Ambient Highway

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MrCox
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Ambient Highway

Post by MrCox »

I know there is some debate going on among fans about Edgar Froese's "Ambient Highway" series. Well, after getting my hands on the set I wanted to express how much I enjoy these 4 discs, especially as I don't own the "Beyond The Storm" collection.
What's best about them is the way Froese compiled tracks from his entire solo career. OK, most recordings are remixed and reworked, in some cases in a very radical way, but I find these CDs with 11 tracks and about 60 minutes each very entertaining. I also like the way Froese compiled new albums instead of a new "rarities and remixes" collection like "Beyond The Storm".

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but does anyone know when the pieces from "Beyond The Storm" and the new unreleased compositions were originally recorded? I can only guess, but in some cases the origin is detactable quite well, in others I might be completely wrong:

Vol. 1
"Sahara Child": 2002 or 2003, it has a Dante-esk feel with these synth choirs.
"Santa Elena Merisal": It sounds like something from the late 80's, maybe from "Canyon Dreams".
"Carneol": This is definately from the mid-80's, these fast sequencers that were overlaid with 90's drum sounds.
"Bobcats In The Sun": This one's dfficult, but my guess would be the early 90's, it wouldn't be too out of place on "Rockoon".
"Magic Lantern": This soft track must have been recorded in 1994 or 1995.
"Tierra Del Fuego": Another piece that fits in the mid-90's era with its synth melody and the conga drums.
"Dome Of Yellow Turtles": I don't know if it's just Linda Spa's saxophone, but this melancholy piece must be a composition of 1994 / 95 too.
"Car Dreaming": A new composition with complicated drum patterns a guitar sounds that fit perfectly to the new millennium. It could have been a 1998 / 99 composition intended for "Mars Polaris".

Vol. 2
"Moonlight On A Crawler Lane": This surely is from 1992 or 1993, a piece that would fit on "Rockoon" somehow.
"Raindance": This also has a "Mars Polaris" feel to it, maybe recorded around 1999, but could very well a completely new composition.
"One Fine Day In Siberia": This must be a composition from 1994 or 1995, a bit like some "Zoning" tracks.
"Heatwave City": This composition seems to use some sounds from the middle or late 80's, but mostly it fits to the early 90's.
"Shores Of Guam": This piece is one of those that can be originated very easily, it's using some samples and drum sounds from the 1985 "Le Parc" album. This could have been used as a bonus track on the "Le Parc" CD.
"Vault Of The Heavens": This track is very mid-90's-like, in almost every aspect.
"Koala Sunrise": This wonderful and melodic compositions wouldn't be out of place on "Oasis", but it seems to be completely new.
"The Morning Seal": Another 2002 / 03 composition I guess, it sounds like nothing else Froese ever recorded.

Vol. 3
"Down To Barstow": This one's easy, it must be an "Mota Atma" outtake recorded in 2003.
"Days Of Camouflage": This may have been a track recorded around 1988 / 89 originally, but heavily reworked in 1995.
"Genesta In The Afternoon Glow": This is almost certainly an early to mid-90's track. Sounds very much like something from "Rockoon".
"Gizeh Sunset": This would have fitted on "The Seven Letters From Tibet" from 1998 with its peaceful atmosphere and the synth choirs.
"Summer In Key West": This quite strange composition includes the familiar "haleaah" synth choir, there are also some similarities to the more quiet "Mars Polaris" tracks like "Dies Martis", so it seems to be from 1999.
"Craving For A Rose": Another peaceful track with more recent drum sounds, a new 2003 composition undoubtedly.

Vol. 4
"Colorado Dawn": As Froese and Schmoelling reused the backing track of this on "Kyoto" ("Chilly Moons"), this must have been a Froese solo recording from 1983 originally.
"Descent Like A Hawk" (aka "Eyewitness News"): This piece was recorded in 1994 for the "Zoning" video soundtrack.
"Raindrops On Black Skin": Another new composition perhaps, but it could have been recorded at any time between 1995 and 2003.

These are just my guesses. Does anyone have actual information about these recordings? And what do you think about the "Ambient Highway" series?
sparrow
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Post by sparrow »

Very indepth post MrCox. I'm afraid I don't have any answers though. My one gripe with the 4 discs is the sound quality. All 4 are very loud and on quite a few occasions there is annoying distortion.
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MrCox
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Post by MrCox »

Yeah, this is right. The most annoying distortions are on the "Epsilon In Malaysian Pale" excerpt (but there is the complete remix on the EIMP CD) and on "One Fine Day In Siberia". On the latter you can instead listen to "Law Paradiso" on "The Hollywood Years" which is the same composition without distortion. :P
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Froesesque
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Post by Froesesque »

I noticed weird sound quality with some of EF's solo album re-recordings/re-issues. A tinny quality to the sound, especialy on Pinnacles 2005

Orange Light Years is a good collection.
You were only supposed to blow the bladdy doors off!!!!
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hansx
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Post by hansx »

isn't this in the wrong section?
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Hobo
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Post by Hobo »

hansx wrote:isn't this in the wrong section?
Well, it relates to the music rather than Edgar himself, so I guess it's in the right place.
"In the absurd often lies what is artistically possible." - Edgar Froese
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Post by bigmoog »

nothing wrong with the sound quality, get better hi fi equipment...or just listen to the wonderful music........listen through the distortion :arrow:
...The wise.....are silent.....
sparrow
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Post by sparrow »

bigmoog wrote:nothing wrong with the sound quality, get better hi fi equipment...or just listen to the wonderful music........listen through the distortion :arrow:
Srange thing is. On our old Technics stereo I never noticed the distortion. On my new system it's in your face on some tracks. Surely you must notice that all 4 discs are way too loud Jon..distortion or not.
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Post by Desert_Voyager »

Maybe your new one isn't as good as your old Technics was John?

Let's see what the others say.
sparrow
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Post by sparrow »

Desert_Voyager wrote:Maybe your new one isn't as good as your old Technics was John?

Let's see what the others say.
I hope it is it cost almost 10 times more. :cry:
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hansx
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Post by hansx »

bigmoog wrote:nothing wrong with the sound quality, get better hi fi equipment...or just listen to the wonderful music........listen through the distortion :arrow:
That sure helps. I bought a new Philips HTS3100/12 home cinema system because the other one did fail. This one gives a great sound quality for radio and cd. And that for only 129€. The other one costed a lot more and radio and cd quality was rubbish.
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Post by rattymouse »

sparrow wrote:Very indepth post MrCox. I'm afraid I don't have any answers though. My one gripe with the 4 discs is the sound quality. All 4 are very loud and on quite a few occasions there is annoying distortion.
Sadly, I find this true of many recent TD recordings. It is amazing how good their older material was recorded compared to recent output. This is true of many bands today as the whole philosophy of recording has changed. Higher volume levels are given much more importance than accurate sound.
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Desert_Voyager
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Post by Desert_Voyager »

sparrow wrote:
Desert_Voyager wrote:Maybe your new one isn't as good as your old Technics was John?

Let's see what the others say.
I hope it is it cost almost 10 times more. :cry:
Did you notice distortion on Jeanne d'Arc aswell as one or two at the most claimed that there was? I must say that I for one never did.
sparrow
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Post by sparrow »

Desert_Voyager wrote:
sparrow wrote:
Desert_Voyager wrote:Maybe your new one isn't as good as your old Technics was John?

Let's see what the others say.
I hope it is it cost almost 10 times more. :cry:
Did you notice distortion on Jeanne d'Arc aswell as one or two at the most claimed that there was? I must say that I for one never did.
None at all Jason..the distortion some folk noticed was in fact an effect.
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Post by timer »

Desert_Voyager wrote:
sparrow wrote:
Desert_Voyager wrote:Maybe your new one isn't as good as your old Technics was John?

Let's see what the others say.
I hope it is it cost almost 10 times more. :cry:
Did you notice distortion on Jeanne d'Arc aswell as one or two at the most claimed that there was? I must say that I for one never did.
DV Got to agree with you on this, there are some very strange sounding 'moments' on the JOA CD- pity as its a absolute amazingly stunning CD. (IMOOOC)
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