Krautrock and ambient electronic music pioneer
Hans-Joachim Roedelius
was one of the foremost voices in his field, starting with work in the groundbreaking group
Cluster
in the early '70s. His spacious, winding synth tones in that band's more rhythmic output gave way to a prolific solo career that often highlighted the more playful or curious voicings of his instrumental mastery.
Lloyd Cole
, former frontman of U.K. pop stars
the Commotions
, fell in love with
Roedelius
' heaven-sent synth work early on, eventually emulating it with his 2001 album
Plastic Wood
and then going so far as to collaborate with the man himself on 2013's airy collection
Selected Studies, Vol. 1
.
Cole
combed the archives of
' solo work to present the second volume of his
Kollektion
series, pulling together 15 tracks of celestial beauty, icy disdain, and meandering ambient pop as only
can do it. The collection focuses on output from the '70s and '80s, pulling tracks from the many albums of stripped-down minimal grandeur he produced for the
Sky Records
imprint. This is where the best material on
Kollektion 02
lies: in the wandering feel of "Wenn Der Sudwind Weht" and the submerged rhythmic pulse of "Sonnengeflecht." Elsewhere, "Ampfer" takes a look into the more melancholic side of things with its sad abnd searching tones; it's one of many sketches
quickly recorded as part of his Self Portraits series which spanned the '70s and beyond. Work exploring less spacy styles is represented here as well, with the circus-like organ bleats of "Cafe Central" and the dark and pushy synth stabs of "Aufbruch." Expertly curated by
, this collection highlights
' gifts and shows the line of their direct influence on
Bowie
,
Eno
Aphex Twin
, and eventually an entire spectrum of electronic artists indebted to his graceful, minimal approach. ~ Fred Thomas