Phaedra

Phaedra is one of the most important, artistic, and exciting works in the history of electronic music, a brilliant and compelling summation of Tangerine Dream's early avant-space direction balanced with the synthesizer/sequencer technology just beginning to gain a foothold in nonacademic circles. The result is best heard on the 15-minute title track, unparalleled before or since for its depth of sound and vision. Given focus by the arpeggiated trance that drifts in and out of the mix, the track progresses through several passages including a few surprisingly melodic keyboard lines and an assortment of eerie Moog and Mellotron effects, gaseous explosions, and windy sirens. Despite the impending chaos, the track sounds more like a carefully composed classical work than an unrestrained piece of noise. While the title track takes the cake, there are three other excellent tracks on Phaedra. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" is a solo Edgar Froese song that uses some surprisingly emotive and affecting synthesizer washes, and "Movements of a Visionary" is a more experimental piece, using treated voices and whispers to drive its hypnotic arpeggios. Perhaps even more powerful as a musical landmark now than when it was first recorded, Phaedra has proven the test of time.

Young adults in Germany during the late 1960’s and early 70’s were in an incredibly tough spot: They were either born in the shadow of atrocity or at the end of its reign. Their country was split in two and many of the people in positions of power - parents, teachers, judges, etc - had either been silently complicit or willing participants in the horrors wrought by Nazism only two decades earlier. They were looking to escape their past, to create a new identity for themselves, for their country; an identity that didn’t borrow from the new world super powers, something unique to who they were as Germans in a post-World War II world. An identity that would say to the world, “we are not who our parents were.” Something that was new, something radical. When the place you were born is responsible for one of the most despicable acts in human history and the entire world knows it, where do you go to escape? Space. At least, that’s where the Germans went. Kosmische music (“cosmic music”) was the ultimate artistic expression of that desire for a new cultural identity. Using electronic instruments (sometimes in combination with traditional rock instrumentation, sometimes not), bands like Tangerine Dream, Can, Cluster, NEU!, Faust, Kraftwerk and others created a sound like nothing else in the world at the time: It was experimental and uncompromising, pushing the boundaries of what music was and could be. They experimented with noise, repetition, unconventional and extreme sounds to create an otherworldly ambience. It’s safe to say that they probably didn’t know how much they would change the world. They were only looking to forge a new identity for themselves, but they ended up providing a blueprint for the future of music. Phaedra, like many of the Kosmische records of the era, can be measured by the sheer amount of influence it had on the music that would follow it, which continues to this day, but that is not the whole story. This is music that, 50 years on, does not sound dated. In fact, it still sounds ahead of its time somehow, like it’s being beamed to us from the future. The German experimental music scene of the 1970’s is one worth delving into, not only because of its profound influence on modern music, but also as study of artistic expression: It’s not outside the realm of possibility that we will find ourselves in a similar situation to the German youth of the sixties and seventies one day. …and maybe that is why this music sounds as though it comes from a not-too-distant future. (Postscript: There is an excellent BBC documentary, “Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany”, that covers the German experimental music scene in great detail, which ended up being a source of inspiration while writing this review, along with my long time love of German experimental rock. You can find ”Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany” on YouTube.)

Makes me want to do yoga to it or get stoned and watch a lava lamp for hours

beep boop music

5.0 - Incredible. I feel like I'm strapped to a gurney, being transported to the mental ward of a massive spaceship.

I feel anxious listening to this

Hot garbaggio

When the first track started, I was reading some of the background information on Wikipedia. I saw the reviews and thought, no way. As a classical music lover, this both is and isn't my type of music. However, by the second track, I was hooked. And man, that second track was ethereal and gorgeous and captivating. I would not only work to this, but literally just sit in silence to this. Pleasantly surprised.

apologies but this just stressed me outtttt

Spotify only had side two, and after listening - that was enough. Ok spacerock mood music. Good for a hospice or similar spot. ⭐️⭐️

Not particularly surprised by the low score on this one. Many people would just call this avant-garde noise and move on. Maybe not entirely incorrect, I guess... But as someone who adores electronic music and is trying to get into ambient music, this is a beautiful album. I love how the soundscapes morph and transform through the pieces, I love how the synthesizers paint an environment that is simultaneously futuristic and natural. I don't care that the title track is 18 minutes long, it changes form so much through the course of the song, and I think it could probably be likened to a classical piece in some respects, with how it has quiet parts that crescendo and fade away. The remaining three songs are each shorter than the title track, the longest being nearly ten minutes and the shortest not much longer than two minutes. They are all just as sweeping, ambient and interesting as the title track, but I must say that I particularly loved Movements Of A Visionary for its arpegiated synth working with other synths and organs to paint one of the colder, darker pictures of the album, but it's cold and dark in very much the same way that space is. There's an especially weightless feeling to that track, and it makes it perhaps the most incredible ambient track I've ever heard. In some ways I can see how the synthesizers and oscillators of the day were more their own bespoke instruments rather than the sleek, computer-controlled, DAW-driven electronic tracks that form much of the popular music scene now. It was interesting to read and hear how the music would change and detune through the performance of Phaedra due to equipment warming up. It's genuinely interesting to me, reading about these kinds of hurdles and imperfections that artists had to deal with as the pioneers and trailblazers of new genres, styles and techniques. It really paid off though, because even fifty years on, this sounds just as wonderful and space-age as it must have done upon release. The more I read about Tangerine Dream, the more interesting it seems to get. While it's not particularly noteworthy that it's a band that has outlived its founder, it's interesting to see how many people have been part of the band since its inception in 1967. There's some "Ship of Theseus" discussions to be had about what makes a band a band, but it's great to see how it still exists, and I hope that Tangerine Dream can continue to live on in this way long into the future. They seem like the type of band to do that. Also it was interesting to see that Tangerine Dream helped compose the score for Grand Theft Auto V, but honestly it doesn't really surprise me. The OST was a masterpiece (Not even including the licensed tracks) and I firmly believe it is one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time. It's pretty interesting to see that this was recorded in a village barely 10 miles away from me. What happened, Oxfordshire? There used to be so many studios... It's an interesting link to a city I saw while I was still too young to understand and appreciate it. Someday I'll go back to Berlin to immerse myself properly into this scene. Gorgeous, gorgeous album. I'll definitely be looking more into Tangerine Dream's impressive discography after this one. Favourite: Movements Of A Visionary

Very ethereal, not what I was expecting, made the last hour of work enjoyable. And it just went into another full Tangerine Dream Album without me noticing.

Can't dance to this, can you? Disturbing soundscape that pressages a fair amount of dark ambient. I bet this was cool back in the 1970s with a good set of headphones and a certain degree of, ah, refreshment

My life became a loading screen that was stuck for around 40 minutes.

A truly beautiful piece of work. I can't believe this is from 1974. The title track is the real obvious highlight here, but the 3 tracks after it all hold their own, if not as grand as "Phaedra". Love the interesting sounds and textures of this album

The first time a space rock felt more space than rock, and I loved it.

I'm pretty amazed that this was produced only six weeks after getting a new modular Moog setup. I'd still be trying to get a fucking sine tone out, let alone have mastered the sequencer. Classic precursor to Berlin School electronica, capturing an incredible sense of cloudy space. (With phasing!)

I'm not sure which review to print: This is either an amazing album or I accidentally left the wet vac going in the basement fifteen hours ago. Eventually this album ended and the sound continued, so I think it was the overextended wet vac I was mostly grooving to. Or Did they make another Exorcist movie and I missed it?

It's hard to have much to say about some of this early electronic work, but I certainly enjoy it. Tangerine Dream shares some similarities with Kraftwerk in terms of their use of synthesizers and sequencers, but this feels much more spacey and ambient than anything from Kraftwerk. It's progressive, but there's always something interesting happening. There's a lot of music that came after this album that was clearly influenced by it 4/5

"Otherworldly space-travel escape dream synth trance music with no lyrics is my jam." I lifted this from another review and it describes how I feel exactly. A lot of my music listening has been Moog based Kosmische Musik this year. This album is fantastic.

insane pull to be blazed for first listen

Very cool overall. I love the ethereal soundscape nature of it, and it’s crazy how popular this has gotten both given its style and also only through word of mouth. It’s definitely not a regular rotation album but it is very good.

that was fantastic - and well ahead of its time. dreamy and ethereal - i loved it

Probably my favorite Tangerine Dream album. The introduction of the sequencers gives their sound more rhythm to sink your teeth into while still retaining a good amount of ambient atmosphere throughout. Absolutely love headphone rides like this in the dark. Blows my mind that this was top 20 in UK and top 200 in US at the time. Would love to jam in this more abstract way. Shifting in and out of movements. You can see why their sound lent itself to soundtrack work, very cinematic.

Not sure I understand why this is THE Tangerine Dream album. I can't find anything resembling melody, I prefer Cyclone and Stratosphere 2.5 🌟

This album sounds like an ancient, frozen, alien hell. Fantastic.

for starters; a lot of people don’t seem to realise the link to spotify is wrong and only shows two tracks on side B, making it 10 mins short. go to the deluxe version and the first four tracks is the actual full album. so the album; i Love this. def listen on a good pair of headphones. it massages my brain so nicely. i love ambient music in general and i’m very impressed they managed to create this back in 1973. in the same year they started recording the album, they purchased a moog that originally came from The Rolling Stones. so they had to learn how this worked in a short while before deciding to record. idk, it’s all very interesting reading about the process of this record. and the influence it had on the genre in the years to come. i wouldn’t listen to this without headphones as it probably won’t achieve the same nice brain massage. fave track is the 17 min title track. it’s simply Amazing. a low 5.

Just the kind of Echos-like fever dream I love. I should have been listening to this for decades already. 4.5/5

I want to trip to this

At last, an album that definitely and without doubt deserves it's place here. This should certainly be in the top 50 albums of all time. Rubycon should probably be here too.

Never heard anything like this. Obviously has to be listened to in a certain situation or it doesn't work, but this hit me at the exact right time

Ambient, elevated.

One of those classics that is impressive for it's time, easy to listen to intently or passively and hugely influential. That being said, my personal taste is that they got better from this point forward. Hyperborea and Rubycon being superior records. However, no DAW and they made something this futuristic sounding? Without them no progressive electronic? wild.

I sat and listened in a trance like state, mesmerized by the wayfaring, mysterious, alluring and hypnotic music. The oscillating, serpentine, space-age keyboard sounds are fascinatingly beguiling, sounding futuristic and antiquated at the same time. Put simply, it's a delight that takes me to another time and another place.

I enjoyed this so much as soon as it finished I started it again so I could hear more

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It does this thing where it lets you drift in your thoughts until BAM it sucks you back. I love it. I wish it were longer. Though that is more likely the fact I heard it on a weekend. If it were a weekday, I may have thought it was the perfect length.

BEST SONGS: - Phaedra - Sequent 'C'

Never listened to this kind of electronic before - interesting “celestial”, but with a certain force and drive

Loved this. Ship me off to another galaxy, I’m ready 🌌🪐

Zeit and Rubycon are better than this for sure

I love Tangerine Dream! Perfect trip music to relax to.i listened to it at least 1000 of times.

My first time listening to Tangerine Dream was like the musical version of taking random research chemicals. I did not know what to expect but I was blown away. Coming into this album, I knew what to expect. I wouldn't call their albums 'albums' per se but a soundscape to a really funky daydream you're about to have. It makes sense that these guys do soundtracks because they know how to set the stage for a story with their music. Phaedra is no different, to me this is like sitting down and watching a sci-fi movie in my head, I absolutely love it. Tangerine Dream composed and performed probably my favourite movie soundtracks of all time for (probably my favourite movie) Michael Mann's 1981 debut feature film Thief. It was nominated a razzie for worst movie soundtrack. The group were maligned at the time and reading the global reviews here are still maligned. I can understand not enjoying this type of music, but for me this is my jam. Highlights: All

These are some harsh reviews for such an incredible album. Tangerine Dream were at the cutting edge of electronic music and the German rock scene that would strive to reject tradition wherever possible. They looked to avant-garde and academic circles to see what else was possible. But calling this academic-inspired electronic music doesn't do it justice. It's the post-war uncertainty and bleakness that comes through, and probably more so than from the likes of Kraftwerk or Can. Tangerine Dream were facing the future with a sense of fear but unwilling to look back. You hear it in the very rich ambient soundscapes of this album. Unlike Eno's ambient that could be listened to or ignored, "Phaedra" sounds like it wants to invade your dreams. The Moog synthesizer is on full display here, and pushed to the absolute limits of the technology available at rhe time. Tangerine Dream would spend three hours a day getting the sound just right, followed by 12 hours of recording, pushing themselves to the limit as well. The synthesizers would overheat and the change in pitch would cause the music to warble in real time. Today, you could easily pre-set a synthesizer to cut back a lot of work. However, the limitations are what makes the album uniquely human and eerie. This is the stuff of very strange dreams and alien landscapes. It's beautiful and really holds up well today.

Unlike any electronic music I’ve ever heard. A beautiful dream forever beyond one’s grasp.

Otherworldly space-travel escape dream synth trance music with no lyrics is my jam. I can see how people might hate this but I could live in this album. Headphones are mandatory. Debated whether giving this a 5 is consistent for me but knowing this is and will be a go-to for background/backdrop is enough. Memo to myself: even though it probably should...not everything has to be in 7/4 time. 9/10 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this album for being an early electronic music album. This album actually felt like it got the Odyssey feeling it was going for rather than just being a series of disconnected beeps and boops. I joked with my wife that this album sounds like someone trying to both make music and make love with a Pac-Man arcade cabinet at the same time. I would definitely consider listening to this one again even if it was just his background noise.

This was enjoyed by half of the family on a drive from Destin to Panama City Beach. General concensus was 2-3 leaning toward 2. I liked it more than expected - reminds of sounds played while in line for Space Mountain. I could see myself putting this back on. 3/5

Quite a mellow album. I kind of feel like we got this classic album instead of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" just to share the wealth of atmospheric albums, and if so I'm grateful (as much as I enjoy most Pink Floyd albums). The title track is very very long, obviously, but an interesting progression, especially for early synthesizer compositions. (And fascinating to read about how challenging it was to set up and play and record the Moog equipment they used for aspects of the tracks.) I'm not sure I'd necessarily listen to this again, but I'm glad to have finally heard Tangerine Dream, who sound nothing like the 80s pop/new-wave band I always assumed they were from their name.

Artsy people on this site will have sophisticated opinions about this album. I’ll roll my eyes as I read them and then throw on some more Billy Joel.

The entire time I was waiting for the intro to end. It's not bad though, I feel like I'm in a movie soundtrack. Funny enough, I prefer the parts without electronica instruments in this album.

A haiku: Whoo-hoo, the Germans! Laid the land for this music I’m … a little bored

My dog hated it

A little bit of a nothing playlist, it was just a bunch of sounds, not even LoFi, but just things happening as if they're on a very microscopic level. It was pretty much the same, but overall a bit meh.

When I found out this was German, I thought “Yeah, that tracks.”

Who listens to this shit? Pretentious robots?

Not for me

Ugh. Electronica.

At best, its incidental / background music on a low budget 70s scifi. Tangerine Dream have done some good stuff, but this is not one of them.

0,3/5

Rating: 0.9 This sounded like a group of room temperature IQ aliens released a mixtape and one of the unsold copies plummeted to Earth.

Why?

Hard pass

In 1974 this was genuinely something new. But it all lacks power, movement, music. No, this is too little

I feel like I really need to be in the right headspace to listen to this one. I know of Tangerine Dream work that I actually don’t mind, but this didn’t hit for me. Also not sure if we listened to the right album, as the one that came up was only the 2 tracks, but I definitely like the eery elements of these tracks.

I hate Trance music I hate anjunabeats. i CANT STAND THIS EVEN IF IT IS ELECTRONIC COULD NOT FINISH AND DID NOT CARE

Perfect backdrop to float away on one summer afternoon.

Now this is the kind of electronic music I am into. Atmospheric, ambient, experimental, hypnotic, and slowly evolving. The synths all have an analog warmth and the sequencers and delays are incredibly well composed. This is the kind of album that I had to stop everything I was doing to just sit, listen, and fully absorb it.

Sick Awesome

Fundamental e imprescindible, como cualquiera de sus primeros discos, no digamos ya de sus tres primeros con Virgin. Phaedra suena a Rubycon Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares es sonido cósmico. Movements Of A Visionary es todo un viaje. La Electronic Music, dentro de los anales de la historia de la música popular (Pop), resulta toda una revolución tanto creativa como tecnológica, ampliando y casi destruyendo los confines de lo que era posible reproducir y (re)crear dentro de los márgenes de la industria musical, a partir de la gloriosa década de los 70’s. Puede decirse que tanto franceses como alemanes dieron vida a esta forma de contemplar una nueva música desde el academicismo, siendo los estadounidenses durante los 60’s los encargados de introducirla paulatinamente a la producción de contenido más popular, para finalmente volver a ser los germanos los encargados de refinarla y redefinirla. Los artistas implicados de esta labor llamaron a su efervescente escena como Kosmische Musik, naciendo de ésta dos escuelas que se diferenciaron por el enfoque que daban a sus obras: La BERLINER SCHULE y la DÜSSELDORFER SCHULE. La primera se caracterizaría por sus complejos arreglos de sintetizadores, generalmente muy contemplativos, melódicos, y de extensos desarrollos instrumentales, incluyendo el amplio uso de secuenciadores, así como de otros instrumentos no-electrónicos sintetizados. Entre sus figuras principales se encuentran bandas y músicos como los ya mencionados Tangerine Dream (destacando su importancia en la Progressive Electronic, el desarrollo del Ambient, el Dark Ambient y el Drone), Klaus Schulze (dueño de increíbles operas futuristas, cada una con un arsenal más amplio de herramientas electrónicas), y Ashra (pioneros de la New Age, y precursores del Techno). Por otra parte, encontramos a la Escuela de Düsseldorf, compuesta por Neu!, Kraftwerk, Faust, Cluster (quienes colaborarían en más de una ocasión con Eno), Harmonia y La Düsseldorf, que se caracterizó principalmente por su énfasis en la parte rítmica, dando vida a un sonido mucho más frío y urbano, que sería una gran influencia para el New Wave, Synthpop, EDM, Space Disco, Post-Punk, Minimal Wave e Industrial Music. Cabe aclarar que existen músicos cuyos trabajos no son fáciles de definir y que no aparecen enmarcados formalmente dentro de estas escuelas, como son los casos de Popol Vuh (también pioneros del Ambient y la New Age), Conrad Schnitzler (siendo su trabajo mucho más experimental, el cual oscilaba entre el Drone, el sonido de Berlín, el uso de cajas de ritmos, hasta sonidos cercanos a la música Industrial) y Günter Schickert (teniendo un sonido cercano al de Ashra, un tanto más experimental en el uso de guitarras eléctricas). Con estos antecedentes, comencemos a desmenuzar los trabajos que serían la base para la gestación de Phaedra, quinto álbum de la banda. La historia de Tangerine Dream se encuentra relatada en etapas, que marcan no sólo progresos creativos sino también su crecimiento dentro de la industria musical, centrándonos aquí en la transición que tuvieron desde The Pink Years a The Virgin Years. Su primera etapa creativa se le conoce como The Pink Years debido al sello que acogió su disco debut, así como sus tres siguientes álbumes de estudio: Ohr, sello alemán que se especializó en lanzar música netamente experimental, y cuyo logotipo era una oreja de color rosa. En su catálogo se pueden encontrar algunos de los primeros discos de bandas vinculadas a la Kosmische Musik, como son Guru Guru, Ash Ra Tempel, Xhol o Embryo. Para su primer LP, Electronic Meditation (1970), la banda contaba con una alineación muy diferente a su época más clásica, y que podría considerarse hoy como un notable supergrupo (que se disolvería tras ésta grabación) conformado por Edgar Froese (para muchos, el alma de la banda), Klaus Schulze y Conrad Schnitzler (quienes se encuentren familiarizados con el Black Metal y la banda noruega Mayhem, reconocerán su labor en la apertura del EP Deathcrush de 1987). Careciendo en dicho momento tanto de una meta hacia la cual ir con el sonido de la banda, como de un conocimiento profundo en cuanto a la manipulación de cintas y otras herramientas electrónicas, se dedicaron a realizar una experiencia auditiva especialmente exploratoria, utilizando muchos instrumentos acústicos que serían poco comunes en sus posteriores obras, tanto en TD como en sus carreras en solitario, haciendo del estudio de grabación un laboratorio para científicos locos, pero alcanzando un resultado totalmente vanguardista y estimulante, lo que les valió comparaciones con los trabajos más erráticos de Pink Floyd, como es el caso de Ummagumma (1969). Lo anterior no estaría muy alejado, pues tomando muchas influencias de la banda de Cambridge, es que realizan su segundo LP, Alpha Centaury (1971), mucho más centrado que su anterior apuesta, y cuyo sonido parece una extensión del sonido más espacial y electrónico (aquí ya comienzan a experimentar con sintetizadores, gracias a la incorporación de Christopher Franke) de Floyd, pero denotando a su vez las primeras señales de una identidad propia, que precisamente explotarían en su tercer disco: Zeit de 1972. Un álbum doble colosal, donde profundizan ampliamente en el uso de sintetizadores, en piezas abrumadoras que rondan los 20 minutos, recreando atmosferas, fenómenos/objetos astronómicos y organismos extraterrestres durante una exploración espacial, como si de astronautas se tratasen. Además, cuentan aquí con lo que sería su alineación clásica gracias a la llegada de Peter Baumann. Es entonces, entre Zeit y Phaedra que encontramos un disco quizá menor dentro de su discografía, pero que sería la transición perfecta entre estos dos colosos de la electrónica, y que es necesario para comprender su siguiente paso creativo: Atem (1973), último disco que firmaron bajo el sello Ohm, para posteriormente firmar con el sello británico Virgin Records, dando paso a su vez a su época dorada llamada The Virgin Years. Es interesante cómo una tienda dedicada a la importación de discos del llamado “Krautrock”, pasó a convertirse en uno de los sellos más notables desde su fundación en 1972, firmando con músicos de gran renombre en la industria a lo largo de su historia (recomiendo bastante el compilatorio Losing Our Virginity, The First 4 Years ’73 – ’76, para que se hagan una idea del amplio catálogo que consiguieron tener). En UK uno de los movimientos que mayor auge tuvo durante esa década fue sin dudas el Progressive Rock, y al tener entre manos aquellos discos tan extraños salidos de Alemania, emparentar esas dos escenas musicales resultó todo un negocio para los dueños del sello, que se dedicaron a fichar esas bandas y venderlas por algo que no eran en términos estrictos: una versión alemana del Progressive Rock de UK. Pero obvio, funcionó muy bien, y dio mayor auge a bandas que realizaban una música tanto diferente como atrapante. Los primeros alemanes en ser fichados por Virgin Records, serían precisamente Tangerine Dream, debutando con Phaedra de 1974. Como sucede con muchos discos que se consideran legendarios por su apoteósica explosión inventiva, Phaedra contó con sesiones de estudio que fueron maratónicas y desgastantes para los miembros de la banda, quienes eran capaces de pasar 15 horas trabajando y experimentando nuevas formas de exponer sus ideas por medio de sintetizadores y secuenciadores (su uso como reemplazo del bajo eléctrico fue algo rupturista para la época, al ser uno de los primeros álbumes en que se utilizó éste instrumento), hasta alcanzar aquella perfección que suele ser una quimera. Avanzaban a paso de hormiga, sí, pero con una seguridad inquebrantable, al ser el camino correcto. Dicho desgaste vino acompañado de errores en las grabaciones, daño de los equipos por la alta complejidad de las mismas, al tener que manipular constantemente cintas de audio y utilizar frecuencias realmente graves o agudas, lo cual no era habitual. Se encontraban en un espacio desconocido, donde incluso la tecnología opuso resistencia hacia aquél destino distante llamado “Phaedra”: un cuerpo celeste majestuoso, nombrado así por un personaje de la mitología griega, cuya historia (como todo buen mito griego) incluye dioses, mucha sangre, romances incestuosos y tragedia. Tras aquella tragedia producto del exceso de trabajo y el estrés, la banda se tomó un descanso en el campo y volvió con más energías e ideas para trabajar; trabajo que se tradujo en las cuatro piezas que repasaremos a continuación. Con un crescendo sumamente poderoso, que nos arrastra con toda la potencia de la fuerza gravitatoria, inicia la composición homónima y más extensa del álbum (casi 18 minutos que abarcan todo el lado A del LP): Phaedra, entre fríos alientos de un ser intergaláctico, antiguo como el tiempo mismo, lo que podríamos confundir con el vacío del espacio, llamándonos, mientras suenan teclas de cristal que se deshacen y susurran un escenario de fantasía que se va deformando y creando vibraciones que resuenan por todo nuestro organismo. Luego son los secuenciadores (de mano de Christopher Franke) los que nos engullen como olas, oscilando su forma acuosa que se acelera, y donde se perciben algunos goteos. La nave que vamos pilotando atraviesa cuerpos extraños, que crean ecos, mientras la situación se vuelve realmente tensa dado los patrones repetitivos que siguen los secuenciadores, que avanzan en su tono paranoide, a los que se sobreponen capas de sintetizadores más ensoñadores, replicando voces humanas que nos tranquilizan, que más tarde se transforman en melodías cósmicas mucho más cálidas y contemplativas. Los secuenciadores toman presencia otra vez, con un sonido mucho más grave y profundo, marcando un ritmo incansable por encima de toda atmósfera y sonido extraterrestre. El nivel de detalle que se aprecia en estos apenas 7 minutos es impresionante y muy evocador. Perfecta para ser la banda sonora de algún cómic firmado por Moebius (pseudónimo del historietista francés Jean Giraud; no confundir con el también músico germano Dieter Moebius, miembro de Cluster). Entre los graves bajos que se devoran la pieza, se escuchan soplidos dramáticos de flautas de alguna dimensión paralela, que se los traga el propio espacio, así como cualquier otro sonido presumiblemente orgánico. Todo esto, hasta que los mismos bajos distorsionan su marcha, en ritmos quebrados para desaparecer también. Se oye el abismo, objetos que caen, quizá teclas rotas en un tono desconcertante. Dark Ambient en su estado puro. Ya no sé si son alucinaciones, o realmente se oyen graznidos de aves, resonando en una atmosfera divina, como es el canto de las ninfas. A partir de aquí se contraponen esos dos estados antagónicos de luz y oscuridad, sin prevalecer uno sobre el otro, sólo un claroscuro omnipotente y masivo. Pareciera que todo terminará en silencio, salvo por el eco de voces que se escuchan en la lejanía… quizá humanas. Mysterious Semblance at The Strand of Nightmares, promete un viaje mucho más calmado ésta vez, al ser una composición creada principalmente a base de mellotron, interpretado maravillosamente por Edgar Froese, al que se suman múltiples efectos de sonido, dando una sensación mucho más volátil al sonido del instrumento, añadiendo efectos como viento, aire comprimido, y máquinas que se deslizan y posan sobre nosotros; las mentes y cuerpos se elevan y dejan abducir por semejante delicadeza. La inmensa espiritualidad que nos empapa, es el motivo por el cual Tangerine Dream ofrecería conciertos muy especiales en catedrales (aunque algunos pobres tontos los acusaran de sacrilegiosos). Ésta no es la música del “cielo”, sino de los cielos. Con un inicio mucho más mecánico, Movements of a Visionary, nos introduce en un ambiente mucho más frío e incómodo, donde ondas de sonido bailan y mecen entre gases tóxicos, volviendo el aire imposible de respirar, en cristales que golpetean la superficie. Pronto se avecinan y toman presencia los secuenciadores y sintetizadores, generando un movimiento mucho más dinámico, rítmico, ruidoso, hasta tomar una forma más melódica que dirige el resto del viaje, donde tomamos el peso del trabajo tan minucioso realizado con los sintetizadores (además de órganos, mellotrones y teclados eléctricos), al dejarnos nadar entre una multitud de voces, de timbres y de melodías viajeras que, si dejamos ir todo lo demás, seremos capaces de captar el equilibrio que conforman en un todo. Es difícil decantarse por un arreglo en particular, convergiendo todos en esta experiencia auditiva tan poderosa. Cerca de su final, se alejan las secuencias y los órganos más sacros, capturados por aquellas vibraciones y silbidos del cosmos. Ésta meditación trascendental en forma de álbum, cierra su ciclo con Sequent C’, basada principalmente en un solo de flauta interpretado por Peter Baumann, alterando aquél sonido orgánico y humano en uno mucho más catártico. No sé si cierra algo o no, al causarme tantas crisis existenciales y cuestionamientos sobre esta condición terrenal. A lo mejor no es un proceso que tenga un inicio o un fin bien demarcado, sino que son ciclos infinitos, aunque no entiendo muy bien eso que es “infinito”. Sería necesario revisitar Phaedra, ese cuerpo celeste y volver a vivir esto, a ver si obtenemos respuestas que sean diferentes y quiebren la matriz, que no nos deja “irnos”. A pesar de que no se trate de un disco fácil de asimilar, Tangerine Dream cosechó grandes éxitos con este puntapié inicial que marcaría su brillante paso por Virgin Records, donde no harían sino crecer ampliamente en lo creativo y lo comercial, dejando su huella definitiva en la historia de la música con clásicos como Rubycon de 1974 y Stratosfear de 1976 que, en su conjunto con este disco, pueden considerarse como el triunvirato perfecto de obras maestras del amplio repertorio de Tangerine Dream, que de por sí es glorioso y envidiable, tanto por lo realizado en estudio, como lo capturado en directo. Dando por terminado este recorrido, me gustaría proponerles a ustedes lectores, una pequeña dinámica: luego de que hayan experimentado Phaedra, una joya en la Escuela Berlinesa, vayan y escuchen el álbum Autobahn de Kraftwerk, también de 1974, para que puedan completar el puzle y conocer un poco sobre las similitudes y diferencias que guardan la Escuela de Berlín con la Escuela de Düsseldorf. Bon voyage. CRÉDITOS: Edgar Froese Mellotron, guitar, bass, synthesizer, organ, producer, sleeve design, cover art, composer Chris Franke Moog, keyboards, synthesizer, composer Peter Baumann organ, electric piano, synthesizer, flute, composer Phil Becque engineer https://nacionprogresiva.wordpress.com/2020/03/03/analisis-progresivo-phaedra-de-tangerine-dream-cuando-la-electronica-se-mezcla-con-el-progresivo/

Trance chill

What an immensely beautiful album. Both haunting and wonder inducing. I think I ended up listening to the album 4 times yesterday.

I absolutely love this album and most of what Tangerine Dream get up to. reading about their challenges with the 'cutting edge' equipment. Moog + Mellotron = 5 stars. I can understand why this may not be everyone's taste, and it sure is anxiety producing, however the sonic landscape they paint is breathtaking. The track 'Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares' is an emotional journey, mostly due to the Mellotron, an instrument that breaks me in most of the songs its used!

Love this album, my go to chill out record.

This was a really interesting listen, it works exceptionally well at night I'd say. It was a really spacey and sort of atmospheric listen that I could definitely see myself going to, and it ended up being a little more ambient than I expected. I really feel like these German guys had it figured out in the 70s.

Just the album I needed today I think. Superb progressive electronic music masterpiece from kraut legends, I wish this list had more of these. Probably quite easy 5 stars

If you like analog synth and proggy song writing you are in for a masterpiece. If you don't like those things, you better run far away from this album because it will travel interstellar distances over eons to find you, never giving up until you hear its aural splendor. Once you do you will abandon your previous life to build an analog synthesizer, module by module, to offer it up as a sacrifice to this album. However your intricate craftsmanship betrays you and you get tangled up in patch chords, ensnared by the very machine you wished to sacrifice. You realize the folly in this, yet you are ensnared and can't escape. The mailman hears your screams and alerts authorities, who come and free you from the electronic behemoth. In your disillusionment, you wander the earth for years looking for a sonic template that can elevate you to the dizzying heights and transport you too the interdimensional places that Phaedra had. You never find this peace and you will never be the same. You are cursed to wish the impossible: that you would've just listened to some synth music sooner. And if you had, things would've been a lot different. You could've been happy.

ambient elettronica stupenda

wildly impressive early electronica, heavily rhythmically grounded despite no percussion (synthesized or otherwise). fascinating soundscapes and individual sounds.

An absolute classic, I wish there was more ambient stuff like this represented in this book. The perfect album to just put on and float away to.

I will not include the bonus tracks from the deluxe version in this review. I've heard of Tangerine Dream, having listened to some of their songs as they appeared in the show Stranger Things. They are a long-running German electronic music group founded by Edgar Froese, who was the leader and sole constant member up until his passing back in 2015. Their recorded output is enormous in scope - over a hundred studio albums, live albums, even soundtracks for films and video games. The most fruitful of these records would be their mid-1970s run with Froese, Christopher Franke, and Peter Baumann, when the band was signed to Virgin Records. Phaedra would mark the beginning of Tangerine Dream's international success, and I can see why. This album is immaculate; a rich, dense blend of atmospheric textures constructed from multiple synthesizers and organs, complete with Edgar's driving Moog sequencer and even some lush recorder playing from Peter that nestles its way into the mix. This music makes me feel like I'm drifting into the cosmos. It is astounding how these gentlemen were able to keep this ambient music thoroughly engaging throughout multiple extended tracks, particularly the title track, which went on for so long that they had to improvise as the oscillators detuned in real time. It must take a good deal of skill and craftsmanship to adapt on the spot and still make the piece awe-inspiring. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" ebbs and swells, as if the synth chords were mimicking a string arrangement, with the sonic whooshes coming and going. "Movements of a Visionary" features from bustling sequencers that creak and screech, evoking an almost extraterrestrial quality. As for the closer "Sequent 'C'", it closes the record on a very ethereal note, as the recorder is echoed and reverbed into this airy send-off. It was admittedly hard to describe, but Phaedra is such a gorgeous ambient synth record. It does feel weird to see Tangerine Dream still going without any of the members from this classic lineup, but in any case, they've already cemented their legacy with albums like this.

Really enjoyed this. Beautiful, atmospheric music and very innovative for its time. Sounds like classical music at times.

Amazing early electronic music album

Spacey electronic. Reminded me of Oxygene, but more mellow and ambient. I actually really liked it, and will listen to more of this group 5*

Bør helst høres på i verdensrommet, eller på en Weltron.

Soundscapey and haunting. Just gorgeous.

I gave this 5 stars when I listened to it last May, listening to it again I'm not totally sure why I was so pumped, but I trust that version of me to have given this the proper rating. Feels like a good soundtrack to some deep work.

𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘢 is easily the most natural entry point into Tangerine Dream’s labyrinthine discography. Despite being more than half a century old, the album sounds almost outside of time — the analog sequences breathe, drift, and evolve in a way that still feels modern, even inevitable. What impresses me most is how 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘢 holds tension between structure and atmosphere: it’s experimental without feeling remote, immersive without becoming aimless. The music unfolds slowly but with purpose, as if discovering itself in real time. If there’s one album that shows why Tangerine Dream became a cornerstone of electronic and ambient music, it’s this one.

Just incredible

Space ambience and early synths into a truly wonderful pre-eno sense of ambience, strings, size and grandeur and something driving behind it. This is more like a suite rather than an album that pioneers the first use of that now classic synth sound. This slaps.

4.6 That was fantastic. It's extremely rare I save down every track from an album, but being a four-track very early synth/prog album it stood a decent chance. Can hear so much here in what was to bloom and blossom over the following decades, fair bit of Tim Hecker, Boards of Canada and everyone in between. Only weak point was the last few minutes of the titular track, but other than I was loving every second. Great find.

Exactly what im looking for, for studying and lessening stress

(90/100)

Amazing how music can be simultaneously blissfully ethereal and darkly foreboding. Perhaps the most beautiful and delicately composed electronic music I’ve ever heard.

I'm kind of surprised this album has such low ratings on this site. It's a monumental album in its genre and is very listenable while achieving a weird, spacy, vibe. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

Love the 80s Edgerunner drums.

It's cool.

Moody

I feel like I am flying, I usually don’t listen to this type of music but there is something about this album It’s kinda calming and scary just so artsy, I really had to take in the sound Also a German band let’s gooo Sadly I couldn’t listen to this on my music streaming service but of YouTube it’s fine as well :(( pheadra from the greek mythology lusted for her stepson?! What? I definitely wanna listen to this again when I am high lol

Slišala sm že za Tangerine Dream, ampak poslušala pa nikol. 4 komadi, ene 35 minut - gremo! So far (prvi, 17 minutni komad, "Phaedra") - kul, atmosferično. Spet, elektronika done in a good way. Zj k to poslušam (in zadnjič Kraftwerk), totalno vidim vpliv na Bowieja, predvsem album Low (in wiki ne razočara, Bowie je bil prijatelj z Froesejem in še živel pri njemu, skupaj z Iggy Popom). Kosmische Musik, indeed. Ful ambientalno, zunajzemeljsko (a je boljši izraz?), čudovito.

This may be the best example on the list so far for albums that you need to listen to on headphones straight. Tangerine Dream is great and this album is almost hypnotic. Very cool listen and really puts you in a headspace of what Germany must've been like when this was made. Hope and searching despite despair from the past.