Grammy-nominated band Tangerine Dream have been a seminal piece on the game board of electronic music since the late 60’s, and have released more than 100 studio albums between then and now. Their sound spans across a number of different sub-genres, including electronica and ambient, and has been featured on some of modern days most successful tv shows, movies, and video games, including GTA V and Stranger Things. The group returned with their latest album ‘Raum’ last month, a 7-track
record that alongside work from current members Thorsten Quaeschning, Hoshiko Yamane, Paul Frick, and Ulrich Schnauss, features a number of recordings and arrangements from the archives of the band’s late founder, Edgar Froese. For more than 50 years, Froese was an essential figure for German and European music, and even though he passed in 2015, his work still being used in new productions is a testament to his influence. ‘Raum’ is a visceral experience of well crafted and constantly moving parts. From the soft and timid drum hits scattered throughout the project, to the beautifully produced chords and melodies, it pulls you into a world of dreamy electronica and harmonising ambience that does away with any notion that music requires a flashy vocal hook or climatic drop to keep you paying attention. The majority of the record never sounds like it has more than half a dozen tracks playing at any one time, and yet the depth that it achieves is all encompassing, and at times even hypnotising.
Where to start:
Continuum: Softened drum rhythms and playful synth melodies
Portico: Plucky percussive licks and dreamy pad sounds
In 256 Zeichen: 19 minutes of constantly evolving synth chords
Previous from Tangerine Dream:
Hyperborea LP (1983, Virgin Records)
Dream Sequence LP (1985, Virgin Records)
If you like this then check out:
Four Tet – New Energy LP (2017, Text Records)
Tycho – Dive LP (2011, Ghostly International)
Tangerine Dream – Raum LP is out now on Kscope.