ALPHA CENTAURI

What an incredible recording is this, one of the first cosmic electronic records ever. While this is greatly enjoyable musically for those who appreciate the genre, It has it's historical importance too since the band members introduced the VCS 3 synth in here, while the use of this electronic instrument into music is populary attributed to Pink floyd on the "Dark Side Of The Moon" album, this was already used by Tangerine Dream two years earlier..

Concerning the album, this is quite different from their first "Electronic Meditation" recording, less rockier, and, as a matter of fact, more electronic than their debut. No more average psychedelic instrumental experimentations in here, but more cosmic keyboards still nicely mixed with element of tribal Rock N' Roll, which will later and sadly (starting with "Phaedra") completely disappear.

The first track "Sunrise In The Third System" is a mellow introduction to their new sound, waves of organ chords mixed with some lead glissando guitar elements. The second track "Fly And Collision Of Comas Sola", my personnal favourite Tangerine dream composition, starts with an terrible sound like if someone was walking with wet shoes on a plastic surface, this unbearable beginning slowly fades out and we can start hearing awesome pastoral and majestic organ chords mixed with an incredible psychedelic flute sound, Christoph Franke then introduces his drums progressively to an incredible climax, the drums add an excellent psychedelic trance feeling to it since they added a lot of reverberation to the drum beats. The third and final track "Alpha Centauri" is a 22 minutes side length composition very reminiscent to the two first parts of Pink Floyd's "Saucerful Of Secrets", an experimental keyboard-led track that reminds Ash ra Tempel's side-length dreamy works that we can hear on the second side of each of their 4 first records.

A historical importance on the dawn of electronic music and a masterpiece for psychedelic music fans in general.