Deuter ~ Germany

Deuter started his career in Krautrock territory before becoming one of the pioneers in New Age music with fellow Germans Popol Vuh. Over time his music went from transcendental to sleepy to saccharine to a caricature of what one expects of a 21st century new age old guy hippy. I still have a few of his 1970s albums to add in here.

Atmospheres (2008)

To me this sounds like music you play to assist in getting a baby to go to sleep. This is so far beyond my interest level in anything to do with electronic music. He uses all the proper language of spirituality, of the Earth, and landscapes, etcetera... I need to take a wide berth on any of these late era Deuter albums, lest I feel compelled to write a not so favorable review.

Source: 2008 New Earth (CD)

2/20/25 (review)

Terra Magica Planet of Light (1995) 

I found myself being pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Ecstacy, an album Deuter closed off the 70s with. However I found Cicada, only three years later, a total snoozer. So now we're deep in the 90s after Deuter moved to Boulder, Colorado. Can it possibly be any good? Of course not. It's almost a caricature of what we call New Age music. Fluffy digital synths, bamboo flutes, Tibetan bells, pan cultural prayers, bla bla bla... and... "please buy my latest CD!". So as to afford the expensive tea. It's certainly not an unpleasant listen, but if I were to code a new age album on the computer, this would be an early result. 

Source: 1995 Higher Octave (CD)

1/25/25 (review)

Cicada (1982) 

Sedona, Arizona. 1984. You walk into the Sedona Spiritual Bookstore (then known as Al's Dusty Used Books). Deuter's Cicada is playing gently in the background. You pull down a dogeared copy of The Beautiful Side of Evil and find your favorite chair with the coffee stain you left on it years ago. While holding your crystals in one hand, you begin to flip through the book. Minutes later, you are vast asleep.

Source: 1982 Kuckuck (CD) 

5/12/24 (review)

Ecstasy (1979)

I quite liked this. Not as syrupy new agey as I expected. Actually it works well as an electronic album from its era (late 70s).

Ownership: Kuckuk (CD)

4/8/23 (review)

D (1971)

Deuter's debut is very much an "early days" experimental electronic, proto-New Age album. Operating more or less in the same territory as early Popol Vuh and Cluster. Deuter was to become far more tranquil as the years wore on, but here he still has some angst to purge. I find these kind of albums very refreshing, almost without peer in terms of sound.

Ownership: 1998 Kuckuck (CD)

1996 (first listen); 4/15/20 (review)

4/15/20 (new entry)