Deus Arrakis

Deus Arrakis is the forty-seventh album by Klaus Schulze.[1][2] It was released on 1 July 2022. It is the final album Schulze made before he died of renal failure in April 2022.[3][4]

Deus Arrakis
Studio album by
Released1 July 2022
Recorded2021–2022
StudioMoldau Studio, Hambühren, Germany
Length77:23
LabelSPV
ProducerTom Dams
Klaus Schulze chronology
Next of Kin
(2019)
Deus Arrakis
(2022)

The album was inspired by the 1965 Frank Herbert science-fiction novel Dune, and instigated by Schulze's recent collaboration with Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack for Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation. Dune was a longtime source of fascination for Schulze; he also made an album in 1979 inspired by the book, as well as a song for Herbert on his 1978 work X, a concept album of six "musical biographies."[5][4]

Reception

Steve Krakow of the Chicago Reader said that Schulze sounded "newly energized" on Deus Arrakis, and praised the "pure-synth space daze" of the music, which includes several long, ambient soundscapes including the 32-minute "Seth." He called the album's closing composition, "Der Hauch des Lebens (The Breath of Life)", a "fitting epitaph" for an artist who knew that he was dying while working on this music: "To appreciate the slowly unfolding sonic colors of this visionary, atmospheric piece, you need patience, but your effort is well rewarded. Like any journey, whether in sci-fi or in life, it moves between realms of pure bliss and darker terrain."[4]

Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times wrote that the album's "three lengthy instrumentals are a masterclass in old-fashioned cosmic music."[5]

Henry Schneider of the website Exposé Online praised the album highly, calling it Schulze's "best release in decades, if not his entire career. ... Deus Arrakis is a wonderful posthumous achievement for the father of electronic music."[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Klaus Schulze.

No.TitleLength
1."Osiris (Part 1–4)"18:28
2."Seth (Part 1–7)"31:47
3."Der Hauch des Lebens (Part 1–5)"27:08

Personnel

  • Klaus Schulze – electronics
  • Tom Dams – electronics
  • Wolfgang Tiepold – cello on "Seth"
  • Eva-Maria Kagermann – voice noises on "Der Hauch des Lebens"

Charts

Chart performance for Deus Arrakis
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 168
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 2
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[9] 44
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[10] 21

References

  1. Scharf, Natasha (8 April 2022). "Listen to the first new music from Klaus Schulze's Deus Arrakis". Loudersound.
  2. Pareles, Jon (29 April 2022). "Klaus Schulze, Pioneering Electronic Composer, Is Dead at 74". The New York Times.
  3. Willman, Chris (27 April 2022). "Electronic Music Pioneer Klaus Schulze Dies at 74". Variety.
  4. Krakow, Steve (17 June 2022). "Electronic music master Klaus Schulze leaves us a riveting posthumous record". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (1 July 2022). "Klaus Schulze finds cosmic beauty in the sci-fi-inspired Deus Arrakis". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  6. Schneider, Henry (12 October 2022). "Reviews: Klaus Schulze — Deus Arrakis". Exposé Online. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Klaus Schulze – Deus Arrakis" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Klaus Schulze – Deus Arrakis" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  9. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  10. "Swisscharts.com – Klaus Schulze – Deus Arrakis". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
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