As the song slowly fades out with its spine-tingling synthesizer noises, it is very difficult not to be drawn into the music to imagine the scene Tangerine Dream intended to create. After the build the scene is set on a desolate planet, with spooky organ chords, an eerie background hum and chilling alien like noises. The build up climaxes 10 minutes into the piece, with haunting choruses adding to the spine-chilling feel. As the volume starts to rise, so do the sweeping solar noises fading in and out, with a variety of wavey synthesizer sounds weaved into the soundscape. The transitions in Phaedra truly show how much Tangerine Dream have developed since their often inharmonious prior works.Īs the bass melts away, eerie moog synthesizer noises roll in and transform into a familiar slowly ascending movement. The flow between the passages is spectacular, having a seamless transition between bass and synthesizer. As the passage builds up, so do the sweeping synth noises that somehow flow into a precipitated passage of rapid bass noise. The first passage in Phaedra lasts about 4 minutes long with sweeping solar wind like swoops and a continuous moog synthesizer sound that cautiously builds up and creates a trance-inducing effect. Phaedra essentially fits into the progressive and ambient genres. The equipment that they were using was so experimental and shoddy, that with any slight change in temperature the equipment’s oscillators would flux. Even though the track was ridden with technical errors, Edgar Froese and crew left it pretty much as it was, only adding a few extra synth layers in parts of the song. Phaedra actually occurred by mistake, the band were experimenting with their new synthesizers and sequencers, just as the tape happened to be rolling. Their music no longer detailed journeys through space it explored the emotions of those journeys.Īlthough it would be impossible to infer any references to the ancient Greek mythological figure Phaedra, it is a track that can be satisfying no matter what state or mood you are in. But with experience and chemistry together, Tangerine Dream were now able to translate their ideas into sound with far more poise and control. Their days of experimentation were not behind them when creating Phaedra, with experimentation still being key in the bands vision. Phaedra offers a more refined experience, a cerebral journey through sounds, genres and worlds. At times it showed glimpses of mesmerising soundscapes and ideas, yet too often these moments were then followed up by uncaptivating segments. Alpha Centauri for example felt like a rough and cut up journey, never quite flowing as it should. They were by no means bad albums they just fell short in a number of areas, with Tangerine Dreams technical prowess and knowledge not able to match their dreams. As such Tangerine Dreams’ first 4 albums that predated Phaedra lacked a concise vision. One of the problems that Froese, Baumann and Franke faced when creating their early albums was that they really had no one to lead them. It is easy to see why this is often the most heralded Tangerine Dream lineup, with much of Tangerine Dream’s best work being created by the trio. The line-up for Phaedra was Edgar Froese, Peter Baumann and Christopher Franke. It is clear however, where Phaedra falls on that line between genius and insanity. In their 40 years of existence, Tangerine Dream has made around 100 albums, sometimes missing horribly and at times verging on genius. Edgar Froese the founding member of Tangerine Dream is the only person who has remained in the band for a lengthy period of time. The band has gone through dozens of line up changes and over 15 members. Tangerine Dream has certainly proved their longevity, in some ways. The sounds within the album may not reflect what artists are capable of producing today, yet the foundations of modern electronic music can be seen in the work of artists like Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno and Kraftwerk. Rather a unique voyage of sound and art, that is still as influential today as it was back in the 70s. Even though electronic music was in its infancy, Phaedra was not just a collection of beeps and whirrs much like the sounds found in old Microsoft 3.1x computers. Albums featuring synthesizers even predated that in the 1960s. Phaedra was the first ever commercial album to feature sequencers, all the way back in 1974. Much to the dismay of parents who dismiss this music and reminisce about the good old days of Van Morrison and The Beatles, electronic music was in strong force even then. Today, many people see electronic music as something that sprung up in the 90s, created by some high on crack elitist youths with top end computers.
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