Edgar Froese
Encyclopedia
Edgar Wilmar Froese is a German artist and electronic music
pioneer, best known for founding the electronic music group, Tangerine Dream
. Although his solo and group recordings prior to 2003 name him as "Edgar Froese", his solo albums from 2003 onward bear the artist name "Edgar W. Froese".
Froese was born in Tilsit (Sovetsk)
, East Prussia
, during World War II. After showing an early aptitude for art
, Froese enrolled at the Academy of the Arts in West Berlin
to study painting and sculpture
. In 1965, he formed a band
called The Ones, which played rock
and R&B
standards. While playing in Spain, The Ones were invited to perform at Salvador Dalí
's villa in Cadaqués
. Froese's encounter with Dalí was highly influential, inspiring him to pursue more experimental directions with his music. The Ones disbanded in 1967, having released only one single
("Lady Greengrass" / "Love of Mine").
After returning to Berlin, Froese began recruiting musicians for the free-rock band that would become Tangerine Dream
.
Froese's composition "Stuntman" has been used as the opening theme music for "Mabat Sheni" ("Second Look"), an investigative news program from Channel One
television in Israel
, since the 1980s.
Edgar Froese has declared himself to be a non-smoker, non drug user, and vegetarian.
Albums issued in 2005 are in order by catalogue number.
, 1973 to 1983. Disc five consists entirely of "previously unreleased material": ten tracks, seven of which are credited only to Froese as the composer. No information is given as to where or when these tracks were recorded, or by which line-up of Tangerine Dream. Most Tangerine Dream tracks credit the line-up that recorded it as the composers, therefore these appear to be Froese solo tracks, released under the Tangerine Dream name, and may have been recorded for this album. Furthermore, five tracks on disc three are described as "re-recordings by Edgar Froese", while the remaining tracks on discs three and four are described as "re-mixed plus additional recordings by Edgar Froese". The tracks on discs one and two are also remixed and contain new overdubs, and Froese is credited as producer for the entire album.
Another compilation box set, the 6-CD I-Box (2001) contains further bonus tracks credited only to Froese: "Ivory Town", "Storm Seekers", "Cool Shibuya" and "Akash Deep". Several of Froese's tracks from Tangents are included as well.
Phaedra 2005
(2005 re-recording of Phaedra
, 1974), Tangram 2008 (2008 re-recording of Tangram
, 1980), and Hyperborea 2008 (2008 re-recording of Hyperborea
, 1983) are Edgar Froese solo albums released under the Tangerine Dream name.
The Tangerine Dream album Views from a Red Train (2008) was originally announced as an Edgar Froese solo album. It was eventually expanded with other band members performing, but the album remains composed entirely by Froese.
Other later Tangerine Dream albums have been composed and performed entirely by Froese, including Summer in Nagasaki (2007), Winter in Hiroshima (2009) and Chandra (2009).
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
pioneer, best known for founding the electronic music group, Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
. Although his solo and group recordings prior to 2003 name him as "Edgar Froese", his solo albums from 2003 onward bear the artist name "Edgar W. Froese".
Froese was born in Tilsit (Sovetsk)
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast
Sovetsk , known by its historical German name of Tilsit in East Prussia before 1946, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River. Population: -History of Tilsit:...
, East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....
, during World War II. After showing an early aptitude for art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Froese enrolled at the Academy of the Arts in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
to study painting and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
. In 1965, he formed a band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
called The Ones, which played rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
standards. While playing in Spain, The Ones were invited to perform at Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
's villa in Cadaqués
Cadaqués
Cadaqués is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on a bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, near Cap de Creus cape, on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean...
. Froese's encounter with Dalí was highly influential, inspiring him to pursue more experimental directions with his music. The Ones disbanded in 1967, having released only one single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
("Lady Greengrass" / "Love of Mine").
After returning to Berlin, Froese began recruiting musicians for the free-rock band that would become Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
.
Froese's composition "Stuntman" has been used as the opening theme music for "Mabat Sheni" ("Second Look"), an investigative news program from Channel One
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
television in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, since the 1980s.
Edgar Froese has declared himself to be a non-smoker, non drug user, and vegetarian.
Solo discography
- Aqua (1974) issued in two versions with different edits and song order, both in 1974
- Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (1975) also issued as Ypsilon in Malaysian Pale
- Macula TransferMacula TransferMacula Transfer is the name of the third solo album released by Tangerine Dream leader Edgar Froese, in 1976.-Description:The tracks were composed on plane flights while Tangerine Dream was touring; each track is named after the flight number of an airplane.The original album was released on Brain...
(1976) - AgesAges (album)Ages is Tangerine Dream leader Edgar Froese's fourth studio album, released in 1978. Originally a double LP, it was reissued by Virgin Records in 1997 on one CD, with the closing track "Golgatha and the Circle Closes" missing. Froese has since remixed the album and released it on his own Eastgate...
(1978) note: CD edition omits one track to make this double album fit on one CD - StuntmanStuntman (album)Stuntman is the name of the fifth solo album released by Tangerine Dream leader Edgar Froese, in 1979, following the release of Tangerine Dream's album Force Majeure....
(1979) - Electronic Dreams (circa. 1980) compilation
- Solo 1974–1979 (1981) compilation including some remixes and one new track with the same title as an older piece, identified as a re-recording, but completely different
- Kamikaze 1989 (1982) soundtrack for the German film starring Rainer Werner FassbinderRainer Werner FassbinderRainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
- Pinnacles (1983)
- Beyond the Storm (1995) double CD semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
- Introduction to the Ambient Highway (2003) sampler compilation issued prior to the series
- Ambient Highway, Vol. 1 (2003) semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
- Ambient Highway, Vol. 2 (2003) semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
- Ambient Highway, Vol. 3 (2003) semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
- Ambient Highway, Vol. 4 (2003) semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
- Dalinetopia (2004)
- AgesAges (album)Ages is Tangerine Dream leader Edgar Froese's fourth studio album, released in 1978. Originally a double LP, it was reissued by Virgin Records in 1997 on one CD, with the closing track "Golgatha and the Circle Closes" missing. Froese has since remixed the album and released it on his own Eastgate...
(2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1978 album, omits one track from the original, but not the same one omitted for CD previously - Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1975 album
- Stuntman (2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1979 album
- Aqua (2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1974 album
- Macula Transfer (2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1976 album
- Pinnacles (2005) partially re-recorded, remixed version of the 1983 album, omits the last 1/3 of the original
- Orange Light Years (2005) double CD semi-compilation with new and remixed tracks
Albums issued in 2005 are in order by catalogue number.
Lone tracks
- '70 – '80 (1981) box set compilation album by Tangerine DreamTangerine DreamTangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
includes a Froese solo track, "Baryll Blue". The track was an outtakeOuttakeAn outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
from the Ages recording sessions. - The Best of the O1/W (1992) promotional compilation album by various artists includes a Froese track, "Michiko". The album promoted and demonstrated the Korg O1/W synthesizer.
- Searching for Major TomSearching for Major TomSeeking Major Tom is the fourth studio album by William Shatner. It was released October 11, 2011 in the US by Cleopatra Records. The album features many noted musicians, including Sheryl Crow, John Wetton, Patrick Moraz, Ritchie Blackmore, Alan Parsons, Peter Frampton, Nick Valensi, Zakk Wylde,...
(2011) by William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
includes Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Learning to Fly" with Froese playing guitar and keyboards.
Edgar Froese solo material as Tangerine Dream
Tangents was a Tangerine Dream compilation album box set of five CDs issued in 1994, compiling music from their years with Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, 1973 to 1983. Disc five consists entirely of "previously unreleased material": ten tracks, seven of which are credited only to Froese as the composer. No information is given as to where or when these tracks were recorded, or by which line-up of Tangerine Dream. Most Tangerine Dream tracks credit the line-up that recorded it as the composers, therefore these appear to be Froese solo tracks, released under the Tangerine Dream name, and may have been recorded for this album. Furthermore, five tracks on disc three are described as "re-recordings by Edgar Froese", while the remaining tracks on discs three and four are described as "re-mixed plus additional recordings by Edgar Froese". The tracks on discs one and two are also remixed and contain new overdubs, and Froese is credited as producer for the entire album.
Another compilation box set, the 6-CD I-Box (2001) contains further bonus tracks credited only to Froese: "Ivory Town", "Storm Seekers", "Cool Shibuya" and "Akash Deep". Several of Froese's tracks from Tangents are included as well.
Phaedra 2005
Phaedra 2005
Phaedra 2005 is an album by Tangerine Dream, a re-recording of their 1974 album Phaedra.-Track listing:# "Phaedra" – 11:10# "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" – 9:53# "Movements of a Visionary" – 7:58...
(2005 re-recording of Phaedra
Phaedra (album)
-Personnel:* Edgar Froese – producer, Mellotron, guitar, bass, VCS 3 synthesizer, organ* Christopher Franke – Moog synthesizer, VCS 3 synthesizer* Peter Baumann – Organ, electric piano, VCS 3 synthesizer, flute-Chart performance:-References:*...
, 1974), Tangram 2008 (2008 re-recording of Tangram
Tangram (album)
-Personnel:Musical* Edgar Froese — keyboards, guitar* Christopher Franke — keyboards, electronic percussions* Johannes Schmoelling - keyboardsTechnical* Eduard Meyer - mixing engineer, Hansa Studios Berlin...
, 1980), and Hyperborea 2008 (2008 re-recording of Hyperborea
Hyperborea (album)
Hyperborea is an album of electronic music released by Tangerine Dream in 1983. It spent two weeks on the UK album chart peaking at No.45....
, 1983) are Edgar Froese solo albums released under the Tangerine Dream name.
The Tangerine Dream album Views from a Red Train (2008) was originally announced as an Edgar Froese solo album. It was eventually expanded with other band members performing, but the album remains composed entirely by Froese.
Other later Tangerine Dream albums have been composed and performed entirely by Froese, including Summer in Nagasaki (2007), Winter in Hiroshima (2009) and Chandra (2009).