Detailed Reviews [ Robert Schroeder - 2024 - "D.MO Vol. 5"]

Prolusion. German artist Robert Schroeder has been a feature in the German and progressive electronic music scene ever since the tail end of the 1970's, and while it appears that he has had phases without a creative output he does have more than a dozen studio productions to his name as of 2024. At the start of 2024 he released his latest studio album "D.MO Vol. 5" through the German label Spheric Music.

Analysis. I see that on the Progarchives website that Schroeder is described as being one of the musicians that are regarded as following in the footsteps of the late and legendary Klaus Schulze. I don't know enough about Schulze's massive output of material to be able to make that comparison, but what I do hear is that this is an album that should find favour among those who tends to enjoy the more ambient aspects of music generally sorted under the progressive electronic music umbrella. The ambient aspect of the material here comes from mood and feel to a much greater extent than how the landscapes here are assembled however, as layered arrangements with soundscapes of a more majestic nature is the norm rather than the exception here. But in most if not all cases these landscapes are also relatively tranquil, with careful surges and fluctuations that shy away quite nicely from any dramatic effects being the order of the day here. In many cases the core components of a composition will also have a minimalist nature, while the layered and more majestic parts of the arrangements tend to have a bit more of a supporting role. Slower paced affairs with more of a mechanical feel to them are just as much a presence as more vital and energetic forays - relatively speaking - on this album, and more melancholic, mournful and brooding creations have their time and place here too. For my sake I did find the songs that made use of the guitar as well as various keyboards and synthesizers to be the most interesting on this occasion, and then in particular the songs featuring the talents of Daniel Deutschle. These two songs explore a very similar type of landscape, exotic and arguably a little bit funky, with what I'd describe as a subtle and efficient little bit of role reversal going from one to the other. As one might think considering the description of this album we do get quite a bit of variation on this production. The album notes describe these compositions as unreleased material from recording sessions made between 1979 and the latter part of the 1990s, and material that haven't fit the scope of Schroeder's previous studio albums. A matter that perhaps explain the variety at hand here, and possibly why some of these compositions to my mind at least aren't quite as interesting as the others.

Conclusion. While I cannot state which school inside the progressive electronic universe this album sticks closest to, I can state with a fair degree of certainty that those with a general interest in the more ambient but still expressive aspects of this tradition of music will find plenty to enjoy on this album. For my sake with the songs 'Session-1 with Daniel' and 'Session-2 with Daniel' as clear highlights, due to their playful, energetic and subtly exotic nature that does make them standout features on this production on a few different levels. In my view this is a solid production with a couple of fine moments of brilliance to enjoy for those with an affection for the ambient varieties of progressive electronic music.

Progmessor: March 2024
The Rating Room