Zeit

Choosing something both thought provoking as well as original can be very hard when you’re attempting to top legendary John Cage’s “4:33.” A very important aspect in music in my case would be the feeling or mood I receive from the first listen. Of course I do not, and will not base something thoroughly on the first listen, this can often times determine my attraction towards the album.

A great example of this would be Tangerine Dream’s “Zeit.”Unfortunately the first time I heard this album was at work [I work in the library incase many of you aren’t aware, and I will find you if you don’t return my books] over the spring break. With the constant questioning from our loving, caring admission representatives I really didn’t have a chance to thoroughly enjoy the amazing sensational qualities of “Zeit.” The musical qualities I did manage to catch were very impressive and later that night I played it again.

The album consists of four tracks that simultaneously clash with the next spanning a total of 74:29. The opening track “Birth of Liquid Prejades” is a sweet 19:54 escapade of feedback and a smooth galloping synthesizer making the listen feel as if they’re strapped to a spinning merry-go-round which is floating across a the pacific ocean in the eye of a hurricane, an every so often hearing a whale singing in the far off distance. A cello plays a mournful strum throughout the track expounding the emotions set forth by the wailing synth.

The next track gradually building up to a new storm. “Nebulous Dawn” is a 17:56 song which slowly takes you out of the ocean and brings you to the lighthouse directly in the center of the globe. The synthesizer is still very prominent, and a new instrument is introduced the vibraphone. For ages waves have crashed into this light house slowly corroding small holes. Wind whips through these holes creating completely unknown sounds to the human ear. I really enjoyed the build-up of this song. About a quarter of the way through the song, the synth starts a galloping helicopter like resemblance, with a very subtle gurgling bubbling sound.

The “Origin of Supernatural Probabilities” is the third track here slowing down again slightly resembling the first track. Closing in on 19:34, this track has a very Chamber Organ feel. Like a group of looming organ pipes rising out of this lighthouse. The most notable piece of music on this track is a rising scale of Cymbal crashes, and again you hear something resembling singing whales.

“Zeit”, the last and title track closing in on 16:58, this is probably the best song on this album, a faint wailing, a familiar voice traveling on the wind. This explanation is going to cop-out, so be prepared. First I really don’t want to ruin the album any more than I already have. Second I really have no words for this track. Third I have to decide who I’m going to vote for.

Below is a taste of what Tangerine Dream can do for you. Sorry I couldn’t find any tracks from the album that weren’t tampered with. This track is called “Ricochet 1/2.”

If you enjoyed this track please check out Tangerine Dream’s successor Cold Sun. Most of his albums are free for download at the Internet Archive. Please, I strongly invite all music enthusiasts to check out this site at least once…

~ by Joseph Stelmaszek on April 10, 2008.