I've had a request for more Eberhard Schoener so I thought I'd oblige with my personal favorite. Years before monks performing Gregorian chants became trendy or before Enigma appeared on the scene Eberhard Schoener mixed Gregorian chants performed by the monks of the monastery of SAMA into his music. Trance-Formation, released in 1977, was the first of a trilogy inspired by Schoener's travels in Asia. (The other albums of the set are Bali-Agung and Flashback.) The opening track, "Falling Into Trance", blends chant with sequencer driven Berlin School style electronic music. At times this is punctuated briefly by screaming electric guitar work performed by Andy Summers, later of the Police. Summers had also appeared on Schoener's soundtrack album The Book and all three members of what would become The Police backed Schoener on the albums Flashback and Video Magic the following year. After blending what can only be described as progressive rock licks into "Falling Into Trance" the album settles down into a mixture of gentle ambient electronic sections and more Berlin school electronics with further Gregorian chant and vocalise by Mary Gregorly adding to the ethereal feeling of many of the pieces. The sole exception is a mellower electronic guitar led piece called "Signs of Emotion".
Trance-Formation was reissued on CD by Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communications label in 1991. Ripped from the CD reissue and encoded at 320kbps.
This is an absolutely mesmerizing album that displays Eberhard Schoener's talents at a creative peak in his career. One of my absolute all time favorite albums.
Track Listing:
- Falling Into Trance - 5:42
- Shape of Things To Come - 12:21
- Frame of Mind - 5:15
- Signs of Emotion - 2:48
- Trance-Formation - 12:17
Enjoy!
