Electronic Meditation [Original recording remastered]

Tangerine Dream | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Castle - Old Numbers
• ASIN: B00004C4L6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,623 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an amazing debut for the ages, April 16, 2001

By 

Sean M. Kelly (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Electronic Meditation (Audio CD)

No, this is NOT your father's Tangerine Dream performing on their 1969 debut lp. What it is, however, is a meeting of 3 of Germany's most productive musicians ever.

Edgar Froese, the guitarist and founder, studied under famed artist Dali and proceeds to put together a unique combination of musicinas that eventually becomes Tangerine Dream. He meets up with avant-garde meistro Conrad Schnitzler (The Madman from Berlin), who adds his cellos and guitars to the mix. Add to the cauldron the amazing drummer (and later moog specialist) Klaus Schulze , and the mix is complete.

The results of their experimentations are sometimes uneven, mainly due to poor editing, but the music is unlike anything heard before or since. From the blaring of Schnitzler's cellos to Schulze's hypnotic and explosive drumming and Froese's freaked out guitar licks (and that's just on the first 2 tracks), "Electronic Meditation" takes off for the cosmos and never returns. On later tracks, add Froese's keyboards and moogs for added textures- the only partial sign of what would come later for the re-invented band. But on this lp, it is Schulze and Schnitzler that dictate the pace and orientation of the lp. It is pure psychedelia and avant-garde at once.

Schulze would leave the band shortly thereafter to help form another prominent band, Ash Ra Tempel, and later to a prolific career as the foremost master of the moog synthesizer on such classics as "Cyborg," "Timewind," and "Irrlicht." Schnitzler would perform some on T. Dream's 2nd lp, "Alpha Centuari," before quitting to form the anarchic trio Kluster with Moebius and Roedelius. Schnitzler has since recorded over 200 lps, by far the most prolific of Germany's musicians.

Froese, as we know, would re-invent Tangerine Dream as the moog and synth-driven band that created gems as "Green Desert," "Phaedra," and "Stratosfear," but their 1st lp stands out as their most purely emotion driven and among their most innovative ever. It's an amazing listen that has to be heard many times to be believed. Pure passion and power. Cellos, fuzzed out guitars, Schulze's powerful drumming. Pure freak outs. An awesome lp.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So different, it's hard to believe it's really TD!, November 15, 2001

By 

BENJAMIN MILER (Veneta, Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Electronic Meditation (Audio CD)

Why is this, TD's debut from 1970 so underrated? Perhaps because many buy this expecting more of the same synth happy material and it's not found here. The lineup on this album was quite different, this time with Edgar Froese, Conrad Schnitzler, and Klaus Schulze (here, he plays drums, rather than keyboards). Let me tell you: this album rocks! I'm serious, this is by far their most rock oriented albums as it's heavy on guitar, drums and organ. I just love how this album starts slow and keeps building up to a mindblowingly intense climax with some totally wild guitar and drums. If you've heard "Amboss" from Ash Ra Tempel's self-entitled debut from 1971 (which was the album Klaus Schulze played in after he left TD after Electronic Meditation), then you get more or less an idea what Electronic Meditation is like. Certainly the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired, it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can, but that can also be said of Alpha Centauri, and Atem (but oddly, not Zeit which came before Atem). But this was Tangerine Dream like they originally were, the epitome of an underground Krautrock band. Of course they continued to release great albums until the late 1970s, but after that they sold themselves to bland, commercial New Age in the 1980s and 1990s, which is really depressing if you think of it. If you love the idea of Tangerine Dream as a rock band, you can't go wrong with Electronic Meditation. But I warn you: don't let the title deceive you, as it's not particularly meditative, and the only electronics here is electronically treated instruments through sound generators (the only keyboard used here is the organ).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A landmark, May 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Electronic Meditation (Audio CD)

The guitar player, Edgar Froese, founded Tangerine Dream in the fall of 1967. At first, the band played various compositions of the time (covers) and tried to develop their own style. Froese was inclined towards experimentations and free form in rock music. Hence he welcomed musicians playing nonstandard instruments, who shared the same vision. It took time however, to get straight on these goals. Many musicians came and went. In 1969 they recorded their debut single, Ultima Thule, which, if it had been included in Electronic Meditation, would have nicely contrasted the material. In June 2000 a long-awaited compilation was issued, entitled Ancient Dreams, where you can find Ultima Thule. Quick rock instrumental songs with violin and guitar.

The first album recording of Tangerine Dream, Electronic Meditation, sounds as if recorded in the depths of a well. One could say that the stuffing for plush chairs at least found its alternative application. Instead of chair decoration, they were put on the speakers. As the story goes, the trio did not have any professional publishing plans at the time of recording, which partially explains the quality. On the other hand, Electronic Meditation is a manifesto of artists' musical freedom. The flagship of experimental rock. Yes, it is still rock, despite the enigmatic title.

Out of the three musicians who appear on this album, all have become famous in their own way. Edgar Froese continued with Tangerine Dream and co-pioneered so-called electronic rock (or electronic music). From Electronic Meditation, he carried away only the band's name with himself. Klaus Schulze became the grandfather of dark, meditative music and patented the sequencer ostinato that is nowadays sampled by various techno youngsters. From Electronic Meditation, Klaus carried away the title and made it his musical motto. Conrad Schnitlzer apparently continued with experimentation. In over 30 years that have passed since 1969, he pushed experiments to the absolute limits.

Although by itself this album is not fascinating, it stands as a monument in electronic music history, a landmark.