Quaeschning & Schnauss
Synthwaves
Pure Berlin-school bliss from synthmeisters Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine
Dream) and Ulrich Schnauss. Synthwaves pays homage to the masters of the past,
yet feels fresh and enchanting. Crisp, interlocking patterns are modulated and
mutated with mathematical precision into eight pieces of pristine, post-kosmische
sounds to float away to.
During two intense weeks in Berlin, Quaeschning and Schnauss – both students of
the great, late maestro Edgar Froese – locked themselves in a studio full of vintage
synthesizers, analog sequencers and drum machines, and the result is a gorgeous
set of purely electronic music. As the title suggests, a bit of tongue-in-cheek
playfullness was allowed during the process – however, all of these pieces sparkle
with real emotion and warmth.
As with the finest Tangerine Dream soundtracks it's the kind of music that paints
vivid pictures on the canvas of the listeners mind: synth plucks hang in the air like
glaring neon in metropolitan dusk, and zero-gravity pads hover like ghostly
morning mist travelling over empty coastlines. Poly-rhythmic patterns are allowed
to build - slowly but
steadily - bar after bar, until synth-Satori is reached. By the time the last track on
this album runs out, it's obvious these two producers have themselves become
masters of their craft.
Equipment & Software used on 'SYNTHWAVES':
THORSTEN QUAESCHNING:
Software: Steinberg Cubase 8 &8.5
Hardware: Manikin Schrittmacher Step-Sequencer x 2
Manikin Memotron
Roland Jupiter 8 synthesizer
Roland JD800 synthesizer
Dave Smith Prophet 8 synthesizer
ARP Solina MK2 string synthesizer
Korg Wavestation Ex synthesizer
Waldorf Microwave synthesizer
Moog Voyager monophonic synthesizer
Modular synthesizer
Roland V Synth synthesizer
Korg Z1 synthesiser
Korg Prophecy synthesiser
Korg M1 synthesizer
Clavia Nordwave synthesizer
Yamaha TG77 synthesizer module
Roland System 1 synthesizer
Roland JU06 synthesizer module
Korg MS20 monophonic synthesizer
Roland JP08 synthesizer module
Roland TR-8 Rhythm Performer drum machine
Oberheim DMX drum machine
Roland Promars synthesizer
Fender Starcaster guitar
Fender Telecaster guitar
Fender Stratocaster guitar
Screwdriver on wood and contact microphones,
Several boxes with contact microphones
A field recording of bees in Thorsten's garden, edited on Cubase and then treated
with Melodyne & Halion - and finally used for the lead melody line on 'A Calm But
Steady Flow'.
(Software synthesizers): Spectrasonics Omnisphere synthesizer, Spectrasonics
Keyscape
ULRICH SCHNAUSS:
Software: Steinberg Cubase all tracks bar PRISM and AMONG MANATEES** (Logic)
*Peripheral equipment: Manikin Schrittmacher sequencer.
*Hardware synths:
Roland JD XA synthesizer
Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer
Roland JD-800 synthesizer
Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer
Roland System 1 synthesizer
Roland MKS-70 synthesizer module
Rhodes Chroma synthesizer
Waldorf Q synthesizer
Microwave XT synthesizer module
*Software synths & effects: Various modules from Sonic Core’s SCOPE system.
*Hardware effects: Ensoniq DP4
Quaeschning & Schnauss
Synthwaves
Quaeschning & Schnauss
Synthwaves
Pure Berlin-school bliss from synthmeisters
Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine Dream) and
Ulrich Schnauss. Synthwaves pays homage to the
masters of the past, yet feels fresh and enchanting.
Crisp, interlocking patterns are modulated and
mutated with mathematical precision into eight
pieces of pristine, post-kosmische sounds to float
away to.
During two intense weeks in Berlin, Quaeschning
and Schnauss – both students of the great, late
maestro Edgar Froese – locked themselves in a
studio full of vintage synthesizers, analog
sequencers and drum machines, and the result is a
gorgeous set of purely electronic music. As the title
suggests, a bit of tongue-in-cheek playfullness was
allowed during the process – however, all of these
pieces sparkle with real emotion and warmth.
As with the finest Tangerine Dream soundtracks it's
the kind of music that paints vivid pictures on the
canvas of the listeners mind: synth plucks hang in
the air like glaring neon in metropolitan dusk, and
zero-gravity pads hover like ghostly morning mist
travelling over empty coastlines. Poly-rhythmic
patterns are allowed to build - slowly but
steadily - bar after bar, until synth-Satori is reached.
By the time the last track on this album runs out, it's
obvious these two producers have themselves
become masters of their craft.
Equipment & Software used on 'SYNTHWAVES':
THORSTEN QUAESCHNING:
Software: Steinberg Cubase 8 &8.5
Hardware: Manikin Schrittmacher Step-Sequencer x
2
Manikin Memotron
Roland Jupiter 8 synthesizer
Roland JD800 synthesizer
Dave Smith Prophet 8 synthesizer
ARP Solina MK2 string synthesizer
Korg Wavestation Ex synthesizer
Waldorf Microwave synthesizer
Moog Voyager monophonic synthesizer
Modular synthesizer
Roland V Synth synthesizer
Korg Z1 synthesiser
Korg Prophecy synthesiser
Korg M1 synthesizer
Clavia Nordwave synthesizer
Yamaha TG77 synthesizer module
Roland System 1 synthesizer
Roland JU06 synthesizer module
Korg MS20 monophonic synthesizer
Roland JP08 synthesizer module
Roland TR-8 Rhythm Performer drum machine
Oberheim DMX drum machine
Roland Promars synthesizer
Fender Starcaster guitar
Fender Telecaster guitar
Fender Stratocaster guitar
Screwdriver on wood and contact microphones,
Several boxes with contact microphones
A field recording of bees in Thorsten's garden, edited
on Cubase and then treated with Melodyne & Halion
- and finally used for the lead melody line on 'A Calm
But Steady Flow'.
(Software synthesizers): Spectrasonics Omnisphere
synthesizer, Spectrasonics Keyscape
ULRICH SCHNAUSS:
Software: Steinberg Cubase all tracks bar PRISM and
AMONG MANATEES** (Logic)
*Peripheral equipment: Manikin Schrittmacher
sequencer.
*Hardware synths:
Roland JD XA synthesizer
Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer
Roland JD-800 synthesizer
Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer
Roland System 1 synthesizer
Roland MKS-70 synthesizer module
Rhodes Chroma synthesizer
Waldorf Q synthesizer
Microwave XT synthesizer module
*Software synths & effects: Various modules from
Sonic Core’s SCOPE system.
*Hardware effects: Ensoniq DP4
Quaeschning & Schnauss
Synthwaves
