Mirage

Mirage, Schulze’s eighth solo album, seems to hew to formula, containing two side-long pieces (“Velvet Voyage” and “Crystal Lake”), but as always there are subtle differences that set it apart from his previous work. “Velvet Voyage” features heavy use of dense sonic clusters that overwhelm the listener, particularly at high volume, and taped (this was pre-sampling) voices and simulated synth choirs. “Crystal Lake” is much more minimal, built around repetitive, pulsing melodies that conjure an ominous mood similar to John Carpenter’s soundtrack for Halloween, which wouldn’t be released until the following year. (And what about the fact that Friday the 13th, which wouldn’t come out until 1980, is set at…Camp Crystal Lake?)