# In praise of Tangerine Dream circa 1977-1986



## dcoscina (Apr 10, 2013)

I would actually have to cite TD is initially fueling my interest in actually composing music. When I heard their score to Thief I was completely hooked. I especially loved the track Scrap Yard (see link below for those who don't know this awesome piece) which has some terrific rhythmic ostinatos that drives the cue along. I also enjoyed their score to Sorcerer (1977) which also had some terrific synth colors. 

I actually saw them live on their Underwater Sunlight tour in Toronto (1986) and it was really cool. Tangram is my favorite non-film score followed closely by Le Parc. For scores, I still enjoy Firestarter, Flashpoint, Near Dark, and would love to get my hands on The Keep (still unreleased). 

While everyone was listening to Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer (Gorgio Moroder alumni) I was digging The Dream's infinitely more complex synth musings. 

Their music inspired me to save and buy my first synth- a Juno 106 and Fostex X-15 in 1985. Since then it's been gear, gear, and more gear. 

Anyhow, I lost touch with their music when I went to university for jazz performance in 1987 (moved to listening to Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays) but I returned to listening to their music a few years back and it still delights me.

Any other TD fans out here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2bu6D5RwYM


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## jleckie (Apr 10, 2013)

I am one of their big fans. I like everything. I had a VERY hard time deciding between the TD soundtrack and the Jerry Goldsmith ("Legend") since I was and still am a very big JG fan. 

Favorite cue on "Thief' (ironically enough its actually a Crag Safan cue) is "Confrontation"

https://soundcloud.com/fabiopirovano/cr ... ntation-hq


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## Greg (Apr 10, 2013)

You'll love this interview with Paul Haslinger!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDywrhTHzLs


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## guitarman1960 (Apr 10, 2013)

Massive TD fan here! First heard them via the John Peel radio show in UK when Phaedra was released, and saw them on their first ever tour. Still have the old tour programmes from most of their UK tours, which were absolutely stunning and so far ahead of their time it's unreal.
The Sorcerer soundtrack is one of my fave scores of all time, so influential.
Don't think they get enough credit for just how huge their influence has been on todays film scores and electronic music and trance music in general.
As I mentioned on another thread, when I first saw Batman Begins at the cinema and those pulsing ostinatos came in, I instantly thought of Tangerine Dream.
Just incredible to think what they created in the 1970's. Too awesome for words.


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## FriFlo (Apr 10, 2013)

dcoscina @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> While everyone was listening to Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer (Gorgio Moroder alumni) I was digging The Dream's infinitely more complex synth musings.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2bu6D5RwYM



Pardon my ignorance, but how do bring "infinitely complex" and this youtube link together? It must be something, I cannot hear ...
(o)


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## ryans (Apr 10, 2013)

Great band.

Ryan


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## jleckie (Apr 10, 2013)

Thank you for the interview. Enjoyed it.


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## david robinson (Apr 10, 2013)

huge fan. listen to how Mike Mann used their music in the movie: The Keep. j.


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## IFM (Apr 10, 2013)

I've always have loved TD. In fact the first real concert I ever went to was for Optical Race tour in 1988. I haven't been keeping up with them lately but I still enjoy their work. I think Edgar will keep it going till the day he dies.

Chris


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## Alex Cuervo (Apr 10, 2013)

I've been devouring their stuff lately. Really enjoying the soundtrack to Sorcerer a lot.


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## Rctec (Apr 10, 2013)

I've been a fan since 'Phedra'. Saw them at Guildfort University. Became friends with Chris Franke. Ended up with his big Moog, which I obviously still use to this day...
The other groundbreaking score for me was 'Midnight Express', especially the opening. The inhuman relentlessness of the sequencer gave it a tension that you can't replicate with an orchestra. The early Werner Herzog movies are pretty amazing too, musically. And John Williams' 'Munich' would never had sounded the way it did without those early electronic pioneers.


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## ed buller (Apr 11, 2013)

wonderful band....this is them in the studio making their greatest record...rubycon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA-Ne1LNif4


e


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## JPQ (Apr 12, 2013)

Absotely actually maybe my favorite music with classical (=Vivaldi,Grieg,and Bach and something else...) ,somekind rock and Jean-Michel Jarre.


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## TheUnfinished (Apr 12, 2013)

I know that in some people's eyes is practically sacrilegious, but I genuinely preferred their soundtrack to Legend.

Classic band. Cannot tire of all those beautiful synth sounds.


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## doctornine (Apr 12, 2013)

Rctec @ Thu Apr 11 said:


> The early Werner Herzog movies are pretty amazing too, musically.



Popol Vuh's Herzog soundtracks are some of the most unearthly and utterly compelling music I've ever heard.

There really is nothing else like it.


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## Hannes_F (Apr 12, 2013)

dcoscina @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2bu6D5RwYM



Thank you dcoscina for bringing this to attention. Refreshingly un-quantized, isn't it?


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## ed buller (Apr 12, 2013)

forgive the shameless plug but if you like them you might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPukSU9KUA

e


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## Alex Cuervo (Apr 12, 2013)

ed buller @ Fri Apr 12 said:


> forgive the shameless plug but if you like them you might like this:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPukSU9KUA
> 
> e



Is this your band? That track is really awesome.


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## ed buller (Apr 12, 2013)

yes......long time ago. we did a gig in paddington station. we are just finishing a new album. One of the guys left but we have Mel Wesson in the band now , which is great. The new stuff sounds very cool.

old album is here https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/node-ep/id519536946

e


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## germancomponist (Apr 12, 2013)

When I hear the music of TD I get so many great memories. Also "Kraftwerk" and some others... . Wasn't it a great time? 

Even today, I love the analog synth sound and program almost every day something on my synth's.


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## Wes Antczak (Apr 12, 2013)

It's really nice to see that TD is back "IN" as it were!  

Even though it was controversial I still think that the TD version of Legend had some great music in it. I'm actually a fan of both the electronic soundtrack and Jerry Goldsmith's original orchestral take on the film.

Yeah... some great EMU sounds all over the TD version.

When I first heard HZ's ostinato string patterns (for those who haven't seen that other thread) the first thing that came to mind (whether accurately or perhaps not accurately) was, yeah, it's sort of like TD ostinato sequences except with orchestral instruments!

@rctec, I read that about Christopher Franke's big Moog in one of his interviews. At first I was kind of sad to read that he got rid of it, but I was happy to hear where it wound up. At least it's in good hands!  

Further to TD... after that signature style of TD synth music in films seemed to go out of style and after he left TD, Chris went on to do a lot of film and tv work on his own - and with his own orchestra. Some of my very favorite things he did were the four seasons that he scored for the Babylon 5 series. I think it's safe to say that his music really defined the sonic signature of that show.

I've learned a lot by listening to Hans and others, but before that there was TD and Christopher Franke. (Vangelis was also a big one for me in terms of showing what can be done with synthesizers and how to infuse these instruments with emotion, but that's a different topic for a different thread!)

Anyway, three cheers for TD! o-[][]-o


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## dcoscina (Apr 12, 2013)

Rctec @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> I've been a fan since 'Phedra'. Saw them at Guildfort University. Became friends with Chris Franke. Ended up with his big Moog, which I obviously still use to this day...
> The other groundbreaking score for me was 'Midnight Express', especially the opening. The inhuman relentlessness of the sequencer gave it a tension that you can't replicate with an orchestra. The early Werner Herzog movies are pretty amazing too, musically. And John Williams' 'Munich' would never had sounded the way it did without those early electronic pioneers.



Midnight Express was also a very influential score for its time. I agree that the first track Chase was a terrific cue. There's this really long held pad that seems to be put through a phaser or some effect like that and its filter opens up over a really long time. Interesting way to keep a held note interesting. I loved that score as a kid and played it non stop. The whole soundtrack is terrific.

To the other forum member who asked why I would say TD music is infinitely more complex, please listen to the track I posted a link to. Listen to that ostinato bass line and the triplet flams the line is treated to. Remember this was way before music sequencers and even digital sequencers were around. I don't even know whether they were using arpeggiators to get those lines or what. But things were a lot more painstaking back in the '70s and even early '80s when it came to sequencing things. I had a Yamaha QX5 and I think it was a monophonic or dual sequencer. I remember I could chain it with my RX15 drum machine but also remember it was a major pain to program. When the ESQ1 came along from Ensoniq it was much easier to work with..

Anyhow, I'm getting off topic here....

The other aspect I found remarkable about Tangerine Dream is who long their pieces were. They took their time to unfold and you felt like you were on a music journey with them, kind of like an electronic tone poem of sorts. 

Listening to their music always brings me back to that 15 year old who loved synthesizers and gear and wanted only to make music all day.


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## germancomponist (Apr 13, 2013)

dcoscina @ Sat Apr 13 said:


> Listening to their music always brings me back to that 15 year old who loved synthesizers and gear and wanted only to make music all day.





Hey, did you have a listen to my little tribute to the 80s?
http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26884


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## cadalac (Apr 13, 2013)

Germancomponist, you just made my day. =o


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## germancomponist (Apr 14, 2013)

Thks man... .


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## George Caplan (Apr 14, 2013)

Rctec @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> I've been a fan since 'Phedra'. Saw them at Guildfort University. Became friends with Chris Franke. Ended up with his big Moog, which I obviously still use to this day...
> The other groundbreaking score for me was 'Midnight Express', especially the opening. The inhuman relentlessness of the sequencer gave it a tension that you can't replicate with an orchestra. The early Werner Herzog movies are pretty amazing too, musically. And John Williams' 'Munich' would never had sounded the way it did without those early electronic pioneers.



thats the only one i ever had. i got that at the time and just noticed it was recorded at the manor where tubular bells was done around that time. phaedra was very relaxing and probably still is given the right circumstances. they replaced a real bass with a moog bass or something like that. i was at cambridge just prior to that time but had a couple friends at guildford university and would go over there and see bands like osibisa and dave greenslade. for free! :lol:


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