The Seven Letters From Tibet

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The 1990s were not a good decade for the Dream. They recycled old rock electronic formulas with factory precision and deadening machine genericism. And with their own label, TDI, they've been cranking out product with a capital P at an alarming rate. Last year there were no fewer than 17 TD releases, which makes The Seven Letters from Tibet a surprisingly welcome respite from their recent overbearing bombast. Instead of the usual pounding drum machines and digital orchestral samples, Tangerine Dream create more impressionistic, chamber spaces. Synthesizers swirl on "The Orange Breath," while digital choirs are transformed in ambient refractions. On "The Golden Heart," Chinese flutes accent a stereo-panned percolating beat that fades in and out of synthesizer sweeps. But the heavy string pads do get oppressive partway through, especially on the lugubrious "The Blue Pearl." Tangerine Dream are still languishing in digital laxness, relying on preprogrammed sounds and patterns. No doubt those sampled Chinese flutes are the same ones Yanni uses on If I Could Tell You. And that's just wrong for musicians who were once pioneers. The Seven Letters from Tibet isn't just a reference to the movie Seven Years in Tibet, but to seven levels of existence. Edgar Froese, who pretty much is Tangerine Dream these days, harbors the belief that there are other worlds that exist along with ours. --John Diliberto

The Seven Letters From Tibet,Tangerine Dream,Tangerine Dream Intl,Electronic,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock

Tracks:

The Red Blood Connection
Orange Breath
The Golden Heart
The Green Land
The Blue Pearl
The Indigo Clouds
The Purple Of All Curtains

Amazon.com

The 1990s were not a good decade for the Dream. They recycled old rock electronic formulas with factory precision and deadening machine genericism. And with their own label, TDI, they've been cranking out product with a capital P at an alarming rate. Last year there were no fewer than 17 TD releases, which makes The Seven Letters from Tibet a surprisingly welcome respite from their recent overbearing bombast. Instead of the usual pounding drum machines and digital orchestral samples, Tangerine Dream create more impressionistic, chamber spaces. Synthesizers swirl on "The Orange Breath," while digital choirs are transformed in ambient refractions. On "The Golden Heart," Chinese flutes accent a stereo-panned percolating beat that fades in and out of synthesizer sweeps. But the heavy string pads do get oppressive partway through, especially on the lugubrious "The Blue Pearl." Tangerine Dream are still languishing in digital laxness, relying on preprogrammed sounds and patterns. No doubt those sampled Chinese flutes are the same ones Yanni uses on If I Could Tell You. And that's just wrong for musicians who were once pioneers. The Seven Letters from Tibet isn't just a reference to the movie Seven Years in Tibet, but to seven levels of existence. Edgar Froese, who pretty much is Tangerine Dream these days, harbors the belief that there are other worlds that exist along with ours. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Refreshingly different.......2007-06-26

Tangerine Dream moved in a different direction yet again with this release. The entire CD is pure ambience and nothing else. There are no drums or sequencers; just smooth and warm synth washes.

Very relaxing; especially "The Orange Breath" (Track 2)

This is not one of TD's better releases, but it is perfect for when you want to relax and unwind. The music will transport you to other places and other realms.

Excellent.......2006-02-27

This is one of the best Tangerine Dream albums that I own. Each song paints a pretty distinctive and beautiful soundscape. This is ambient music at its best. Music that you can listen to over and over without tiring your ears. Highly recommended.

Tangerine Dream's most ambient work.......2006-02-19

Ditching the more dynamic elements of their music this is probalbly the most purely blissful cd of Tangerine Dream's career.Great for reading,writing,meditation or just plain spacing out.Personally after about halfway through I began to miss the more exciting aspects of their music but as a longtime fan of the group I appreciate their decision to try something a little different.Pleasant but not exactly essential to Tangerine Dream fans.

It's not that bad...! .......2005-07-26

I've been listening to Tangerine Dream pretty incessantly lately, though I've been listening to electronic work for much longer (coming to TD via bands like Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode). When I first started listening to them, I thought, "Elevator music," or the sort of drivel you listen to at special "mood music booths" at the local Wal-Mart. Then I found a list on Amazon of someone's favorite TD albums, and gave old albums like Phaedra and Force Majuere another listen. Suddenly I realized the possibilities of TD for working my imagination. You can lie back in bed at night with TD in your headphones and really let your imagination take you places.

Now, with that said, what do I think of "Seven Letters from Tibet?" Well, as others have said, it's not the best. Still, I must disagree that it is their worst. The attempts at vocals (Tyger, Inferno) are much worse. I really appreciate the setup of this album; the "seven letters" work well, and the opening notes of the first track are very arresting.

This isn't an album that really draws your attention to it while it's playing. Instead of a crashing thunderstorm, what we have here is gentle rain that is just barely discernible outside; it relaxes and soothes without distracting you. I find it positive.

Moody, dreamy.......2005-01-17

Tangerine Dream took a rather refreshing approach on this release with its laid back yet very colorful tracks that induce a semi hypnotic state. Each track is quite unique from each other and often has errie overtones with kalidescopic dreamy chord progressions. This is probably my favorite TD release.

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