HARMONIC ASCENDANT

Robert Schroeder is a talented and inspired german electronic composer whose career has strong connections with analogue synth sequences and spacey, spherical soundscapes produced by Klaus Schulze during the second half of the seventies. If we compared it with the best essays from K.Schulze's classic period, Harmonic Ascendant figures as a major work, pushing the cosmic synthesizer trippiness to an other level of experimentation and emotion. Harmonic Ascendant is not as majestic and as visceral than early TD and Schulze but clearly better than anything produced by these two masters after the 70's. The title track is among the most ravishing pieces released in the universe of kosmische psychedelica and early ambient environnemental music. This is a cloudy, melancholic electronic epic composed for stringed instruments (intimate, warm minimal acoustic guitars) and eerie keyboards. The atmosphere is emotionaly brilliant and produces the best effect on the listener. Future passing by delivers a celestial electronic ambience with vocoders, and sacred like synth choir (a relative similar experience is delivered in the Andreas Grosser & Klaus Schulze's collaboration for Babel). If we can judge by the rest of the album, The day after X is a rather convential electronic synth composition for minimal patterns and asceptic new agey synth waves. Generally less monotonous, less schyzo and more colourful than Schulze's efforts from the same period. Highly recommended, in particular for fans of 70s classic analog synth eccentricities (Klaus Schulze, Michael Hoenig, Rolf Torstel among others). Without any doubts the best release from this cult german musician.