“These musicians had a rare empathy and sense of exploration. At one point it feels like they’re going to collectively take off”: Tangerine Dream’s Rubycon box set

Tangerine Dream – Rubycon 50th Anniversary.

The most effective way into Tangerine Dream’s five-CD box set is to start with the four live CDs. They were essentially an improvisation trio, and founder Edgar Froese said he sought “transparency” in their music. Although that idea was never fully explained, it was realised in Rubycon’s spatial ambience and panoramic spread.

The album was originally released in March 1975, and the live recordings here come from London’s Rainbow Theatre in October 1974 and the Royal Albert Hall in April 1975 (with Michael Hoenig depping for Peter Baumann).