Dark Side of the Moog Vol. 8 (1999)

Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook - Dark Side of the Moog Vol. 8

Track Listing:

1.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 1	25:16
2.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 2	01:12
3.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 3	06:18
4.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 4	08:08
5.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 5	04:35
6.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 6	15:39
7.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 7	06:58
8.	Careful with the AKS, Peter  Part 8	08:39

Rating: 4½ Stars

This album was recorded live at the 23. Jazz festival in Hamburg on 23rd April 1999. Does the music of these two electronic wizards qualify as jazz? That's a matter of definition. All I can say is that it was a good marketing strategy to sell more tickets.

The tracks were performed as a single piece of music. The track boundaries have been placed where the mood or the style changes.

The album was originally released on Pete Namlook's private label as a limited edition of 2000 copies. In 2016 it was re-released as part of a box set, which is now also out of print.

In case you're wondering, the AKS mentioned in the titles refers to the EMS Synthi AKS, one of the first synthesizers available in the 1970's. It was extensively used by Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Jean-Michel Jarre.

The album starts off on a high note, dominated by typical Schulze sequencers. The shorter tracks are laid back, with more noise than music. The album reaches its peak in the sixth track. After sounds akin to a bondage dungeon, Klaus finally breaks into a masterful synthesizer solo. I often hear other Klaus Schulze fans say that the Dark Side Of The Moog series isn't as good as his solo albums. They shouldn't generalise. I know there have been some (relatively) low points in the series, but this is an album that should warm the heart of any Klaus Schulze fan.

Klaus Schulze

Pete Namlook

According to the description on Pete Namlook's web site:

"For the first time Klaus and Peter joined forces to perform in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 23. Jazz Festival Hamburg. The musical variety is immense on this album. From slow and mellow to fast and haunting, there's always a surprise around the corner, the best of what you can expect from their eighth collaboration. Klaus plays space-chords, typical 70's sequences from his big modular system, with huge atmospheric sounds. Peter plays the Trautonium live for the first time, rhythms between electro, jazz and jungle. The music on this CD is quite a trip, and the frenetic applause can be heard ring-modulated through Pete Namook's EMS VCS3".

Just like the first four albums, the covers of the fifth to eighth albums can be joined together into a single picture.