Hans-Joachim Roedelius

Gift Of The Moment - Geschenk Des Augenblicks

Image of Hans-Joachim Roedelius - Gift  Of The Moment - Geschenk Des Augenblicks
Record Label
Bureau B

About this item

Tenth solo album, first released in 1984. His most commercially successful album to date.

On “Gift of the Moment” Roedelius broke away unequivocally from purely electronic music. If “Lustwandel” and “Jardin au fou” had seen the process set in motion, this was the album that completed the transition. Following the “Selbstportraits”, which had at least been created through the use of electric organ and synthesizers, Roedelius focussed on the grand piano, sometimes accompanied by a cello, violin and guitar. Distant echoes of a not so distant musical past could only be detected in the occasional appearance of sparse chords played on a polyphonic synthesizer. The album wore a veil of delicate melancholy: no vibrant folk dances, no colourful carousels, no cheerful melodies. Instead, Roedelius offered a calm, almost detached form of music, openly acknowledging romantic heritage. “Gift of the Moment” eluded contemporary definitions of the “experimental” concept, as Roedelius was now experimenting in new, eclectic areas, too weighty, too grainy to be labelled “Proto New Age”. Roedelius was not striving for perfection, but for authenticity, a music stripped of disguise; and to this end he left little playing errors in the mix, fading out tracks rigorously to eliminate any bigger blunders.

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