TRANCE-FORMATION (WITH THE SECRET SOCIETY)

It's been too many years since listening to this album (which I should borrow again from library), but I have some positive memories of it. Ehm... did I really once confuse this musician with Eberhard Weber, a famous jazz bassist? *Blushes* But hey, this album has also terrific bass playing (by Hansi Ströer) and at the time of my mistake I probably knew Weber only from Kate Bush's album The Dreaming. Mistake forgiven-?

This album was released on the -IC- label which has introduced me to countless Electronic/New Instrumental Music artists during a couple of decades. I recommend that label to all friends of the genre: their output is never lame New Age but (mostly German), more or less "Kosmische", electro-acoustic music, sometimes with suitable pop elements. Schoener is rather eclectic within the genre: he uses on this album a chamber orchestra and two different choirs (boys' and monks', the latter bringing a strong Gregorian flavour), and the player list includes e.g. Andy Summers on guitar. The composer-keyboardist himself has a background in classical music.

This music is trance-like, hypnotic, deep and exciting. Sound is excellent and crisp, all the details embracing the listener's ears. Two tracks out of five last over 12 minutes. Recommended if you like artists like Klaus Schulze or Dead Can Dance.