LAMBERT: Dimensions of Dreams (1995)

“This is one of the best albums for those who always look for very sophisticated and creative imitators of Tangerine Dream”

1 Impetus 5:58

2 Trance Journey 13:44

3 Immersion 10:30

4 Translook 11:03

5 Train of Impressions 10:28

6 Maelstrom 5:30

7 Two Worlds 5:04

8 Yonohamo 3:43

9 Return 6:32

Spheric SMCD 1003

(CD 72:32) (V.F.)

(New and Retro Berlin School)

1995! That year was a turning point in Lambert Ringlage's career who leaves his adventure in solo to realize works in duet with Stephen Parsick, Palantir and Wolfgang Barkowski. This period, nevertheless festive for the fans of the New Berlin School style, was going to be punctuated with numerous interruptions which today always stay without explanations. But before this change of cape in his career, Lambert had another surprise to give to EM; DIMENSIONS OF DREAMS. Another album always strongly inspired by Tangerine Dream, from the Virgin to the Melrose years, this 8th solo album of the founder of Spheric Music the label took a tangent which was going to infiltrate the waves of Trancesession, another excellent album of the Berlin School style that I recommend strongly.

Impetus starts things straight with a superb and very harmonious structure of sequences where Lambert has nothing eft to learn from Chris Franke. The rhythm is solid, lean on this movement of sequences and on sober electronic percussions very MIDI, and supports a melody of a synth of the 90's which spreads crepuscular shadows and which sounds very TD of the Virgin years. The play of the sequencer takes our ears by surprise with some unexpected directions and the synth sculpts solos worthy of an electronic nightingale. An excellent start, which rings a little bit retro today except that the sequencer and the synth solos always stay of an incredible efficiency. After this canon start, Lambert offers us 4 long and rather creative compositions. First of all, Trance Journey and its introduction which mixes well enough the baroque style of the keyboard and the theatrical effects as misty as a wolf with its sneaky approach. A crystalline movement of sequence makes its keys to frolic and to skip in a sophisticated disorder whereas a bass line accentuates the uncertain approach of the introduction. Minimalist, this structure of rhythm welcomes cosmic effects and another line of sequences which sounds more than very discreet in the background. This more or less ambient movement reaches a surprising phase of intergalactic fight with an assault of sequences which gives a video game aspect to a music which eyes a little the kind of trance ambient before taking back a more Berliner path. And as usual, Lambert decorates his music of very good solos. Immersion is more in an electronic rock mode with Andreas Paeth on guitar who throws wonderful and furious solos which tears up the vibes around.

Translook is a splendid Berlin School which has inspired, or is it vice versa, the moods of the succulent album Trancesession. Sequences and percussions, which sound more real here, sculpt a minimalist approach which a strong bass line straddles marvelously. The ambiences turn to a very dark kind, a la Redshift or ['ramp], around the 6th minute. A short passage of 2 minutes as staggering as deeply delicious, the synth layers smother of their effects of old organ, before the rhythm becomes again a good Berlin School which undulates like the hypnotic S of a long snake. Train of Impressions is another very good track which is so much like TD, period Logos. I know that there is a multitude of Tangerine Dream's emulators out there who get multiply since the coming of the MIDI era, but I rarely heard a version as well near the era Logos as here. Incredible! When I'm reading here and there that Lambert Ringlage became as good as Chris Franke in the manipulation of the sequencer, DIMENSIONS OF DREAMS, and especially Train of Impressions, is doubtless at the origin of this statement. Afterward, the album takes another tangent with a series of short titles which seem very pale after these last exceptional 45 minutes. Maelstrom is without story while Two Worlds is more experimental and clearly more interesting here. Even with very heavy layers and a rather ambivalent structure of rhythm, Yonohamo had no effect on me, set apart to skip it and jump to Return. That's a very explosive title which concludes Lambert Ringlage's most elaborate and most musical album to this date. There is nearly 60 minutes of strong, very strong, music in this DIMENSIONS OF DREAMS, one of the best albums for those who always look for and still are looking for some very sophisticated and creative pupils of Tangerine Dream. If it's the case, run for this album!

Sylvain Lupari (August 22nd, 2017) ****¼*

SynthSequences.com

Available at Spheric Music & Groove