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- Stardancer [13:38]
- Blanche [11:44]
- P.T.O. [27:12]
Bonus track:
- Lasse Braun [22:26]
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DeLuxe Edition incl. Bonus Track & enhanced booklet with new photos & liner notes
Klaus Schulze plays the Big Moog, EMS Synthi A, Minimoog, Polymoog, PPG, Korg 3300, ARP 2600, Mellotron Mark V.
with Harald Grosskopf on drums.
Body Love, is the 7th opus in the chronology of the Klaus Schulze’s works. And the big question was; how an artist can survive a work such as Moondawn? Schulze didn’t really find the question quite difficult. His answer? Body Love! And it’s quite an epic musical journey that Klaus Schulze concocted us at this period. It’s an unexpected work that takes off trousers, without any play on words or senses here, some 30 years later and a brilliant work where Schulze shows his control of physical movements and sensual fluids which gets free of it.Stardancer begins with a soft synth line which is unwinding among weak choirs experimenting orgasms in a galactic universe. Analog sound effects, disorderly drum which strikes fall with fierceness, sonorous gases which perfume a drifting atmosphere.
Stardancer’s intro is gargantuan. From everywhere fuse hallucinating sound effects of a cosmic psychedelic era. And the rhythm topples over in the dementia that surrounded Moondawn. Because, it’s necessary to be honest in description, Body Love sounds like a suite to Moondawn. Lasse Braun, director of the porn movie Body Love had used the music of Timewind and Moondawn as his first soundtrack of his movie. Braun tried songs a bit more pop but that didn't stick to the spirit of his movie, even less to the sinuous and languishing movements of the actors. So Lasse Braun contacted Klaus Schulze so that he would write a soundtrack with Moondawn influences and essences. What Schulze did, admirably well indeed. Stardancer is completely in compliance with the unbridled sequences of Floating that we found on Moondawn with its huge twisted and spectral synth solos and the drum which strikes overhang all over with grace and pragmatism. That’s a great track which follows the path of Floating.
Blanche was written for Klaus Schulze’s girlfriend at that time. It’s a superb electronic ballad where piano notes are muting into chords of a shrilling synth on a nice line of bass. Solos, of a sensual slowness, are dawdling with nonchalance, giving to Blanche a unique nostalgic depth.
P.T.O. ah … P.T.O! What a lovely musical piece! From a single breeze, Schulze elaborates a line in suspension which progresses on pulsations that look like silky hypnotic percussions. It’s a long ceremonial that evolves on a minimalist tempo and where Schulze still goes with superb solos and orchestral arrangements with choirs cross diverse strata in evolution. Harald Grosskopf rolls his drum on rhythms in permutations which progresses as much with intensely as Stardancer.
This new SPV re edition offers a bonus track written in the same area with the same spirit and is a tribute to Lasse Braun. Notes fall with echo in a smooth atmosphere. Quietly this sonorous litany forms a sequence which moves with flexibility on Schulze trademark and suave solos. It’s very familiar sounds cape from Picture Music and Timewind era.
Body Love is an inescapable work for any collection of electronic or progressive music. It’s an intense deep work and without weakness where synths are exhilarating, as I rarely heard from that time. It’s a very suggestive synth orgy with great taste in sounds and solos. As far as I'm concern it must be one of his warmest masterpieces. Nothing is lost and all lines have its senses, depth and story. It’s at ounce a cosmic and sensual album, a truly and pure masterwork in analog and contemporary EM. I think that there was just one man to do such a work and Schulze is the man and still today he continues to astonish and amaze. And there is a suite...
Except from the bonus track and the nice booklet this re edition of Body Love from SPV doesn’t bring anything really new about the mixing and mastering. I still prefer my Thunderbolt cd. But for those who still don’t have Body Love, this is a must because it’s another masterpiece from the king of contemporary and analog EM, Berlin School or not.
Sylvain Lupari / Synth&Sequences
I’m very, very happy - two of my favorite Schulze records with bonus tracks! Just as many other EM musicians do, the German grandmaster frequently composes film soundtracks. But "Body Love" is somewhat different as it concerns itself with a special kind of ‘nature movie’. It struck artistic director Lasse Braun aka ‘The King of Porn’ that the rhythms of Schulze’s records "Timewind" and "Moondawn" matched the rhythms of his actors so he decided to ask Klaus for a specially composed piece for his new movie. After initially protesting, Schulze concurred and he started forthwith with writing the music.
The stirring heavy sequencing in the opening track "Stardancer", with a leading role for the drumming of Harold Grosskopf, was the result.
The second track "Blanche" was named after Klaus’ then girlfriend who obviously was into lounging as this track is rather quiet with many estranging sounds and a slow solo.
The last track "P.T.O." is a rumbling piece which displays evidence of the stamina of the actors. Klaus clearly liked it here as his solo’s are a dime a dozen.
The bonus track is a previously unreleased piece from the original soundtrack and is an homage to director "Lasse Braun". It contains 22 minutes of vintage Schulze with a mean lashing solo and an excellent rhythm, a nice addition to our collection.
By the way, does somebody have a copy of this movie laying around?
André de Waal
Klaus' "Body Love" is a soundtrack for Lasse Braun's film of the same name, but don't let the fact confuse you. In spite of being a musical scorefor second grade porno - this is prime electronics, and you would never tell that this is a soundtrack by just listening to this music. In fact, this is one of Klaus' masterpieces. (are there any of his works, that can't be considered masterpieces at all?) Three flowing works that define the genre of Berlin School.
"Stardancer" has a very atmospheric beginning and after you hear the first cosmic shimmerings emanating for the speakers (or headphones, which is recommended) you already know that this will be a real treat. A punchy sequence emerges, on top of which Schulze plays monstrous minimoog solos. And this bliss goes on and on and on.. My God, this is pure analog heaven! Don't think that there's not enough variety - the melodies NEVER repeat themselves and the sounds are not static, changing and mutating constantly, dragging you to a real whirlpool of fat electronic sound. Absolutely mesmerizing and totally out there. In fact, otherworldliness is the feature of the whole album, which feels like one continuous journey to the farthest reaches of space. This extraterrestrial quality of music is both hypnotic and fascinating.
"Blanche" is next. I don't know what to say about it except that it's probably the most beautiful piece of music I've heard. A VERY strong track, IMHO.
"P.T.O" is the last piece and it's a real epic. A solid slab of pulsing synthetics and spacey atmospherics. The piece reaches it's rhythmic climax and stops abruptly only to give way to a very slow and atmospheric ending. This is all very epic sounding and almost impossible to explain - too delicious for words. Klaus uses contrasts quite often and I find his way of using them to be really effective. This is a very strong ending to a brilliant album! Bravo, maestro!
2002. Artemi Pugachov / Encyclopedia of Electronic Music
A great way to celebrate Summer is 4 new Klaus Schulze reissues. These continue the re-examination of Klaus entire recorded catalog with improved sound + bonus tracks making them a real good value. Also reminding us how great the album sound even after so many years in some cases. BODY LOVE was the soundtrack to a porno film and a great one. Here it is augmented by a track titled "Lasse Braun" (22:26).
Archie Patterson