PETE NAMLOOK & K. SCHULZE: THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOOG VIII

There's still a flair of nice goofy humor in the title but the best music that Namlook and Schulze had in them must have ended up on the previous albums.

Maybe it just comes down to taste but I fail to find compelling music in the 25 minute opening track of the album. It's passable but it never seems to rise above decent background music. The lack of inspiration also plagues Part III, there's nothing obviously wrong with it but after 7 albums, we kind of got the idea. Part IV sounds somewhat fresher but loses my interest after less then 3 minutes. Part VI has a nice moog solo but the tepid rhythm make it into a drag. On Part VII, Namlook goes into complete drum & bass overdrive. A style that suits me quite well but that feels hardly relevant here. In fact, only Part VIII, a clear Schulze contribution, gives evidence of this project's potential.

I suspect Namlook wasn't really with his heart into this project anymore. He certainly doesn't give any impression of focus or inspiration on this album. Given that Dark Side Of The Moog is mostly a Namlook offering, it's no surprise that this whole album collapses as a result. If this would be your first or only experience with this project it still might tempt you with its dark atmospheres, but after the preceding albums it feels very inadequate.

This eighth volume, isn't right in line with its predecessor (or maybe with the fourth one). The extremely long first part (over twenty-five minutes) is a boring and repetitive item with absolutely no taste nor flavour. Dull from the first to the last (1516) second.

Same beat all the way through. Best avoided as far as I'm concerned even if the last ten minutes are way better. The ambient and melodic "Part III" is probably my fave thanks to its quietness. It gives a break amidst all these frenzy beats that are available for most of the time.

One of my preferred section is "Part VI", thanks to the great moog play. But the beat is too hectic (as in "Part VII") to be fully enjoyable. Another listenable passage is the closing one which, again, offers some very decent moog work.

Actually, the whole of this album is not very appealing; and if you want to start the discovery of this "Moog" series, I don't recommend at all this one. It is also waaaaay too long (almost eighty minutes!).Two stars.