Klaus Schulze: Farscape (2008)

Klaus Schulze - Farscape

KS Album 49

Track Listing (CD 1):

1.	Liquid Coincidence 1	21:59
2.	Liquid Coincidence 2	30:51
3.	Liquid Coincidence 3	25:54

Track Listing (CD 2):

1.	Liquid Coincidence 4	18:18
2.	Liquid Coincidence 5	18:48
3.	Liquid Coincidence 6	24:02
4.	Liquid Coincidence 7	13:38

Notes: Lisa Gerrard sings vocals.

Rating: 3 Stars

This is the 49th solo album recorded by Klaus Schulze, if it can really be called a solo album. Lisa Gerrard is given equal billing on the album cover. KDM calls it a solo album, so I'll trust his judgement.

This is an album that divided Klaus Schulze's fans. I was almost two years late buying it, for reasons I no longer know, but in that time I was following the discussions on Klaus Schulze forums. Some fans loved it, some hated it. When I finally bought it, I made a conscious effort to like it. I put on my headphones and closed my eyes. But something about it didn't sound right.

I came to the opinion that it's not a real Klaus Schulze album. I said above that the artists are given equal billing on the album cover, but I'll go a step further. Rather than sounding like Klaus Schulze with a guest singer, it sounds like Lisa Gerrard with a backing musician. For most of the album Klaus fades into the background, especially on the second CD.

The music is doubtlessly good, from an objective point of view. Lisa Gerrard has a beautiful voice, and Klaus Schulze is a skilled session musician, but I can't relate to the music. It's not something to be listened to over headphones. It's good background music to be played quietly while I'm writing my blog.

Interestingly, in the liner notes Klaus writes that he's wanted to work with Lisa for years, and Lisa writes that she's wanted to work with Klaus for years. Lisa also says that she's known Klaus since he was in Tangerine Dream, which is probably a mistake. She was only nine years old when he was in Tangerine Dream.

In retrospect, Klaus Schulze fans speak of a Lisa Gerrard era. That's an exaggeration. They only ever recorded in the studio once, for two days in 2007, and they performed nine concerts together in the following two years. It seems longer to the fans because there was a delay before the live albums were released.