Tangerine Dream - "Electronic Meditations"

It's been brought to my attention that three reasons Just Another MP3 Blog might not have an established readership at this point are as follows:

1. There isn't a specific musical focus (i.e. Krautrock, emo-core, post punk, etc.). I tend to jump around a lot, meaning that someone who's way into a certain genre will probably look at a blog with a more consistent approach. Mine would be hit-or-miss to a person like that.

2. I don't follow the format established by other MP3 blogs. Even a cursory glance at Post-Punk Junk, Strange Reaction, or Pop Zeus will reveal that the "standard" method of operating one of these music-sharing forums seems to involve Lester Bangs-esque writing that provides information about the artist and/or work in question, but freely delves into other subjects that the author feels are important at any given moment. (Essentially, it appears that my little history lessons here appear a bit too dry.)

3. It would seem that posting two to four songs from any given record, as opposed to the whole thing, is common practice and I guess that makes sense. I guess it's pretty naive of me to think that if I post the audio files for a full album and thoughtfully include a link to a website where said album can be obtained quite legally, maybe you'll support the artists by purchasing their work... Anyway, not posting just a few songs will prevent Just Another MP3 Blog from appearing on blog search engines such as The Hype Machine, which are good places to pick up random readers.

To make a long story short, there may be some changes made around here in the near future. One of them is that I'll probably start posting fewer tracks from the records I'm profiling. I mean, should the RIAA come knockin' on my digital door, I don't want to come across as a complete asshole--my goal here is in fact to support artists and labels by providing a preview of their products to consumers who might be interested, rather than letting challenging works waste away in obscurity. Obviously some of these artists and labels don't have the means to get their stuff on the radio in these days of legal payola; in my mind, the internet and specifically MP3 blogs are like a modern version of radio where the playing field has been levelled. (And what is radio, really, other than an advertising platform that makes you think it's not an advertising platform? At least I'm honest about what I'm doing here.) In any case, this post may contain the last full record I'll be putting up.

On the other hand, changes that won't happen revolve around the first item on my list: a narrowing of my musical field in order to draw a specific audience. The thing is, as a modern guy living in a modern world which comes closer every day to resembling a William Gibson novel, I enjoy having access to a multitude of music across a wide variety of genres. I enjoy the fact that I can listen to a folk song, then a hip-hop track, followed by a hardcore band's EP, and wrap things up with a German prog-rock record from the late 70s. Some may argue that by refusing to specialize, I may never grow to appreciate the specific pleasures of a particular kind of music--the kinds of details and motifs that only reveal themselves after 20 years of being obsessed with something--but I don't care. I'm content to have a working knowledge of several different musical arenas, even if it means never having the kind of in-depth insight some folks have.

Also, I'll try not to go too far off the deep end in terms of my writing (this post being an obvious exception) the way some other blogs do. Don't get me wrong, some of them are very entertaining and, in fact, informative; however, I'd far rather give you what I know of the facts than too much of my own opinion. My goal is to set the reader up with just enough contextual information that they might be able to appreciate music that would otherwise seem totally strange and abrasive to them. On the other hand, I try to keep the summaries short so that if you skip them, you're not missing much. As Brian Eno once observed, sometimes music is at its best when it comes without context--it seems much more mysterious and interesting that way. It frees us, the audience, from having to absorb the ideas and intentions of the author (which, while they may indeed be the inspirational force behind a creative work, may ultimately reduce the enjoyment to be gleaned from said work).

Alright, now that you're up to speed... Tangerine Dream. My, oh my do they have a healthy work ethic. Edgar Froese probably keeps a list of his band's album titles on a scroll so he can impress visitors by unfurling it and letting it roll across the floor. And let's not kid ourselves here--most of their later work blows pretty hard. Unless you're really into namby-pamby new age gobblediegook and shitty instrumental versions of Hendrix tunes.

However, there are some damn cool records in their discography going right up to 1980's Tangram (which is where, to me, the obvious cracks started appearing). One of these lovelies is their debut album, Electronic Meditation.

The TD lineup on this record features some real heavyweight Krautrock muscle: the aforementioned TD captain Froese, Conrad Schnitzler, and the mighty Klaus Schulze, all of whom need no introduction (and if you think they do, feel free to look here or here).

The title of the album is a bit misleading; it's not quite an electronic record. Rather, like the first couple of Kraftwerk albums, the material leans toward rock with an emphasis on digitally processing signals produced by acoustic and electric instruments. But like other Krautrock albums of the time, there are only five tracks, which tend to be somewhat spacy, lengthy jams. If that's the kind of thing you dig, though, this record should be right up your alley. It's actually pretty accessible in terms of musical content, if you're a little patient.

You can get a copy of Electronic Meditiation Amazon, Newbury Comics, or Half.com, probably at a fairly reasonable price. There are a few "deluxe" remastered editions floating around, and while I'm sure the sound quality is higher, if it's a product that has been put together by Mr. Froese in the last 20 years or so, I'm warning you--stay away from it, or risk death by boredom!