Five years on from Quantum Gate, Tangerine Dream have reassembled for their second, post-Froese album, Raum. The current line-up tell Prog about Edgar’s clear vision for the band’s sound and how they’re shouldering the responsibility of continuing the Tangs’ 55-year legacy into the next decade and beyond.

Words: Dom Lawson Portrait: Katja Ruge

The art of sequencing: Tangerine Dream, 2022.

When the last remaining original member of an esteemed band passes away, fan conversations inevitably turn to questioning the legitimacy of any ongoing incarnation. Just ask any Yes fan to unpick the ins and outs of that band’s ongoing existence. Tangerine Dream found themselves under similar scrutiny when founder and electronic pioneer Edgar Froese died in January 2015. Without the Germans’ talismanic leader, many fans pondered, should the remaining members really continue operating under the band’s name? In the end, of course, Tangerine Dream are very much alive and well.

“There was a very clear vision from Edgar about making Tangerine Dream music. We lived together for about 10 years, so a lot of what I learned from him was involved in making this new album.”

Thorsten Quaeschning

In spite of naysayers’ objections, 2017’s Quantum Gate turned out to be a low-key triumph, as Froese’s deputy, Thorsten Quaeschning, commenced the process of using his late boss’ huge archive of unused ideas to inform the creation of new music. Five years on, and with a firmly established line-up of musical director Quaeschning, multi-instrumentalist Paul Frick and violinist Hoshiko Yamane, Tangerine Dream are back with another brand new studio record, Raum. This being the internet age, however, there will be still be die-hard fans struggling to accept any version of their favourite band without Froese at the helm. But as Quaeschning explains to Prog over a crystal clear Zoom line to their studio the question of whether Tangerine Dream should continue after their founder’s death simply never came up.