“From the highest to the lowest! How can Froese and Haslinger have a talent drop in such a short time?”
1 Alexander Square (LP Version) 4:50
2 Emperors Castle 2:10
3 Hitchhikers Point 5:00
4 Brandenburg Gate 3:25
5 Wall-Street 3:16
6 Peacock Island 3:25
7 Down The Avus 4:40
8 Midnight In Bear City 4:25
9 Berlin Summer Nights 4:17
10 Alexander Square (Reprise) 2:00
CD BMG 260 440
(CD 37:29) (V.F.)
(Soundtrack, New Age)
From the highest, with Miracle Mile, to the lowest, DESTINATION BERLIN! How can Froese and Haslinger have a talent drop in such a short time? True that this soundtrack was not distributed in America, but it dramatically shows the creative instability of Tangerine Dream. Composed especially for the world premiere of Imagine 360, a project that allows the installation of cameras at 360 degree angles in West Berlin, near Gedächtniskirche, this album was intended to create the moods for spectators planted in the middle of the cinema to watch a movie about Berlin. If the project worked well at its inception, the cinema was closed a year later while DESTINATION BERLIN survived it. Today this album is known to be TD's worst one. The 10 titles presented scroll monotonously. A flat disc, lifeless, which aims at the same sequences and the same modulations, without trying to nuance the tones. Dull music, typical of metro speakers, grocery store speakers. Drum rolls, easy sequences, anemic synthetic layers, in short Froese and Haslinger didn't go for originality here.
A big drum roll relieves the aseptic intro of Alexander Square. Throughout, we will hear the same mould, the same choirs, the same chords coming back to complete the 4:50. Low. And it's pretty much the same throughout the album. If melodious themes are present, they are simplistic and lack intensity, like the weak percussions of Hitchhikers Point, considered as the hit of the album. Sure, things are moving, but the synthetic appeal is cold and lacking in involvement, as if the duo only did it for the money. But still there, the young generation love the rotating percussions, the same damn percussions, which appear without relation, completely for free. On this album, Froese and Haslinger abuse melodious themes, such as ear-banging percussions, enveloping synths and backing vocals with emotional climbs. Everything to move, without knowing. In fact, Froese & Haslinger (not bad as a name) have abused everything... except talent. If you have it too bad, if not all the better.
Sylvain Lupari (March 14th, 2007) *****