Electronic Meditation

1970 studio album by Tangerine Dream

Electronic Meditation

1970 LP album cover

Studio album by

Tangerine Dream

Released| June 1970
Recorded| October 1969
Genre|

* Krautrock[1]
* experimental rock[2]
* psychedelia[1]
* electronic rock[3]

Length| 36:37
Label| Ohr
Producer| Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream chronology
|  | Electronic Meditation
(1970)  | Alpha Centauri
(1971)

|
|

Electronic Meditation is the debut album by German electronic music group Tangerine Dream. It was released in June 1970 by record label Ohr.

## Recording and release

[edit]

The album was recorded in a rented factory in Berlin in October 1969, using just a two-track Revox tape recorder.[3]

The first five albums released by Ohr Records, including Electronic Meditation, featured sleeves by Reinhard Hippen, all with dismembered baby doll parts as a central aspect of the imagery. The original LP had a balloon inserted in the cover; the 2004 Japan CD release is a copy of the original LP cover and includes the balloon.[4]

Electronic Meditation is the only Tangerine Dream album to feature the line-up of Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze and Conrad Schnitzler. Two other musicians, organist Jimmy Jackson and flautist Thomas Keyserling, also performed on the album although they were uncredited in the original release.[4][1] Schulze left the band before Electronic Meditation was released, and Schnitzler followed him shortly after.[1]

## Composition

[edit]

Its style is a unique form of free jazz, electronic art music, and instrumental rock; or as Sound on Sound magazine described it, "free electronic rock".[3] Its instrumentation ranges from conventional instruments such as the guitar, organ, drums, and cello to various custom-made electronic devices implemented by Edgar Froese and found sounds such as broken glass, burning parchment, and dried peas being shaken in a sieve. The backwards vocals at the end of side B are of Edgar Froese reading from the back of a ferry ticket from Dover to Calais.[3]

Dominique Leone of Pitchfork described the songs "Cold Smoke" and "Journey Through A Burning Brain" as sonically related to the characteristic sound of Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze, "than anything TD became famous for". The song "Journey Through A Burning Brain", in particular, reminded Leone about the music from Schnitzler's Kluster records, with "unidentified sound effects and a hard-line approach to free improvisation". The next are considerably gentler than Electronic Meditation.[1]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Classic Rock| [5]
Pitchfork| 7.6/10[1]

In its retrospective review, AllMusic wrote: "The album is not without its flaws, but it's strong in many ways and shows abundant promise".[2] Stephen Dalton in his review for Classic Rock described the album as "more an historically interesting cult curio than essential Krautrock milestone"; however, he added that "from sketchy but seminal basement tapes like these, an entire cosmos of sound was mapped."[5]

Music journalist Rob Young described the album as "landmark, [..] a gas-giant of a record, votive and solemn in mood, cosmic in scale, yet built of recognisable materials: mellotrons, analogue rumbles and amplified flute. Somewhere between improvised music, contemporary classical and the future direction of progressive rock."[6]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze and Conrad Schnitzler.

Side ANo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Genesis"| 5:57
2.| "Journey Through a Burning Brain"| 12:26

Side BNo.| Title| Length

|
|

3.| "Cold Smoke"| 10:38
4.| "Ashes to Ashes"| 4:06
5.| "Resurrection"| 3:27

## Personnel

[edit]

Tangerine Dream

* Edgar Froese – six- and twelve-string guitar, organ, piano, sound effects, tapes
* Conrad Schnitzler – cello, violin, addiator
* Klaus Schulze – drums, percussion, metal sticks

Additional personnel

* Jimmy Jackson – organ (uncredited in the original release)
* Thomas Keyserling – flute (uncredited in the original release)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Leone, Dominique (6 February 2003). "Tangerine Dream: Electronic Meditation/Alpha Centauri". Pitchfork.
2. ^ a b c Brenholts, Jim. "Tangerine Dream – Electronic Meditation". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
3. ^ a b c d "Tangerine Dream: Their Changing Use Of Technology Part 1: 1967–1977". Sound on Sound. December 1994. Archived from the original on 15 November 2004.
4. ^ a b Berling, Michael (29 September 2016). "Electronic Meditation". Voices in the Net.
5. ^ a b Dalton, Stephen (July 2012). "Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation". Classic Rock. No. 172\. p. 107.
6. ^ Young, Rob; Schmidt, Irmin (2018). All Gates Open: The Story of Can (e-book ed.). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-31151-4.

## External links

[edit]

* Electronic Meditation at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Tangerine Dream main albums discography

Main studio, live
and soundtrack albums
(1970–present)|

| The Pink Years (1970–1973)|

* Electronic Meditation
* Alpha Centauri
* Zeit
* Atem

|

The Virgin Years (1974–1984)|

* Phaedra
* Rubycon
* Ricochet (live)
* Stratosfear
* Sorcerer (soundtrack)
* Encore (live)
* Cyclone
* Force Majeure
* Tangram
* Quichotte (live)
* Thief (soundtrack)
* Exit
* White Eagle
* Logos (live)
* Wavelength (soundtrack)
* Hyperborea
* The Keep (soundtrack)
* Risky Business (soundtrack)
* Firestarter (soundtrack)
* Flashpoint (soundtrack)

The Blue Years (1984–1988)|

* Poland (live)
* Heartbreakers (soundtrack)
* Le Parc
* The Park Is Mine (soundtrack)
* Green Desert
* Legend (soundtrack)
* Underwater Sunlight
* Deadly Care (soundtrack)
* Tyger
* Canyon Dreams (soundtrack)
* Three O'Clock High (soundtrack)
* Near Dark (soundtrack)
* Shy People (soundtrack)
* Livemiles (live)

The Melrose Years (1988–1990)|

* Optical Race
* Dead Solid Perfect (soundtrack)
* Miracle Mile (soundtrack)
* Catch Me If You Can (soundtrack)
* Lily on the Beach
* Destination Berlin (soundtrack)
* Melrose
* L'Affaire Wallraff (The Man Inside) (soundtrack)

The Seattle Years (1991–1995)|

* Rumpelstiltskin (soundtrack)
* Quinoa
* Rockoon
* 220 Volt (live)
* Turn of the Tides
* Tyranny of Beauty
* The Dream Mixes (remix)

The TDI Years (1996–2005)|

* Zoning (soundtrack & re-recording)
* Goblins' Club
* Oasis (soundtrack)
* TimeSquare
* Ambient Monkeys
* Jim & Pablo: Der Meteor (soundtrack)
* Tournado (live)
* Transsiberia (soundtrack)
* Valentine Wheels (live)
* Sohoman (live)
* What a Blast (soundtrack)
* Mars Polaris
* Great Wall of China (soundtrack)
* The Seven Letters from Tibet
* The Past Hundred Moons (remix)
* Inferno (live)
* The Melrose Years (re-recordings)
* Mota Atma (soundtrack)
* DM 4 (remix)
* Rockface (live)
* Purgatorio
* East (live)
* Arizona (live)
* Kyoto
* Jeanne d'Arc
* Rocking Mars (live)

The Eastgate Years (2005–2014)|

* Phaedra 2005 (re-recording)
* Blue Dawn
* Paradiso
* Tangerine Dream Plays Tangerine Dream (re-recordings & remix)
* Springtime In Nagasaki
* Madcap's Flaming Duty
* Summer in Nagasaki
* Purple Diluvial
* Views from a Red Train
* Tangram 2008 (re-recording)
* Hyperborea 2008 (re-recording)
* Autumn In Hiroshima
* The London Eye Concert (live)
* Flame
* Chandra - The Phantom Ferry Part I
* Winter in Hiroshima
* Izu (live)
* DM V (remix)
* Zeitgeist (live)
* Under Cover – Chapter One (covers)
* The Endless Season
* The Island of the Fay
* The Gate of Saturn
* The Angel of the West Window
* Live at the Lowry (live)
* Mona Da Vinci
* Finnegans Wake
* Knights of Asheville (live)
* Machu Picchu
* Live in Budapest (live)
* Live at Admiralspalast Berlin (live)
* Cruise to Destiny (re-recordings)
* Starmus — Sonic Universe (with Brian May) (live)
* The Castle
* The Cinematographic Score GTA 5 (soundtrack)
* Chandra - The Phantom Ferry Part II
* Sorcerer 2014 (re-recording)
* Josephine the Mouse Singer
* Phaedra Farewell Tour - The Concerts (live)

The Quantum Years (2014–present)|

* Mala Kunia
* Supernormal - The Australian Concerts (live)
* The Official Bootleg Series Volume One (live)
* Quantum Key
* The Official Bootleg Series Volume Two (live)
* Live at the Philharmony Szczecin - Poland (live)
* Particles (live & studio)
* Light Flux (re-recordings & studio)
* The Sessions I (live)
* Quantum Gate
* The Sessions II (live)
* The Sessions III (live)
* The Sessions IV (live)
* Recurring Dreams (re-recordings)
* Oedipus Tyrannus
* Live at Augusta Raurica Switzerland (live)
* The Sessions V (live)
* Raum
* Live at Reims Cathedral (live)

* v
* t
* e

Tangerine Dream

* Thorsten Quaeschning
* Hoshiko Yamane
* Paul Frick

* Edgar Froese
* Christopher Franke
* Peter Baumann
* Johannes Schmoelling
* Paul Haslinger
* Jerome Froese
* Linda Spa
* Conrad Schnitzler
* Klaus Schulze
* Michael Hoenig
* Steve Jolliffe
* Ralf Wadephul
* Bernhard Beibl
* Zlatko Perica
* Ulrich Schnauss

Partial recordings|

* Electronic Meditation
* Alpha Centauri
* Zeit
* Atem
* Phaedra
* Rubycon
* Ricochet
* Stratosfear
* Encore
* Cyclone
* Force Majeure
* Tangram
* Quichotte
* Exit
* White Eagle
* Logos Live
* Hyperborea
* Poland
* Le Parc
* Green Desert
* Underwater Sunlight
* Tyger
* Livemiles
* Optical Race
* Lily on the Beach
* Melrose
* Quinoa
* Rockoon
* 220 Volt Live
* Turn of the Tides
* Tyranny of Beauty
* The Dream Mixes
* Goblins' Club
* Tournado
* TimeSquare – Dream Mixes II
* Ambient Monkeys
* Valentine Wheels
* Sohoman
* Mars Polaris
* Soundmill Navigator
* Antique Dreams
* Inferno
* Purgatorio
* Jeanne d'Arc
* Phaedra 2005
* Madcap's Flaming Duty
* Plays Tangerine Dream
* Under Cover – Chapter One
* The Island of the Fay
* Mala Kunia
* Quantum Key
* Quantum Gate
* Raum

Singles|

* "Das Mädchen auf der Treppe"
* "Love on a Real Train"
* "A Time for Heroes"

Soundtracks|

* Sorcerer
* Thief
* Das Mädchen auf der Treppe
* Daydream
* Wavelength
* Risky Business
* Firestarter
* Flashpoint
* Heartbreakers
* Legend
* Three O'Clock High
* Near Dark
* Shy People
* Miracle Mile
* Destination Berlin
* Canyon Dreams
* Dead Solid Perfect
* The Park Is Mine
* L'Affaire Wallraff (The Man Inside)
* Rumpelstiltskin
* Catch Me If You Can
* The Keep
* Zoning
* Der Meteor
* Great Wall of China
* Mota Atma
* Music of Grand Theft Auto V

Compilations and sets|

* Dream Music – The Movie Music of Tangerine Dream
* In Search of Hades: The Virgin Recordings 1973–1979

Related|

* Discography
* Filmography
* Tangerine Tree
* Bootleg recordings

* v
* t
* e

Klaus Schulze

Albums|

* Irrlicht (1972)
* Cyborg (1973)
* Blackdance (1974)
* Picture Music (1975)
* Timewind (1975)
* Moondawn (1976)
* Body Love (1977)
* Mirage (1977)
* Body Love Vol. 2 (1977)
* X (1978)
* Dune (1979)
* Live (1980)
* Dig It (1980)
* Trancefer (1981)
* Audentity (1983)
* Dziękuję Poland Live '83 (1983)
* Angst (1984)
* Inter*Face (1985)
* Dreams (1986)
* En=Trance (1988)
* Miditerranean Pads (1990)
* The Dresden Performance (1990)
* Beyond Recall (1991)
* Royal Festival Hall Vol. 1 (1992)
* Royal Festival Hall Vol. 2 (1992)
* The Dome Event (1993)
* Le Moulin de Daudet (1994)
* Klaus Schulze Goes Classic (1994)
* Totentag (1994)
* Das Wagner Desaster Live (1994)
* In Blue (1995)
* Are You Sequenced? (1996)
* Dosburg Online (1997)
* Live @ KlangArt (2001)
* Moonlake (2005)
* Kontinuum (2007)
* Farscape (2008)
* Rheingold (2008)
* Dziękuję bardzo (2009)
* Big in Japan (2010)
* Shadowlands (2013)
* Big in Europe (2013–14)
* Stars Are Burning (2014)
* Eternal (2017)
* Silhouettes (2018)
* Deus Arrakis (2022)

Richard Wahnfried albums|

* Time Actor (1979)
* Tonwelle (1981)
* Megatone (1984)
* Trance Appeal (1996)

Boxed sets|

* Silver Edition (1993)
* Historic Edition (1995)
* Jubilee Edition (1997)
* The Ultimate Edition (2000)
* Contemporary Works I (2000)
* Contemporary Works II (2002)
* La Vie Electronique (2009–15)

Collaborations|

* Electronic Meditation (1970)
* Ash Ra Tempel (1971)
* Join Inn (1973)
* The Cosmic Jokers (1974)
* Go (1976)
* Go Live from Paris (1976)
* Go Too (1977)
* French Skyline (1979)
* Aphrica (1984)
* Drive Inn (1984)

Compilations|

* Mindphaser (1981)
* Trailer (1999)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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