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Progressive Electronic, the foundation for many modern genres

A sonic journey starting in the ’70s, a musical adventure that blends the experimental drive of progressive rock with the most avant-garde electronics.  This is Progressive Electronic, a genre that revolutionized the world of music.  Unlike classic pop songs with verse and chorus, tracks in this genre unfold in longer structures and slowly evolving sounds, creating a hypnotic, immersive atmosphere.

It all begins in the late ’60s, in Germany, where Progressive Electronic intertwines with the Krautrock movement.  In that period, some musicians, tired of the limits of pop songs and traditional rock, start experimenting with the first analog synthesizers, like the legendary Moog, and tape recorders to create abstract sound loops, influenced by psychedelia. 

Between 1970 and 1975, in West Berlin, the genre takes shape. Artists like Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze become the pioneers of Progressive Electronic, introducing the use of sequencers.  These magical tools generate hypnotic, repetitive, ever-evolving rhythmic beds, almost completely removing the traditional drum kit.  Iconic albums like Tangerine Dream’s “Phaedra” (1974) define a spacious, deep, mysterious sound,.

In the mid ’70s, the German electronic scene splits into two main currents: the Berlin School, which embraces Progressive Electronic with its stretched atmospheres, very long suites and cosmic improvisations, and the Düsseldorf School, represented by bands like Kraftwerk, which favors geometric rhythms, pop structures and short songs, laying the groundwork for future Techno and Synthpop.

While classic progressive rock takes the hit of the Punk revolution, Progressive Electronic keeps evolving and influencing modern music. In the following years, pioneers like Brian Eno and Jean-Michel Jarre turn these visionary insights into what we now call Ambient and New Age music.  Also, the hypnotic structures of old analog sequencers directly inspired the birth of Trance music in the early ’90s.  

Robert Fripp is a key figure in this musical landscape, a true bridge between Progressive Rock and Progressive Electronic/Ambient.  A guitarist, visionary and founder of King Crimson, Fripp revolutionized the use of the electric guitar, turning it from a simple traditional instrument into an electronic signal generator.

In the early ’70s, Fripp begins a crucial collaboration with Brian Eno. Together they release historic albums like “(No Pussyfooting)” (1973) and “Evening Star” (1975).  On these records, Fripp’s guitar is processed by Eno’s synthesizers and tape machines, giving rise to very long, hypnotic instrumental suites, free of classic pop structures. This collaboration redefined the boundaries of electronic music and is considered the birth of modern Ambient music.

Inspired by Eno’s ideas on tape recorders, Fripp develops a unique technique called Frippertronics.  Using two Revox A77 recorders linked together, he created a continuous delay loop: he played a note, it was recorded by the first machine, played back by the second and sent back again.  By layering these sounds in real time alone on stage, Fripp managed to create majestic orchestral and electronic carpets, the so-called Soundscapes, without the help of other musicians.

Thanks to his skills in electronic sound manipulation, Fripp is called to Berlin by Brian Eno and David Bowie in the late ’70s. His sharp, electronic guitar touch becomes the key element of iconic tracks like “Heroes” (1977), recorded right in the beating heart of Germany that was seeing the rise of Progressive Electronic and the Berlin School.

Cluster are also a fundamental group in the history of Krautrock and German Progressive Electronic, formed by Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius.

In the mid ’70s, Eno moves to Germany and begins working closely with Cluster (and with Harmonia, an offshoot of theirs). From these collaborations come albums like “Cluster & Eno” (1977), where Frippertronics techniques and Cluster’s synthetic, minimalist textures blend, helping give birth to modern Ambient music.

The physical meeting point between Fripp and Cluster happens on Eno’s solo album, “Before and After Science” (1977). Fripp plays electric guitar on tracks like “King’s Lead Hat”, while Cluster collaborate on memorable pieces like “By This River”.

Unlike Tangerine Dream, who used sequencers in a grand, imposing way, Cluster preferred a more minimalist, intimate electronics. This approach deeply influenced how Fripp conceived his Soundscapes from the ’90s onward: pure sonic and electronic flows, without rock structures.

Let’s talk about two names that made the history of German electronic music in the ’70s: Harmonia and Klaus Schulze.  Even though they never released an album together, their paths were incredibly similar, thanks to a couple of key elements.

First of all, both came from Krautrock and the Berlin School. Klaus Schulze was one of the pillars of the Berlin School and Progressive Electronic, starting as a drummer in Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before embarking on a legendary solo career with synthesizers. Harmonia, instead, were the perfect fusion of the Düsseldorf School, with Michael Rother’s motorik guitar from Neu!, and Cluster’s minimalist electronics, with Roedelius and Moebius.

Another common point was their bond with nature. Harmonia lived and recorded in a rural commune in Forst, isolated from the world to give free rein to their creativity.  Klaus Schulze, on the other hand, created much of his most important work in a small studio nestled in the woods of the Lüneburg Heath, seeking the same natural and spiritual isolation for his cosmic music.

And then there’s Brian Eno, the red thread linking these two worlds. Eno called Harmonia “the most important rock band in the world” in the mid ’70s and even went to their Forst studio in 1976 to record mythical sessions, later released as “Tracks and Traces”.  On that album, Eno included a track titled “Luneburg Heath”, a poetic tribute to the German heathland where Klaus Schulze was simultaneously pushing the boundaries of Progressive Electronic. 

Progressive Electronic is a genre that has left an indelible mark on music history, a sonic journey that still continues today.

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