Schiller: "Herzschlag" ("Heartbeat")

While I love complex, challenging music as much as anybody, there is a German saying “in der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister” (idiomatically: “Economy of means reveals mastery”). The following track by German electronic/ambient musician “Schiller” (stage name of Christoph von Deylen) is a case in point. It’s basically just a soundscape that slowly builds up around a few sparse guitar licks sent through a digital delay set to exactly 1.5 beats at the tempo of the track. (The technique of ‘playing against your own echo’ was invented by King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, then became a mainstay of ‘the U2 sound’ as their guitarist The Edge was/is so fond of it.)

The title “Herzschlag” means “Heartbeat” in English. ‘Heartbeat’ to me also means ‘sign of life’, as I wait to hear a sign of life from somebody I care an awful lot about…

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