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 time		52:39


		[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 time		57:30

Details


Recording date	April - 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.