TIEFENRAUSCH (E)

In 1981 there was a solitary release by H. van Aaken (ACI). This German keyboardist produced Tiefenrausch, a beautiful album that might have been a guideline for the music of Jean Michel Jarre in the mid-eighties. Jarre brought in real drums after 1981 and later on even the guitar! The sequencers play an important role just like in the music of Tangerine Dream (TD), while the melodies are recognizable and rather straightforward. Because of the fact that ACI also played bass, and that he also had the aid from a genuine bassist - Dieter Petereit on Impuls, a kind of slow Walk On The Wildside–like melody - and some friends who played drums and guitar, this album still stands the test of time. To start off, a very majestic opening in Reise. The sequencers begin the basic tune and ACI plays solos on the MiniMoog. The titletrack is full of echoes; it almost sound like space rock. In Deutsche Welle you'll hear a dance-rhythm and some similarities with Visage. Part of the melody is played by a synth sounding like an oboe. Sonnenstrahl is sort of a cross-over between TD and Inner Secrets by Eddie Jobson. The B-side begins with Drachenflug, another space rock track with a variety of strange sounds. After Impuls, a track in the vein of Jarre and the Dutch group Peru, the album closes off with Ellipse, a track that could have been taken from one of Helmut Teubner's albums. This kind of instrumental music is no longer popular, but with it’s crystal clear production and abundant use of all kinds of keyboards, it’s still worth remembering ACI might have been an example for the likes of TD, Jarre or Teubner.