Hyperborea

Released in 1983, Hyperborea marks the final studio album of Tangerine Dream's 'Virgin Years,' a period widely considered their creative zenith. The lineup of Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, and Johannes Schmoelling had perfected a blend of complex sequencing and evocative melody. The album is notable for its use of the PPG Wave synthesizer, which introduced digital wavetable synthesis and sampling into their sound, resulting in the 'ethnic' and sitar-like textures found on the title track and 'No Man's Land.' The centerpiece is the twenty-minute 'Sphinx Lightning,' a side-long suite that harkens back to their 1970s long-form structures while utilizing 80s production polish. Critics often cite this album as the sophisticated bridge between the band's experimental krautrock roots and their later, more commercial film score work. It remains a high-water mark for the Berlin School of electronic music.