THE SESSIONS III

The Sessions serie is published in memory of Tangerine Dream's legendary member Edgar Froese ("our musical hero" as the band stated) who sadly died on January 20th in 2015, with the current line-up Thorsten Quaeschning (synthesizers, piano and sequencer), Ulrich Schnauss (synthesizers and sequencer) and Hoshiko Yamane (electric violin and viola). The first edition Sessions I contains recordings from concerts in Budapest and Hong Kong early 2017. The second version entitled Sessions II was recorded at the annual Dutch EM festival KLEM in October 2017. And this third effort entitled Sessions III was recorded in the German citiesHamburg and Berlin (in 2018).

This CD Sessions III is my first musical encounter with the post-Edgar Froese Tangerine Dream era. And I am pleasantly surprised, to me the music sounds as a wonderful blend of 75-80 Tangerine Dream sound (my favourite TD music) and ambient. Both tracks are very long (in the old days this would have been a double vinyl album) but succeed to keep my attention, due to flowing shifting moods and tasteful work on the synthesizers, sequencers, percussion and electric violin/viola. The one moment it's soaring strings and Mellotron flutes, a hypnotizing blend of violin/viola, synthesizers and sequencers, dreamy with piano or a distorted (like wah-wah) electric violin solo. The other moment we can enjoy pulsating sequencers, tender violin/viola and assorted percussion or mellow piano and percussion and final parts with dreamy strings and beautiful violin/viola play.

Worth to discover, I am looking forward to listen to the Sessions I, II and IV (thanks to Paul EManiac).

My rating: 3,5 star.

P.s.: If you like 1975-1980 Tangerine Dream these bands/artists are worth to discover: Free System Project, Rudy Adrian, Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij, the trio Pollard/Daniel/Booth, Red Shift, Volt, Rogue Element, Radio Massacre International and Ron Boots.