April 8, 2014

  • Early Tangerine Dream Score Gets LLL Treatment

    Child-like aliens are being held prisoner in a military complex in Michael Gray’s only feature film, 1983’s Wavelength.  The low-budget film was ready to be relased in 1982, but its delay caused it to be compared to E.T. and competition from The Thing.  Gray’s documentary style certainly lent the film some of its conspiracy-theory reception.  By this time, the German group Tangerine Dream was at the beginning of their increased demand for film scores begun with their work on William Friedkin’s Sorcerer (1977).

    The score for Wavelength is a blend of the band’s interesting electronic elements and atmospheric layers.  Cutting edge for the 1980s, these narrative approaches offer a variety of interesting sounds like the whale voices used in “Alien Voices” or the Mellotron Flute that first appears in “Healing” and is connected to the alien’s plight.  This music represents one of the more atmospheric elements of the score.  Action sequences also allow for some interesting blend of electronics in tracks like “Breakout” and “Running Through the Hills.”  Often these are presented as a layered technique with ostinato patterns under a variety of different sounds.  More emotional thematic material appears in “Alien Goodbyes” and one of the core moments explored in “Church Theme.”

    La-La Land’s limited edition release presents the album out of film sequence, as it was intended by the group.  The notes point out how to reprogram the disc for a more film narrative presentation.  The reissue will be worth checking out for fans of Tangerine Dream’s early scoring work.  The release featured music that appeared on some of the group’s albums and were adapted to work here (“Desert Drive”, “Spaceship”, “Sunset Drive”, “Church Theme”).  Others would be reworked for later albums.  The sound mastering is really quite beautiful and clear with a warm lower end of the spectrum.  Easily recommended for fans of electronic scoring.