PICTURE MUSIC

The LP was released with several different versions of the cover art. The LP I bought in the 1970s had the predominantly blue and orange/brown cover art shown here, a surreal painting by Jaques Wyres.

If you are familiar with the electronic soundscapes of TANGERINE DREAM then you will immediately feel at home listening to this album. KLAUS SCHULZE was the drummer with that group before leaving to form ASH RA TEMPEL (also as drummer) and, after that, embark on his solo career as a 'sound artist' using synthesizers, other electronic keyboards, sequencers and some percussion.

This purely instrumental album was recorded in 1973 but was first released in 1975. The LP had two side-long tracks, although a 2005 re-issue on CD also has a 33-minute bonus track entitled 'C'est Pas La Meme Chose', a remixed and extended version of the first track 'Totem'.

The sounds on this album are almost hypnotic. The rhythmic pulsing, droning, throbbing, warbling and chirping electronic sounds are relaxing. As with the sounds of TANGERINE DREAM, this 'music' would seem to be a good accompaniment to getting stoned. When I'm tired this album is a real knockout draught. The second track 'Mental Door' includes SCHULZE on drums and cymbals backing a buzzy synthesizer tone seemingly rising and falling randomly, which I really enjoy for a while but it then starts to get a bit irritating.

"Picture Music" is more consistently trance music - and hence less varying - than, for example, TANGERINE DREAM's "Phaedra", but it does sound similar to the more hypnotically rhythmic segments on that album. I enjoy listening occasionally to the electronic soundscapes made by these artists but this is not my staple diet. I find "Picture Music" good but not particularly memorable, so I'll go with 3 stars (Good, but not essential).