Phaedra

It is difficult to muster a strong opinion in either direction about ambient music. It was decent to write to, but I don't think I would listen again in any other context.

Innovation does not always equal art. Or maybe I just don’t get electronic music. But a 17 minute song is a crime.

Ambient electronic soundscape - must be hugely influential to loads of artists and music I like. Dreamy, cinematic and trancey. Superb. 5. (Shame I listened to tracks 3 and 4 first before finding proper version on Spotify).

Good sci-fi movie music and probably better on a stereo better than mine. Can't imagine wanting to listen to it again unless aliens attack me in the middle of the night, then it might be pertinent

Always like the idea of Tangerine Dream but then someone would say about a film "oh it has a Tangerine Dream soundtrack too" I'd watch it and then not remember anything about the music. This album was a bit like that though did think much of it was reminiscent of Floyd's On The Run. On the whole probably prefer something with a little more bite and can't see me choosing this over, say Gottsching's E2:E4. Was maybe hoping for a bit more but then expecting both Kraftwerk AND these to finally click in the same week is probably getting greedy...

Not what I was expecting, and more enjoyable for it. Fantastic ambient album! Went out to buy some tangerines after listening, ended up with a 4 pack of Cruzcamoo Seville orange beer.

Beautiful, love ambient and Kosmische Musik

(3/5) A Tron Soundtrack **10 YEARS** before the movie. This is the prototype for all the ambient, synth stuff that came after it. So, while I think it's insanely boring, I actually appreciate how groundbreaking and prescient it was. For once, in this god awful category (electronic/synth shit..) Dimery actually provides us with something you COULD consider essential listening. This group was so far ahead of the curve, they deserve an extra star. It's also how I feel (now) about some of Eno's early stuff. It all paved the way for the mountain of garbage that came after. That is interesting, even if not entirely appealing. My wife fell back asleep to this, this morning while listening to this in the background and that speaks a lot to the quality/type of music it is.

Was not at all familiar with this one, and the deluxe version on Spotify (coming in at 2 hr 35 min) scared the bejeebers out of me. Once Wikipedia cleared up the actual track listing it was a lot easier to stomach, and it wasn't hard to fall into the almost 18 minute trance that was this one's title track and entire first album side. Mixing psychedelic prog and electronica into an ambient dreamscape seems pretty groundbreaking for its time, and I have to say that I got more into it as the album went on. That said, while I could appreciate the sonic experimentation and mood of the album, by the time it was over there didn't seem enough substance to really draw me back to it. Still a solid 3/5, but didn't quite rise to what Kraftwerk were doing as contemporaries.

182. Phaedra - Tangerine Dream (1974) 8.23.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 3 = 4.4 rounded down to a 4 "There is no death, there is just a change of our cosmic address." - Edgar Froese This is an album I first heard I think after I read about it in 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die by Tom Moon ( for those who might be interested - another great list book, but with a slightly different intent and set of criteria). I was already a Tangerine Dream fan, having liked several of their film scores ( Sorcerer and Thief are especially cool). I liked it enough to buy it on vinyl and later on CD ( both of which I eventually sold as streaming made slimming down my collection a much more attractive prospect), and used to listen to it as chill out music. Whatever that says about me. THE TRACKS Side A "Phaedra" - Do you love that bit of weirdness in Pink Floyd's "On the Run" from Dark Side of the moon? Is your favorite part of 2001: A Space Odyssey the stargate sequence? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time listening to 80s ( and retro 80s-liek) electronic film scores or playing games like Below or Hyper Light Drifter? Film and tv scores like the ones for Beyond the Black Rainbow and Stranger Things? What about the whole genre of Dungeon Synth? If so, you might like what these Krauts are slinging on this track. At the very least you might be fascinated to see how far back some of the threads go to something like this. Phantasmagoric. Kaleidoscopic. Dreamlike. Possibly even hallucinatory, depending on what state of mind you are in when you listen - all of these words could describe this track. The full 17:39 takes you on quite an intense journey, full of twists and turns in around the sort of electronic noise that could very well annoy the ever loving shit out of a good percentage of anyone willing to throw it on. And honestly, I could not blame them for being turned off. Even if you're really big into film scoring with this kind of vibe. It's much looser, and more disorganized than any of that stuff has to be, but i think ultimately it's similar ENOUGH, and it's diverse enough that you can find little nooks and crannies you might really dig, even if the whole does not work for you. If you can make it past around the section that starts around 11:30, where it sounds like a pod of space-faring dolphins are warning off some sort of cosmic predator, then I think you can, and should keep going. Otherwise, maybe write this one off. I can see the fingerprints of this album, and this track in particular, over SO MUCH horror film score history that, for that reason alone, I don't think I could ever not like it. In addition to that, I find this shit relaxing as hell. I've fallen asleep to this one at least a few times. Side B "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" - This track starts off with sounds that seem to imitate an ocean tide beating upon the shore before immediately burying you under some massive synth lines ( mellotron I think) that makes me picture maybe a deserted beach upon alien planet. There are sounds that almost replicate some hideous gigantic church organ, and a wooshing, sweeping motif that comes in adds some strange organic vibes. The title of this one might give you the impression that you're in for a bit of horror, but it feels more .... well, mysterious than anything that wants to evoke fear. This is much prettier and calming I think than the first side overall, even if there is still plenty of discordant and odd touches. It's very easy to draw a line from this to, say, the 1984 Dune film score by Toto, with the bubbly Moog sequencer arpeggios and eerie waves of Mellotron lines. "Movements of a Visionary" - This track is a lot creepier, and starts off with a series of hiccupping, glottal noises that sound like some horrible predatory creature stalking you through some dark cavern. Some more musical sounds come in and add to the whole weirdo alien nature documentary vibe, with insectoid buzzing, whistling, and some glassy, twinkly, crystalline noises. There's a tenseness and sense of panic about this one, where the last track was much more soothing. "Sequent C'" - the shortest track on the album by a mile, this one serves as a comedown of sorts to the intenseness of everything before it, and makes picture maybe a barren Arctic landscape, wind whipping drifts of snow around, and nothing for miles in any direction. It would have not felt out of place in John Carpenter's The Thing. Note: The bonus tracks "2nd Day" and "Flute Organ Piece" are entirely worth your time if you liked the original detailed above, and can be found on the 2019 Box Set (In Search of Hades: The Virgin Recordings 1973–1979). Also readily available on Youtube. HIGHLIGHTS - All of it MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS As much as I like this album, I FULLY recognize that it's not everyone's cup of tea, and that it might be a bit handicapped by the fact that it's probably best enjoyed in a dark room, with some good headphones on. Possibly with the assistance of one or two controlled substances ( dealer's choice). A light show is optional, but if you have the capability, by all means... In other words it's not a casual, just throw it on in the middle of the day while you do dishes album ( for most). It's less an enjoyable listen as it is an experience to be had, and for that reason i can't quite give it the full 5-star endorsement. There's a lot of heavy lifting required on the part of the listener to make this a worthwhile endeavor, and it's not anything I would recommend to most people. But when you do find those likeminded people, prepare to receive many, many recommendations about a bevy of avant-garde or ambient artists, the likes of which will fire up a very particular type of music nerd. I totally get why it was the one album chosen to represent the group though, as it's easily their most influential one. Every one from Georgio Moroder to the Stranger Things composer I bet have owned and loved this one, and its impact on popular electronic music I don't think can be overstated. Even if this sort of thing is not your bag, it's worth giving it a listen at least once, if just for the aspect of it's importance in popular musical history. And if you end up liking it, please check out the other weirdo shit below and welcome to the club! PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nope FURTHER LISTENING - Elektronische Musik 1952-1960 by Karlheinz Stockhausen - A Rainbow in Curved Air by Terry Riley - In den Gärten Pharaos by Popol Vuh - Kraftwerk by Kraftwerk - Tago Mago by Can - Rubycon by Tangerine Dream - Epsilon in Malaysian Pale by Edgar Froese - Timewind by Klaus Schulze - Oxygène by Jean-Michel Jarre - Blade Runner film score by Vangelis - To Live and Die in L.A. film score by Wang Chung - Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld by The Orb - Selected Ambient Works Volume II by Aphex Twin - Music Has the Right to Children by Boards of Canada - Circular Forms by Abul Mogard - Beyond the Black Rainbow film score by Jeremy Schmidt - Betrayed in the Octagon by Oneohtrix Point Never - Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation - Below video game soundtrack by Jim Guthrie - The Baneful Choir by Teitanblood - Another World Another Time by Erang - Fogweaver by Fogweaver

You know, the day after I mused on why quite a few albums from the last 10-15 years on the list seemed to be for tuning out the world and just vibing under your headphones the generator throws one up from 50 years ago or so to show me that its a long standing tradition. Well played generator, well played. I rolled my eyes at this while listening to it. More music to ignore to, I thought. Then, I read a bit about the scene of kosmische music. It was hard for me, a middle-age American dude in 2026 to hear the generational transgression that was occurring between my ears. This spacey ambient music was the German youth of the time throwing up the double bird to their parents generation. A complete break with what came before. To me that has always been loud. My own rebellious music consisted of lead heavy guitar sounds and pulverizing power chords. I guess I was incapable of hearing that in electronic loops and mystical synth sounds. I can respect that, even if its not music for me. I'm glad the German youth found their voice. I'll give it a 3/5 on the strength of that. Also, they do good movie music too.

Sounds just like the “focus music” I use to Lock In™️ from the Headspace app (complimentary)

I'll say this was pretty cool (once again no surprise from one of these weird German electronic groups). The first 15 minutes of the opening track felt a lot like I was in a horror movie, and then the rest was also pretty atmospheric and cool ambient. I feel like a lot of soundtrack music maybe inspired by this?

Another album to put in the category of just being one that I listened to, and will never think about again as it contributed nothing to my life, positively or negatively. I guess this one I have a bit more to say about as it's slightly more experimental and left field than a lot of other stuff on the list, but either way it still didn't hold my attention at all and I was glad to move on to other things I actually wanted to listen to after it finished.

I can't think of any situation where I would listen to this or even put it on as background music. It's not that it's not kind of interesting but it seems to be something that needs to be paired with some kind of visual media as background music, not something to be listened to on its own.

Not sure about this

Two songs is not an album unless you are Fela 🗯️😾

Kinda booky

Really good ambient, like the sequencer style

Lush, dynamic soundscapes that swirl around you. The sounds on Phaedra are very interesting, as they have a lot of depth. There's not a lot of variation in them though; there are four tracks here but it's hard to distinguish them. And I think that's the album's biggest problem - it doesn't really build towards anything there are a few moments where things get a bit more interesting, but those moments are short. A listener who looks for these kind of sounds would love this, but I struggle with ambient because of how content it is to stay in the same place, so I struggle with this too.

Никогда не понимал и похоже не пойму, что вынуждает исполнителей делать композиции длиной более 10 минут, в которых почти ничего не происходит. Весь альбом – это бесконечный цикл однотипных звуков, окончания которого начинаешь ждать почти с самого его начала

I’m gonna need more shrooms for this to be my vibe.

Nopers

Elevator music

Cool album, all the more interesting because of when it came out.

Interesting

Je suis plus de type Kraftwerk que Tangerine Dream. Quand je vais chez mon voisin Guy, genre pour lui retirer une tique au cul, c'est souvent de la musique dans le schtyle transcendant comme ça qui joue.

C'est tellement nice le sonndes synth analogues. Ma nouvelle passion. Entre ça et Eno, je prends ça 1000x. C'est mon devoir de ramener la culture québécoise de temps en temps, on a été voir Flore Laurentienne le mois passé, et on peut clairement voir son inspiration ici.

Surprised by how good this was, you can hear echoes of it in later ambient like the orb and FSOL. A revelation.

Definitely a must listen but one listen is enough

Ooooh instrumental AND experimental! Some fancy shits'a -comin'!

Orange flavors are so hot right now in NYC

NOTE: At least on Apple Music, this album isn't available as a stand-alone release but all the tracks are – rather unconveniently – on "The Virgin Years 1974-1978" collection instead. While this isn't necessarily my favourite Tangerine Dream album (Rubycon and Ricochet that followed this one are), this was the first one I heard from them somewhere around 2007 or so and it basically changed, if not my whole life, than at least largely how I listened to music. There's just something about those Moog sequencers that I simply never get tired of. In vacuum, I might not give this full five stars but since it's their only album on the list and it was, nevertheless, hugely influential for me personally, I can't give it anything lower either. If you like this, go give Rubycon and Ricochet a listen as well.

It felt like I was waiting in the queue to ride Space Mountain in Disney World. And I mean that in a good way.

This was one I was dreading as I have always believed this was a band that I could get behind but somehow knew it was not going to be for me. It really wasn’t. I don’t even think it was the lack of lyrics; I also found the tunes to be quite meaningless. I can see why they went with scoring films, in that context, to have as a background while more interesting things are happening on screen, it works well. As far as I am concerned, a dream about tangerines would have been more interesting.

Fine but didn’t need it in my life.

Wtf

“I had the Tangerine Dream last night.” “You mean the one with Michael Caine telling Batman about his trip to Burma?” “No, the other one. About Freddy. Or Federer.” “Phaedra.” “Yeah! So we went into space and it was very chill, I slept a while and then we met aliens, and we had lunch and we kind of toured the galaxy, and it was really peaceful. And kind of boring but in a chill way. And it went on for a long time, but I didn’t mind.” “So… did you like it?” (pause) “Yeah it was okay. I wouldn’t go again. But it was cool when the Joker showed up.” “That was the other dream.” “Oh… yeah.”

very futuristic, very electronic, somehow only listening to it tells a clear story. it's often chaotic and also relaxing. I gave it a chance despite being a very long album. it was a bizarre experience but somehow in a good way

This album wasn’t on spotify (only two of its songs were) so I had to listen to it on youtube - which didn’t bode well. Never have I been so happy for an album to be over. I strongly strongly dislike this. I’m glad that music of this type (eg ambient soundscapes) are on this list but I personally did NOT enjoy this one. It made me anxious and stressed. I can see why this is absolutely some people’s cup of tea and I can also see how this could be completely transformative for some people - but it’s decidedly not for me, and that’s ok.

I actually liked this far more than I expected to. Moody, interesting, and doesn't outlive its welcome.

There are cool sounds

Loved what i found on Spotify (only 2 tracks) need to get hold of the rest!

вайбово, сохранил.

С утра покушал какашку

Challenging listen, challenging review. Brings us to a question - what is music? Clearly this is an album. But is it music? There are sounds, but no recognizable melody, at least nothing that is sustained or feels thematic. But I do want to listen to this. It draws me in, just like things that are more easily labeled as music do. Edgar Froese must have had quite the freaked bean to want to do this and share it with the world. A couple friends in college played Tangerine Dream for me - I don't remember what albums. I've always had a corner of my musical taste reserved for 'ambient' music and this fits quite nicely in that corner.

waarschijnlijk zeer sterk album toen het uitkwam... nog steeds sterk, sterker dan valium zelfs

Very slow electronic music that requires drugs.

More background sound that they call an album. Not terrible but nothing interesting or groundbreaking in this record. Would be a decent soundtrack

A preview of the Stranger Things soundtrack in 1974.

While this is absolutely the music I would listen to if I wanted to commune with aliens and needed to get in the right headspace, it is not something I would voluntarily listen to.

Haha only like 2 songs are on Spotify but still mehh

Superior floaty electronica. I added “Sequent C” to my playlist.

O.O Nota: 3.7

While it was experimental and heavy on the synth, I can't deny that I vibed with Phaedra.

Music to fall asleep to

what

Erm no

couldn’t do it

Look, I get it. It would probably go hard at a club in Berlin. But I’m at work in the US, and I have ptsd from the only rave I’ve been to. Is this an album I must listen to before I die? I don’t think so. There is definitely something to the ambient factor, I can dig that — but it’s a very specific time and place and atmosphere that this fits into. Outside of that, it’s not easily digestible.

those two songs were.... an experience.... 3

Perhaps innovative for its time, but doesn't hold up.

Really satisfying to listen to and interesting what they’re doing. 3.5

20 min un tema no es serio

Maybe this album has some great cultural influence that I am not informed enough to understand, but from a purely music point of view I just didnt understand this. I'm not sure I want to understand either

ummmm

I quiet enjoyed this one!

Wel vet, zeker ook dat dit al uit 1974 komt. Snap ook eindelijk wat "Kosmische musik" betekent. En dat dit uiteindelijk veel invloed heeft op techno enzo. Maar ik zou het niet zo snel weer opzetten

Dull. Worthy. But dull.

TRACK 1. I thought it would be boring. but after 5 minutes you settle and synch with it and it builds. This is 1974 but not as anyone knew it. An artistic accomplishment? For sure. Deeply gentle synth, extremely calm sine-wave Theta like stuff. Reminds me a lot of Brian Eno’s ambient music (music for airports), in that sense. But darker? So. this is soothing music for aeroplane rides and other kinds of spacey trips. Very well made background and focus music. I have heard the bandname referenced many times but didn't know them till now. They now used in soundtracks to Video games like Grand Theft Auto V (not a track from this album). So a resurgence...? At best a very good discovery, but I’d like less of the eerie gloom or dysphoria bits - at worst, it feels like being trapped in a computerised tunnel of sound. Would I pay money for a copy? No. Tending to a score of 3ish 4ish. 3.5?

We rated Portishead's Third recently and this seems to be a massive influence, not so much on the first two but definitely this. It's a bit like those B grade sci fi movies, thinking about it in a weird way the B 52's probably got off on this. Not my cup of decaf instant but I get it in terms of what they are doing here.

I recently reviewed Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene album, and I noticed lots of review saying "well, it's not as good as Tangerine Dream", so let's test that statement now. In truth, this a very similar sounds -- early 70s synthesizers, proto-sequencers and other keyboards (heavy use of mellotrons here) pushed through modular synths for effect (filters, LFOs, phasers, delays). It's a pretty good ambient sound, but really they are quite similar. The difference that I can hear is Jarre's dedication to, you know, actual melodies. Tangerine Dream will tolerate no such pandering! No compromise that people might actually like! I read that Mysterious Semblance was recorded in a single improvised take with Froese and his wife Monique working the keyboards and effects live. "And this practice was to continue for the rest of the session" wrote Froese. This explains everything about Tangerine Dream! They are just improvised ambient soundscapes (which is the problem with most subsequent ambient albums, especially in the 80s -- it all got terribly generic and repetitive). Admittedly Tangerine Dream got there very early, but it also explains how they have released over 40 studio albums. They just crank 'em out, one after the other. Now, I quite like the 70s synth sound. I like that they often go out of tune, which provides a bit of harmonic interest to me. But really, if that's the most interesting thing I can find here, I'm scratching around for slim pickings in the dirt. Dull.

..

Feels like a very long intro to a song like Kuiper by Floating Points, but it never gets anywhere. I guess that's the true ambient genre - one you have to already be in the mood for. I was not. I guess the history lesson is nice. 1974! Berlin's been weird a long time. But if history is the reason to listen, then the first album recording wolf howls better be on here.

I mean, cool they were making space music in 1970's otherwise go suck several dicks

Reminds me of Stars End in the middle of the night on WXPN.

DA ASCOLTARE AL BUIO TOTALE. WOW CHE VIAGGIO. TRACCIA1 E MI SENTO IL PROTAGONISTA DI 2001 ODISSEA NELLO SPAZIO. TRACCIA2 E MI TROVO A CONTEMPLARE LA VIA LATTEA SULLE SPONDE DEL MARE DI NOTTE. TRACCIA3 E MI TROVO NELLA GIUNGLA PIU' SELVAGGIA. TRACCIA4 E SONO MORIBONDO NEL DESERTO NEI MIEI ULTIMI 2 MINUTI. 5/5

Jamais écouté avant. Top : Phaedra Flop : Sequent "C"

A very introspective and cosmic listening experience. I don't really think a favorite song is possible but it was a great listen.

Its a very interesting listen - especially for its innovation given its age. However it lacked real moments of beauty for me and felt quite film soundtracky (without any accompanying visuals).

Phaedra Not a huge amount to say about this, other than it's a fantastic album, particularly the title track’s 17 minutes of shifting, undulating electronic brilliance. The sequenced Moog replicating the bass while the atmospheric organs, synthesisers and voices sweep around creates a superbly evocative and ambient track. As their name was inspired by Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds I feel like the seagull noises from around 11 minutes on are a reference to Tomorrow Never Knows. Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares, as its name suggests, has a slightly more sinister feel, although the motif over the last few minutes feels very hopeful to me. Movements of a Visionary has a slight Asian feel to the tumbling Moog sequence, and is also a superbly evocative song, a little more fraught than the others, but still very beguiling. Sequent C then ends things on a much more low key note, landing softly after Movements of a Visionary. It's easily a 5, it's clearly hugely influential on Eno, Bowie etc, but it is also a superb 37 minutes of music in its own right, feeling more like a classical or jazz piece than anything else. 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊 Playlist submission: Phaedra

This feels genuinely innovative for 1974. The title track is ominous and cinematic - unsurprising that it has since been used in Black Mirror. As an ambient work it's fascinating without ever being entirely immersive. You can clearly hear a route from this towards Bowie and Eno's Berlin-period work, particularly side two of Low (and I since read that Bowie actually stayed with Froese when he first moved to Berlin). The shadow of the avant-garde hangs over it - there's something of Revolution 9 in its voices here and there - but you can also sense a melodic tendency underneath it all. But taken purely as something to listen to rather than something historically important, too much of it still feels like a backing track waiting for something to happen over the top. It can be a tough and not altogether enthralling listen - and then it can be captivating for long stretches. A soundtrack for hire, albeit a good one.

Pointless white noise

There is not a lot to rate. I get it is early electronica, but it was just a long swirly, floaty non entity of an album.

I already prefer whichever version has the super cool alien on the cover. When I did actually listen to it, all I kept thinking about was the talent show scene in Wet Hot American Summer, the part when the nerdy kid performs/harnesses the energy of the universe.

Un álbum totalmente atmosférico y por partes, tenebroso y caótico pero no me llegó a gustar por completo, lo sentí demasiado repetitivo

It's hard to judge ambient music. It does it's job, but is it good? I'm gonna say yes.

I like this type of sound stuff

This was a nice little album, and I hover between a 4 and 4.5, because it is well done, and if the listener enjoys ambient music or minimalist compositions, it has a lot to offer and was a pioneer in that space. However, it is also hard to get too excited about it or feel it is really pushing much of anything with it's lower energy. Therefore, I'm going to give it a 4 on this scale.

I am supposed to like this and yet I do not. Maybe they should have tried using more sequencers.

This one kind of put me to sleep. Sometimes I listen to instrumental music to help me sleep, but this was doing this to me at work. Yay? I appreciate instrumental music. I respect that this was an effort from the 70s for some electronica style music. It was alright. I didn't love it and didn't hate it. It was fine.

Ethereal, excellent concentration music. Makes me want to search out the rest of the 70's Tangerine Dream albums.

Woah

I think only part of the album played

Ambient noise simulator

Interesting funky little alien album. Very sci-fi sounding and I bet was super cool back when it came out. Not really my thing but I can't fault the record for that. Sometimes it can be a little uninteresting but the artists do a good job of mixing it up.

This gave the vibe of what you'd hear on the soundtrack of a crime thriller during the dramatic prep sequences.

More like a nightmare! I listened on a night drive & I think that might be the only way I’d consume this.

Bonus star for some dumbass alien artwork

3.5 great for any focused activity

As with some Krautrock, this is a bit too atmospheric for me, but the use of synths, especially for the tech at the time, is pretty incredible.

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.

The thing with this type of “atmosphere” music is it has to one-hundred-percent lock in to that mood; the least bit of improvisatory noodling will kill it. The side-long title track is too wobbly, too random – there’s no sense of progression, just one part after another. The best track is the gorgeous little interlude “Sequent C,” but that’s only about two minutes. Best track: “Sequent C”

Milquetoast

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/

Podría entrar en la playlist. Tendría que escucharlo con más calma

Only two songs off the album available on Spotify :(

Extremely long and atmospheric. Sounds like a bad trip with aliens. Scary experimental synth sounds and sound effects that build tension. Does get boring after a while. 2/5

Garbage

Meh.

The album makes you realize that it was the Germans who, in the 70s, were the innovative ones when it came to music.

Tästä tuli mieleen avaruus. Pitkäveteistä kuin avaruus. Mutta ei kuitenkaan ihan poistyöntävää.

Aika jumittavaa ja ambienttia, toimii taustalla varmasti kovin hyvin. Tarvii ottaa tarkempaan ihmettelyyn sopivassa välissä

Not really my thing

Well this one was a disappointment. I'd been looking forward to listening to this, having heard that Tangerine Dream basically makes Mass Effect-style spaced out prog music. I guess they do, the problem is these songs DON'T. GO. ANYWHERE. Every song is like one of those ambient, atmospheric opening moments of a Pink Floyd/Yes-styled prog anthem... but the difference is those songs GO places, they don't just stretch that ambient intro out to a 15 minute song! This album does, and it was pretty disappointing.

Boring

Trance chill

John wick core

I'm sure this was monumental when it broke

Could not hear the full album. It was my Apple Music, but really enjoyed what I heard.

atmospheric, and not in the interesting way

Impeccable ambient, spaced out

Very enjoyable. Surprisingly modern sounding. You could here this music in 90’s ambient music.

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

Going into Phaedra by Tangerine Dream, I’ll be honest and say this is not normally the type of music I would enjoy at all. Long instrumental electronic albums are usually not my thing, and on paper this sounded like exactly the sort of record I tend to struggle with. That said, knowing this was made in 1974 and helped shape electronic music as we know it makes it impossible not to respect. For its time, this sounds incredibly progressive, ambitious and way ahead of the curve, so I was genuinely interested to see what I would make of it. I ended up really enjoying this. It’s the kind of album that works brilliantly in the background — immersive, atmospheric and unlike anything else I’ve heard on the list so far. There’s something hypnotic about it, and once you settle into its rhythm, it becomes a very absorbing listen. One thing worth mentioning is that it was surprisingly difficult to track down, as it wasn’t available on Apple Music or Spotify, so I had to listen to it on YouTube. Despite that extra effort, I’m glad I did, because this is definitely an album I could see myself coming back to. Favourite tracks: “Phaedra” Least favourite tracks: Everything on the album was worth listening to Album artwork: Cool album cover

Oh man, this sucks on a whole other level. 1/10

joa ganz ok zum lernen

I have a really short attention span so ambient music doesn't usually do a lot for me. This was pretty decent though, even if it doesn't have a lot of replay value.

At what point does music just become a soundscape? As soundscapes go, it's nice enough, but to actually sit down and listen to this? No thanks.

What a chore. An album can definitely be both interesting and extremely boring to listen to.

Very ambient, much euphoria. Wow. It was cool, I didn’t hate it. There’s some value in here to space out and just explore your mind.

While definetly a pioneering album in electronic ambient music I do think that the genre would get a bit more interesting down the line. That doesn't mean that this isn't good but maybe doesn't feel as ground breaking anymore.

how has this existed for 50 years, this sounds like it was made this year. wow!! not my fav genre but im in awe of how timeless this is

there's something profound about this spooky spooky sound...

Such a future forward record. Released 2 decades before it was made. Incredible to hear it made so far back.

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

was very scared until I realized it was just the first 4 tracks. But still, what?

Note, just the first 4 tracks on Tidal! The whole thing is really unique, its wanky but I loved it. I enjoy the bird noises

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!

I hadn't heard of these guys - but really enjoyed this album and will come back for more dreaming and tangerine-ing!

I guess it's important in music history, but it is also pretty damn dull, and not much happens. Like if you are experimenting, do it to an extent that my mind is blown, and there I have the score of Marty Supreme. It's quite alright, but it's nothing that blows my mind.

One of the better electronic albums of the project. Nice, chill, ambient vibe.

Was thinking this can't be 1974?

Bleep. Bloop. Fart. Chillout music to program to.

Fitting name for this band. They’d make a killing in the sleep aid industry. Wake me when it’s over.

What a sound, this feels like the pioneering space music that I hear in all space media. Like I swear I just hear the Satisfactory background music here, or maybe Mass Effect. But this is also hardly an album to just listen to. It feels it needs a scene or event to be set to, as listening to it straight up is very different from just about everything on this list. My favorite here was Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares. It's eerie, foreboding, and curious (and also half the length of Phaedra). I liked this album, and it feels important, even if it isn't really made for casual listening.

I'm not saying it's bad music, I'm just saying I don't get it.

buena mierda

this is a cool piece of history. it's crazy to think it's so old and still sounds so modern! some parts are definitely more interesting and engaging than other, but i assume that's the point.

these guys are absolutely an institution in electronic music, though i'm not entirely sure what makes this album worthy of inclusion in the list and not any of their others. it's fine overall, but after several listens, i've found my opinion of it depends entirely on my mood that day but doesn't stray much past the 2.5-3.5 star range. favorites: movements of a visionary, sequent c

It's a very relaxing and truly beautiful album. I enjoyed it.

As ambient music goes its good. Don't mind having that on. Its quite minimalist which makes it a bit boring, but its overall fine. There were a few interesting glimmers throughout but not enough to make me want to listen again. 2 stars

I don't even know how to evaluate this. I'm not sure how other people know this is Good™; to me, this is ambient music at its worst, where it's such a nothingburger that I barely even noticed it's on. This might be good music to fall asleep to? Maybe if I did drugs, I would appreciate this more, but alas, I do not and I am bored. Rating: 1.5

My wife said, "This sounds like music for a butterfly coming out of a cocoon."

Мінімалізм слухати цікавіше, там у більшості випадків, у пісні є якийсь центральний елемент чи мотив. Тут же немає абсолютно нічого. Просто купа водянистих сінтів без долі акцентованості. Можливо це треба ставити на фон (ембіент все ж таки), але при активному слуханні мені це здалось абсолютною нудотою. Оцінка: висока 2/низька 3

Unlistenable nonsense

Class! Like something of blade runner. (What do you mean you've never seen blade runner) Love atmospheric ambient weird space music. It is limited to a time and place tho. Best in a dark room with a cosmic light projector on. A joint always helps to.

I mean Im sure its good to meditate or doob to. But for an album to put on and listen to its not that is it " Wasnt unpleasant. " ...Thats the review

Absolute wank. Sounds like the sounds of a very bad trip

Don't need to hear that again

(1/7) ugh

I understand the appeal, but unless I get hopped up on some methamphetamines, this is not going to work for me.

Idek

Got some reading done while listening to this. Very chill. You kind of just let the music wash over you especially when wearing headphones. Not exactly something that's going in my rotation but I enjoyed it.

Sound like the kind of stuff you hear while waiting in line at a theme park ride. I’m just not a big fan of electronic music.

Some of the best background music you'll hear.

This was not the kind of music I needed on a long road trip. When you're trying to stay alert on the highway, plunging into a 17 minute title track of bubbling Moog synthesizers, eerie wind sounds, and detached atmospheric noise is a recipe for either deep anxiety or intense boredom. Without any traditional melodies, driving percussion, or lyrics to sing along to, it felt like my life had turned into a stuck loading screen for an alien sci-fi movie. If I had been sitting alone in a pitch-black room with a great pair of headphones, or maybe just zoning out, this hypnotic journey would likely be the perfect ethereal brain massage but the driver's seat simply isn't that place.

Sounds like the things that I put to sleep on spotify.

Interesting.

I would listen to it again, it was some nice chill music to listen to.

what was availabe was very nice

Love this album, my go to chill out record.

2deep4me somehow.

07/06/2026 It was obviously way ahead of its time... and I can appreciate that, but it was pretty boring. Spotify listeners: 393.7k

Impressed at when this was made, very dreamy/nightmarey. Not my kind of music but still appreciated it.

Fun, but huh? I mean it’s cool lol but the album cover is insane

Meh. I don’t know. Pretty long and I was bored.

Very cool ambient music. Not too long (I’m talking about you, Logical Progression) and fun to listen to

It's not nearly close to be the best thing i've ever heard, but it got interesting the more you listened. It feels like good background music from a movie. Wasn't terrible.

That was certainly a thing I listened to.

Cosmic, man.

If you close your eyes you can almost see the blinking lights of the analog sequencers. Never has electronic music felt both more tangible and cosmic.

Not my thing, alright to nap to though

Kinda feels like Pink Floyd inspired lo-fi. I'm sure it was cutting edge at the time, but i don't know if it really holds up.

First really experimental album here, pretty good for that.

somehow cold and cozy at the same time

Great atmospheric music, very well blended, incredibly cinematic no wonder they've done more than a few soundtracks. That being said, I won't reach for this record again.

Without knowing anything about this record, it sounds like it was the genesis of house music. I'm not a fan of house music really, but this is a neat part of music history. It's a very spaced out, airy album with some experimental synth patterns and sounds, played at high tempo. Didn't really do much for me.

I guess once upon a time the sounds that Tangerine Dream made were other worldly. These albums still have a reputation as most enjoyed by drug users but over the years, these sounds have more and more become associated with sci-fi soundtracks and the like. Still an enjoyable ride.

Sure I’d listen to this wandering the desert at Burning Man. But on the bus to Scarborough- immediate snooze fest.

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.

um, okay?

veru futuristic sounding, surprised this was from the early 70s; don't think i would return to it really; sort of stressed me out 3 stars

This was very innovative, given the rudimentary technology of synthesizers at the time. However, I still think the music is lifeless and uninteresting. I didn't like it then. I don't like it now.

Freaky man.

I feel nothing.

This is may be how David Lynch inner voice sound like

Do I know this band? Looks like I added their album Zeit to my streaming library on August 2nd, 2024 at 9:35 in the morning and never listened to it. I guess I don't.

As someone who listened to a ton of 90s/00s porcupine tree in high school, the influence was palpable. I thought the textures were quite impressive, and I needed to go back a few times and heard something different each time. 4/5

I think if this was more modern, I'd be less impressed. It's nice, pleasant, longform ambient electronica that occasionally piques the interest but largely twiddles and bloops along in the background. For being made in 1974, you'd have to call it pretty bold; at this point even Eno wasn't really doing this, and the likes of Kraftwerk and Neu! are noticeably more immediate and beat-driven than this.

ok instrumentals

Not my jam

L'électro des années 70 était déjà chiante.

Felt very pointless.

Perfectly pleasant mellow vibes.

Innocuous Krautrock. I’m wondering what drug one would need to be on to like really really love this.

Entiendo la importancia, el peso que tuvo en el desarrollo de la música electrónica pero no me gusta la música repetitiva por eso le doy calificación baja

Sounds like a nervous breakdown.

Interesting? Annoying? I'm neutral

me rescaté de que seguía en el primer tema a los 9 min. Dura 17. Aparte no arrancaba más. Es techno entiendo. Lo saqué

This album goes back to the early days of synthesizer music. Tangerine Dream is noted for starting German “cosmic music”. The album is relatively short and is totally instrumental (electronica). The music is easy to listen to and is another one of those which would be perfect for a museum or planetarium.

The only Phaedra I know was on The Traitors, so at least I've learned it's a name from Greek mythology. This is another weird album. Electronic instrumental, but not very beautiful or inspirational (for me). At least it was short!

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

For an album that came out in 1974, this is remarkably ahead of its time. What we would call 'electronica' was just getting started and a lot of the technology was new. Listening to this now, it would not be surprising to have heard this same album come out any time from the 80s on. I wouldn't ever listen to this again but I can certainly see why it was important to include on the list. It's not my thing but it was fine to put on in the background this morning. 2.5/5

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.

Correcto

Its like Pink Floyd without the interesting bits

I feel like some of my ratings have become slightly unfair... If I decided to rate every album based on my opinion of the album/genre alone, very few would be above 3 stars. I think I need to start rating these for what they are and what they intend to be. For example, this album doesn't intend to pull me in with repetitive hooks or a chorus or a driving bass line, and it isn't going to lose any marks for that. It is meant to be an electronic instrumental album full of new sounds, and that is how I am going to rate it. Would I listen to it again? Probably not... but did it achieve what it set out to achieve? Of course! This was quite a relaxing feel, and some of it was genuinely really lovely to listen to. I haven't really delved into this style before, but I've got to say, it isn't awful by any means. Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares and Sequent 'C' were actually genuinely beautiful pieces that I was surprised I enjoyed, especially with the style of this work. I usually find it really hard to connect in any way to music that either isn't in your native language or instrumental music that doesn't seem to have much going on, but this, however, was actually quite lovely. Favourites: Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares Sequent 'C'

Atmospheric and chill. Seems really ahead of its time. It's relaxing and slightly unnerving at the same time.

I mean, eh.

ambient elettronica stupenda

I struggled with this, more because of todays business didnt suit the music. What i got was electronic classical music with space and waves of emotion. Im going to come back to this.

This makes me really uncomfortable, I had to skip through for my own good.

felt like i was in a modern art gallery exhib (could only find the last two songs on Spotify and i don't think i want to find the first two)

This record has you thinking that something’s bound to happen, but it ne’er will. In other words, it's cheaply suspenseful. That can be fun, & Phaedra is for the most part a soundtrack to a fun albeit odd, pretentious sci-fi film that was ne’er released, but it’s also lacking in bounce & humor, i.e., it’s not vital enuf to sustain our interest. Clearly composed w/ the whole universe in mind, it’s yet not as cosmic as Tangerine Dream conceived it to be. B/c its loops aren’t given much room to breathe or expand, the album is stuck in a palatial abyss that I don’t quite know what to do w/. Tho I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt - it’s certainly better than a lot of the prog it would go on to influence - it’s still no special or magical work of art. Pretty sterile.

There was some thing intriguing about it

Some pretty far out stuff for the mid 70’s. Masterful use of relatively unexplored synthesizers at the time make this all sound so cutting edge for it’s year of release. I can listen to something like a Rival Consoles album from our current decade and point to some similarities to Phaedra. The opening title track kinda has it all; suspense, melody, meditative progression, great foundational atmosphere. It’s not just that it sounds like a sci-fi thriller score, it’s that it is composed in such a fashion that you feel like you’re the subject in that sci-fi thriller. Prolonged and calculated composition choices, like the change in sounds just after 10 minutes into the song. Man, this could induce a bad trip if you were on the wrong substances. White noise swells were an endearing, more classical touch to open up “Mysterious Semblance”. A song which, with the fidelity of its recording technology, gives a very cool sonic texture to those string sounds that take over the song in the early going. Funny to think how this track has tropes that would carry over into the dance music of the 2000’s and beyond. Those white noise swells are so Avicii, the modulation of the phaser/flanger effect about 3 minutes in is so Daft Punk. By these definitions, Tangerine Dream were way ahead of their time. “Movements Of A Visionary” didn’t grab me until its second half, but the dueling synths made it worth the wait. They landed the song with a care and attentiveness I wasn’t expecting during the last minute. “Sequent C” though. That’s where the money is made. WOW. A song that reminds me a bit of Aphex Twin’s “#3” in that it’s echoey and evocative pallet makes you forget you’re listening to programmed electronic sounds. It’s more like you’re placed in some sort of deserted cave where ancient creatures gathered for alien religion worship. A beautiful, solemn, surprisingly purposeful song. Even though it’s the shortest, it’s easily my favorite. I love that this album is way the hell out in the deep, experimental corner left field, but is also made tactfully enough to still have some conventional touchstones in its sounds (whirly moog synths here, swampy creature sound effects there) to reel the audience in on an active listen - which I recommend you do if you get the chance. I can’t blame people for losing patience with Phaedra, but if you give it your full attention it pays off in spades. VERY cool record, 4/5

A bit too abstract for me.

Un disco que escuchaba de joven un poco fumado. Es perfecto para eso. Muy tranquilo y atmosférico.

First electronic album on this list the first song is a 17 minute instrumental Instrumental electronic pretty good Probably not going to add to my playlist pretty good

穿梭，电子合成器，乖离的飘忽不定的牵引线

Ni en la nota más mala me pondría este. Un buen álbum corte ambiente igual, no se como definirlo pero me gusta

Interesting and important in the development of popular music but the content can't compete with what has come after with the advent of digital tools. I'm not an analogue synth-head so compositionally this didn't move me

Background music vibes

It would have been ok in a darkened planetarium,staring at some ambient floaty lights. As it was, it was just kind of...there. Honestly, halfway through the 2nd song, I thought my player had replayed the first track. It sounded way too similar. I get how influential this band was, and I'm sure I've heard some of their stuff at the right moment, and it was transcendent. As it was, I didn't hate it, but it didn't particularly move me either.

Weirdly this is not available in my region (UK) on Spotify or Apple Music so I had to listen on YouTube with ads. I enjoyed it but not sure when I would put it on again.

feels like I got transported to another world

Pretty good

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

Ummmm, this would be a great sci-fi score. As a listen, not so much. 2/5

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.

The first track was both relaxing—since there were no words or lyrics—and unsettling because of its atmosphere of loneliness and alienation. The rest of the album felt very calming yet exciting, like stepping into a new, strange world

Felt like I should have microdosed first

This absolutely needs a laser show paired with it. It's pretty boring without it.

I may return to this in the future. It's one of the smaller 4's I've given, but there's some interesting stuff going on here even if it isn't the most refined ambiant yet Standouts Sequent 'C' 4/5

Interesting sound scales does not always make for an interesting album

War ganz nett

klingt wie in meinem Wohnzimmer, als ich versehentlich die Hammond-Orgel ersteigerte...

No.

Quote hypnotic and meditative. Technically very clever for its time but it won’t replace Force Majeure as my favourite Tangerine Dream album. 3

ugh, what a fever dream of an album. has a certain weird appeal to it

4/10

🎧Groundbreaking and awesome. 4 stars.

This was one of those pretty cool discoveries from this epic list. Something I wouldn't have ordinarily listened to and not my usual go-to music. But something about it was hypnotic and haunting and it's been played a few times. 4 stars 🌟

One of the better electronic albums so far.

I'm sure that this was some incredibly influential album when it came out, but it lowkey just sounds like the audio you use to test if ur headphones surround sound is working.

6.5/10

I thought I don't like ambient music, but I like ambient music like THIS.

alluring!

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.

I liked it. Nice atmosphere. I don’t really see returning to it too often though.

this is what they thought the future would sound like in the 70's

La musique c'est pour le détendre ou passer un bon moment, là ça m'a angoissé. Musique électronique trop bizarre à écouter sans contexte, cela servirait plus de BO à un film de SF ou un jeu vidéo. Note : 2 A réécouter : Non

Interesting, trippy and probably ahead of its time

yeahhh

Great background atmospheric album, just not great to listen to by itself

It’s OK for working, but I don’t really understand what makes this special. It’s very pleasant but

This was work. It might have earned a second star if it was in Swedish. I don't feel like I need to elaborate on that.

not the TD i would reach for

To think that this comes out the same year as Kraftwerk's Autobahn. Two sides of the electronic music coin. I think the album is astounding, if not hard to listen to at points.

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

This is a nice enough listen. It works better as ambient music for me, even though I personally dont think it fully fits that definition. If I am listening to it with more focus, there's nothing that I really latch onto or find fascinating musically. It's just fine.

I wanted to like this more, it was good but not great.

Spherical sounds. International successful, nationaly without significance

I would not listen to this album again, is not bad it's just songs that i would not listen again

Not a fan... well played though.

Grrrrrr. Unfortunately I don't think this is a 1, even though it's a tempting rating. Once again, even though I find very little to love here, it's still impressive -- how one makes something that sounds like this using 1974 technology is beyond me. The one thing that's neat to hear is near the end of Phaedra when the oscillators start heating up and things start spiraling out of tune. Only analog, man. Neato. Still probably never listening again.

Exceptionally long record of noise.

Not a fan. Dentist office music.

inaudible

I found this album more interesting than enjoyable. I didn't dislike it, I think I just prefer the ambiance of birds chirping and a cold pitcher of beer shared between friends after a long hike to some mountain chalet to the ambience of this. It sure doesn't sound over fifty years old though. Thanks for serving me up another interesting nugget of music history in such an easily digestible format, generator. Three cabbages.

listened to again genuinely don't know how i rated this a 3 before it's beautiful

🤔

Good background music at best.

While impressive that all of this was analog in the 1970’s, I feel like this should’ve stayed in the hotbox studio where it was created. Fave song: none 1/5

Background music. A 3 if wfh. A 1 if in the car.

No, I don’t like this crap at all -1😂

Elektroninen musiikki ei käy minulle

super chill

1973. Their first album to feature their now classic sequencer-driven sound, which is considered to have greatly influenced the Berlin School genre.

Sounded like just noise to me

Epic shit for its time and certainly must be recognized, but I just can't give it more than 3 in 2026.

Atmospheric electronic, at times verging on spooky. Decidedly not for me, although I can see its appeal for people into that sort of thing.

I get the Berlin influence, the dance influence, the krautrock influence, yet I'm not entirely sold on the music. Arpeggio's galore, haunting sci fi ambience galore, but all without a central theme to pull you in and consider you as a listener. It's good but sounds like it's made solely for the artist who has interesting emerging (at the time) tech to play with. Will we get this with the first wave of AI artists? The lasting impression was of it sounding like the in between bits of Pink Floyd songs.

Amazing early electronic music album

Not really my thing.

This wasn't for me, but at the same time i didn't hate it

Reminds me of Ummagumma