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Tonwelle

Richard Wahnfried: Tonwelle
Reviews

» Diese Welle hat weder etwas mit der Dauer- noch mit der Neuen Welle zu tun, dafür aber eine ganze Menge mit Schwung und Druck -- so die Titel der beiden einzigen fast 20minütigen Stücke auf diesem Album ... Die Zusammenarbeit...macht aus Tonwelle eins der packendsten Elektronikalben der letzten Zeit. Vorbei sind die Zeiten entrückter Sphärenklänge und endloser Synthi-Orgien. Bei dieser Produktion steht der ungewöhnliche, hypnotische Perkussionsrhythmus von MIKE SHRIEVE und das sanfte, melancholische Gitarrenspiel von KARL WAHNFRIED bzw. MANUEL GÖTTSCHING im Vordergrund. Der Synthesizer schwebt im Vergleich dazu im Hintergrund. Kurz, diese LP vermittelt etwas, das den meisten Produktionen dieses Genres abgeht: menschliche Wärme, Gefühl.«
(1/81, A. Hub, "Musik & Jugendjournal", Germany)

»... Für diesen Versuch zwischen "Avantgarde und Muzak" haben sich einige Berühmtheiten zusammengefunden... Und der Sound hält, was da an "Musik zwischen Genie und Wahnsinn" beschrieben wird. Die stark auf Rhythmus basierende Musik ist einmal gefüllt durch die grell verzerrte Gitarre, wird aber bald durch versöhnliche, schöne Töne abgelöst, dazwischen ein dauernder Kampf zwischen der Perkussion von MIKE SHRIEVE und Klaus Schulzes Elektronikschlagzeug. Es ist Musik, die einen hören lässt, ob man will oder nicht, bewusst oder unbewusst -- und es lohnt sich.«
(4/81, M. Ganz, "21i", Switzerland)

» Album no. 2 from the Wahnfried project & a pleasant release it is too, I'm glad to say. ... It's ages since I heard music like this. ... Just two long tracks: Schwung features a simple but racey drum-like sequencer rhythm from Klaus, fine percussion from SHRIEVE, and some loose lead guitar work from Manuel. It's nice to see the latter producing some 'gutsy' guitar solos. Great stuff!
Druck is more laid-back and, ummm, 'cosmic'. Another catchy drum-like sequencer rhythm, but this time with delicately restrained guitar work over the characteristic Schulze choir-like wash of synth effects. As the piece progresses the guitar work becomes more aggressive until it stops altogether & the synths become the dominant instrument. The final 10 minutes are just marvelous. Please, Mr. Schulze, can we have some more music like this?«
(9/81, D. Elliott, ""Neumusik", Great Britain)

»Tonwelle is a more mature and advanced endeavor [than Time Actor] that reunites Klaus with former ASH RA TEMPEL guitarist MANUEL GÖTTSCHING, along with ex-Santana drummer MICHAEL SHRIEVE, and a guitarist using the pseudonym of KARL WAHNFRIED. Tonwelle operates with gothic cathedrals of sound created by Klaus with his kinetic, twisting synthetic constructions. Insistent, syncopated electro-rhythm are augmented by with cross-rhythms by Shrieve. GÖttsching's delicate and pastoral guitar shifts from acoustic to electric, merging with the liquid textures from Klaus' synthesizers, unlike the lead-fingered fuzz tones of Karl Wahnfried, whose identity is best kept a secret. ...«
(8/81, J. Diliberto, "WXPN Express", USA)

» ... eine echte Sensation. Unter dem Pseudonym RICHARD WAHNFRIED hat Klaus Schulze die meiner Meinung nach beste Electronic-Rock-Platte eingespielt. ... Daß das Ganze so gut mit dem enormen Drive des Schlagzeugs und der Percussion zusammenpaßt, macht diese Musik sensationell.«
(9/81, "Info Tip"(Kassel), Germany)

» ... L'album comprend deux grandes pièces avec un son super, le deuxième côté plaira plus aux fans de Schulze car certaines partitions rappelent ses disques précédents. Conclusion, si vous aimer taper du pied dans un rythme perpétuel c'est le disque idéal.«
('81, D. Bernier, "Live!", Canada)

»Tonwelle is a vast improvement over the first Wahnfried LP (which I think may qualify as the first "space-rap" disc ever). The vocals are a lot less pronounced here (an improvement!), and Klaus himself contributes all the keyboard work, along with MANUEL GÖTTSCHING (of ASH RA TEMPEL) on guitar, and MIKE SHRIEVE (of SANTANA & GO) on drums. Very early on, the record settles into a pretty nice spacey/Santana-like groove that it stays with for the entire disc. Some nice guitar work and a generally good "groove" are the strong points of this record. It's pleasant...«
(Winter '81, "Op", USA)

»Synthesized and electronic music have reached unprecedented levels of mass saturation; in recent years it has ranged from the music soundtracks of.... to the synthi-pop and New Romantics movement in England... But beyond all these artists there is a more hidden body of music where synthesizers are used to expand expression past the conventions of traditional melody, rhythm, and structure. Klaus Schulze is one of the recognized messiahs of these new sounds and expressions, having recorded more than 20 albums and spawning a hoard of disciples over a 10-year period. ... RICHARD WAHNFRIED is a guise employed by Schulze to collaborate with other musicians. The side-long pieces of Tonwelle are dominated by insistent synthi-rhythms and Schulze's liquid cathedrals which surround the polyrhythmic drumming of MIKE SHRIEVE (ex-SANTANA) and the wistful guitar of MANUEL GÖTTSCHING, a cohort of Schulze's from 10 years past in the group ASH RA TEMPEL. Their kinetic journeys through architectural spirals of sound are sometimes distracted by the pseudonymned guitarist, KARL WAHNFRIED, and MICHAEL GARVENS' brief, atmospheric and irrelevant vocals, but never enough to derail the trip...«
(12/81, J. Diliberto, "Audio", USA)

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