Tangerine Dream Alpha Centauri

Esoteric recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly remastered and expanded edition of Tangerine Dream’s classic 1971 album "Alpha Centauri". Recorded at the Dierks Studio in Stommeln, the album featured a line up of Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Steve Schroyder with guests Udo Dennebourg (flute) and Roland Pualyck (synthesiser). Released in Germany on the OHR label, the influence of the album was immense, with the band creating imaginative sound-scapes previously unheard on record. This Esoteric Reactive edition is newly re-mastered and includes three bonus tracks: ‘Oszillator Planet Concert’ has never been released on CD and was issued as part of the 1971 double album “Ossiach Live”. Also included are both sides of the classic ‘Ultima Thule’ single issued in Germany in 1971. The release fully restores the original album artwork and includes a lavishly illustrated booklet.

As if the sound is breaking through your speakers, Alpha Centauri begins its journey. Crackling and swirling synthesizers seize control of your stereo. Like a call to psychedelic arms, the first track "Sunrise in the Third System" marches on with its organ. The mixing of the three tracks found on Alpha Centauri leaves something to be desired, in that the tracks are not mixed the way they would be today with each track endlessly flowing into the next like a stream. Nonetheless, when one is not paying too close attention to such details, the album seems to flow quite smoothly. The sound is not of the highest standards either, as should be expected, this being a 1971 release of "space music"…

With One Times One, released in late 2007, Eastgate started to issue so-called 'cupdisc' releases, that is, CDs with a running time of about 40 minutes (about the time classic vinyl albums offered back in the 70s and 80s), wrapped in a simple cardboard sleeve instead of a jewel case.
The album contains four completely new compositions by Edgar Froese as well as an instrumental version of a vocal track originally released on Madcap's Flaming Duty (2007) and another remix of Loved By The Sun. This one is based on the version released on Plays Tangerine Dream (2006) but is overlayed with an additional guitar line.

This cupdisc Mona da Vinci doesn't sound like Mona Lisa's smile looks like - but the music on this brand-new disc is also very mystical and full of surprises. Five of the six tracks have never been released before and Calumet does only exist in a live version. Enjoy for example a brilliant guitar solo on Phantoms And Oracles by one of TD's guest guitarists Zlatko Perica. Delight in this special cupdisc - a true option for future dreams and realities!

This cupdisc Mona da Vinci doesn't sound like Mona Lisa's smile looks like - but the music on this brand-new disc is also very mystical and full of surprises. Five of the six tracks have never been released before and Calumet does only exist in a live version. Enjoy for example a brilliant guitar solo on Phantoms And Oracles by one of TD's guest guitarists Zlatko Perica. Delight in this special cupdisc - a true option for future dreams and realities!

Somewhere along the line, Tangerine Dream figured out a way to produce motion picture scores without paying too much attention - as happened with this score for a minor film. There are some nice moments, but it's mainly Tangerine Dream following the formula. It was the first of six movies directed by Bobby Roth that Tangerine Dream supplied the music for.

Another in the long line of soundtracks by Tangerine Dream is actually one of the strongest in concept for any film they have done. The movie has a high degree of tension and the score by T.D. does just the trick. They use mostly hard driving sequencer rhythms to maintain the tension of the film. Listeners will find that this is nearly how all of the music is composed. There is very little melody within the structures of the music. But even with this lacking, the score is very well suited and very listenable. A couple of nonsequencer tracks are also on the album and break up the hard rhythms pieces.

The Dream Roots Collection is a five-disc retrospective of Tangerine Dream's career, including one disc of previously unreleased material. All of the material on the collection has been remixed and reworked by Edgar Froese and his son Jerome, and while these remixes might not be historically accurate, they nevertheless retain the essence of the original versions, making the box an intriguing journey through the group's past. While the set is too extensive for casual listeners, hardcore fans will find the new mixes and rarities fascinating, making the set a worthwhile addition to their collection.

The Analogue Space Years '69-'73 is a definitive overview of Tangerine Dream's early, formative years, collecting highlights from the group's first four albums (Electronic Meditation, Alpha Centauri, Zeit, and Atem). Though this wasn't their most consistent or effective period, and their mid- to late-'70s work is far more essential, it's a handy way for curious fans to discover essentially everything they need to know about Tangerine Dream's early career.