Knowing well all the three "sides" of Arne Schafer's creation - as one of the two masterminds of the leading German progressive band Versus X and as the only mastermind and musician for both his solo proGjects Apogee and the other of his own name, - I probably can consider him as the most important person of the German Progressive Rock movement of the last decade, at least. With the review of "The Turbulent Zone" (which, btw, is voted the Album of the Year (2000 - see the corresponding Top-20 on the title-page of ProgressoR) I wrote some three months ago, an Overall View on the creation of Versus X (1993 - "Versus X", 1997 - "Disturbance", Versus X - 2000 - "The Turbulent Zone") is now complete. An Overall View on the albums that Arne released under his own name I'll write a bit later, and it's now the turn of his Apogee project to look at entirely. I don't exactly know why, but I love Apogee and Arne's 'full-blooded' band Versus X absolutely equally (though, as for the "Arne Schafer's" albums, I've had no time even to listen to them up to now, so I just can't compare this Name to the both mentioned ones at the moment), despite the fact that the richness of Apogee's works is just a result of repeated overdubbings. Also, working alone on his solo projects (do you love working all alone, Arne?), Schafer uses programmed drums, while playing all other instruments 'live'. Since these synth-drums sound not monotonous, but mostly in a diverse way - with lots of breaks and other tricks typical for a real drummer, - I am almost sure that Apogee's skillful drumming is a result of Arne's manual work. Not too many Progressive Solo Pilots use programmed drums properly, i.e. to beat on the keys with fingers masterfully. Anyway, the main thing, I don't know any other Solo Pilot with a compositional talent comparable to Arne's. If "The Turbulent Zone" in my view is the pick of the overall discography of the musical "conglomerate" Versus X - Apogee - Arne Schafer, then, comparing both the debut albums from Versus X and Apogee, now I find "The Border of Awareness" more interesting thematically and more integral compositionally. Each of the compositions presented on the album is full of wonderful, distinctively original music, that on the whole I wouldn't dare draw comparisons with anything I've heard before. Of course, I know that some "comparison" reviewers (on this matter please read the "TIRED OF COMPARISONS" Key Review) find the music of Apogee strongly influenced by the Titans like Van Der Hammill, et al. But, treading the path of least resistance with writing reviews, using comparisons as the main point to describe a serious artist's creation the same way they employ for 'wannabees', most often they just can't find any really essential points, phrases and words to make their material worthy of that serious artist's work they write about. Knowing that defining musical genres in general and the current musical trend of genre-melding in particular has the same very fuzzy nature, I have to assert my view on these questions quite often. Back to the works of the hero of this material (to depict them in detail), I don't hear any obvious influences in the music of Apogee and, as before, I am sure that any Not obvious influences are not in opposition to originality at all. Listening to "The Border of Awareness" (as well as all the other albums of the "conglomerate"), frankly, I can't find here any significant trace even of those influences that we normally call "not so obvious". As for Apogee's stylistics within the genre, this is the same Classic Symphonic Art Rock, under whose banner work all their units, as well as a myriad other bands. Despite the fact that originally Arne was a guitarist, all alone he plays various keyboards so effectively that Apogee's music has on the whole more powerful symphonic structures than Versus X. If you love Classic Symphonic Art Rock with an intense dramatic subject saturated with diverse events, "The Border of Awareness" will seize your attention from the first notes and keep it in a wonderful state of waiting for new developments till the album's end. Tens of varied, complex, sometimes unexpected arrangements within each song are sure to induce you to listen to the album time after time. Schafer's singing is also very moving and diverse, as well as his highly profound and literary lyrics, - all right, this way influences of Peter Hammill are obvious, but that's a really good thing. Lots of masterly solos from each... instrument (passages of acoustic guitar are 'something special' here in general), and a rich polyphonic sound make "The Border of Awareness" a work of a 'full-blooded' band. I don't know any other album, performed completely by one man, that provokes such a real illusion of a whole band playing. Also, none of other albums I've heard, composed and performed by Progressive Solo Pilots, can live up in terms of quality to "The Border of Awareness" in any regard.
