BK&S

Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder - Orange
(2007, Manikin Records MRCD 7080)

1. Recorded live @ “het oude Stadhuis” in Culemborg, the Netherlands at November 5, 2005
2. Recorded live @ “E-Live Festival 2002” in Eindhoven, the Netherlands at September 21, 2002
3. Recorded in 2002 during the rehearsal for the “E-Live concert” at Bas’ studio

Guts Of Darkness (CAN)

Minimalisms, languorous and hypnotic tempos, seasoned with plaintive synths and fluty mellotrons that stick, as well on musical structures than ears, on ambivalent rhythms; this is the menu of Orange, the last musical extravangas of Bas Broekhuis, Detlev Keller and Mario Schonwalder, the true masters of today’s EM in the Berlin School way.

Created and produced in homage to the Dutch fans, Orange is also the first opus from an upcoming series of titles associated to the theory of colors. A series that will include a mixture of live recordings, as well as studio works, made during the last years. In a way, the German trio follows the path of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, for the greatest pleasure of their fans. But, you don’t need to be a fan to appreciate BK&S music. If minimalisms rhythms, coated of a musical structure that goes from groovy to soft techno, appeal you, you should love the energetic and enigmatic music of Broekhuis, Keller & Schonwalder.

Recorded in Culemborg on November 5^th 2005, Orange One presents a very atmospheric and tasty electronic intro. A spacey psychedelic approach, a bit like Schulze’s Body Love with his tremendous electronic bats. Strident sound effects pierce a cosmic nebula aura, accompanied by hesitant tablas, which gain strength with the arrival of heavier pulsations. Staggering violins furrow this misty atmosphere, before fitting throbbing violoncellos sonorities, lulling the meanders of an arid nothingness. Subtly, this movement is transformed into a superb minimalism village fair, which progresses on a bewitching tempo, hiccoughing a firm beat and flooded of superb synth solos aromatized of a suave orchestration mood. What a way to kick things up! A great title that will charm Klaus Schulze fan; Broekhuis, Keller & Schonwalder specialities…

Recorded at E-Live Festival of 2002, Orange Two begins on a hesitant intro, tracing a hopping tempo that a suave mellotron dresses with cosmic splendour. Percussions and laments synths stare at a structure which draws a soft minimalism rhythm, forged by violin mellotrons. The beat is close to groovy techno, with increasing and decreasing loops that melt into an atmospheric passage where a cello flows in a floating and dubious environment, because of the percussive pulsations and the buckled solos with spectral breaths. Enveloping crescendo takes the road of a progressive tempo, always supported by minimalisms violins and the ghostly ones synths, before failing in contemplative nothingness in suspension. Great progressive BerlinSchool.

Orange & Blue is a studio repetition of Orange Two. We can appreciate the modulations and the changes there, as well as the progress to its improvisation. 

Orange is a superb opus, very representative of the modern Berlin School. A much mature and evolve BerlinSchool which becomes a clever mixture of tint styles, between a harmonious soft techno and a minimalism hypnotic dance. Broekhuis, Keller and Schonwalder still surprise by delivering an album that only them dare to go beyond.

Sylvain Lupari, Guts Of Darkness - Home of Dark, Ambient and Experimental Music, 2007

“Orange”, an hommage to our numerous fans in the Netherlands, is the beginning of a small series of CDs with studio and concert recordings with which we will release “our theory of colours” by and by. The next CD will be called “Blue” (it was originally meant to be released first but everybody knows that nothing endures but change).

„Orange“, eine Hommage an unsere zahlreichen Fans in den Niederlanden, ist der Anfang einer kleinen Reihe von CDs mit Studio- und Konzertaufnahmen, mit denen wir „unsere Farbenlehre“ so nach und nach veröffentlichen werden. Die nächste CD wird den Namen „Blue“ tragen (die ja ursprünglich zuerst erscheinen sollte, aber bekanntlich ist nichts so beständig wie der Wandel).

“Orange”, een hommage aan onze talloze Nederlandse fans, is het begin van een set CD’s met studio en concert opnamen en is onze “kleuren kennis” die na elkaar het daglicht zullen gaan zien. De volgende CD in deze serie zal: “Blue” zijn. (Oorspronkelijk als eerste CD in deze serie bedoeld, maar niets is zo veranderlijk als een planning).

BK&S, March 2007