DEYEN,ADELBERT VON - Atmosphere (Sealed) (LP)

Album number three from electronic musician Adelbert von Deyen marks the end of his ambient phase. Whilst “Atmosphere” (1980) largely swathes listeners in familiarly vast expanses of sound, the driving analogue drums of the opening track (von Deyen’s most successful, as it turned out) signal a shift towards Elektro-Kraut terrain. “Atmosphere” showcases Adelbert von Deyen at the peak of his powers. The opening track, “Timemachine”, sees him launch into zestful Electro-Krautrock, aided and abetted by Wolfgang Zabba Lindner on drums. Lindner had already popped up in the early 1970s in a prog-rock combo by the name of Tomorrow’s Gift and recorded an interesting experimental percussion album in 1974 with Carsten Bohn (“Vollbedienung of Percussion”). He can also be heard on the second piece “Silverrain” (in rather less zestful mode). A further eight tracks follow, revolving around the theme of “Atmosphere”. Layers of synths glide slowly by, accompanied by drones which resound for minutes on end. Beats and synth FX add to the air of contemplation. A huge amount of time and money went into the production of this album. Adelbert von Deyen composed tirelessly in his home studio, experimenting with his synthesizers and searching for new sounds. Lars Hidde added the final touches, taking care of the mix and mastering at Star Studio, Hamburg. All, in all, it was worth the effort. Atmosphere proved to be Adelbert von Deyen’s most successful album. In his biography he writes: “Reactions to this opus were extreme, but absolutely positive, especially in other countries. ‘Time machine’ appeared on quite a few LP and CD compilations and became an instrumental hit, the single selling around fifty thousand copies!” If Adelbert von Deyen’s first two albums saw him strive for artistic and financial independence, “Atmosphere” marked the beginning of a metamorphosis. We are still in the sphere of ambient electronica, but the first two tracks are indicative of a clear shift towards Krautrock or electronic rock. Von Deyen's next album would head off in a different direction altogether. The soft rock ballads and socially critical lyrics of “Eclipse” came as a complete surprise.