Tang-Go

It would require several well-researched box sets to fully capture the whole three-decade Tangerine Dream experience, since the electronic ensemble began as the brainchild of Edgar Froese in the late '60s. But even picking 24 tracks for this compilation of the last ten years must have been a chore (albeit a lot of fun) due to the sheer volume of material released on both commercial American labels like Private and Miramar and others that saw the light of day mostly overseas. Overall, it's a solid representation of both the speedy, highly percussive electro jams and the more contemplative exercises like "Velvet Sun," which play like gentler pop tunes. Included are two tracks from 1999's most intriguing space-bound "Mars Polaris" project. Whether exploring the outer reaches or covering interesting topics like "Tyranny of Beauty," TD has never failed to set the pace with a beautiful yet cutting-edge sound. ~ Jonathan Widran