Search dance music

Review: Klaus Schulze and Peter Namlook's The Dark Side Of The Moog series receives a timely update on vinyl, having only been reissued a handful of times since its first release in the early to mid 90s. Much like the second volume, which should be bought in conjuction with this opener, you'll be stuck to find any better sources of ambient or drone on these charts. Yes, the modern kids might verge further into the heart of the rave, but this music has a way of lifting the soul that's rarely matched. Led by images of time and space, the legendary duo's music is truly capable of tele-transporting you into a higher state of consciousness; the best thing about it is how rich and fresh it sounds upon each new listen. Highly recommended.

Review: Between 1994 and 2008, German electronic legends Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook recorded eleven albums as Dark Side of The Moog. Most of these were never released on vinyl, making this first wax edition of 1996's volume five - in which another legendary figure, Bill Laswell, also contributed - a must have for ambient enthusiasts. The set itself is typical of the pair's collaborative work, offering up a mixture of synthesizer-powered neo-classical movements, breathtaking ambient soundscapes, gentle rhythmic spaced-out epics, sunrise-ready electronica and deep space ambient dub. It's the sound of two true masters at work, offering up timeless electronic music that will never sound tired or contrived.

Review: Music On Vinyl has done the world a favour - or vinyl-loving ambient enthusiasts, at least - by offering up wax editions of Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook's work as Dark Side of the Moog. For the uninitiated, the German duo released a string of CD-only ambient albums under the alias over a 14-year period between 1994 and 2008. Volume six, subtitled "the Final DAT", first surfaced on Namlook's Fax label in 1997. It featured fellow ambient explorer Bill Laswell and features tracks that drift between spoken word-laden deep space soundscapes ("Part I"), trip-hop influenced late night shufflers ("Part II"), bubbly ambient trance ("Part III"), blissful ambient techno ("Part IV", with its sun-kissed guitar solos and spaced-out grooves) and widescreen electronic epics (the utterly sublime brilliance of 24-minute "Part V").

Review: The late Pete Namlook remains a giant of the ambient world. His vast catalogue of works has defined and redefined the genre over and over again, often alongside fellow greats from Move D to Richie Hawtin. In 2016, however, it was Klaus Schulze at the controls alongside his German countryman and together they cooked up this eight-part adventure into cosmic ambience and psychedelic sound design. Some parts reference Eno's seminal "Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks", some are more synth heavy, Vangelis-style epics, and some dip into Detroit techno for their cues. It makes for an album as expansive as it is excellent.

Review: The late great Pete Namlook was a master of making spaced out ambient with an array of machines. He has a vast body of work, much of which was done with Move D, but he also worked with others such as Klaus Schulze. Here all four volumes of their The Dark Side of the Moog project is collected across five essential CDs. It is a rich array of experimental electronic sounds and the whole series was a classy and unpretentious affair that is accessible to newcomers as well as hardcore lovers of this vibe.