Mala Kunia

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epsilon75
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by epsilon75 »

For me,this is one of the best,if not the best cup discs,TD have ever released. I have been blown away buy some of the music on offer,especially the 'sensational' Shadow & Sun. I sincerely hope we see Edgar,Thorsten & Ulrich compose as a team,because the possibilities,are endless. 'Madagasamala' is another terrific tune,really fresh and exciting,I absolutely love it. My favourite offering from Edgar is the excellent 'Beyond Uluru' .... this is vintage Edgar,absolutely wonderful composition. Thorsten's offering 'Power of The Rainbow Serpent' has a killer groove to it,a very modern sounding vibe,throughout the earlier stages. Again,I love this TQ track,a fabulous composition.

All in all a hugely promising start to 'The Quantum Years'. I can not help feeling,that after listening to the co-written tracks of EF & US,that this could be a very productive and special period,in the history of Tangerine Dream. If the guys can compose as a team,the World is their oyster. I am really looking forward to future,with this "stellar" line up. 8) 8) 8) :D

P/s And of course,we also have the wonderful Hoshiko,adding her glorious musical talent's.
RIP Edgar. I am going to miss you.
td fan
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by td fan »

epsilon75 wrote:I sincerely hope we see Edgar,Thorsten & Ulrich compose as a team,because the possibilities,are endless. 'Madagasamala' is another terrific tune,really fresh and exciting,I absolutely love it. All in all a hugely promising start to 'The Quantum Years'. I can not help feeling,that after listening to the co-written tracks of EF & US,that this could be a very productive and special period,in the history of Tangerine Dream. If the guys can compose as a team,the World is their oyster. I am really looking forward to future,with this "stellar" line up. 8) 8) 8) :D
Can't agree more! This is best TD since "Froese, Franke, Schmoelling years". Few years ago I wrote here at forum: "Edgar please join Ulrich in TD family!". This is dream come true:D
If Ulrich became a permanent TD member we got "stellar" line indeed :D

I can't stop listen Madagasmala at the moment :)
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by Donofrio_TD »

Well, ***sigh***, I hate I always have to be the "bad" review, but anyway, here it goes. I'm kidding a bit because this is not a bad album/cupdisc/EP/whatever-you-call-it. It goes from good to pretty good but nothing great and certainly I wouldn't qualify it as anything special or the "best TD in years". Why? It suffers from being derivative again, although the harm is not that big here and I almost don't care about it. It's an album that makes me feel good and happy, if only for a couple of moments, perhaps. Tracks like Madagasmala, Madagaskunia and the last one, Power Of The Rainbow Serpent, are magic and they're the very reasons I'll be coming back to this one often, a thing I can't say about many of the recent releases like The Castle or Sorcerer '14 or even Josephine. Those three tracks alone are great but 3 tracks don't make the entire album.

A very good track is Snake Men's Dance At Down. Probably another keeper. Shadow And Sun starts out pretty good, almost great with a variation of mystery, mysticism and solemnity but it quickly turns into a generic Views From A Red Train effort. It sounds a little bit like Leviathan, the only track I didn't like from Views. I liked the ending of Shadow, though, when it seemed like more energy was put into it.

And the downers, of course, are Beyond Uluru and Vision Of The Blue Birds. Tracks like these make me wonder if E. Froese's imagination is running out of ideas. They sound exactly the same as many of the tracks from The Castle, Sorcerer '14 disc 2, both of Chandra's forgettable moments and Josephine's 'meh!!' sides all combined.

Conclusion: A very good album as a whole, nothing more. Someone mentioned Haslinger/Froese times above and yeah, Madagasmala and Madagaskunia sound like they could come out from something like Destination Berlin, L'Affaire Wallraff (The Man Inside) soundtracks combined with somethiing out of Autumn In Hiroshima, Atomic Seasons 3 on the Froese solo side. The influence is so strong there that I begin to wonder if perhaps this wasn't just a "trunk" release marketed as a new one. That's a bit of a disappointing thought but perhaps entirely false as there is definitely a change in Madagasmala where you can hear the style of the new guy, Ulrich Schnauss. I'm not familiar with him but he definitely should compose more and get full participation along with Edgar and Thorsten. Edgar is brilliant, no question about that, but he's proven himself many times that he can't do it all alone. In fact, most of the time he can't. Atomic Seasons and things like Machu Picchu and Mona Da Vinci were examples of the exeptions, but he doesn't have the same handle anymore. I was listening the other day to Mars Polaris, not an old release but not a very new one, either. Edgar and son Jerome together, no one else. What a masterpiece it was. Not one single bad or forgettable track, even when the beats and rhythms were too fast for TD. Maybe Jerome should come back as well? I didn't always like his style (most of the time he was very good, though), but he could also make the band more alive these days. Meh!!, just a thought. Ulrich could promise great things for TD in the future. As for this release, average start to "The Quantum Years" (ridiculous label, by the way).
Last edited by Donofrio_TD on Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chris Monk
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by Chris Monk »

Just passing through...

...thought it might be nice to congratulate TD on a great new release. Been loving it since it arrived. What a great addition Ulrich Schnauss has been. Can't wait for the next full band release.
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it the present". - Kung Fu Panda
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Jon
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by Jon »

Donofrio_TD wrote:Maybe Jerome should come back as well?

Will not happen until hell freezes over.
mikewp
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by mikewp »

Overall this is a good album. There are a few tracks that seem to echo TD's 80's sound, but still for me, it suffers - to a degree - from the sameness that seems to wash over TD albums from the last few years. At times I can't tell Finnegan's Wake from Chandra or other Island Of The Fey or The Castle or on and on. Mona Da Vinci stands out, but otherwise, there's a lack of identity to individual tracks.

Looking back...White Eagle didn't sound like Tangram didn't sound like Ricochet didn't sound like Song Of The Whale didn't sound like Gaudi Park, etc. You are able to tell the songs apart from each other clearly. Today, TD albums seem to just flow from beginning to end with little difference from track to track. At least those dance beats are pretty much toned down ( not gone but taken wayyy down ) :D.

But it is a promising start to the Quantum era.
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redziller
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by redziller »

Are there many bands/composers with a broader and deeper canon of work?

Just curious!
imho

TD

/ did \
- does - ROCK!
\ will /

https://shiningpyramid.bandcamp.com/releases

http://www.redziller.co.uk/ffp/ TD video game
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RAYMAN1970
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by RAYMAN1970 »

"Power of the Rainbow Serpent"

I cried.

'Nuff said.
Donofrio_TD
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by Donofrio_TD »

redziller wrote:Are there many bands/composers with a broader and deeper canon of work?

Just curious!
I think not. Exactly one of the reasons why they should retire, IMO. There comes a time when you just can't invent anymore, no matter how many 'variables' you think you're giving to your art. Hate to say it but all Edgar seems to care about these days is to give his band the higher number of releases any band has had in the history of humanity. I'm not sure anymore if it's the money (he doesn't need it, of course) or just a big ego of his, but he definitely pays little attention to the quality these days, and that's why most of these recent albums suffer from that "sameness" many have talked about before.

I don't know if Edgar considers TD as a "prog" band (many people do in so many places). For some reason I don't think he does, but he, as Tangerine Dream, has released more material than many prolific prog artists like Frank Zappa, Rush, Kansas, Jean Michel Jarre and even Steve Hackett together. Three times more. But he still doesn't seem to have enough. Many things from TD that are worth it are hard to get 'cause they're so old and they became brushed under the carpet, like many of the unreleased soundtracks from the 70's, 80's and 90's or many of the Trees and Leaves with low sound quality, but they just keep releasing all these somewhat tiring variations of The Atomic Seasons (which were great but not meant to be repeated). Edgar talked about change once, but he doesn't seem to find it anymore.
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ant
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by ant »

:D I disagree with the last person. You are entitled to your opinion as everyone is and this is mine. I have now played this album about four times and each time I am loving it more and more. To say it is no different than everything else they have done for years is crazy. There are lots of bands that have been going many years and they all have the same sound and style now that they had from the start but we still love them. Look at Pink Floyd for a start. But you cannot say that about TD. I can't think of another band that has changed its style and sound so many times. Some of the music on Mala Kunia is wonderful and I think we have a lot to look forward to over the next few 'Quantum' years. :D
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HarryPotter No7
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by HarryPotter No7 »

Each to their own of course, but I have to agree with those who critisize TD's creative output over the last few years, it has been mediocre to say the least, there are a few exceptions however, but overall each album is the same blandness release after release. I personally think they went downhill since Jerome departed, for me that creative spark left with him. Don't get me wrong, Thorsten's input has been the saving grace, if only Jerome had stayed longer who knows what fantastic sounds would have emerged.....

Obviously the 'Quantum' Years are only in their infancy so it is far too early to critisize this new era, maybe the inclusion of Ulrich Schnauss will make a positive difference to the bands musical output. His impact on the track Madagasmala is clearly evident. If not, it may well be time to call it a day and concentrate on releasing all the unreleased stuff sitting in the TD vaults.

Getting back on topic..........Mala Kunia - Other than track 3, a totally average release.
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ant
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by ant »

:D As you say each to their own but I for one was not disappointed when Jerome left as I felt they had gone as far as they could with his style and it got to the point when you could easily tell which ones were composed by him because they all had the same feel to them, pretty much like what you are saying TD are now, except I don't agree. I think the last two or so years they have been winding down the Eastgate years and completing their final concerts of that era and I think we have some good stuff to come in the final Quantum period. :D
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redziller
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by redziller »

Donofrio_TD wrote:
redziller wrote:Are there many bands/composers with a broader and deeper canon of work?

Just curious!
I think not. Exactly one of the reasons why they should retire, IMO. There comes a time when you just can't invent anymore, no matter how many 'variables' you think you're giving to your art. Hate to say it but all Edgar seems to care about these days is to give his band the higher number of releases any band has had in the history of humanity. I'm not sure anymore if it's the money (he doesn't need it, of course) or just a big ego of his, but he definitely pays little attention to the quality these days, and that's why most of these recent albums suffer from that "sameness" many have talked about before.

I don't know if Edgar considers TD as a "prog" band (many people do in so many places). For some reason I don't think he does, but he, as Tangerine Dream, has released more material than many prolific prog artists like Frank Zappa, Rush, Kansas, Jean Michel Jarre and even Steve Hackett together. Three times more. But he still doesn't seem to have enough. Many things from TD that are worth it are hard to get 'cause they're so old and they became brushed under the carpet, like many of the unreleased soundtracks from the 70's, 80's and 90's or many of the Trees and Leaves with low sound quality, but they just keep releasing all these somewhat tiring variations of The Atomic Seasons (which were great but not meant to be repeated). Edgar talked about change once, but he doesn't seem to find it anymore.
Certainly one of the big reasons for my love of TD was how each album was different from the next in sounds and styles and that's less the case now; perhaps just as much down to continuity of gear. I've stopped seeing buying TD as a capital expense more of an ongoing spend; and long may it continue.

But where I strongly disagree with your post is your giving career advice to EF. I wouldn't presume to tell my window cleaner when to retire, that's completely a matter for them, but to tell an artist to stop producing music because you're tiring of it is utterly absurd!
imho

TD

/ did \
- does - ROCK!
\ will /

https://shiningpyramid.bandcamp.com/releases

http://www.redziller.co.uk/ffp/ TD video game
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ant
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by ant »

:roll: Well for me it is a change on a well known quote - 'If you are tired of Tangerine Dream you are tired of life'. :roll:
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Re: Mala Kunia

Post by Donofrio_TD »

redziller wrote:But where I strongly disagree with your post is your giving career advice to EF. I wouldn't presume to tell my window cleaner when to retire, that's completely a matter for them, but to tell an artist to stop producing music because you're tiring of it is utterly absurd!
Hahaha!! Calm down. It's just an opinion, dude. A very solid one, too, given the fact I'm one of the reasons he's selling his art. Me and millions of people like me (fans) are spending their hard earned money every time they can so his art can even happen, in the first place. I don't want him to go, either, but let's face it: You said it yourself. Almost everything looks the same these days in the TD Universe. Why? Because Edgar is tired, and I'm sorry to say this, but he pretty much looks it. If you're tired and you have everything you could ever want, then maybe it's time for you to take a very well deserved break. Let's not even say a complete retirement, if you don't want to, but perhaps, and many will hate me for saying this (many already do, though), a little hiatus to reflect, to take a deep breath and come up with some good inspiration for the next thing, like what Chris Franke was proposing many decades ago when he left (let's not forget that was one of the main reasons he left TD, Edgar's obsession with a trademark and less and less quality in the music; Johannes did, too, and I don't doubt all the others had the same reason for leaving as well). But if you're going to continue with this somewhat weird obsession about producing more than The Beatles ever produced and having your trademark attached to everything that moves, like on that GTA V game (and compromising your very beliefs for that) then you're bound to get boring and the people who love you and that care about you (if I didn't I wouldn't be here, in the first place) are not going to be quiet about it. And most important, you're being too hard on yourself.

It's not much of a "career advice", my friend, but an opinion and a concern of mine and many of us. And do you really believe Mr. Froese comes to this web forum to read us? Even if he did, do you think he would take ME seriously? Haha! If anything, he'd continue to produce music another 50 years just to shut me up. So take it as what it is, words thrown to the air, nothing more. That's the way it is when it comes to Internet messageboards, especially when they are on official websites created and built especifically for the fans.
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