Tangerine always in season WITH TANGERINE DREAM
Ulrich Schnauss talks about life after founder Edgar Froese
Fe w b a n d s h a v e endured, or changed the course of music a s d e c i s i v e l y, a s Tangerine Dream. Formed by Edgar Froese in 1967, the German band became godfathers of electronica with their pioneering 70s al bums and gl i st ening, pulsating 80s movie soundtracks.
More than five years after Froese’s death, in January 2015, Tangerine Dream continue today, steered by Thorsten Quaeschning and Ulrich Schnauss, both 43.
German- born Ulrich, who lives in London, joined in 2014 and describes discovering the band in the acid house era as “nothing less than a total explosion in my head”.
He pinpoints the final 10 minutes of Force Majeure, the title track of the 1979 album, as his favourite piece of music – for its mix of “other- worldly synthesiser sounds and basic human emotion”. By the time he got to meet
Froese, an experience as a fan he found “equally nerve- racking and enjoyable”, Ulrich had his own career as a remixer and solo artist.
“H e w a s t o t a l l y inspiring – musically and philosophically,” he says.
“Obviously i t ’s great when you meet someone whose music had a profound effect on you who is not an asshole.
“On e v e r y c h a r min g aspect of his personality was that he was not very good at small talk – he would j ump i nto s ome quite serious matter.”
Despite the continued excellence of post- Froese Tangerine Dream releases, E d g a r ’s s o n J e r o me, a former band member who left in 2000, has said the band died with his father.
“That wasn’t a surprise to me,” says Ulrich. “I wouldn’t hold it against anybody saying something like that, and I ’m particularly not holding it against Jerome.
“How he was brought up probably sounds like a dream come true to a Tangerine Dream fan. But, if you look below the surface, it’s a difficult role.”
The continuation of the band after the teetotal, non- drug- taking and vegetarian Froese’s death has caused the band to be likened to a musical cult. Ulrich says: “I understand that to a degree. I mean I always think it’s a bit of a mistake, but I can’t blame anyone for it because I ’ve made that mistake often as well – where I read way too many or unfounded things into some person, just based on listening to music, but not much else.
“For me, it’s not a big problem because I see myself as serving a role and not really serving the fan base.”
Ulrich still considers Tangerine Dream to be Froese’s band, but the ideas he left to allow Thorsten and him to complete Quantum Gate in 2017 are used up. So how do they continue?
“Since he ( Edgar) has no way of telling us the next place to start we just have to get some results together that j ustify continuing. When we don’t do that any more, I would stop.”
The Sessions II is out now. Pilots Of The Purple Twilight Virgin Recordings 1980- 83, out October 30. The Sessions III, out November 6
I see myself as serving a role and not really serving the fan base