Edgar Froese - Epsilon In Malaysian Pale

Millwood, May 27, 2006

Edgar Froeses Epsilon In Malaysian Pale is well and truly a landmark in electronic music. Released in 1975, between the classic Tangerine Dream albums Phaedra and Rubycon, it stands well apart from anything the bands front man ever penned whilst working within the group.

Comprising just two long pieces, and using the mellotron (a very early sampling device) almost exclusively, Epsylon takes us on what could best be described as a guided tour around a desert island. The title track sets the scene almost instantly, opening to the sounds of birds chirping, a light breeze, and a train passing by. From here we are slowly lead into dense forest, as Froese establishes as a serene flute melody which will carry through the majority of the piece.

Its not all smooth sailing though. The second track, Maroubra Bay, opens with some of the darkest themes Froese has ever recorded. One could quite easily liken the passage to Mussorgskys Night On Bald Mountain, as striking chords echo and oscillate over harsh wind samples and an unnerving drone effect. To continue with the guided tour concept, it conjures up images of being stranded on a freezing cold, windswept, desolate beach in the middle of the night. Froese keeps us here for a few minutes, before allowing the sun to slowly creep over the horizon, delivering a strong sense of warmth, and what I could only describe as one of the most stunning passages of music Ive ever heard.

Sadly, the CD edition of this album has been out of print for around ten years now, and seems to fetch some pretty crazy prices whenever it surfaces. Ironically enough, almost all of Froeses other solo efforts are still quite readily available through Virgin. 1974s Aqua is the only album that comes anywhere near the achievements of Epsylon.

This truly is an amazing album, and one of the most important early electronic works.

NOTE: Froese re-released the album in 2005 through his own record label, but not only did he change the cover art, he over-dubbed a whole bunch of ridiculously out-of-place, newly composed sequences to the old recording. Fans of Froese will know that hes notorious for doing this sort of thing, and as usual, the results are an absolute joke. Its unfortunate too, because any chance this album had of being re-issued has probably fallen by the wayside now.

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