PRICE:
$17.00
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
Laserscape
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
BB 140CD BB 140CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
9/3/2013

Udo Hanten and Albin Meskes, the Krefeld duo collectively known as You, played their way into the elite of the German electronic music scene with their first two albums Electric Day (1979) (BB 073CD/LP) and Time Code (1983) (BB 074CD/LP). Reissued by Bureau B in 2011, the pair of albums caused quite a stir both in the media and amongst afficionados of the so-called Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, etc.). Their fourth album, Laserscape, consists of music created for the laser performances of the same name by the artist Horst H. Baumann. Having met Udo Hanten during a film project in 1981, Baumann approached him with the idea of collaborating in 1985. He wanted a lavish soundscape to match his open-air installations and You fit the bill perfectly. Their first joint event on August 31, 1985 was a resounding success: 10,000 attended the "Philips Laserscape KrYou." Berlin's SFB radio station recorded the concert for broadcast on their "Steckdose" (power socket) program, subtitled "computer music -- music from the computer." The bonus track on this re-release is taken from this recording. Naturally, it made sense to put together a Laserscape album of pieces composed for the various laser events. Some were recorded in Berlin at Christoph Franke's studio (of Tangerine Dream fame), most were completed at You's own studio. The music resembles the laser events: simultaneously dark and dazzling. Multilayered drones, some over 13 minutes long, evocative of Blade Runner's menacing atmosphere, sometimes laced with driving, pulsating sequences, typical of the so-called Berlin School. A drum, or rather a drum computer, was used on only one track. You remained true to their spirit of experimentation by enlisting the services of classical guitarist Jaime Zenamon on two compositions.