Schulze, Klaus feat. Lisa Gerrard: Dziekuje Bardzo (DVD)

Electronic soundscapes of ominous beauty shimmer with energy as the delicate voice of Lisa Gerrard weaves it's magic.

Klaus Schulze should need no introduction in these pages. The former member of the bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Temple is a living legend and one of the foremost pioneers of electronic music. The maestro is back with the new DVD Dziekule Bardzo, recorded live in Warsaw, Poland and featuring the vocal talents of Australian born Lisa Gerrard.

Gerrard, formerly of Dead Can Dance, has got to have one of the more unique voices in contemporary music. There is an ethereal quality to her voice that fits perfectly with Schulze's synthesizer meanderings. Besides her work with Dead Can Dance, Gerrard has released four solo albums. This is the duo's second concert captured on DVD, the first being Rheingold – Live at the Loreley, also reviewed on this site.

This concert took place on November 13, 2009 at the Bazylika Ojcow Salezjanów and it is a beautiful setting indeed. The venue exudes class as does Schulze himself. Before the concert began, Schulze thanked the Polish audience for all of their support. Incidentally, the German album title translated in English means Thank You. Schulze had not played in Poland for twenty-five years and you can tell this one was an emotional moment for him.

The concert begins with "Shoreless Two" featuring only Schulze and his banks of sequencers and various pieces of electronic equipment. The song starts out amidst weird sound effects enhancing a soundscape of nightmarish beauty. His playing on the Mini-Moog is exceptional. Spot lights are used to soften the edges while vertical rod lights add a dramatic intensity that heightens the effect of Schulze's stunning Moog work .

"Bazylika NSJ" and "Godspell" both feature Gerrard's sublime vocals and dreamy synthetic atmospheres with a darker edge, especially "Godspell" with its ominous intro of electronic elements. The music here is more ambient with a slight avant-garde feel and a greater emphasis on improvisation, especially Gerrards's chant-like vocals. Schulze and Gerrard have an uncanny ability to know where the other is venturing musically and it shows in their performance.

Also included is the short documentary In The Moog For Love. The film provides a closer look at the stage set up and an insightful interview with Gerrard.

This is another first class effort from Schulze and Gerrard and should be prerequisite listening for anyone interested in electronic music. Enjoy.

***My review copy is the single DVD version. It also comes as a three disc set.***

Track Listing:
1. Shoreless Two
2. Bazylika NSJ 3. Godspell
The Documentary: In The Moog For Love
Rheingold Trailer

Added: September 8th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1861
Language: english

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