RAUM

And the answer is yes, the Tangerine Dream is still being dreamed by Edgar Froese's worthy succesors, and their sonic universe, born more than 50 years ago, continues in expansion. According to Thorsten Quaeschning, Froese left a good batch of musical and conceptual ideas behind, and this is the second instalment built on that posthumous material.

Anyway, is there here more than a homage due and finally paid by the disciples to their mentor? I think there is really good music in this album, inviting to immersion in a space clearly recognizable as bearing the TD sonic signature, but without reaching its previous heights.

Let's take for example the longest track, In 256 Zeichen (In 256 Signs). It can be roughly divided in thirds: on the first one, we get layers of oscillating and scintillating synths, inducing a meditative mood, appropriated for the contemplation of the Cosmos. On the second one, a set of percussive patterns comes in, producing a mutating and unstable sequence of combinations, in which we can almost "see" the holes and displacements come and go (really tasteful interplay!). On the third one, a more traditional approach takes place, with somber overtones mainly given by chords formations in a fashion reminding of some Klaus Schulze's work in the Eighties.

We can find also some less memorable stuff, like the track 4 You're Always on Time, nothing to write home about really. Even so, I would say this is a very good to excellent effort, with some minor flaws.

The last founding and continuous TD member, Edgar Froese died in 2015. (Other founding members still live but disassociated from the band long ago.) Some of his collaborators from 21st Century projects here continue to carry the torch of Edgar's ideas.

1. "Continuum" (7:09) nice, catchy melodies lets me know these musicians are serious and eager about preserving the Tangerine Dream story as well as taking it forward. My second favorite song on the album. (13.25/15)

2. "Portico" (6:42) pleasant soundscapes and interesting music constructed in an engaging fashion. (8.75/10)

3. "In 256 Zeichen" (19:07) floating nighttime land and skyscapes develop slowly over the first of the four sections (five minutes) of this long piece. The second section sounds like jungle forest scapes--with an almost gamelan or third world percussive sound component. The next section founds itself completely on those "third world" percussion sounds before 80s banks of Mark Isham-like synth-strings chords dart into the open fields. The final piece sees some space music devolve into entropic chaos. Cool composition. My third favorite song on the album. (36/40)

4. "You're Always on Time" (8:07) nice rolling synth-bass line. I like the song's spaciousness--sounds like subatomic particles moving through space. Violin is also a nice feature. It's not until the third minute that everything starts to come together. Nice finale. (13/15)

5. "Along the Canal" (5:29) a little too early-Vangelis sounding. (8.25/10)

6. "What You Should Know About Endings" (6:55) gets good in the third minute with the deep vein thrombosis, and then with the seriously moving rhythm sequence, but the song never really catches onto a melody to really bring me in. (13.25/15)

7. "Raum" (14:54) opens with some familiar DEAD CAN DANCE synth cords before sequenced rhythm track creeps into the background. Then highly distorted/degenerating synth notes try to add a melody line before disappearing. By the end of the third minute you get the feeling that something big and orchestral is brewing as many sounds and layers are slowly being introduced. A minute later it seems surprising that we are stripped down to a familiar Berlin School sequence with few embellishments, but then many incidentals are subtly snuck into the weave--some staying, many appearing and then disappearing. It's like a drive through the countryside with the numerous incidentals in the scenery passing us by. Definitely an "older" version of TD being played at here. The second half gets more aggressive though still using older sounds (instruments?) to create the tapestry--before we return to a classic spacescape in the tenth minute. This is gorgeous! Violin moves to the for and becomes quite prominent in the thirteenth minute. I really like this! Great song! Definitely my favorite on the album. (29/30)

Total Time 68:23

Even with the cheezy drum machines, two-chord synth washes, and simple synth bass, I cannot deny that there are some really engaging melodies and soundscapes here--not to mention some cool ideas--many of which apparently came from the late Edgar Froese's notebooks.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Progressive Electronic music. All hail Edgar Froese: the king is gone but his spirit lives on! And, with music like this, we should be glad that it does.