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Edgar Froese, the founder of pioneering electronic band Tangerine Dream, has died at the age of 70. According to Tangerine Dream’s Facebook page, Froese passed away “suddenly and unexpectedly” from the effects of a pulmonary embolism. He was residing in Vienna, Austria.
A native of West Berlin, Froese founded Tangerine Dream in 1967 and remained the band’s only constant member through its six decade existence. The band is well known for its mammoth creative output, having released over 100 albums in addition to scoring countless movie film scores and soundtracks.
Alongside fellow German outfits like Kraftwerk and Can, Tangerine Dream was a torchbearer of the Krautrock genre. In the 1970s, Froese began experimenting with new studio techniques, including sequencers and the Moog synthesizer. It was during these years that Tangerine Dream experienced the height of its critical and commercial success, as 1973’s Atem was crowned album of the year by influential UK DJ John Peel, and 1974’s Phaedra reached No. 15 on the UK charts.
For many, Tangerine Dream is familiar for its soundtrack work in films including Sorcerer, Risky Business, Firestarter, Flashpoint, and The Keep. More recently, Froese scored the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
Froese remained active up until his death: In June, Tangerine Dream released a new studio album entitled Chandra – The Phantom Ferry Part II.
Both with Tangerine Dream and as a solo artist, Froese had an illustrious career.
In the 70’s, Froese ( 6 June 1944 – 20 January 2015) helped define the ‘Berlin School’ style of experimental electronic rock, on Tangerine Dream classics like Phaedra, Rubicon and Stratosfear. In the 80’s, Froese and his band brought a new sound to the art of scoring, on films like Thief, Risky Business and Miracle Mile. Later in his career, he found success in the world of new age music.
In addition to his work with Tangerine Dream, Froese was an active solo artist, on albums like Aqua, Epsilon in Malaysian Pale and Stuntman.
In an interview with The Quietus in 2010, Froese said this about his influences:
"Dali was quite a big influence in my life, because his philosophy of being as original and authentic as possible had touched me very intensively at that time. As he used to be incomparable I invested a lot of time, too, in training myself to follow such a philosophical path.
When I met Dali the first time I was 22, a youngster who knew immediately that nearly everything is possible in art, as long as you have a strong belief in what you’re doing."
Froese also attributed his long career to a lifestyle of hard work and clean living:
"You can’t work 14-16 hours per day on your musical visions if you’re getting drunk or being a drug addicted person at the same time. It would never work. So I’ve been a vegetarian most of my lifetime and have not smoked or drunk for almost 35 years now. But that’s a decision every artist has to deal with on a personal subjective level."
Below, listen to a selection of Froese’s career highlights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjPGmSqadxM#http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4WO1uMP2B0#More information about his passing from The Guardian.Edgar Froese Website
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