BOOSTER

For this album Edgar Froese goes into retro mode. He is the only musician here(besides a female vocalist) and recorded this album with equipment from the '70s and '80s. He was smart enough to release this as a 'Tangerine Dream' album and not a solo one. Even though he is the only real musician here, the music does indeed sound like the TD of yesteryear. Before I heard this album, I read that Froese was trying to revive the Phaedra/Rubycon era. Not exactly. Although the sequencers have a seventies feel the drum machines and a lot of the synths sound more '80s era. There are a second and third edition of the Booster series but they are not listed on PA for some reason.

This 2 CD set is probably the best thing released under the TD name since Underwater Sunlight. I admit I haven't heard much of what TD has done for the past 20 years. Everything I've read about those albums suggest they are just mediocre New Age and techno. While TD may have helped invent those two genres, they were never that good at them. Booster is a breath of fresh air. You definately feel your listening to something from ages ago. I would say the music here sounds like a cross between Encore and White Eagle.

"One Night In Space" has '80s style slap-bass. This song has a late 80s/early 90s electronic dance music feel. One of the better songs. "Hyper Sphinx" is one of the longer tracks. Early 80s sounding until the sequencers come in, then it sounds more '70s. Over halfway through the drum machines die out and then a guitar solo. "Metaphor Part One" has nice synth bass. "Metaphor Part Two" has even better synth bass. Some vocals here. Good piano part done on sequencers I assume. This song has cool synth sounds and some symphonic parts.

"The Greek Mirror" starts like Floyd's "One Of These Days" with the echoed bass. "I Could Hear It When The Moon Collapsed On Broadway" is a highlight. Some vocoder here. Melodic synths throughout. Sounds like something from the Schmoelling era. "Logos" is not as good as the original but the beautiful melodies are used here. Anyone familiar with Logos will know what melodies I'm talking about. Sounds like some Mellotron in this song. "Tangram Chin Part" is not as good as anything on Tangram, but I never really liked that album to begin with.

"Tangines On And Running" is a nice melodic song. "All Thirsty Angels Pass" is another good melodic song. "Big Sur And The Oranges From Hieronymus Bosch" has female vocals and more guitar. "Ca Va" has a Drum'n'Bass type beat. "Bells Of Accra" is the longest song and one of the best. Good vocal samples/sounds here. Good synth sounds throughout as well

This was a nice surprise to hear. I certainly was not expecting another Rubycon, but the results are very satisfying. I wonder how long it took Froese to dust off that old equipment. Worthy of purchase but still nothing essential. It's not quite 4 star material, but it comes close. 3 stars.