DURCH DIE WÜSTE

This is the first solo album by Electronic pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius released in 1978 and the ironic thing is that this record isn't fully an Electronic album by any stretch. Yes we get plenty of synths and some electronics but we get guitar, bass and percussion too. Hans-Joachim was in bands like KLUSTER, CLUSTER and HARMONIA and "Durch Die Wuste" does not really sound like any of music those bands put out. My top four are the first three tracks along with the closer.

We begin with "Am Rockzipfel" a catchy and rhythmic track with the guitar soloing over top. Bass and drums a minute in as it picks up some. The tempo will continue to shift. Spacey winds end it. The title track is almost 14 minutes long and we get repeated themes and I love the ideas here like that repetitive sound of crashing waves over and over as piano and synths help out along with other sounds. This section maxes out after 5 minutes then a new section with vocal melodies, synths and more takes over. It turns haunting after 6 minutes and it sounds like organ briefly before spacey synth sounds take over and it's dark. Electronics to the end.

"Johannesluste" is such a melodic and beautiful track with picked guitar, synths and more. I like the two synth players combining their talents on "Glaubersalz". The only misstep for my tastes is "Dr. Livingstone" with those Asian traditional sounds coming through too strong. The closer opens with wind as a slow beat joins in along with keys, synths and what sounds like samples. Pretty cool anyways. This sounds even better when it turns fuller 3 minutes in. It all fades out after 5 minutes but then ends with the sounds of wind and fire as thunder claps. Cool that this was co-produced by Hans-Joachim and Conny Plank. The latter adds guitar, electronics and synths. Another guest adds guitar and bass while Dieter Moebius himself adds synths on the closer helping out his buddy.