Jared White Photo of Jared

Expressively publishing on the open web since 1996.
Entranced by Portland, Oregon since 2017.

#synthmusic

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The Best of Tangerine Dream
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Let me set the stage for what Tangerine Dream has meant to me in my life.

As far as I am concerned, there is music I listen to and enjoy. And then there is Tangerine Dream. They occupy an entire region of my psyche alone. Just like classical music has its Beethoven, a figure who looms larger than life and redefined a whole new era of sound, electronic music has its Tangerine Dream.

Over on the website for my “alter ego” electronic music act Yarred, I’ve started posting every day (until the end of the year!) all about my favorite works by #synthmusic maestros Tangerine Dream. I elaborated a bit about my long-time obsession with this band on the first installment about the brilliant 1980 album Tangram.

I know TD may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have any interest whatsoever in electronic music, you should be at least familiar with their role in the rise of synthesizers in popular music. As I wrote in the linked article above:

“Talk to any electronic music legend of recent years and ask them what they think about Tangerine Dream. Go ahead. You many not have heard of TD, but I guarantee most of your heroes have.”

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One of my favorite #synthmusic artists is Jerome Froese, formerly of Tangerine Dream fame. He joined the group at the end of the 80s during a period of tremendous stylistic and technological change. His father Edgar originally founded TD in the late 60s, so you can imagine twenty years later there was much that was different about the “vibe” of the band (much to the chagrin of many long-time fans).

Nevertheless, I would argue and few would deny that one of the big highlights of 90s-era TD was the Dream Mixes series, principally composed and spearheaded by Jerome. Of this series, DM II is probably my favorite. It’s a heady blend of techno, drum&bass, chill, world fusion, and other styles that got big in the 90s, yet with an overall depth and sensibility that evokes the greatness of classic Berlin School electronica.

Jerome has released a newly remastered 2019 edition of Dream Mixes II, and I highly recommend it. I’m listening to it right now, and it sounds fabulous.

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