Black dance

chronology
Black dance
Studio album by Klaus Schulze
Publication ; (s)	1974, 2007
admission	May 1974, 1975 or 1976
Label (s)	Brain , Virgin
Format (s)	LP
Genre (s)	Ambient , electronic
Title (number)	3 or 5
running time	48 min 32 s (1974) ; 73 min 52 s (2007)
occupation	Klaus Schulze (instruments) ; Ernst Walter Siemon (vocals)
production	Klaus Schulze
Studio (s)	Delta-Acustic Studios
Location (s)	Berlin

Blackdance ( German black dance ) is the third music album by the German artist Klaus Schulze . It was published in 1974 and composed, recorded and produced by Klaus Schulze alone. It was also his first album, which was released on the Brain label and Virgin. This opened up new markets in Asia and America.

For a long time, Blackdance was considered Schulze's fourth album - the alleged predecessor Picture Music had already been written before. Contributing to this confusion were inaccuracies and typographical errors on album covers, which dated Picture Music's release year to 1973. Through detailed research by Klaus d. Mueller, a close friend of Schulze, could, however, be proven that Blackdance was created before Picture Music . Nevertheless, many lists were not corrected and the former is still listed as Schulze's fourth album. The re-release in 2007 called Blackdance the fourth album.

He also turned away from the drone music of his previous albums Cyborg and Irrlicht and took the path to more “consumable” electronic music, with which he would later achieve his breakthrough. The artist himself was not entirely convinced of Blackdance just like many fans and criticized after the completion u. a. the “folkloric” sound of the album caused by guitar and percussion.

Track list

Written and arranged by Klaus Schulze:

Waves of Changes - 17:14
Some Velvet Phasing - 8:24
Voices of Syn - 10:40 pm
Foreplay - 10:33
Synthies have (no) balls? - 14:42

The last two tracks, Foreplay and Synthies Have (No) Balls? were added as bonus titles when it was re-released in 2007. They are said not to have been recorded in Berlin in 1974, like the original three tracks , but either in 1975 or 1976 in the Manor studio of the record company Virgin Records .

The pieces of music

Ways of Changes

Similar to the previous albums, the piece begins with gentle organ sounds, to which the 12-string guitar played by Schulze himself joins a little later. After a few minutes a "galloping" rhythm sets in, carried by the hat sounds of a drum computer and acoustic conga sounds . The style-typical “buzzing” and “waving”, which could already be heard on Cyborg and should become one of Schulze's trademarks, can also be heard. Single, long-lasting and distorted synthesizer tones act as bass. Melodically, the piece is performed purely improvisations on the Farfisa organ.

Some velvet phasing

In contrast to Ways of Changes , this piece is far more calm and melancholy. No percussion is used and only an electronic organ is used in conjunction with a phaser , on which chords and individual sounds are improvised. The piece is significantly shorter and simpler than Ways of Changes or Voices of Syn .

The piece also has elements of the ambient .

Voices of Syn

This last track is by far the most experimental on the album. Distorted organ chords are played over the classical opera singing of Simeon, which gives the piece a church or sacred sound. Then a drum computer kicks in, similar to “Voice of Changes”, but the melodies played in the background are now much less harmonious. Also "crooked notes" are deliberately played. At the end of the piece, Schulze clearly returns to the “drone” sounds of his previous albums - a deep note paired with light percussion and high organ improvisations let Voices of Syn fade away .