Tangerine Dream - Springtime In Nagasaki FLAC

After a brief aside to conclude the operatic Dante trilogy, Tangerine Dream follow up 2005's magnificent return to form Jeanne D'Arc with another excellent album, Springtime in Nagasaki. The first in a series of five albums charting the life of a Japanese businessman around the time of the atomic blasts in 1945, the album has a strong concept to live up to - yet its biggest selling point is the quality of the music itself.

After the departure of Jerome in 2005, Edgar seems to have reinvented TD once again, with the album featuring two half hour compositions: Navel of Light and Persistence of Memory. Each is split into three movements, but the tracklist on the CD certainly gives the impression of a '70s/'80s TD style record, with simply two tracks listed. The first of these is Edgar's main contribution to the album, a half hour of thundering synth sequences punctuated by moody, symphonic sections. The three movements blend together seamlessly, living up to the 'old school TD' impression given by the tracklist. Conceptually, the piece seems at odds with the every day life of 'Mr H.T.', as promised in the liner notes, instead painting a foreboding picture of the world at war that was the backdrop to this period of history. It's not the most adventurous or exciting TD track to date - similar ground was covered on Edgar's compositions on Jeanne D'Arc and Mars Polaris - but it's a satisfying half hour of electronic music.

The second half is Thorsten's contribution, and feels much more like three distinct pieces. With the sound of water droplets running throughout the whole of the track, Persistence of Memory moves from a dark, pulsating opening movement to a rich, warm middle section, and a triumphant closer. The first two parts are among the most modern, contemporary in the TD catalogue, with warm, shimmering synth pads, string samples, electric guitar textures, and beautiful piano - indeed, the piano solo during the second movement is one of the most strikingly beautiful pieces released during any era of the group. The album's finale is a bold piece reminiscent of the group's poppier era of the late '80s, with a modern polish.

Overall, Springtime in Nagasaki draws strains of Tangerine Dream's past and blends them with contemporary ambient sounds, to give a richly rewarding listen. The absence of Jerome has helped bring a lightness of touch to the group which has perhaps been missing for a number of years. At once classic TD and yet something very different for the band, and highly recommended to those seeking a way in after losing interest during the group's wilderness years in the 1990s.

A comeback of sorts for the band and the best thing I've heard from them since Optical Race.