CHANDRA - THE PHANTOM FERRY, PART I

Tangerine Dream's 2009 album "Chandra - The Phantom Ferry, Part I" is a completely solo effort by Edgar Froese with no help this time around. The album is part of a 2 part series, the second half released in 2014. This album is a lovely album of nothing but electronic music and it also has a great mix of styles throughout. I tend to find that my favorite TD albums are the more experimental ones with less of the fake sounding drums. I don't mind a few tracks featuring electronic percussion, but TD has many that have just way too much of that and to me, those albums are just too repetitive, having the usual constant, unchanging rhythm with a obligatory guitar solo added in. This album is not like that, but is more exploratory with more variety to it and that is what appeals to me the most.

The first track "Approaching Greenland at 7 PM" starts the album off in an upbeat way, but the music is nice, exciting and full of color. Thank goodness that the other tracks don't follow suit with this pattern though, otherwise this track would just disappear in like-sounding tracks as what happens on some of TD's more commercial albums. You find that out in the next track "The Moondog Connection", which is more pensive with the only beat being in the pulsating electronics that support the melody. "Screaming of the Sleepless Dreamer" does start to become repetitive however, emulating the basic sound of the first track, and I was beginning to lose interest.

The good thing is, that changes with the next two tracks. "Unknown is the Truth" is a very interesting, more experimental and exploratory track that recalls some of the bands early works. This is the TD that I love. But my favorite track on this album is "The Dance Without Dancers" which is one of the most beautiful tracks that TD has recorded. Lush and lovely, with just enough uniqueness to let you know it is TD's sound, but it is music I easily get lost in with a lovely melody and otherworldly effects that I consider heavenly.

Things continue to use minimal rhythm or electronic percussion, letting the songs carry the music forward naturally through tonal electronics. "Child Lost in the Wilderness" is a more basic track, more interesting than your typical new age sound, but the melody could have easily fit in with new age, but don't worry because at least it isn't too tacky. "Sailor of the Lost Arch" and "Verses of a Sisong" continue with the sound of pure electronics with little use of the fake percussion, making the songs flow with ease and beauty. "Silence on a Crawler Lane" is actually a re-vamp of a track used on one of Froese's solo albums, and while it is nice and lush, it does have a bit of percussion, but it isn't distracting and the piano effect is very nice.

The pure sound, as I call it, the sound of electronics without the distraction of dance rhythms or rave style recordings, is the TD that I love. Yes there are two tracks on here with that electronic beat, but I can actually handle it here because of the variety in the music, and the first track is actually quite good utilizing the beats wisely and without distraction. This is definitely one of my more favorite TD albums that get played quite often.