La Vie Electronique Vol.2

Volume Two (three CDs) in this series reissuing all the material found on the long out of print Ultimate Edition box sets (for more background on the series as a whole, see La Vie Electronique 1) is much more interesting than volume one, and the pick of the first six volumes. The music comes from 1972-1975 (but mostly 1972-1973), a rich period of experimentation, as Schulze was gradually forging what would be known as his "classic" sound, nearly palpable by "Blaue Stunde," the 38-minute piece from 1975 concluding the set. This second installment contains more finished works than the drafts-and-jams-packed volume one. "Das grosse Identifikationsspiel" (42 minutes) is a very good suite of rather experimental music written for a science fiction radio drama by Alfred Behrens. The 27-minute "Titanensee" was done with a ballet in mind, never to be produced; again, it is a strong work in Schulze's experimental vein. However, the undisputed highlight of volume two is a whole album's worth of collaborations with Hans-Jorg Stahlschmidt, a project that had been brought to completion, only to gather dust on a record company's shelves. On this set of tracks, Schulze steps outside of his usual style, his partner's acoustic guitar and vocals (Schulze also plays some acoustic backing) drawing the music close to Popol Vuh territory. For fans curious about Schulze's artistic development, this volume is the one to get, as you can see him trying out ideas and working on collaborations with other artists, and even other art forms. ~ Francois Couture