Customer Reviews

Dream Mixes 3

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Originally conceived as a one off, for fun project, "The Dream Mixes" has expanded to 3 titles so far. While the 1st contained mostly re-mixes of titles from their previous 3 albums, the 2nd volume signalled a new direction for Tangerine Dream, with only 1 song being noted as a re-mix, the others being so thoroughly de-constructed they were given new titles. On "The Past Hundred Moons" 2 songs are noted. Also here TD did something which was previously unthinkable - as source music they went to pieces composed before the Froese/Froese era began! Edgar Froese has long been criticized for adding new sounds to old tracks on compilations (in his defense he says that since all the music was previously released, he may as well do something different with it so fans aren't paying money for the same thing twice - you be the judge), but here it gets the "Dream Mixes" treatment. Tracks fron "Poland" and "Logos" are prominent, and Jerome (aka TDJ Rome) turns "Astrophobia" into a drum n' bass romp. The sequences, even when (seemingly) new, harken back to the old days as well, and those simple little melodies that TD has produced of late are prominent (especially on "Meng Tian"). The biggest cringe I get is reading the liner notes, where they "extend some extra loud shouts", presumably to their homeys. Since it is customary to note which era of TD you follow closest, I should say that I like the Scmoelling era (especially 1980-84) and The Millenium Years (1995-present) the best, which probably explains why I'm so enthusiastic about this album.

Another fine production from the mixmasters at TD labs. Dream Mixes are fun for long-time TD fans, because they rename the tracks after they remix them. Thus, you have to listen carefully for clues -- licks, hooks, certain familiar sound effects -- to figure out which track it is that's being remixed. On this collection Froese & Co. cover almost their entire history, from "Great Wall of China" all the way back to "Poland," "Logos" and even "Thief." Won't break any new ground, but it's solid danceable electronica with a little more going on harmonically and a nice addition to your collection.

Theirs nothing better than listening to Tangerine Dream with head phones on finding yourself rocking to the infectious beat. That might be a line from a advertisment, but its not. Any diehard fan of this group would find themself in the same position. The album in question is the Dream Mixes Three - The Past Hundred Moons. Earlier on in the week I found myself logging on line to the Real streaming download of the London concert performed on May 12th this year, listening and viewing of a well anticipated sound. Then a few days later the CD arrives, after the final release date had stopped moving back. What I got was a slightly different cover than whats shown on the web site of dreammixes with the '3' and 'titles' all embossed and it didn't come in the usual plastic CD case. This one is a two-way open flip glossed cover with the CD in the middle, I suspect its from the promotion of the concert. This is a mighty lengthly CD totaling some 76mins. with each track full of beats that you would expect from a mixes album. My own background from being a TD fan goes back to 1977 Sorcerer film soundtrack - the virgin years, Thief '81 & Underwater Sunlight '86. The Pink years didn't start for me - proberbly too young (9) until the Melrose years arrived. With this in mind this album in some ways reflects this period in TD's compositions for this fine album. As you listen you can just about associate each track with their original releases, noting, that it does not sound like either of its 2 predecessors. The album has a much more technical setup from the way the compositions are done - each track perfectly mixed, crisp and modern. As usual each track merrits several listening sessions until the full impact of the sound sinks in, then you really start to enjoy it. I'm not going to diesect each track as other reviewers would, you can, when you listen to it. If your anything like me you've already pre-ordered this album and cannot wait to listen to it - if you haven't, then you will - recommended!

I like this set of remixes from Froese and Froese. I have Dream Mixes 1, 2 and (recently) 3. Whereas I would rank Vol. 2 as first on my list, it focuses mostly on remixing and embellishing the TD 90's output (which is not my personal favorite period of the band, but the re-imaginings of those pieces is wonderful). In contrast, my new second favorite, DM Vol. 3, is a remix "romp" through their 80's output, mostly taking themes from their longer 80s live pieces (I believe from Pergamon and Logos albums, maybe also from Livemiles) and giving them an updated treatment. For me, these are themes I know well, and they were immediately recognizable to me when I heard their treatment on DM Vol. 3. (I have not sat down and catalogued which DM-3 selection is from which 80s live disc, so maybe someone else with more time and a better memory has done so...that would be a great post here, or for the Yahoo TD forum.) Highly recommended!

About half a year after the pure ambient sounds of "Seven letters from Tibet", TD return with a 76-minute disc full of remixes, previously unreleased songs and other obscure material. I'm sure you already know what you have to expect from a new TD release -- the changes and variations ma\stermind Edgar Froese and his son Jerome can create with their seemingly simple formula of merging mid-tempo techno rhythms with lush synthesizer patterns and spacious melodies are nearly endless, so there seems to be very little incentive for musical ambition in recent years. Surprisingly not as club-oriented and percussive as the previous entries in the ongoing "Dream Mixes" series, "DM3" falls somewhere between the attractive complexity of "Mars Polaris" and the band's late-'90s soundtrack projects such as "What a blast!" and "Transsiberia", which means that the blurring of rhythms and noises, of sound effects and music, give the album a soothing and delicate but nevertheless uplifting feel -- this is escapism, energy and beauty all rolled into one and still features that special TD magic. Some people may regard "DM3" as disposable New Age music with a simple backbeat...but at least it HAS a beat, which is something "Seven letters.." and "Soundmill Navigator" certainly didn't offer! The basic problem here is that TD just don't know how to use their depth of experience, so there actually isn't much variation between the remixes to distinguish themselves, nor are there enough sonic details or hooks to give individual tracks character. One tune after another leaves you with nothing to think about other than which differences you can find between this particular tune and material from TD's last 15 or 20 records, and just what the heck all these remixes are supposed to add up to the original versions. That said, there are still enough reasons to listen to „DM3", happily: The 10-minute „Prime time" begins the musical journey in a fine style, mixing space signal atmospheres with mid-tempo rhythms and gentle melodies, while the 8 ½-minute mix of „Astrophobia" flirts successfully with drum `n' bass-tinged drones and fast-paced beats. „Stereolight" and „Diamonds and dust" follow more or less the path sketched out by the first two songs; now and then, hints of guitar riffs and other instruments creep into the mix, sometimes enhaced by choral effects reminiscent of TD's early-`70s work or the steady pulses of sequencers. „Blue spears" is a real highlight, constantly changing the sonic picture during its 8 ¾-minute length by combining dance rhythms of several cultures, dreamy synthesised backing, and beautiful ambient passages. The densely percussive „Meng Tian" also is a similar hybrid of `Eastern world music meets Western techno pop" - not quite as inspiring as the original version on „Great Wall of China" but a bit more suitable for the dancefloor. „Girl on the stairs" was originally composed as the opening theme of a German TV thriller in 1982 and proved to be TD's first top-20 hit single in Germany. The 7-minute version presented here is taken from the 1997 CD-single release of „Girl on the stairs" and is called „Rien ne va plus - extended mix". However, the inclusion of this tune seems a bit pointless to me and confirms a belief that TD are recycling too much of their old material. And as a further „huh?", the remaining tracks, „The spirit of the Czar" and „The comfort zone", sound suspciously like „Poland" and „Logos" plus some modernistic dance beats. Not a bad thing, but the remixes lack the strange undercurrents of melancholy and menace, which were quite appropriate in the times of the Cold War, that made the original songs so attractive. In sum, this disc certainly isn't a milestone in the history of electronic music, but it moves between the genres quite seamlessly and features flawless audio quality and great packaging (fold-out digipak with glossy art-work and golden letters). On a quite positive note, „DM3" is a record you might put on if you have no intention paying attention to it - the perfect soundtrack for doing the dishes or driving in your car.