THE DREAM MIXES

An entire musical genre has been populated by artists who had only one real reverence, the pioneer of electronic music and its granddaddy, the fabled Tangerine Dream. All its subgenres as well, every conceivable dimension, be it synth-pop, ambient, techno, house, chill, orchestral or avant-garde and even, dare I say it, disco! So after a quarter of a century, the German wizards in 1995 produce an album that clearly states a case for a thank you reply to their musical proteges. Yes, we can do the dance floor too! And in my opinion, this is not a sellout but a communication of mutual gratitude between fans and artists. Purists of course will take the easy road once again and claim neolithically that the Berliners have sold out and 'commercialized' their once precious formula, turning it into fluff! Really?

Au contraire, as a testament to their appreciation, the proof of which is that they remixed existing material only, Edgar Froese and company (his son Jerome) simply adapted tried and true tracks that could be rescuplted into a more dance ambiance, while retaining the languid explorations that they excel at. This is worthy of the highest praise as their music here has a rougher, more urban delivery that suits our pulsating society to a tee. (Everything vibrates today, its crazy: car keys, alarms, cell phones and of course, women's purses! Oops!). This disc is no exception, providing a soundtrack for modern living with absolutely no shame and no plunder intended, just another sonic message. Its biting, euphoric, electro-erotic, menacing and infectious, skirting the limits of Deep Forest or Enigma but doing it boldly and with flair. The pulse is also inquisitive and unrelenting, a constantly beating heart, melodic synth fluttering here and there, all headed into some robotic future. Highlighting any one track or giving a track by track essay are both pointless, as the premise here is basic and monolithic vibrancy, body and soul. Therein lies its purpose and its legacy, as it has been sequelled 4 times already!

Personal favorites are the impressive majesty of the opener, 'Little Blond in the Park', a grandiose swath of intense electronica with wailing backing voices, the liquid 'Firetongues' owner of a killer melody and a cool development, a clanging harpsichord-like tone and a rustling drive that just keeps exploring and reconnoitring new horizons. 'San Rocco' is pure 'stun', a harsh demonic beat that reeks of Sven Vath or Midi Rain from that period. 'Catwalk' is another classic melody that has unescapable qualities, simple and beautiful, held together solidly by a powerful pulse, giving a totally anti-organic architecture, within which the senses nevertheless blossom. Tremendous stuff, really! The whole thing succeeds because of its dedicated method, eschewing any kind of dross material that needed some kind of rehashing and just sticking it on some CD. No way, it went entirely along slick rails, a sonic train that can span the music world. Another example of the master showing the students how it's done. With unfailing humility. This is delectable electro dance that surges forward and makes the whole body notice. Pounding, relentless, cocksure and alive, the music has no boundaries with little respite from the beat, searching within instead of without, finding both resolution and artistic contentment.

Well, that's the way I see it, it may be wrong maybe even immoral for some but I adore this TDream recording , top 3 within my 38 albums, with great ease. A masterpiece of its own time and space.

5 citrus thoughts