JEROME FROESE: Dream Mixes I - Ultimate Edition (Remastered 2018)
“An ultimate edition that brings these techno versions of 90s hits to life”
1 Little Blond in the Parc of Attractions (The Thai Dub) 7:13 2 Rough Embrace 5:27 3 Touchwood (Forest Mix) 6:58 4 Jungle Journey (Reptile Mix) 6:17 5 Virtually Fields 6:47 6 Firetongues (Break Freak Mix) 6:15 7 San Rocco 7:14 8 Catwalk (Dress Up Mix) 7:46 9 Change of the Gods 7:16
10 Bride In Cold Tears (Motown Monk Mix) 5:30 11 Touchwood (Forest Mix - Radio Edit) 4:02 12 Little Blond in the Parc of Attractions (The Thai Dub - Radio Edit) 4:09 13 Catwalk (Black Inx Mix) 8:12 14 Touchwood (Poison Bite Mix) 7:54 15 Sojus 9:19 16 San Rocco (Very Early Demo) 4:31
17 Missing Link (DM1 Leftover later used on Zoning OST) 4:50 18 Quasar (Alternative Version) 3:45 19 Stratosfear 95 (JF Basic Version No Adds) 7:05 20 Thief Yang and the Tangram Seal 5:13 21 Parsec Flying (New Unreleased Track 2018) 7:04
(DDL 134:55) (V.F.)
(Electronic Rock, EDM, Electronica)
It's been a while since I had tasted Jerome Froese's music. Not that he was not busy! Loom and parallel projects, including one with Claudia Brücken, and then the remastering of the Dream Mixes series. Was it necessary? It must be heard to judge. That's what I did for the pleasure of my readers and with the kind collaboration of Jerome ...
I won't compare each title. I have compared the 2 versions of Little Blond in the Park of Attractions (The Thai Dub) and this remaster and boosted version wins hands down with a more actual sound and a more dynamic rhythmic structure, more detailed. I made other checkpoints, with the same conclusion. As Jerome Froese mentions on his Bandcamp page; the music has more punch, more sharpness with more effects in the harmonies. And he's right! Initially, I was always skeptical about this project. Except that the idea of giving a second breath to titles that had left me of ice in the original editions of Rockoon, Turn of the Tides and Tyranny of Beauty (I still haven't heard the music de Zoning) could not give worse results. But am I still as receptive as when I wrote a chronicle about The Dream Mixes? It was in the fall of 2010 and I've heard a lot of Techno since. So, more power in the sound also means more precision in the small effects that we hardly hear in the original version of The Dream Mixes of 1995. That's what I call small subtleties and with a renewed dynamism and an amplified sound impact, these little details give a second push to my interest. More in Techno mode, Little Blond in the Park of Attractions is definitely better here than it was already better in the first version. Rough Embrace is even more powerful and much better here. The percussive finale of Touchwood (Forest Mix) radiates in this remastering. And it's the same for every title I've chronicled on this blog (here's the link). I have rediscovered titles such as Jungle Journey (Reptile Mix), Firetongues (Break Freak Mix) and Change of the Gods with a great pleasure.
This ultimate edition offers us 6 additional tracks, some of which have become rarities, in addition to a brand-new composition by Jerome Froese. San Rocco (Very Early Demo) is heavier, more Techno and trance than San Rocco which was already pretty furious. See, I like it better here than in the 1995 version. Missing Link (DM1 Leftover later on Zoning OST) is heavy and curt with electronic percussion's strikes and harmonies loaded of Turn of the Tides' scents. There are two segments in this title that will unscrew your eardrums! I'm ambivalent, but it rocks and then not just a little! Is there a noticeable difference between this Quasar (Alternative Version) and the original that was hidden in the sessions of Tyranny of Beauty? Aside from the strength of the sound and the good percussive effects, I think no. But no matter, for me it's a plus because I heard this Quasar once, a friend had the 99's TDI version, and I was not impressed that much. I like this version though. Stratosfear 95 is a pleasant surprise since it's the dance music vision of Jerome that did not touch the harmonic envelope, except to add some percussive effects. And they are absolutely superb! I'm really glad to finally hear Thief Yang and the Tangram Seal otherwise than in concert or in a so-so version of the bootleg Traumzeit. Here, the note is perfect for this audacious and excellent title that includes extracts of Force Majeure, Tangram Set One and Diamond Diary in a mix of dance music. Parsec Flying is an original thing that Jerome composed last year. It's in the spirit of those remixes with a dance music hint, a Techno orientation and a frenzy of Dance Floor which sounds more in the horizons of Jerome Froese than of Tangerine Dream's remixes. I enjoyed it! The rhythm is heavy and lively with a vision less cold, less cybernetic than of Jean-Michel Jarre in Electronica 2-The Heart of Noise.
More dynamic with more details, it's assured that this remastered version of DREAM MIXES I-ULTIMATE EDITION is welcome and worth the cost of purchase. And Jerome is not too greedy with a price that makes sense for more than 2 hours of boosted music in a sound envelope that reflects more accurately the vision that was probably Jerome Froese in 1995. I have appreciated it much better, and I even liked some titles that didn't pass very well in 2010, the year of my chronicle. The 33 minutes of extra music are delicious. Note that this album is available only in downloadable version and no CD output is planned. In addition, Jerome told me that the 5 volumes of the series will be remastered following the same principle and should be available in 2019. Dream Mixes II - Ultimate Edition is already available. I'll talk about it to you soon.
Sylvain Lupari (May 26th, 2019) *****
Available at Jerome Froese's Bandcamp