Tangerine Dream – Springtime in Nagasaki

4 reviews for Tangerine Dream – Springtime in Nagasaki

1. 

   andy – 2022-11-22

   Navel of Light part 1. Edgar starts the album off with a low dramatic drum note, together with a descending bass synth. After a few bars a skipping high hat pattern is introduced. It reminded me more of something from Paradiso, everything quite dry and high up in the mix with usual chord changes we’ve grown used to from Edgar. This leads into an almost `Jean-Michel Jarre-like’ section over a low choir note, with some nice metallic tones and warm synth sweeps, albeit fairly formless without an obvious tempo, here Edgar walks the fine line of holding your interest with timbre alone and just about holds it together with a darker tone taking the center stage, before the tension dies away once again. More powerful chords are then introducedleading into

   Navel of Light part 2. A voice moans, as reversed twittering sounds play with Japanese plucked notes, (I say Japanese but what it actually reminded me of was a hammered dulcimer in tone). Formless and slow, as a languid bass note plays with a choir accompaniment (it reminded me bit of Vangelis in places). It almost doesn’t exist, almost stops, sometimes dissolving into single notes, perhaps hinting at a more improvisational approach?). A voice cries out! (the same sound started this track, it was also used by Thorsten on Madcap’s Flaming Duty) and then a repeated sequence builds (typical of Edgar’s solo work), with long filter sweeps, with parts of melodies that don’t seem to develop and just hang for a few seconds only to fall back into the sequence. A buzzy synth is panned left and right as a rhythmic pulse starts (together with a shaker rhythm) and a sampled wordless female opera singer picks out the chord changes for a while. A high arpeggiated sequence is added only to fall away and then reappear. The track builds in power, without any major changes, but now the bass drum can now be heard as well as felt. The sequencer dies away, leaving just the bass and chord changes. An interesting track, albeit perhaps too long? I never found it boring, but perhaps the lack of a central them or strong melody made it seem longer. However, it’s nice to hear Edgar using some new synth patches for a change.

   Navel of Light part 3. A Jarre like choir plays, with an echoed digital `metallic’ toneup and up and then back to the beginning. A sequencer starts, quite unlike anything Edgar has tried before, comprising of smaller sections of notes that are built upon or subtracted from as they play, it’s hard to describe, it weaves through several key-changes in a rather organic/random manner, and you think it might take off at any moment but it never quite seems to go in the expected way. The track ends with the sound of wind over a choir phrase and a wavetable synth timbre, as well as other diverse sounds like echoed digital clangs and a voice-like element through a wah wah effectwhich leads into:

   Tracks by Thorsten Quaeschning
   Persistence of Memory part 4. Starts with a brisk (although thankfully not `club like’) four-on-the-floor rhythm, with sinuous synth/voice hybrid lead drifts in and out. Sampled sax is introduced (think Vangelis on his the City album) with distorted guitar chord backing. Almost like Pete Namlook in places. Brass stabs are introduced for a few bars, with the sound of water flowing and dripping building in the background. Thorsten once again shows what he can do with a varied palette of new timbres over a static beat.

   Persistence of Memory part 5. Starts with a `Vangelis-like’ intro a bit like a modern Albedo 0.39. With loops slowly cycling, some panned creating a languorous tempo with dripping water samples. The track even included a few seconds from Vivaldi‘s the Four Seasons. A nice filter effect leads into a slightly darker section and its here that a grand piano is introduced; sounding somewhat like Suzanne Cianni meets Johannes Schmoelling, augmented with some fuzzed guitars, it give an emotional edge to this track. The piano dies away leaving a subtle (and perhaps more ominous) feeling, hinting at the true horror that was Nagasaki’s near future. More water and a single drum hit leading into…

   Persistence of Memory part 6. Almost Vangelis like, chugging bass synths, with a soft chord backing, then drums are added with a rather aimless synth solo (the actual sound and melody are a bit weak for me), it actually reminds me of Anthony Philips often overlooked album 1984“. There’s some nice drum interplay from Thorsten. It ends quite suddenly and the rushing water returns to fade.

   2007. andy“

2. 

   Dave S / UK – 2022-11-22

   Navel of Light is typical E.Froese fare peppered with a few new sounds. The trouble is, anyone who’s familiar with his solo work will, as I did, find themselves predicting each new chord change before it happens. Dull.
   Persistence of Memory from Thorsten is much better, with three parts that contrast, yet combine to provide a beginning, middle and end of a larger piece. As with Froese‘s track, however, the music doesn’t feel 100% original, drawing a great deal of influence from the old Picture Palace Music tracks.

   Overall, this album provides enjoyable background music, though it doesn’t really demand the listener’s attention like Tangerine Dream albums of old. Both composers need to move on and stop quoting their old material. Thorsten can get away with it for a while because not many people are familiar with his Picture Palace Music tracks; Froese, on the other hand, really ought to know better.
   Worth buying because you can whip out Persistence of Memory and combine with the good stuff from previous TD EPs to make a decent album. 🙂

   2007. Dave S / UK

3. 

   Mario / Germany – 2022-11-22

   Springtime in Nagasaki” is a fantastic album

4. 

   Bjrn – 2022-11-22

   Got my Springtime in Nagasaki – CD today. Only listened once to it.
   A few first words:
   Song One – Navel of light (Part One, Two and Three) composed by Edgar Froese
   Very calm, have to listen a few more times to it. Did not catch” me yet.
   Song Two – Persistence of memory (Part One