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Tangerine Dream

Optical Race

- Studio, released August 1988 -

Covers


CD release Germany 1989
Design: Norman Moore
Concept: Monique Froese

CD release Spain 1995
Concept: Monique Froese

CD counterfeit release Russia 199?

CD release Germany 2009

HQCD release Japan 2009 with obi


Tracks

[a]
1.Marakesh 8:17
2.Atlas Eyes 4:04
3.Mothers Of Rain 5:13
4.Twin Soul Tribe 4:28
5.Optical Race 3:13
6.Cat Scan 5:35
7.Sun Gate 4:44
8.Turning Off The Wheel 6:11
9.The Midnight Trail 5:54
10.Ghazal (Love Song) 5:00
Total running time52:39
[b]
1.Atlas Eyes [2002 re-recording]4:10
2.Cat Scan [2002 re-recording]5:31
3.Mothers Of Rain [2002 re-recording]5:06
4.The Midnight Trail [2002 re-recording]5:49
5.Twin Soul Tribe [2002 re-recording]4:40
6.Turning Off The Wheel [2002 re-recording]6:09
7.Optical Race [2002 re-recording]3:28
8.Ghazal (Love Song) [2002 re-recording]4:50
9.Marakesh [2002 re-recording]8:18
10.Sun Gate [2002 re-recording]4:43
11.Ivory Town [2002 remix, wrongly titled Ruling The Waves]4:46
Total running time57:30


Details

Recording dateApril - May 1988
Recording site(s)Vienna & Berlin
Recording engineer(s)Edgar Froese, Paul Haslinger
Composer(s)Edgar Froese, Paul Haslinger, Ralf Wadephul
Musician(s)Edgar Froese, Paul Haslinger
Producer(s)Edgar Froese, Paul Haslinger


Notes

"The visible creates a work in form -- the invisible defines its worth"
- Lao Tse - Tao Te King

 


After Chris Franke had left the group and the contract with Jive Electro had come to an end, the remaining duo of Edgar Froese and Paul Haslinger signed with the Los Angeles-based Private Music label that had been founded back in 1985 by former TD member Peter Baumann. 'The Melrose Years' had begun. Edgar Froese: "It's a very interesting development, in that we have already worked together as musical partners for seven years. For the last ten years we have been following our individual paths in different countries. Now we're again partners, but on a business level -- and that is very adventurous for both sides."

 


The first album released by Private Music was Optical Race in 1988. The sleeves of some of the releases featured a figure die-cut out on the front and a small square die-cut out on the rear side. Together with the multi-coloured paper insert this led to a very special effect.

 


One track of the album was co-composed by Ralf Wadephul who would become the third band member for a short period of time. Ralf was invited to Edgar's studio in Berlin for an initial meeting, and then to TD's larger working studio in Austria, where the three had extensive conversations about their ideas and concepts of their music. Ralf brought some demonstration cassettes with him of music he had composed and recorded in his home studio, including the piece now entitled as Sun Gate. Ralf Wadephul: "We worked together on my song Sun Gate the second time we all met. Replacing the formerly sung melody with one more suitable for keyboards, adding a guitar -- it was real teamwork. This is in fact a model of how we have continued to operate: each of us creates initial compositions in his own time, then we come together and as group improvise upon, expand, recreate those original themes. It's my ideal way of working, actually -- I can't imagine anything better than first being able to quietly work in my own home -- have an idea, switch the computer on... Then, when we all get together, it's so much more functional and productive. And I have the excitement and stimulation of being part of a three-way input, developing, producing and playing new music. I admire Edgar's ability to grasp and elaborate the mood, the feeling of a piece; Paul's ingenious technical capacities and playing virtuosity. I hope we'll be together for a long time."

 


To promote the album Tangerine Dream performed an extensive US tour in August/September 1988; an (almost) complete concert of that tour was finally released 15 years later as Rockface (2003).

 


The 2002 Re-Recording

 


The complete album Optical Race was re-recorded in 2002 and released as part of the 3CD set The Melrose Years, together with re-recordings of the albums Lily On The Beach (1989) and Melrose (1990).

 


Finally the 2002 re-recordings were released in March 2009 as a single disc as part of an extensive digipack series (consisting of a total of more than 60 CD and DVD releases) by the Germany based Membran record label. Though not featured in the printed track listing, this CD also provides the bonus track of the 2002 release.

 


In September 2009 the album was re-released in Japan as part of a series of HiQualityCDs with mini LP paper sleeves, featuring the original artwork of the 1988 album but the 2002 re-recordings. On the back of the outer-sleeve the (incorrect) tracklist from the vinyl album is used: it says "side one" and "side two" and lists only the original ten tracks.


Releases

Australia
1988: Private
Promo-LP [a]: VPL 16803; black/blue/white labels, cover with printed figure and promo sticker
LP [a]: VPL 16803; black/blue/white labels, cover with printed figure
CD [a]: VPCD 6803; booklet with printed figure
Canada
1989: Private/BMG
LP [a]: 2042-1-P; multi-coloured labels, cover with die-cut figure
LP [a]: 2042-1-P; multi-coloured labels in different colours and the writing printed upside down, cover with die-cut figure
CD [a]: 2042-2-P; booklet with die-cut figure
Europe
1989: Private/BMG
LP [a]: 209 557; multi-coloured labels; cover with die-cut figure
CD [a]: 259 557; booklet with die-cut figure
Germany
1989: Private/BMG
Promo-LP [a]: 209 557; multi-coloured labels, cover with die-cut figure, promo textsheet plus photos
2009: Membran
CD [b]: 232615; digipack
Greece
198?: RCA/BMG
LP [a]: RCLP 70142; black labels
Japan
1989: Private/Victor
CD [a]: R32P-1189
Promo-CD [a]: R32P-1189; same as regular release, but with additional red promo sticker
2009: WHD Entertainment
HQCD [b]: IECP-10194; cardboard sleeve, obi; limited edition
Promo-HQCD [b]: IECP-10194; same as regular release, but with additional red promo sticker
Mexico
1988: Private/BMG
Promo-LP [a]: LAP 008; multi-coloured labels, cover with printed figure and promo stamp
LP [a]: LAP 008; multi-coloured labels, cover with printed figure
Russia
199?: Spurk
Counterfeit-CD: UL 98727; brown/black disc
South Korea
198?: Private/Seoul
LP [a]: SPPR-002; multi-coloured labels, cover with die-cut figure
Spain
1989: Private/BMG
LP [a]: 209 557; multi-coloured labels, cover with printed figure
1995: Ediciones del Prado
CD [a]: NM 016; different cover
USA
1988: Private
Promo-LP [a]: 2042-1-P; multi-coloured labels, gsc with die-cut figure
LP [a]: 2042-1-P; multi-coloured labels, cover with die-cut figure; some copies appeared with a sticker on the upper left hand corner stating 'TANGERINE DREAM 1988 DEBUT ON // PRIVATE MUSIC // #2042'
CD [a]: 2042-2-P; booklet with die-cut figure; some copies appeared with a sticker stating 'TANGERINE DREAM 1988 DEBUT ON // PRIVATE MUSIC // #2042'
Venezuela
198?: Top Hits/Cordica
LP [a]: 102-43004; multi-coloured labels
Optical Race was also released as part of the set The Melrose Years.

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