aux légères modulations séquencées.
Produit par Klaus Schulze sur son label IC, “Harmonic Ascendant” dégage une fraîcheur juvénile et étonne par une ambiance minimalisme moins monotone par rapport aux œuvres de la même période. Extrêmement doux et mélodieux  c’est une œuvre fortement recommandée aux amateurs de Klaus Schulze et à tous ceux qui ont le romantisme dans l’âme. La pièce titre est à crevé l’abcès de la fragilité.
Sylvain Lupari

About Robert Schroeder

Born in Aachen, Germany, on May 20, 1955 Robert Schroeder made his first musical experiences on guitar. After initial attempts at various methods of electronic noise generation, he switched to a synthesizer. He then chose to goes solo after playing music with some local bands. He began to explore more and more the EM scene by experimenting parts of synths and other relative EM instruments. Soon he will learn how to build synths and instruments for musicians as well as recording studio equipment and finally his own synthesizers, having thus his own sound.

Being a huge aficionado of Klaus Schulze, he named his second son, born in 78, after him. He also managed to win his trust and has him as the godfather of baby Klaus. This is how Schulze and Schroeder connected their bonds. After having heard Schroerder’s music, Schulze proposed him a record contract with Innovative Communication (IC) which belongs to Schulze.
Schroeder ended his career as an electrical engineer with the publication of a generally comprehensible specialist book on the self-construction of a so-called step sequencer. From 1979 onwards, he devoted himself primarily to music, but also worked for other artists, especially Klaus Schulze, for whom he developed and built various devices. 
He released his first album Harmonic Ascendant in 1979 with the help of Udo Mattusch on guitar and Wolfgang Tiepold on cello. The music had to be completely reworked as it did not appeal to the decision makers of the distribution company WEA . The album is characterized by the combination of electronic and acoustic elements. The second album entitled  » Floating Music » was released in 1980 and has been rated by the press as one of the best productions in the electronic music of the year. With the third album Mosaique from 1981, the music of Schroeder was more rhythmic. Supported by Charly Büchel (guitar), Rob van Schaik (bass) and Fred Severloh (drums), he now also increasingly inspired experimental sounds.
For the Ars Electronica in Linz, Schroeder captured the radio signals of the galaxy Cygnus-A in the constellation Schwan from the then largest mobile radio telescope in the world in 1982 and converted to the audible frequency range by amplification. The so-called « white noise » formed the basis for Schroeder’s « Music Computer Symphony », which later emerged as the Galaxy Cygnus-A album. The event, which was broadcast on television, synchronized music and images on a large screen wall.
Paradise, released in 1983 with Guenther Beckers on acoustic guitars and synth guitar and Ecky Zillman on drums, became the very first commercial success of Robert Schroeder with the single Skywalker. The next album, Computer Voice, was released on the new Schroeder’s new record company, Racket Records. The album contained a selection of Schroeder’s best songs as well as some new titles. Always digging for new ideas, he produced a music for film with the so-called artificial head technology in 1985 with Brain Voyager.
He formed Double Fantasy in 1986. The album Universal Ave. was published on IC-Digit-Label. The main idea was to provide a more groovy tone to the music of Schroeder. The music was created during long improvised studio sessions with Charly Büchel and some of it reached the charts of L.A. radio stations in the United States and responded very well to this new invasion of EM in the States known as New Age or easy listening music. The Double Fantasy name stayed and created other albums which have no relation with Robert Schroeder.
Then came Timewaves, a very successful album. Driftin, which came one year later in 1988, was also quite successful. The electronic ballads on it have met the taste of the time, so that the music of Robert hit once again various radio broadcasts, such as the WDR.
Two years later, IC-Digit released an album, which was based on a production from 1982 and was originally to be published as music from several musicians for a science fiction novel. However, Schroeder never released it due to various differences. Pegasus came in 1990 as a pure Robert Schroeder album.
In 1991 Schroeder deserted Racket Records in order to form another label of his own; NEWS-music. The first album was Hamaja which was released on September. Robert tried to light our curiosity by giving to each title a name of which the first letter of the 6 tracks form the word Hamaja and if we pronounce all of the tracks one after one it gives this following phrase; Imagination, Music for the senses anytime you listen join your forces and you will find a place of refuge. Pretty awesome! The 1993’s album Mindwalk is the fruit of a concert that Robert gave in1990 which he re-recorded and rearranged the music. Charly Büchel can be heard on the guitar as well as Schroeder.
On 8 October 1994 Robert Schroeder played with guitarist Christian Guth and drummer Horst Schippers at the KLEM-Festival in Nijmegen, Holland. A rearranged version of this event was release appeared on the album Everdreams. After a hiatus of 4 years, the album D.MO Vol. 1, a compilation of older material, was released in the framework of Robert’s 20 years of music anniversary. It was released on the German label Cue Records. There was no reworks or remixes of the old material here, giving a nostalgic charm to this first chapter of D.MO (for Demo).
The next studio album of Robert Schroeder appeared in 2005, either more than 11 years after Everdreams. The album was BrainCHIPS and was released on another German label, the so prestigious Spheric Music. BrainCHIPS was released in two versions; one strictly musical and the other with vocals sung by Rahal Brimil. Since then, Robert Schroeder produces music a lot. His Berlin School albums are release on Spheric Music and his Groovy music, he has taken a part of Double Fantasy name as Food For Fantasy, is release on his label NEWS music.
To date, including Velocity, Robert Schroeder has make more than 35 albums and participated at numerous albums in the field of EM since the mid 70’s.