Paul Schutze

CDs:
Deux Ex Machina (89), The Annihilating Angel (90), New Maps Of Hell 
(91), others

     Paul has described his music as being "hypertimbral cyberjazz," 
and although that description is pretentious, it has some merit. It 
is jazz, in a fragmented, post-modern way. There are hints of New 
Age, industrial, and experimental here and there. He samples songs 
from old movie soundtracks, as well as Tunisian children. His sound 
is unique, although it borrows heavily from European traditional 
jazz.
     He and his band sound best when they give themselves lots of 
space and stay away from the more traditional influences. "The 
Falls," for instance, moves from what sounds like someone banging an
empty oil drum with some muted trumpet over the top into a 
beautifully manipulated sample from some old movie. When they use 
percussion, it tends to be tribal or ethnic, and works well in 
counterpoint to the more traditional music overlaying it.
     There is something else at work in this music, and I'm hard-
pressed to describe it. He doesn't let any grooves get too well-
established, but his albums tend to feel pretty unified. He rides the 
ragged edge between experimentation and New Age saccharine. In short, 
his albums are full of many different ideas, tend to be very mellow 
and relaxing, and don't demand too much of your attention, but 
there's plenty there if you want to find it.

---

Hmm, how to describe Paul Schutze . . . it's funny, once you listen to
one or two of his CDs, you can always identify any new Schutze songs
that you hear.  Not that all of his music is the same, but there is a
certain type of musical sound which he employs in a lot of his songs --
kind of sounds like a bass guitar being played through a synth.

His music is all instrumental, in the vein of film soundtrack stuff (in
fact, one of his discs is called Regard:  Music by Film).  Very nice and
relaxing stuff.  I'd say, maybe a cross between Eno's Music for Film
with some saxophone.

As for a comparison between C-Schulz and Paul Schutze
[neither of which is Klaus Schulze] (I think saying C. and
Paul would be less confusing), C. has more piano and is more "sparse"
than Paul.  Paul is more synth driven ambient.  Also, Paul will use
ethnic sounds in some of his songs (most apparent in the The
Annihilating Angel disc).

Your best bet may be to buy the X-X Section CD [on Extreme Records].
It is a compilation of Extreme label bands.  It has Schutze on it, along
with C-Schulz, Merzbow, Peter Appleton, Shinjuku Thief, Jim O'Rourke, and
others.  A very ambient disc with a good intro to the Extreme label.  Most
of the Extreme stuff is ambient, film soundtrack music.  Or ethnic-ambient,
like Muslimgauze and Mo-boma.