Last year German electronic musician Robert Schroeder celebrated his 40th year in music, since his debut album entitled Harmonic Ascendant (on Klaus Schulze famous IC label) from 1979. In 2019 the label Spheric Music also released his 40th album entitled Fata Morgana (see review), in 40 years, incredible! And more to celebrate, that Fata Morgana album gained a second spot on the annual German electronic music awards at the Schalwelle for Album Of The Year, well done. In my review I wrote “The seven tracks deliver pleasant spacey electronic music atmospheres, often with obvious hints from the Berlin School (Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream) but also with elements from Jean Michel Jarre". Well, on his new album C'est Magique, #41, Schroeder presents lots of dreamy electronic landscapes featuring the usual spacy beeps and bleeps, soaring strings, slow synthesizer flights, blended with subtle percussion, like in the long title track that opens this CD. Magnetic Stream delivers fine work on the sequencer, the music reminds me of Tangerine Dream and JM Jarre. Sprititual Spice and Misterious Science contain laidback Mellotron choirs. I am very pleased with Black Magic its fat and spacy synthesizer flights and the bombastic orchestrations, fueled by a hypnotizing beat. Mystic Dawn is another example of Robert and his ambient musical landscapes, with the spacy sounds, soaring strings and dreamy synthesizer runs. The track Glowing Energy is the most dynamic one on this CD featuring a mid-tempo with a fat and catchy sequencer, blended with spacy synthesizer runs and soaring strings, very compelling electronic music. The album ends with the special trademarks of Robert Schroeder in Secret Elements: a slow tight beat, beeps and bleeps, then soaring strings join, again beeps and bleeps, a hypnotizing atmosphere and finally slow synthesizer flights. To me this successor of Fata Morgana sounds more elaborate and captivating, if you like cosmic electronic music this is a fine one. ***+ Erik Neuteboom (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
