Tangerine Dream are considered a pioneering act in electronica. Their work with the electronic music Ohr label produced albums that had a pivotal role in the development of the German musical scene known as kosmische ("cosmic"). Their "Virgin Years", so called because of their association with Virgin Records, produced albums that further explored synthesizers and sequencers, including the UK top 20 albums Phaedra (1974) and Rubycon (1975). The group also had a successful career composing film soundtracks, creating over 60 scores, which include those for the films Sorcerer, Thief, The Soldier, Risky Business, Flashpoint, The Keep, Firestarter, Legend, Three O'Clock High, Near Dark, Shy People, and Miracle Mile.
From the late 1990s into the 2000s, Tangerine Dream continued to explore other styles of instrumental music as well as electronica. Their recorded output has been prolific, including over one hundred albums. Among other scoring projects, they helped create the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto V. Their mid-1970s work has been profoundly influential in the development of electronic music styles such as new age (although the band themselves disliked the term) and electronic dance music.
Their most recent album of all-new music, Quantum Gate, was released on 29 September 2017. In December 2019, the band released Recurring Dreams, a compilation of new recordings of some of the band's classic compositions.
The group is currently working on a new album as a four-piece to be released in 2021 via Kscope.
Tangerine Dream began as a surreal rock band, with each of the members contributing different musical influences and styles. Edgar Froese's guitar style was inspired by Jimi Hendrix, while Christopher Franke contributed the more avant garde elements of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Terry Riley. Yes-like progressive rock influence was brought in by Steve Jolliffe on Cyclone. The sample-based sound collages of Johannes Schmoelling drew their inspiration from a number of sources; one instance is Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians on parts of Logos Live, and the track "Love on a Real Train" from the Risky Business soundtrack.
Classical music has had an influence on the sound of Tangerine Dream over the years. György Ligeti, Johann Sebastian Bach, Pierre Boulez, Iannis Xenakis, Maurice Ravel, and Arcangelo Corelli are clearly visible as dominant influences in the early albums. A Baroque sensibility sometimes informs the more coordinated sequencer patterns, which has its most direct expression in the La Folia section that comes at the very end of the title track of Force Majeure. In live performances, the piano solos often directly quoted from Romantic classical works for piano, such as the Beethoven and Mozart snippets in much of the late 1970s – early 1980s stage shows. In the bootleg recording of the Mannheim Mozartsaal concert of 1976 (Tangerine Tree volume 13), the first part of the first piece also clearly quotes from Franz Liszt's Totentanz. The first phrase is played on a harpsichord synthesizer patch and is answered by the second half of the phrase in a flute voicing on a Mellotron. During the 1990s, many releases included recordings of classical compositions: Pictures at an Exhibition (on Turn of the Tides), Largo (from Xerxes) (on Tyranny of Beauty), Symphony in A Minor (by J. S. Bach), and Concerto in A Major / Adagio (by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) (both on Ambient Monkeys).
Since the 1990s, Tangerine Dream have also recorded cover versions of Jimi Hendrix' "Purple Haze" (first on 220 Volt Live) and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", "Back in the U.S.S.R.", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "Norwegian Wood".
An infrequently recurring non-musical influence on Tangerine Dream, and Edgar Froese in particular, have been 12th–19th-century poets. This was first evident on the 1981 album Exit, the track title "Pilots of the Purple Twilight" being a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem Locksley Hall. Six years later, the album Tyger featured poems from William Blake set to music; and around the turn of the millennium, Edgar Froese started working on a musical trilogy based on Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, completed in 2006. Most recently, the 2007 album Madcap's Flaming Duty features more poems set to music, some again from Blake but also e.g. Walt Whitman.
Pink Floyd were also an influence on Edgar Froese and Tangerine Dream, the band in its very early psychedelic rock band phase playing improvisations based on Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive". Madcap's Flaming Duty is dedicated to the memory of the late Syd Barrett. The title refers to Barrett's solo release "The Madcap Laughs".
The band's influence can be felt in ambient artists such as Deepspace, The Future Sound of London, David Kristian, and Global Communication, as well as rock, pop, and dance artists such as Porcupine Tree, M83, DJ Shadow, Ulrich Schnauss, Cut Copy, and Kasabian. The band also clearly influenced 1990s and 2000s trance music, where lush soundscapes and synth pads are used along with repetitive synth sequences, much like in their 1975 releases Rubycon and Ricochet, as well as some of their music from the early 1980s. The group have also been sampled countless times, more recently by Recoil on the album SubHuman, by Sasha on Involver, and on several Houzan Suzuki albums. Michael Jackson also cited Tangerine Dream as one of his favourite bands, especially their 1977 soundtrack for Sorcerer.
Shy People
Tangerine Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with same structures and thoughts
living and feeling
with same troubles can keep on
how to escape
from the jungle we build
how to remain
that's a dream fulfilled
shy people lone survivors in the natural dream
shy people fearful creatures outside are insane
you will never be part of our lives
you will never be part of our lives
shy people dream through their lives
time, that reflecting ray light, a beam through the night
those minions of dreams not a week lets them by
my fathers behavior was ruining the land
sun breathes out of wide eyes people understand
shy people lone survivors in the natural dream
shy people fearful creatures outside are insane
you will never be part of our lives
you will never be part of our lives
you will never, you will never
see through their eyes
In "Shy People" by Tangerine Dream, the lyrics describe how people have been living with the same thoughts and troubles throughout history. The song expresses a desire to escape from the challenges of daily life, and how we can become trapped in our own self-made jungles. The chorus refers to "shy people" as lone survivors in the natural dream, highlighting the idea that those who are introverted may be better equipped to navigate the complexities of modern life. The phrase "fearful creatures outside are insane" hints that extroverted individuals may be impacted more by the overwhelming chaos of society.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that time is ever-present, as it reflects back on us like a beam of light. Dreams, too, play a role in the song, with the lyrics stating that "those minions of dreams" are always with us. The line "my father's behavior was ruining the land" could be interpreted as a critique of previous generations and how their actions may have led to the current state of the world. However, the lyrics also suggest that people are beginning to understand the impact of certain behaviors, and that the future is still ripe with potential for those who dare to dream.
Overall, "Shy People" is a reflective, introspective song that speaks to the experiences of those who may struggle with the rigors of modern life. It is a call to seek out the natural world and look for solace and wisdom amidst the chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Down through the ages
Throughout history
with same structures and thoughts
Using the same ideas and systems
living and feeling
Existing and experiencing emotions
with same troubles can keep on
Dealing with the same problems over and over
how to escape
Finding a way out
from the jungle we build
From the complicated environment we create
how to remain
How to keep going
that's a dream fulfilled
That's a goal accomplished
shy people lone survivors in the natural dream
Introverted people are the ones who survive in the natural world
shy people fearful creatures outside are insane
Introverted people fear the craziness of the outside world
you will never be part of our lives
You will never be accepted into our community
shy people dream through their lives
Introverted people go through life dreaming
time, that reflecting ray light, a beam through the night
Time is like a shining light that illuminates our lives
those minions of dreams not a week lets them by
Dreams are constant companions that never fade away
my fathers behavior was ruining the land
My father's actions were destroying the environment
sun breathes out of wide eyes people understand
People realize the value of the sun and the natural world
you will never, you will never
You will never, ever
see through their eyes
Understand the perspective of an introverted person
Contributed by Austin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DREAMS OF A DOLPHIN
Civilized illusions (21: 35) is so great ! A cool melodie and sounds diving under the skin !! This is reason enough to buy this album !
Richard W
+voigthaus ... and played at Chris Franke's final appearance :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0sWangXJw8
Stan Menshic
One of my favourite T.D. soundtracks, start sounds vey similar to P. Floyd & possibly 1 of the very last albums to have C. Franke in the ranks. Many thanks for posting
Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum
never seen the film to this one but a damm good movie soundtrack from the kings of electronic music tangerine dream love it. i am a huge fan of their magic.
Varis
The film is worth watching though I think it's the soundtrack that's the better part. The singing works surprisingly well with TD's music here.
R Gray
' Dancing on a White Moon ' is a lovely little song...........amazing Tangerine song........they were still messing around in the ' Tyger ' vein........just love it .
John Hart
Thanks for the upload. This is a very good soundtrack overall I think. I wondered why I had never heard of this film as it turns out Roger Ebert gave it a 4 out of 4 stars review but due to distribution problems it never got wide release...what a pity for the filmmaker, actors and TD but then again it is nice to find undiscovered gems like this. Thanks!
lindentr33
Musically good, but I'm surprised that you didn't make a comment on the vocalists.
Is it just my tinea or does TD not audition for vocalists to compliment the music.
Jacquie Virgil sounds like a drunk Tina Turner doing Thunderdome.
Aldo V Galloni
Great film...and great soundtrack !
NZbumblebee
Hauntingly beautiful