STRATOSFEAR

With what is generally accepted on a play of words, Stratosfear did indeed reach new heights of a largely musical unexplored region. Its cover, perhaps harking back to the film 2001 A Space Odyssey, portraying a series of reflective Monolith like structures stretching into the distance across some alien landscape. From the get go it invited you on a journey, with the promise of adventure and unimaginable rewards.

UK - 1976: The first commercial Concorde flight takes off from Heathrow Airport to Bahrain. In July. The heat wave peaks with temperatures reaching 35.9 °C (96.6 °F). December ? Punk rock band the Sex Pistols achieve public notoriety as they say several swear words live on Bill Grundy's TV show, following the release of their debut single . In the UK, Inflation stands at 16.5% - lower than previous year's level, but still one of the highest since records began in 1750.

I was only 14.

The events of 1976 meant little to me, except maybe the long hot summer of '76 - playing with friends in the glorious sun. However, something of much greater import happened: Tangerine Dream released Stratosfear. Its impact on me was seismic. There are some events in life that we use as markers. There was life before the marker and life after it. Stratosfear was such an event for me. Trying to figure why it was is another matter, but I shall try.

Music at that time was mainly pop orientated in the UK charts. My main exposure to music was the radio and Top of the Pops on TV. Both these were mainstream and unadventurous in their offerings. At the same time, in Germany, trying to shed the ghosts of WW2 and eager to express itself musically, a new musical form was evolving, completely forsaking the old traditional music whilst desperately trying to avoid pop music. The likes of Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Neu and many others were experimenting, utilising the recent development of synthesisers as a catalyst. A new Germany required a new form of music. Music for the present generation which was a complete break from the past and from tradition and mired in history. Germany was reinventing itself.

Tangerine Dream formed in the late 60's. Their first albums were a mixture of acoustic and electronic sound generators. It wasn't until Phaedra (1973) and Rubycon (1975) that synthesisers played a major part and started to define their sound. This new music demanded new instruments. Broken from the shackles of traditional instruments (though not completely abandoning them), synthesisers promised unimaginable sounds.

Stratosfear differed from their earlier albums; the tracks shorter and more melodic. For a band that embraced improvisation, they were also much more structured. The music presented a greater breadth of tonality, aided by the inclusion of acoustic instruments like the grand piano, chembalo and mouth organ. These were the early days of electronics and TD experienced lot of problems with their equipment while recording: Peter Baumanns new sequencer did not work properly. When it finally did, the multi-track recorders broke down and at one point, began smoking. As Froese put it:

"When I appeared in the studio one day with a harmonica, the absurdity of the situation was revealed. It was supposed to be a joke, retort to the unpredictability of the technology, but after playing it during the beginning of 3 a.m. At The Border Of The Marsh From Okefenokee, everybody decided to leave it on. So much had happened during these sessions - master tapes at times disappeared from the studio, finished tracks were mysteriously erased and the mixing console finally went up in smoke. The events which occurred during the making of Stratosfear alone would fill an entire book!".

I like to think that it was because of this rather than in spite of this that Stratosfear is, in my opinion, such a masterpiece and holds such a special place in my heart.

From the first evocative strums of the 12 String Guitar to the last plaintive classical notes of flute and piano, Stratosfear is a perfect ecosystem that with reference to its title, envelops you, creating a perfect musical world. There is humanity here, supported by the use of traditional "hands on" instruments. We are transported to a new world, not scary in the alien sense, despite the use of Fear in the album title, but rather in the pioneering sense - to be explored and ultimately settle down in.

I have become increasing fascinated by the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. For me, this is perfectly illustrated by not only the lineup of Froese,Franke & Baumann, which many refer to as the "classic" lineup, but also by the arrangement of tracks on the album which, due to their no doubt deliberate order, tell a story. The ever-changing pace and dynamics, both in and between tracks propel the listener through ever changing emotions. They are akin to a geographical journey taking us from the atmospheric heights to the depths of Hades via marshes ending on what seems the full stop or destination of Invisible Limits. Perhaps the idea of Invisible Limits is to question their existence, that there are no limits and the journey can go on. Personally, I think its a journey that could not have been accomplished without the new technology. It is intrinsic to the story, the foundations upon which this structure is built. As occasionally happens, the right people were using the right equipment at the right time. I never tire of listening to it. Every time its as if it's the first time and I get a feeling like remembering your first kiss, the first time you felt love or holding your new born baby. It still excites, enthrals and surprises me and the fact that it can after over 40 years is a source of great wonderment to me.