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Ex ELOY / EGO ON THE ROCKS keyboardist / guitarist with his solo concept albums recorded between 2007 & 2009 in one sumptuous triple disc package!
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There are hidden treasures that take a long time to be found and others that never see the light of day!
Often their very existence seems to be a closely guarded secret, and for long enough, this seemed to have been the case with the solo works of Detlev Schmidtchen! Now CDS Towers has changed all that with this Newly Remastered (“Headphone Optimized”) Triple CD Pack by the ex-ELOY keyboardist/guitarist containing his entire Trilogy of ‘Last Planet’ albums originally issued between 2007 & 2009 – and these are indeed a treasure!
First, here’s a brief Detlev Schmidtchen history…
Detlev Schmidtchen began his music activities in 1970 in different bands from Hannover in Germany.
In 1971 he founded the band GETRIEBE and they became very popular around the Hannover area.
They won the first place in a local band contest where one Frank Bornemann and his group ELOY were headlining! After hearing GETRIEBE perform Bornemann became interested in Detlev because he wanted to permanently reform his band. Detlev then joined ELOY, at first playing guitar, but later he changed to keyboards, and featured on three studio releases and one ‘live’ album.
In 1980 Detlev and Jürgen Rosenthal (ex SCORPIONS / ELOY) left the band and founded the “EGO ON THE ROCKS” project, which had a short but very successful time on the German Progressive Rock scene. After the “EGO” period Detlev worked in different projects, sometimes with Manfred Wieczorke (ex ELOY, FIREHORSE & JANE). After a five-year sabbatical he worked from 1991- 1998 together with Wieczorke in different projects like: The TRICK, ANIMATER and CHOCO. As CHOCO the duo recorded together in the Nautilus studios between 1998 & 2004 and many of these recordings can now be heard on the 2014 CD: ‘Bubbles In Your Brain’, which also features the spoken words of Scotsman Neil John Douglas.
In 2005 Detlev started to record tracks for his own solo album. In September 2007 it was finally released on a very small German indie label called JKS-World. ‘The Last Planet Chapter 1- Impressions’ was followed on the same label by two further “Chapters” of the same project, then the label disappeared and with it the treasures of Detlev’s solo trilogy.
In 2011 a new Detlev Schmidtchen album: ‘Blaze The Trail’ was issued on Made In Germany records - a more widely distributed German indie label, and in 2013 he went on to record another instrumental album for new label: Torus Records entitled ‘Vanthasia’. With Torus now firmly behind him in 2014, all three parts of Detlev Schmidtchen’s ‘Last Planet’ trilogy have been re-issued in one Remastered Triple CD Package!
We have featured a track-by-track rundown on each of the three ‘Last Planet’ discs below, but before that, here is our overall picture of what you are getting in this 4-Panel Digi-Pak (with 16-Page Booklet included)…
All three albums are part of his ‘Last Planet’ concept and all are wide-scale productions with a good sense of dynamics. There’s plenty in the way of strong melodies and infectious hooks and panoramic soundscapes to enjoy, and as you would expect from a trilogy of releases, there are quite a few common factors running through each of the three albums. Musically the spirit of ELOY is never far away, but there is also an ALAN PARSONS PROJECT meets JEAN-MICHEL JARRE feel going on in much of the instrumental parts, plus a few hints toward PATRICK MORAZ’s early Virgin albums in the later chapters.
The instrumental tracks seem to transcend the worlds of “Synth Music and “Progressive Rock” very easily, with firmly structured rhythms and strong melodic keyboard/synthesizer work always uppermost in the mix. There are some areas, mainly in the 2nd and 3rd Chapters where some small “World” elements can be heard, and these reminded me a little of Patrick Moraz’s early Virgin material.
For the “Progressive Rock” fan, the music is very obviously influenced by Schmidtchen’s time with ELOY, and if you like that band, or the later related EGO ON THE ROCKS project, you should get on very well with this triple disc set
For the “Synth Music” fan, it is definitely coming from the Jarre side of things, mainly because of the striking melodies and tight rhythmic structures, but there are other slight areas of comparison that you will find within its many different moods as well.
Schmidtchen’s keyboard work is exemplary throughout; in fact he uses a lot of different keyboard sounds compared to those you’ll hear on your average keyboard based Prog album, with plenty in the way of strong synth solos and big choral backdrops. There are some really nice guitar solos to savour too, and here Schmidtchen’s isolated guitar deposits may well make you think of PINK FLOYD as well as ELOY!
There is an audible sense of a musician experiencing a gradual growing level of confidence through each new album, as the production – good as it is on the first release – seems to improve with each new album chapter.
The level of vocal content increases over the three albums as well, from just the one on the 1st Chapter, to six on the 2nd and seven on the 3rd and final Chapter. The vocals are fine and in English, but like ELOY and some other German bands, there is a certain level of “Germanic accenting” going on, but if you are ok with those on the ELOY albums, you’ll be fine with those on the ‘The Last Planet’ too. The lyrics for the 1st & 2nd albums were written by fellow ELOY / EGO ON THE ROCKS member: Jurgen Rosenthal, and on the 3rd by Claudia Roggendorf.
Apart from a few slightly cheesy moments, ‘The Last Planet – Chapters I – III’ is a work that the musician should be well proud of, and the package, as a whole, is pretty impressive if you ask me!
And now, track-by-track descriptions for each of the albums (chapters)…
LAST PLANET-CHAPTER I: IMPRESSIONS
‘The Last Planet-Chapter I: Impressions’ is nearly 58 minutes long and almost entirely instrumental work that features the lyrical talent of his fellow ELOY / EGO ON THE ROCKS member Jurgen Rosenthal on one track.
Schmidtchen plays synthesizers, keyboards and guitars, plus arranged the electronic drums and percussion.
You will hear traces of his past work with ELOY, as well as influences of other notable bands and synth musicians.
The scene is beautifully set by the beautifully melodic, yet atmospheric opener ‘Seven Bells, where high-register electric guitar, string synths and choral keyboard voices meet in heavenly majestic fusion, and the effect is very filmic and like an opening sequence to a sci-fi movie!
‘Lane 7’ is the only vocal track on the album, and it’s a catchy song with the feel of ELOY never too far away, plus there is some fine solo keyboard work in the instrumental break.
‘Spring’ is a piece of fine orchestral-style melancholy with a sombre lead melody line, while ‘Dhubidu’ is a bit like Jean Michel Jarre meets Alan Parsons on an ‘I Robot’ instrumental track.
‘Impressions’ is a long track with several movements, going through all manner of melodies sounds and textures, starting in a collage of crystalline electronic sounds, before keyboard rhythms gradually emerge and synth winds take it into a land of sampled effects where string synths gradually rise over the horizon to be joined by a host of different melodies, sounds and effects from guitars. Synths gurgle, swirl and spriral around in a new movement, before the main synth rhythm returns with more new melodies layered on top. Small guitar motifs complete the picture, followed by airy, flying synth melodies, thunderstorm cracks and strange singing alien-like voices bring the track to a close.
‘Rakie Rakie’ is a little like a striking Jarre synth melody line set over a pounding, strict tempo ELOY-style drum beat, with electronic “Pinky & Perky” like voice effects providing a catchy chorus – Hmmm…very different, but very catchy in a strange sort of way!
‘ELOIS Spirit’ has a big synth (and very ELOY-ish) melody line that sails high and loud over a backdrop of slowly paced synth rhythms, with several subtle chord changes along the way.
‘Rakiedanus’ is the second longest tack on the album and employs more big brassy synthesizer leads and a familiar pulsing ELOY-style beat on a track that drives over a background of string synths and choral textures. It quietens down somewhat in the middle section, with string synths, dreamy male choir sounds and crystalline, sombre synth melodies taking the track up onto a more heavenly sphere. Pulsating, but heavily structured synth rhythms, angelic voices and other atmospheric effects take the piece into a new passage of new keyboard melodies where the brassy and the heavenly meet head on and descend into another passage of structured ELOY-like drum work with mirrored guitars taking the lead role, before ending on a grandiose climax.
‘Stairway To Paradise?’ closes the album with an atmospheric wall of deep string synth sounds with delicate synth flute on top, all amid a backdrop of synth textures and sampled effects. A very impressive debut!
LAST PLANET-CHAPTER II: CHALLENGES
‘The Last Planet-Chapter II: Challenges’ is just over 55 minutes long and although a high percentage of it is still instrumental, there are more vocals than on ‘Chapter I’, and the lyrics for these tracks were again written by talented fellow ELOY / EGO ON THE ROCKS member Jurgen Rosenthal. Schmidtchen again plays synthesizers, keyboards and guitars, plus arranged the electronic drums & percussion. You will hear traces of his past work with ELOY, as well as influences of other notable bands and musicians such as the ALAN PARSONS PROJECT and JEAN-MICHEL JARRE.
This album opens with ‘Where Is My Body’, a powerful opening instrumental that, like the first chapter, is very “filmic”, with huge synthesizer melodies rising high and flying over a deep pulsating rhythm. Right from the off this production seems the have more “balls” as projectile melodies soar out over a deep choral backdrop where the track ends and moves into: ‘Morning Light’ where whispering voices introduce a big ELOY-like driving beat and added phased vocal. There’s a nice electric guitar solo towards the end and then it crosses straight over into: ‘Challenges’, an Alan Parsons Project / Jean-Michel Jarre like instrumental combination with a strict driving beat and strong melodies that all harken back to ELOY in many respects. The keyboards are brilliant and the additional choral sounds that adorn the middle section of the track are just a dream. A new layer of “saxy” synths enters in the final minute of this excellent track.
‘Mindless’ opens with another huge ELOY-style driving rhythm coloured with string and choral synths and the 2nd vocal of the album. The keyboard work here is amazing and almost Wakeman-esque at times, with an array of electric piano, choral synths, organ and more all being employed at one stage or another before a rather abrupt ending.
‘Rakiedance’ is another instrumental that continues the Wakeman feel, but also that of Alan Parsons as well.
‘Rakie Rakie - Part II’ brings back the Jarre-ish feel and the return of our “Pinky & Perky” friends that made their first appearance on the debut (1st Chapter) album, and to be honest they are not a problem for me, especially as the track also has a HUGE synth solo in the middle that really hits the heart of my aural taste buds!
‘The Way’ is a rock, guitar-driven track with a catchy chorus, then we come to ‘Meet Rakiedanus’, the first of the two longer tracks on the album. It’s very much an ELOY-styled instrumental with a driving electronic rhythm and powerful lead synth melody line. The keyboard sounds are excellent throughout this track with Detlev managing to score the music in such a way that it gives off a real panoramic effect. There is a certain vibrancy added to the track with some tightly controlled rhythms and a “World” voice sample coming together and gliding in hypnotic style.
‘Secret Light’ – at nine minutes long – is the longest track on the album, and although there is a small vocal passage the remainder of the track is instrumental and extremely exciting. There are all sorts of sampled sounds and other effects adding colour and texture to the picture as the driving rhythm, synth leads, organ and fiery guitar riffs drive the track onward.
‘Sun Song’ closed the 2nd Chapter of ‘Last Planet II’ with a slow, beautiful and almost sombre symphonic keyboard instrumental, with added melodic flavours from synth flutes that are almost Pan-Pipe like at times. Added layers of synth oboe sounds carry a real sense of emotion as the track, and the album, draws towards its final conclusion.
LAST PLANET-CHAPTER III: REVERSION
‘The Last Planet-Chapter III: Impressions’ is almost 58 minutes long and is a semi-instrumental work where Detlev Schmidtchen again plays synthesizers, keyboards and guitars, plus arranged the electronic drums & percussion. You will hear traces of his past work with ELOY, as well as influences of other notable bands and musicians such as the ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, PATRICK MORAZ and JEAN-MICHEL JARRE.
This, the 3rd Chapter in the trilogy features more vocals that either of the previous two and features lyrics written by Claudia Roggendorf.
‘Gliding Through The Light’ opens the album with a very ELOY-like track that has a good hook, complete with melodic keyboards, a searing guitar solo and girlie backing vocalists. The lead vocal has the same level of Germanic effect as do the ELOY vocals, so you know what to expect on that score.
‘One Tear Of Mine’ is a fine instrumental with a really haunting Jarre-like synth melody-line set over a plodding electronic rhythm, and it’s all very inspired and extremely effective as the track builds in symphonic intensity. This is one of these tracks that stick in your brain after just on airing, bidding many further replays.
“World” percussive elements join the synths on ‘Goodbye Rakiedan’, bringing the feel of Patick Moraz’s early Virgin albums to mind on what is quite a catchy little number.
‘Adventurous Journey - Part 1’ is a fine semi-instrumental track driven by sequencer rhythms and overlaid with gorgeous synth melody lines complete with added choral backdrop and tuneful multi-tracked electric guitar melodies. The seven-minute running time seems to pass by ever so quickly, and is concluded by some fantastic high-register synth melodies and female choral voices.
‘Adventurous Journey - Part 2’ continues in similar feel to ‘Part 1’ with a chorus of female electronic choirs and a new sequencer rhythm and it’s very much like a Alan Parsons Project style instrumental with added Jarre sounds on top. The flow is broken by what sounds like a screaming effect, then other samples background effects emerge as the five-minute mark approaches. A guitar line takes over the lead for a kind of improvised solo over a collage of sampled voices, sounds and textures with the sequencer beat, although further back in the mix, still remaining as the driving force until it all disappears after an extended fade-out.
‘Reversion’ is a fast-ish paced melodic track that’s again a bit Alan Parsons-ish in feel and the first half is instrumental with a decent vocal in the second half and a nice guitar solo in the break.
‘Nasty Bang’ starts out as guitar driven, before the keyboards join in on a medium paced ELP-like track
‘Back Home’ opens to the sound of special effects and then a sequencer rhythm takes over for another APP like song with an infectious beat and melody line.
‘Sun Song’ completes the album – and the trilogy with a delightfully uplifting synth melody line and together with female backing vocals forms an attractive ELOY-style song with an addictive hook and closes with a gorgeous high register synth solo.
Also available by DETLEV SCHMIDTCHEN…
ANOTHER WORLD (2015 Album / Digi-Pak) CD – Stock # 1799925
BLAZE THE TRAIL (2012 Album / Digi-Pak) CD – Stock # 1530765
VANTHASIA (2013 Album / Digi-Pak) CD – Stock # 1643895
BUBBLES IN YOPUR BRAIN (2014 Album with MANFRED WIECZORKE / Digi-Pak) CD – Stock # 1742297
‘Last Planet I-III’ is available now.
DETLEV SCHMIDTCHEN: LAST PLANET I-III 3CD Track List:
Disc 1 [Last Planet - Chapter I: Impressions]:
01. Seven Bells {Awakening} (5.14)
02. Lane 7 {The Journey} (5:12)
03. Spring {Nice Feelings} (4:32)
04. Dhubidu {The Heartbeat} (3:01)
05. Impressions {In Trance} (16:56)
06. Rakie Rakie {The Voices} (4:05)
07. Elois Spirit {Memory Flash} (3:32)
08. Rakiedanus {Mastermind} (12:28)
09. Stairway To Paradise {Way Out} (2:47)
TPT – 57:49
Disc 2 [Last Planet- Chapter II: Challenges]:
01. Where Is My Body (5:11)
02. Morning Light (5:47)
03. Challenges (5:44)
04. Mindless (5:40)
05. Rakiedance (2:43)
06. Rakie Rakie - Part II (3:24)
07. The Way (4:46)
08. Meet Rakiedanus (8:11)
09. Secret Light (9:10)
10. Sun Song - 2 (4:44)
TPT – 55:22
Disc 3 [Last Planet- Chapter III: Reversion]:
01. Gliding Through The Light (5:45)
02. One Tear Of Mine (4:53)
03. Goodbye Rakiedan (3:48)
04. Adventurous Journey - Part 1 (7:02)
05. Adventurous Journey - Part 2 (12:50)
06. Reversion (7:56)
07. Nasty Bang (5:01)
08. Back Home (4:45)
09. The Sun Song (5:30)
TPT – 57:32