Romance '76 (50th Anniversary Edition)＜限定盤/Yellow transparent Vinyl＞

1970年代の西ドイツで形成され、電子音楽史に大きな影響を与えたスタイル「ベルリン・スクール」。その代表的存在であるTangerine Dreamに1971年から1977年まで在籍したPeter Baumannの1stソロ・アルバム『Romance 76』が、50周年記念エディションとして限定カラーヴァイナルで登場する。1977年の脱退後、Baumannはソロ活動と並行してParagon Studioを設立し、Conrad Schnitzler、Cluster、Roedeliusらの名作をプロデュースしてきた。本作はTangerine Dreamの影響を感じさせつつ、ミニマルで洗練されたサウンドを展開。制作途中にDavid Bowieから完成を後押しされた逸話も、本作の完成度を物語っている。

While still a member of Tangerine Dream, Peter Baumann released his first solo album, Romance '76. It's not far removed from the music that TD was making at the time -- in fact, references to Rubycon, Ricochet, and Stratosfear pop up in various places -- but Baumann's arrangements have an added clarity and directness. On a song like "Phase by Phase," the results can seem circumspect, and too much open space allows the listener's attention to seep out through the cracks. But the rest of the record finds Baumann expertly controlling what he wants the listener to hear. For example, "Romance" introduces new sounds carefully and for calculated effect, a style that would reappear on the Baumann-produced Grosses Wasser by Cluster. This and the opening "Bicentennial Present" are remarkably accessible for electronic music from the '70s -- the latter especially feels like the best parts of "Stratosfear" distilled -- but never at the expense of sounding trite. Baumann shows off different styles of electronic music on the first three tracks, only to challenge the listener's expectations all over again with the semi-classical "Meadow of Infinity." Mixing orchestral instruments (cellos, human voices, percussion) and electronics, the composer creates a tone poem using only the sounds he needs to describe the action. In many ways, "Meadow of Infinity" (along with "The Glass Bridge," which connects the two parts) transcends what Tangerine Dream was able to do, taking greater control over the listener's journey from point A to B by eliminating extraneous sounds. Of course, listeners won't be surprised that Romance '76 is less cluttered than a Tangerine Dream album from this period, but that it produces the same effect without the sequencers and layers of synthesizers is a minor revelation. Definitely a good choice for TD fans who want to broaden their horizons without getting suckered into 30 minutes of hum or Euro-disco. ~ Dave Connolly