So many years ago that we can count them as decades, Tangerine Dream released Electronic Meditation. That was in 1969, just a mere set of years after the birth of Rock and Roll. I personally wasn’t aware of them until Phaedra was released back in 1973, and that was because of a strong promotional push as Phaedra was the first for Virgin Records. That’s when I backtracked to experience the first four (before Phaedra). By the time Stratosfear was released in 1976, I had become a strong fan. Stratosfear simply strengthened that appreciation more than I would have thought possible.
There are many periods of Tangerine Dream to explore, all of them with a different style of ambient textures than the period before each. And when Tangerine Dream went into soundtracks. One of those is the excellent Sorcerer soundtrack. It is as much an important part of the film as the film is itself.
At the head of Tangerine Dream was Edge Froese. And all through their long running tenure, Edgar Froese was at the core of the band. And now, some 45 years, the heart of the band has dissolved into the ambient stream that he so loved. It’s appropriate that we use the titles of his compositions to reference his passing.
With so many albums to his credit over the time he headed Tangerine Dream, we have more than usual to experience his thinking mind. But with the news of his death , it feels like music breaking away from a composition, and expelling into space.
Edgar Froese, thank you for the wonderful music yo have sound-tracked my life, and the lives of so many others, with. We will miss your existence on this planet, in this sphere.
Edgar Froese
1944-2015
RIP
Lovely tribute Matt – many of Edgar’s compositions soundtrack my formative years, including TD classics such as Rubycon, Zeit, Tangram etc. and his solo releases, especially Stuntman RIP …
This is shocking. I saw them in 1993, the Rockoon concert. Christ, no, not Edgar Froese. Aqua and Ypsilon in Malaysian Pale were two of the most important albums of my youth. I’m going to get them framed today.
Thanks for so much, Edgar.
Edgar Froese forged and inspired so much of my own creative force, and paralleled so much of what I deem sacred in life as well as my own musical career. He helped light the path for me in so many ways…I have nothing but respect and admiration always…I too think there is no death..Hope to hear you on the other side one day.