Cosmic Hoffmann – Space gems

2 reviews for Cosmic Hoffmann – Space gems

1. 

   Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness – 2022-11-22

   Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock is a character who is as important as Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and Edgar Froese in the sphere of EM. Being a precursor of the Mellotron, a polyphonic keyboard which reads sounds from magnetic tapes, the founder of Mind Over Matter created an impressive music vault which is the fruit of his experiments and research in sound. Answering an increased request of his fans, Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock removed dust from these old archives of the 70s, to present his first volume of a Mellotron fiesta, Space Gems.

   And this first collection starts with a heavy one. Rooftop High is a fusion of static loops whose reverberations cut across each other, forming a sequence with hatch tempo. The rhythm is linear, even atonic, finding its form on the echo of the symmetrical blows of chimerical violins, wrapped of silky vaporous Mellotrons, a title curiously bewitching, which dips back its atmosphere to rotary loops on Sequencer.
   The Mellotron can also be synonymous of softness and influence floating moments as Mystic Winds which floats around a slow and enveloping synth, just like the very calm Passing Jupiter By and morphing spacey Die Kosmische Abfahrt.
   Far Away revolves on a beautiful wandering sequence, like a space western. The movement is linear and finds its form on beautiful synths which insufflate slow melodies, accompanying the arid walk of a lonely soul.
   Wstenschiff breaks the vaporous tempo with an electric beat where the metallic blows of a sledgehammer are hammering a throbbing Mellotron journey to Arab savour. A title which was surely inspired by Kraftwerk, New Order or Depeche Mode with its incisive tempo and ramming beat. I hear some effluence sounds of Bowies Heroes on this one, too.
   Opera mellotronique is a slow movement where Mellotrons form a moving chord section, supported by a beautiful wind section instrument. The fans of King Crimson will find this so limpid sonority which worked the musical structure of the group from its whole beginning. The illusion of a small orchestra is so perfect.
   Under furious synths, Spaceneighbours takes again the road of rhythms with a sequence that hems under striations of analog rain which tear up an impulse with waterfall curves.
   Fly West is another jewel of the analog era on sharp-edged synths. Its cadence is heavy and gimlets in echotic loops which harpoon the sound with power, a superb title which balances with wonder the bivalent atmospheres of Space Gems, which encloses on the dreamy Windvogel, a track that could dissolve an iceberg with its flute to so intense and touching radiations.

   Lovers of the Mellotron, run and get this essential CD! For the neophytes, tell yourself that Space Gems is a superb collection which presents the two principal sides of EM from the analog: on one hand, there are these heavy movements with successive loops that create atmospheres to unimaginable rhythms and, on the other hand, there are those sumptuous movements with space wanders that blow as atonic caresses.
   At all events, the result is astonishing and shows all the possible depth between two fields with unmatched magnetisms. Concerning Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, it extends the size of his talent on music and a sonority which belongs clearly to him and which, for unexplainable reasons, remains still too much ignored.

   2007. Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness

2. 

   Phil Derby / Electroambient Space – 2022-11-22

   Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock often mixes new material with archival recordings, but on Space Gems he has gone truly retro, with all the recordings originating from 1975-1979. As such, there is an authenticity to the vintage sounds that is apparent. The slight rough edges, both in composition and sound quality, add to the listening experience in a way.

   Rooftop High” makes the most of a propulsive