Aqua Blue

Aqua Blue

ASIN: B00000IP3O

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Shinji Ishihara's American debut, Aqua Blue, is a brilliant and outstanding collection of pieces that demonstrate brilliant compositional skill, prodigious musical talent and exceptional artistic vision.

Aqua Blue gently unfolds like a tropical dawn, tenderly revealing vast and meticulously constructed soundscapes. With these elements, become transported to wondrous visions within your own imagination and allow your spirit to transcend the ordinary and embark on a plateau of emotional serenity and musical splendor.

Tracks:

Aqua
Panorphelia
NGC 891
Upland

Album Description

Mid-priced reissue of the Tangerine Dream co-founder's solo debut, originally released on Virgin in 1974. Four tracks. Also features the original cover art.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-05-28

I grew up on this music & actually have the album. I was thrilled to find it re-mastered on cd as the LP is a bit scratchy.

Thank you!!

Superb electronic art music.......2005-12-03

Recorded largely during the winter of 1973/74 and released in 1974, this masterwork was the first solo effort by Edgar Froese, who just happens to be the motivating force behind the gothic, electronica giant Tangerine Dream. The four pieces on Aqua range from the 6'31" Upland, to the lengthy 16'58" title track Aqua. Musically, this album brings the experimental aspects of Atem (1973) and Phaedra (1974) together with the brooding, grey soundscapes found on Rubycon (1975) to create an excellent work of what is referred to as electronic "art" music. As to be expected, pulsating, throbbing, and bubbling analog synthesizers abound and include the mellotron, along with low-frequency "bass" sequenced parts and melody lines played on one of the synthesizers made by Bob Moog (double moog?) although the exact model is not cited. If I am not mistaken I did hear some sounds that reminded me of a VCS 3 and an ARP Pro Soloist/ARP 2600 although this is not entirely clear (there was only a limited instrument listing). It is worth noting that Chris Franke (also of Tangerine Dream) was featured on the piece NGC 891 where he contributed parts on the moog synthesizer. In addition to synthesizers, there is an organ part on Upland and "found sounds" are present on a few tracks including the sound of flowing water on the opening piece Aqua, in addition to snippets of pre-recorded automobile and airplane sounds on NGC 891. As suggested in the liner notes, I listened to "Side 2 (NGC 891 and Upland) with headphones to fully appreciate the "revolutionary artificial head system" developed by Gunther Brunschen. As translated through an excellent pair of Bose "Triports", I did get the sense of a "3D surround-sound" effect, especially with the airplane and automobile sounds - although there is some "clipping" and distortion, the airplane generally sounded as if it was passing directly overhead, and the automobile sounds were such that it created the (disconcerting) effect of standing in the middle of a road. The last piece Upland closes with a collage of parts played backwards. Album cover art features a close-up of a small, ice-covered stream or area of ponded water, which was taken by Monica Froese - the overlapping fragments of thin ice create a very nice abstract "geometric" effect and captures the icy, wintry mood of the recording. Overall this is an excellent album that is highly recommended to all electronica fans. For those folks that enjoyed this recording, three albums by Tangerine Dream including Atem (1973), Phaedra (1974), and Rubycon (1975), in addition to Timewind (1975) by Klaus Schulze are also highly recommended.

Froese's first solo.......2005-08-02

This is Edgar Froese's first solo album. It was released in 1974. It has all the classic sounds of the time. Chris Franke guests on one song. He uses the best equipment of that era, including the awesome mellotron. I recommend this cd to all fans of Tangerine Dream and early electronica.

Gooooooood LORD!!!!.......2005-07-25

This is about as good as it gets in the electronic/psych/space music world. This is NOT for beginners and should maybe have a child protective seal on it 'er something. If you're into occasional temporary lysergic mind expansion, believe me, ya don't wanna leave earth without this one. Phaedra on STEROIDS!

I'll take for granted that if you're interested in this guy, you know the ropes on psychedelia allready - what you'll get on "Aqua" is a more intense version of the early Tangerine Dream montra; personal taste will need to guide you, but I love this one for the pure psychotronic soundscapes.....not all of this is really "music" in the ordinary application of the term but that goes with TD, Froese & Co.

Thanks for the candor all you previous reviewers - all the reviews submitted here by listeners hit the bullseye and I was sold on this one by THEIR opinions - righteous!

Suggestions for others you'll love if "Aqua" hit your spot: Frank Gingeleit "Megalopolis" or "Nightmares & Escapades" are both electro/psych/space/kraut, Pink Floyd "The Grand Ummagumma Party" is their DEEPEST psycher with the only known live recording of "Several Species O.S.F.A.G.T.I.A.C.A.G.W.A.P" with great improv and superior sound quality. For pure space ROCK, 35007's "Liquid" is an absolute MASTERPIECE. Others to look for are Chief Mart's, The Interstellar Cementmixers, Bland Bladen, Monkey3, Escapade, Vocokesh, The Spacious Mind, Nog Cavanagh, Rad Kjetl, Radio Massacre International, Astrosoniq and Alien Dream to name a few. Do yourself a favor and search out "Aural Innovations" - this is a site.

That said, I leave you with: Thank Christ For Mind Altering Psychedelic Drugs!!!!

Amazing solo album from Tangerine Dream guy.......2004-08-13

Aqua, to me sounds a whole lot more like how Tangerine Dream would have sounded like between Atem and Phaedra than Green Desert would ever be. Green Desert had too many '80s digital add-ons making it too much resemble Le Parc or Underwater Sunlight than anything TD would have done in '73. Interestingly enough, Aqua came out after Phaedra, but you could swear it came out before. Most of the music is all done by Froese (with only Tangerine Dream bandmate Christophe Franke making a guest on one cut). The album is loaded with VCS-3 synth bubbles that sound like it came off Phaedra, with all sorts of bizarre sound effects that sound like it came off Alpha Centauri or Zeit. A lot of this album has a rather sinister sound, especially from the organ. That's especially true of the opening title track. "Panorphelia" is basically a pulsing synth sound with lots of great Mellotron. The Mellotron isn't used anywhere as much as his next solo album, Epsilon in Malaysian Pale, but at least he's still using it. "NGC 891" is the cut that Chris Franke makes a guest. No surprise that Franke plays the modular Moog. Mainly it's a repeated synth pattern against lots of different and wonderful sounds. "Upland" is the one that most resemble Phaedra, especially the organ. Imagine "Movement of a Visionary" without the trademark sequenced synthesizers and you're not too far off. The album boasted that the special sounds were used with an artifical head system invented by Günther Brunschen. I believe some of those sounds that sound like jets were by this system. No doubt that this album is a classic and an absolute must for those who enjoy what Tangerine Dream was doing around the same time.

Average customer rating:

the sequel to his acclaimed debut

CARIBBEAN DREAM II, DREAMING AGAIN
Brannan Lane
Manufacturer: World Circle
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Caribbean Dream

ASIN: B00005UV4J
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Tracks:

Congo Island>
Sea Yourself
Island Hop
Reggae Knights
Waveland
Sea Yourself Too
Until Then (jungle mix)
Caribbean Sea (radio mix)
Jungle Juice
Thinkin Mon

Album Description

Follow-up to the successful “Caribbean Dream” cd (Reached #10 on the NAV Top 100 Airwaves). Take another sonic voyage to a tropical island far away with beautiful blue skies, clear aqua green waters, mysterious jungle landscapes and white sand beaches. A place to reflect, dream and recharge. Please watch your head and enjoy your trip.

Customer Reviews:

the sequel to his acclaimed debut.......2002-07-21

Brannan Lane, Nashville resident and citizen-of-the-global-musical-village, returns to his roots on Caribbean Dream II: Dreaming Again, the sequel to his acclaimed debut, Caribbean Dream. Once again, this multi-faceted and extremely talented (and humble)
musician delivers the goods: smooth tropical ambience, cyber-sultry island rhythms, and
warm sunny melodies wafting in like gentle ocean breezes. Also much like his debut,
Brannan mixes up tempos, moods, and textures, ranging from Richard Bone-like tropical
lounge-jazz (the opening track, "Congo Island") to mysterious and haunting ambient
pieces ("Sea Yourself" and its somewhat tribal reprise, "Sea Yourself Too") to
island-flavored rhythm-fests ("Until Then [jungle mix]" or the reggae-tinged "Island Hop"
and "Reggae Knights"). The album also includes a new version of the track "Caribbean
Sea" from the first Caribbean Dream release. Brannan even honors us with his first
outright vocal tune, the album closer "Thinkin' Mon." As you can infer from the track's
title, this is the most outright reggae number on the album, and what can I tell ya - I've
spoken to Brannan on the phone and I sure as hell don't recognize his voice on this song!
I'm not going to tell you he's got Bob Marley's pipes, of course. But what the hell - the
guy is having a blast on this cut (that's not hard to tell) and ya just gotta get in the swing
of it, mon!
Merely as a caveat to those of you who detest nature sounds, they are abundant on this
fine album (especially birdsong and waves, as you'd expect, along with some nocturnal
insects). Myself, I love environmental textures on CDs like this one. For me, they add just
the right amount of "being there."
I raved about the original Caribbean Dream when it came out, and I'm even more
enthusiastic about this follow-up. Brannan's recording abilities (from a technical
standpoint) have grown exponentially with each releaser. Engineering is flawless,
percussion is expertly recorded and mixed, and his control over his array of keyboards has
never sounded better. The first Caribbean Dream was a lot of fun but also a little on the
"not-quite-ripe" side. Now that Brannan Lane has matured and "aged," much like fine
wine, the musical "flavors" are more complex and more satisfying. Not that this CD isn't
still all about havin' a great time. That it is for sure. So, if you're looking for music that
brings to mind lazing on the beach, sipping on a cold beverage perhaps (heaven forbid it's
alcoholic in nature, of course), and listening to the sounds of waves and wildlife, this here
album will serve as your round-trip ticket to the Islands, mon. Now, take off those shoes
and stay awhile - no worries here! -- Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire

Average customer rating:

Okay CD

Aqua Blue
Shinji
Manufacturer: Domo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000IP3O
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Tracks:

Aqua Blue
A Dream Of The Deep Sea
The Whisper Of A Stream
Dawn Of A Forest
Reincarnation
The Guardian Angel
A Pixy Dance
Ex Orient Lux
Requiem
Fruits Of The Land
Wind-Borne Seeds
A Way To Paradisum

Album Description

Shinji Ishihara's American debut, Aqua Blue, is a brilliant and outstanding collection of pieces that demonstrate brilliant compositional skill, prodigious musical talent and exceptional artistic vision.

Customer Reviews:

Okay CD.......2000-06-27

This CD is o'right. Initially I liked it a lot but gradually it became boring.

Average customer rating:

SUSPENDED IN AMBER:PEEBLES

Manufacturer: INNOVA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000004AFG
Release Date: 2000-12-06

Tracks:

Blue Moon Spirit (1987)
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): Pre-Dawn
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): Spring
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): Summer
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): Autumn
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): The Big Sleep
Tomoe (revolving life) (version 4, 1991-1993): Rebirth
Phoenix Calling (dance version, 1991-1993)
Aqua Bubble (1993)

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music