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Alpha Centauri

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Alpha Centauri is the second album by Tangerine Dream and was released in March 1971 on Ohr. The group sounded different from the debut, Electronic Meditation. There was more room for keyboards and electronics, although these still stayed in the background. The leading roles went to organ and flute. Edgar Froese himself called the atmosphere Kosmische Musik.

A Head Heritage reviewer wrote that the album used Pink Floyd's space rock template but drained the rock out of it. The single Ultima Thule had already been released in February 1971. It uses the same guitar riff as Fly and Collision of Comas Sola and was otherwise a stand-alone release. Later reissues in the 2000s added both parts of it as bonus tracks. The album sold 20,000 copies in Germany, almost four times as many as the later Phaedra.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Alpha Centauri and notice which instruments shape the atmosphere. Can you hear mostly organ and flute, and how spacious that sounds?

Track list

  1. 1Sunrise In the Third System4:22Apple Music ↗
  2. 2Fly and Collision of Comas Sola13:24Apple Music ↗
  3. 3Alpha Centauri22:05Apple Music ↗
  4. 4Ultima Thule, Pt. 13:22Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs