Tangram

One of their best, this album is full of warm, classic synth sounds married with outstanding compositions. Tangram part1 in particular is one of the best analog workouts ever, featuring polyrhythmic sequences of the highest possible personality, mystery and charm. This is more structed, proper 'music' than their 70s output. Some feel that their earlier magic may be compromised by the newer structures, but here the Dream are at the peak of their powers compositionally and so I feel much is gained. <br />This is easily one of the best all-synthesizer albums ever made.

Released in 1980, Tangram marked the beginning of the Johannes Schmoelling period and ushered Tangerine Dream forward into the new decade, while simultaneously glancing backwards at the 1970s. Although the synth tone colors used on Tangram are "newer sounding" than the brooding mellotron and synthesizers used on their 1970s works, they are still very somber and organic sounding and impart a gloominess to the album that I find very appealing. The album consists of two lengthy pieces including Tangram Set 1 (19'51") and Tangram Set 2 (20'22"), which are fairly interesting and feature the spacey sections and trademark pulsating sequenced synth bass lines that were characteristic of their late 1970s output. Instrumentation consists predominantly of Moog and Oberheim synthesizers, some string synthesizer, with acoustic and electric guitar parts here and there. Percussion is absent. All in all, this is an excellent Tangerine Dream album and forms a nice bookend to their 1970s recordings. I guess that my only complaint is with the shoddy CD reissue packaging, which features a thin paper insert without a single liner note apart from the track listing. Otherwise, this is highly recommended along with all of their albums from 1970-1979 (yes, Cyclone too!).