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07/24/2023

Tangerine Dream, Sept. 22nd at Revolution Hall - Preview

 By MATT HANSEN //  Influential German synth band known for their soundtrack work to play Revolution Hall 

 

If you enjoyed the music of hit shows Stranger Things and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, you likely have Tangerine Dream to thank. Not only was the German electronic group an inspiration to the cinematic synth brilliance these two shows cultivated, but their songs are also featured on the soundtracks. Formed in 1967 – when Germans began to individuate themselves with a blend of psychedelic rock and electronics – Tangerine Dream was one of the early Krautrock bands. Yet being grouped with the likes of Kraftwerk and Can would only prove temporary, as the band grew to sound more disparate and align itself with the more fitting German word for “krautrock”: kosmische musik, or "cosmic music” in German.

In scoring hit films and releasing spacey concept albums, Tangerine Dream has created universes of synthesizer sounds, becoming one of the most prolific in their genre. To be a member of Tangerine Dream is to be enthroned within a dynasty of German synth composers, which means there’s always someone willing and ready to take up the mantel. So it’s no surprise that when founding member Edgar Froese passed away in 2015, Thorsten Quaeschnin became entrusted as bandleader of a legacy that’s endured more than half a century. At 86 releases, and still more in the vault, the band’s output may never cease.  

The 1980s are littered with cult-classics and even mainstream films that bear the electronic range of Tangerine Dream’s scoring, be it the dark fantasy of 1986’s Legend or the 1983 comedy drama Risky Business. Inside their catalog is something for every type of nostalgic film fan – and not just those who are big on Tom Cruise’s early career. So here’s another thought for the cinephiles out there: to witness the live experience of Tangerine Dream is to watch the choregraphed dance of shimmering constellations from the film reel in your mind. But long after those stars burn out, there will still be Tangerine Dream’s music, a timeline of both the past and future, existing eternally for your listening voyages.

ON TOUR: Tangerine Dream at Revolution Hall on Friday, September 22nd, 2023. Doors 7:00PM / Show 8:00PM. (Tickets). 21+ show.

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