Probe 6-8 Tangerine Dream

• 1 Raum 14:54
• 2 Para Guy 05:43
• 3 Continuum 07:11
• 4 Raum (Grand River remix) 06:18
• 5 Continuum (Barker remix) 05:48
• Total Runtime 39:54

Info for Probe 6-8

Tangerine Dream have been a fundamental influence on electronic music since Edgar Froese founded the band in West Berlin in 1967. Providing the groundwork for multiple electronic music genres including ambient and electronica, inspiring musicians and other art forms, with seven Grammy nominations to their credit. In recent years their music has featured in the popular TV shows such as Stranger Things and video games including Grand Theft Auto.

After Froese passed away in 2015, the remaining band members, Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss and Hoshiko Yamane carried on to help realise Edgar’s vision for of a conceptual album that attempts to translate quantum physics and philosophy into music; Quantum Gate was released to critical acclaim in 2017.

With a new line up, Thorsten and Hoshiko have been joined by Berlin based keyboard virtuoso Paul Frick. The trio have spent 2021 in their Berlin studio working on Probe 6-8, a first glimpse into the forthcoming full Tangerine Dream studio album due for release in early 2022.

The last few months have seen Tangerine Dream, in their Berlin studio space, working on new material – the EP “Probe 6-8”, their follow-up release to 2017’s critically acclaimed “Quantum Gate” album. Classic studio productions and late-night real-time compositions became the blueprint for slowly evolving ambient structures. The band’s sequencer-drived sound in the tradition of the early ‘70s work was combined with lush 1980s crystalline bliss. Thorsten Quaeschning, Hoshiko Yamane and Paul Frick composed and produced with full access to Edgar Froese’s Cubase arrangements and Otari Tape Archive with recordings from 1977-2013.

The first track, titled “Raum” is a bow towards the early live studio performances like “Zeit” and “Phaedra”. A heavy Moog bass marks the beginning and the end of this 15-minute piece, which slowly builds up towards a dry and hard sequence. The melody is accompanied by a chorus-like Roland Jupiter 8 part and an ambient rave Moog Minitaur sequence highlights the final peak, till the violin slowly transports the listener out.

On “Para Guy”, the violin alternates and complements with a prominent Yamaha DX7 pad combined with field recordings from the nearby forest and canal. “Continuum” with its repetitive sequence and broken beat shows glimpses of acid sounds and increasing choral atmospheres.

The B-side of this EP contains two remixes. Berlin-based composer and producer Grand River (Aimée Portioli) gave “Raum” her signature sound. “Continuum” was remixed by Berghain resident and Leisure System co-founder Sam Barker, who harnesses kick-less ambient techno since his praised 2019 debut album “Utility”.

For the first time in decades, Tangerine Dream’s tracks cannot exactly be re-created for a live performance. An EP, which was not meant to be performed live, as a direct response to the many cancelled shows of the last months. “Probe 6-8” is the band’s precursor to their forthcoming full-length album in early 2022, the second studio album after the passing of the founder Edgar Froese.

Thorsten Quaeschning, synthesizer, sequencer
Hoshiko Yamane, violin, electric viola, electric violin
Paul Frick, synthesizer, sequencer
Edgar Froesem, synthesizer, sequencer (tracks 1, 2 & 4)

Tangerine Dream
Very different from your standard 'Heavy Metal Records' band, 'Tangerine Dream' are a German Electronic group that were first founded in 1967. There mix of Electronic, New-Age, Ambient and even Psychedelic has created a unique and iconic sound that has helped them to have a very successful career. In terms of line-up, the group have undergone many changes over the years, with founding member Edgar Froese being the only continuous member of the group until his untimely death in January 2015. During the peak of their career, the best known and most constant line up featured Froese as well as Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann, before in the late 70's keyboardist Johannes Schmoelling replaced Baumann. Over their incredible 49 year career, they have released over a hundred albums and have been hailed by many as key influential figures in the development of popular sub-genres of Electronic music including "Krautrock", "Berlin School", "Electronic Dance Music" and "New Age Music".

The group however are perhaps most famous for their work in film, and over the years they have composed and recorded the soundtracks for a number of big Hollywood films, most of which were released in the 1980's. These included the films "Sorcerer", "Risky Business", "Legend"and "Firestarter". They also composed the score for the fifth instalment of the extremely popular "Grand Theft Auto" series, "Grand Theft Auto V" which has gone on to receive worldwide critical acclaim and has won hundreds of game of the year awards. And it's film soundtracks where their association with Heavy Metal Records comes in, in 1984 the group composed and recorded the soundtrack for the film "Flashpoint" starring famous actor and musician Kris Kristofferson. The soundtrack was released through Heavy Metal Records that year with the film making $3,854,833 at the box office. In fact many of their soundtracks have gone to be more successful than some of their studio albums and in the years since, it's clear that many composers have taken influence from the groups iconic and revolutionary take on Electronic music for film scores.

This album contains no booklet.