EPSILON IN MALAYSIAN PALE

This album was inspired by Froese's visit to Malaysia and Australia while on tour with TANGERINE DREAM in 1975. I have the 2004 version which has been re-recorded and remixed.The first track on my version is 1 1/2 minutes longer and the second song is 18 seconds longer.The major difference between the two versions is that the newer one has been given the digital treatment from Edgar. I have read from those who have both and they all say that the first version is so much warmer with the abundance of mellotron that was originally featured. There is mellotron on the first track, but I couldn't hear any on the second one.

"Epsilon In Malaysian Pale" opens with some jarring sounds in a jungle-like atmosphere.Very cool. It smooths out to spacey waves of sound a minute in. Mellotron can be heard as well. A change after 8 1/2 minutes as the waves stop and an unsettled soundscape takes over. Lots of mellotron follows as it becomes spacey again with a moog passage of around 4 minutes. A change again 13 1/2 minutes in as those jarring sounds with that jungle atmosphere returns. It's spacey again a minute later. Unsettled again 16 minutes in. Great song but I can't help but think the original recording would sound more like that hot, humid Malaysian climate than this does.

"Maroubra Bay" is in Australia, and is the title of the second side long track. It opens with what sounds like waves washing in on the beach as spacey sounds play over top. Pulsating sounds join in as well. The waves seem to disappear for a while at times but they always come back. The synths sound great after 15 minutes.The waves are back consistantly after 16 minutes to the end.

This is well worth 4 stars although I wish I had the original recording. Edit : December 2012. I have the new box-set released by Virgin Records that has this cd in it's original form WITH mellotron ! I'm a happy guy. 4.5 stars for this one !