Big In Japan (US Version)

German synth master Klaus Schulze arguably peaked in the mid-'70s with albums like Timewind, Cyborg, and Moondawn, but he's still got a sizable cult audience and he's still out there performing. This two-CD/one-DVD set, recorded in Japan in 2010, shows that while generally speaking, he's who he always was, his music has evolved over time. Indeed, this performance is notable for featuring Schulze on electric guitar (on "Sequencers Are Beautiful") as well as more percussion than usual on "La Joyeuse Apocalypse." But it's still a one-man synth show at heart, which means there are plenty of long, long, long trance-inducing passages where very little happens: melodic patterns loop and repeat, hums and drones fill the space around them, and the audience slips from rapt attention into a pleasant state of relaxation hard to distinguish from unconsciousness. "Sequencers Are Beautiful" aside (because the guitar does prove somewhat jarring), this is a superbly soothing album which one might well put on prior to sliding beneath the covers. And yet, like Schulze's best '70s work, it's also filled with fascinating musical ideas, as long as one is willing to listen closely for them. ~ Phil Freeman