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Level ∏ — Elektronische Klänge
(Timezone Records TZ2751, 2025, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2025-07-30

Elektronische Klänge Cover art

Uwe Cremer has been recording and releasing as Level π since 2006 with a strong Krautrock vibe, with his first album released on Garden of Delights. Elektronische Klänge is his first new release since 2020’s Elektronische Philosophie. Cremer was recently on sabbatical and he took the time to focus on his music, the result being a big departure from his solo and collaborative work. Elektronische Klänge (Electronic Sounds in English) is an album of experimental music. In 1969 George Harrison released a similarly titled album, Electronic Sound, where he experimented with the early analog synths and sequencers. Elektronische Klänge is a modern day experimental excursion into digital manipulation that is quite extraordinary. Consisting of six tracks, with a pattern of a long track followed by a short track, Cremer takes you on a journey through different sonic realms. The album opens with seventeen-and-a-half-minute “Einklang” (“Harmony” in English), with electronic drones morphing into a floating and timeless abstract pastiche reminding me of Tangerine Dream at their most abstract — like Zeit. What a lovely way to open the album! The enjoyable two and a half minute “Uhren” or “Watches” follows. A completely different sonic experience where Cremer builds a rhythm with layers of mechanical clocks, alarms, a cuckoo clock, and ultimately church bells. “Abstrakt 1 & 2” is next, an atmospheric journey lasting roughly 22 minutes full of deep space cosmic energy, space ships traveling at warp speed, and charged particles spiraling around magnetic field lines. After this breath taking journey Cremer presents “Maschinenraum” or “Engine Room” where he takes us into the bowels of the ship or a factory with this ingenious mashup of layers of heavy machinery. Leaving this mechanical world behind, Cremer takes the listener on an outré hike with “Ausklang” or “Conclusion.” Pulsating drones, footsteps crunching leaves and pebbles, airplanes flying overhead, bird song, and swooshing electronics with an overlay of an electronic melody provide eleven minutes of fantastic modern day cosmic Krautrock. The album closes with “Abstract 3,” three and a half minutes of eerie Sci Fi music that would find a home on Forbidden Planet. Elektronische Klänge was well worth the five year wait and is not your typical experimental album.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Level ∏ (Uwe Cremer)

More info
http://levelpi.bandcamp.com/album/elektronische-kl-nge-2
http://timezone-records.com/products/level-%CF%80-elektronische-klange-cd

 

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