Description
Zeit - CD | Tangerine Dream's Ambient Space Music Landmark
Product Information
- UPC: 5017615834727
- Product Type: Audio CD
- Genre: Progressive Electronic/Ambient/Experimental
- Format: Compact Disc Digital Audio
- Audio: AD (Analog recording, Digital mastering)
- Label: Castle Communications
- Catalog Number: LC 6448
- Duration: 74 minutes approximately
- Release Year: 1972 (Original album), 1996 (This CD release)
- Country of Manufacture: England
Overview
"Zeit" (German for "Time") is Tangerine Dream's groundbreaking third studio album, subtitled "Largo in Four Movements" and often considered one of the earliest and purest examples of ambient and drone music. Released in 1972, this double album marked the first appearance of Peter Baumann alongside core members Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke, establishing the classic lineup that would define the band's influential "Berlin School" electronic sound. "Zeit" represents a dramatic departure from conventional musical structures, offering instead a cosmic journey through slowly evolving soundscapes that evoke deep space, celestial events, and the formation of the universe. The concept behind the album was based on the philosophy that time is motionless and exists only in our minds. With its atmospheric drones, abstract textures, and complete absence of rhythm, "Zeit" creates an immersive listening experience that challenges traditional notions of music while pioneering a meditative approach to electronic sound that would influence generations of ambient and experimental artists.
Product Features
- Format: Audio CD
- Recording Method: AD (Analog recording, Digital mastering)
- Track Count: 4 extended compositions
- Total Running Time: Approximately 74 minutes
- Remastered Edition: 1996 Castle Communications release
Interesting Facts
Conceptual Depth:
"Zeit" is structured as a four-movement "Largo" (a very slow, broad musical tempo), functioning as a sonic representation of cosmic birth and the expansion of the universe. The album's philosophical underpinning suggests that time is an illusion—a concept reflected in the glacial pace and seemingly timeless quality of the music.
Notable Guest Musicians:
The opening track features Florian Fricke of Popol Vuh on Moog synthesizer—one of his last recordings with the instrument before he abandoned electronic music for acoustic instruments following a spiritual conversion. The track also includes the Cologne Cello Quartet, creating a unique fusion of classical and electronic elements.
Historical Significance:
Many critics and musicians, including Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), have cited "Zeit" as the birth of true ambient music, predating Brian Eno's ambient works by several years. The album represents one of the most extreme examples of experimental electronic music to be released by a commercial record label in the early 1970s.
Visual Component:
The album cover, depicting a solar eclipse, was created by Edgar Froese himself, complementing the cosmic themes of the music. Froese and his wife Monique were responsible for much of Tangerine Dream's iconic visual aesthetic during this period.
Track Listing
- "Birth of Liquid Plejades" (19:50)
- "Nebulous Dawn" (17:52)
- "Origin of Supernatural Probabilities" (19:32)
- "Zeit" (16:58)
Musicians
- Edgar Froese: Glissando guitar, sound generators
- Christopher Franke: VCS3 synthesizer, keyboards, cymbals
- Peter Baumann: VCS3 synthesizer, organ, vibes
Guest Musicians:
- Steve Schroyder: Organ (on "Birth of Liquid Plejades")
- Florian Fricke: Moog synthesizer (on "Birth of Liquid Plejades")
The Cologne Cello Quartet (on "Birth of Liquid Plejades"):
- Christian Vallbracht
- Joachim Von Grumbcow
- Hans Joachim Brune
- Johannes Lucke
Technical Information
- Recording Studio: Dierks Studios
- Engineering: Dieter Dierks
Publishers
Released by Castle Communications Plc. Original music ℗ 1972 Tadream Music Productions.
We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!
Hashtags
#TangerineDream #Zeit #AmbientPioneer #ElectronicMusic #BerlinSchool #ExperimentalMusic #1970sElectronic #KrautrockClassic #SpaceMusic #DroneAmbient
