Customer Reviews

Zoning

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It's not clear when this album was recorded, and unlike in the case of "Green Desert" by the same band, I am not at all interested to know whether it's 1988, 1994 or 1996, when it was finally released on CD. This is absolutely the worst music ever to appear under the label of Tangerine Dream. Like condensed juice, it contains every single musical abortion that is prominent in the Froese output of the 90s. The band released 60 or 70 albums (even a dedicated fan like me can lose track), and believe me, you can do no worse than buy this particular CD. With so many releases, it's easy to make a mistake, and buy randomly. Please, I beg you - do not buy this album. "Zoning" is an absolute abyss of electronic music. I won't elaborate on how the particular tracks fail to deliver anything decent, for they don't, they are uniformly trashy. I have reviewed almost all Tangerine Dream albums, so I would advise you to read other reviews of mine that pertain to Tangerine Dream's musical output. Do everything you wish, but do not buy "Zoning". Please. This album is worth having only for display purposes if you want to show off with your complete collection of their recordings. End of story.

Although billed as a Tangerine Dream album, the credits for this 1996 video thriller soundtrack release suggest that it would be more appropriately labelled as an Edgar Froese solo album. Although Jerome Froese's name appears in the composition credits for the disc's opening and closing tracks, all of the remaining 11 tracks, together with all of the performance credits appear in Edgar's name alone (although the sax playing on `Headhunter' sounds decidedly like that of Linda Spa, to my ears!).

I haven't yet been able to locate a copy of the (German) source film on video or DVD (shame!), so cannot comment on how well this music works in its intended setting. Nor can I say how much of the 70-odd minutes of music on this disc is used within "Zoning" or, indeed, whether it has been altered at all. The sleeve notes indicate that this is a 1994 (sic) studio remix, so there is probably more music here than actually used and possibly in slightly different form. Such considerations apart, though, I am able to report that while this music doesn't really plumb the depths of the great Tangerine Dream soundtracks like "Sorcerer", "Thief" and "Miracle Mile", it is a considerably more solid affair than many of their mid-to-late-80's efforts, such as "Dead Solid Perfect", "3 O'Clock High" or "The Park Is Mine". In fact, I would even go as far as to say that this album as a whole has more variety and is better able to hold the interest from start to finish than some of the `mainstream' Tangerine Dream releases of the same period.

Stylistically, the music is close to the better bits of "Goblin's Club" (though it lacks the tedium of much of that album) or the gentler moments of "Oasis", with the occasional reminder of Haslinger's lightness of touch thrown in. Indeed, lovers of the new heavier pulse that has infected Tangerine Dream's music since "Rockoon" may be disappointed by the lightness of much of the sound-world of "Zoning" but longer terms fans who prefer the band's earlier music should find much to enjoy here. All in all, this is fine release. And probably Edgar Froese's best solo album!

(One closing word of warning: if you intend to watch the video some day and hate spoilers, don't read the CD booklet notes. They reveal the entire plot of the film!)

An Edgar Froese solo project billed as Tangerine Dream - he is the composer, producer, co-engineer and is responsible for all the instruments - the 13-track video soundtrack was released on January 25, 1996.

Jerome Froese is listed as a co-composer on two numbers - The Conspiracy and Missing Link - and a saxophone is featured throughout, though the sound is probably programmed on a synthesizer. Each track is complete, with the clockings between 3:08 and 5:56, which is a plus, considering the abbreviated numbers that appear on other TD soundtracks.

Tangerine Dream was in a transition period as Edgar Froese was moving the group to its own label. The soundtrack may be lost in the mix, but it is solid electronica that does not diminish the legacy of group.

I purchased this album because I try to collect all TD albums which I missed before, especially from 90-es. I think that the latest albums of TD much more listenable and enjoyable rather than earliest. This album is a typical production of Edgar Froese with a little help of Jerome Froese. I can call TD as "soundtrack" group because by my opinion the soundtrack music is the strongest feature of this electronic group which always will be my favorite
among others.