TANGERINE DREAM

(TANGERINE DREAM)
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TANGERINE DREAM
WORDS PAUL WATSON
If any of you were swinging in the ‘60s,
you’ll probably remember Tangerine
Dream, a quirky instrumental German
group, whose album featured in one
famous scene of that all-time classic
mockumentary, Spinal Tap. Well, this
group isn’t just for those now grey-haired
and inactive 60- and 70-somethings; they
recently penned the bulk of the score for
the latest Grand Theft Auto video game,
and their YouTube views have shot into
the uber-millions as a result. Headliner
braves Turin’s blazing sunshine and 56%
humidity, armed with a bottle of water
and a backstage pass for their show at
the city’s legendary, and thankfully airconditioned, Teatro Colosseo...
Tangerine Dream have been pretty busy
of late. Their zig-zag tour kicked off in
Copenhagen, then they went Stateside for a
couple of cruises with The Moody Blues and
Yes in Miami, then Honduras (as you do),
before hopping back across the pond to play
the super-cool Shepherds Bush Empire in
London, a couple of gigs in the Netherlands,
and a series of shows in the Fatherland, first
in Munich, then Nuremberg, Cologne, and
Stuttgart.
It’s a bloody hard life, isn’t it?
“It has been a pretty extensive stint; the
longest two seasons since 1997, I think,” says
FOH engineer, Kalle Hogrefe, who has been
at the helm for some 14 years (he thinks –
he really isn’t too sure, truth be told). “The
show has its challenges, but at the same time
that’s what keeps it fresh; it’s not your regular
guitar, bass and drums band; you have to
really keep an eye on the intricate details,
which these guys have plenty of.”
For those that aren’t aware, Tangerine
Dream was formed in 1967 in West Berlin
by Edgar Froese; 47 years on, he’s still there,
propping up his keyboard and rocking out
(in an atmospheric, instrumental, sitting
down type way). The band has 18 former
members, has recorded more than 30 studio
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(TANGERINE DREAM)
albums over the past five decades, and is in its 24th different guise (there must be some kind
of world record in there, surely?); and today, the five-piece is still selling out theatres across
the globe.
H O W LO W CAN YO U G O ?
Several bits of loudspeaker kit are always prominent in this Tangerine setup: a pair of Nexo
45N-12 monitors; a pair of Nexo PS12s; and Nexo’s STM modular line array system. Hogrefe
is a true advocate of the STM S118 subs, and has been using them in various configurations
(depending on the acoustics of the venue) along with Nexo’s S12 tops.
“What Nexo’s STM does better than any other PA system is provide us with a big sound
when you can’t bring a lot of weight into the room,” he insists. “On this tour, we’ve only needed
four per side of the S118s - that’s more than enough power, and they work perfectly for this
band, as it’s a very ‘dry’ sub. I’ve used them for the main part in omni mode, and a couple of
times in cardio; and each time, they work perfectly. It shows just how versatile the system is.
I also like to experiment now and again, so I tried them in this cool 3, 2, 1 cardio mode; and
again, not one issue. Perfect. ”
Because of the nature of the tour, sometimes the band is forced to play through certain
venues’ house systems. What’s interesting, though, is that the musicians themselves become
vocal when their precious Nexo subs are taken away from them...
“We did a venue recently that had a d&b system, which of course is a good brand, but
when the band listened to the subs, they insisted on using ours, as they sounded so much
better! They’re very particular about their sound; we don’t have amps on stage anymore, but
what we do have issues with, because we are playing in theatres, is limits for the loudness.
That’s a challenge.
“In here, we have a limit of 93dB, and that’s not easy; and in the US, every time it’s a
maximum of 95dB. Thankfully, with a combination of the loudspeakers, the wedges, and our
in-ears, we are capable of dealing with all of this. Edgar loves the N-12s, and so do I, as the
clarity is all there, there is zero feedback, they’re completely configurable, and they have a ton
of headroom; and I also like the PS12s, as they replicate the FOH sound nicely as sidefills.”
“WHAT NEXO’S STM
DOES BETTER THAN ANY
OTHER PA SYSTEM IS
PROVIDE A BIG SOUND
WHEN YOU CAN’T BRING
A LOT OF WEIGHT INTO
THE ROOM...”
E ND L ES S PO S S IBILITIES
Hogrefe works from a DiGiCo SD10 console at FOH, running at 48kHz, and there’s an SD8
on monitors. Although analogue sounds ‘that little bit better’, he cites his digital switchover as
the most significant move he’s made, technology-wise, in the last 10 years.
“Using DiGiCo, there is so much more potential in the band’s sound, and everything is
much easier to use,” he says. “The console’s setup is so simple, and I’m particularly keen on the
dynamic processing; all the EQs and effects are there, and I also have the Waves server too,
which is great. I use the [Waves] TrueVerb and Renaissance reverb, then the MaxxBass bass
enhancer to handle the subs; when you’ve got analogue bass lines coming from the array of
keyboards on stage, you’ve got to keep an eye on what’s going on, and that helps me out! Once,
the bass was so aggressive, it actually opened a door at the side of the stage... That was pretty
crazy! I also use the Waves Ultramaximizer, which comes in really handy; it’s great having all of
this accessible from within the console.”
There is a lot of quirky kit on stage; a fusion of analogue and digital instruments, and effects.
I spy Roland V Drums, violins, various acoustic drums, a plethora of keys, a sax, and more.
How does one go about miking this lot up, then?
“Well, there are no amps on stage, which helps,” Hogrefe replies, with a smile. “For the
violins, most of the percussive instruments, and the sax, we use the DPA 4061s; they’re very
clean, honest sounding mics, and the fidelity in any DPA mic is always great. We also have the
DPAs on the darbuka drum, and they work great for that, too. For the latter part of the tour,
I’m going to get hold of some of the newer DPA 4099s, which are fantastic microphones. We
also have a big gong... But we don’t need to mic that up!
“The Roland V Drums sound really good – I particularly like the new module, the TD30,
which is what we’re using; and in terms of keyboards, Thorsten [Quaeschning] mixes
everything down, so I just get sent a stereo mix... Thank God!”
H E Y M R . TAN G ER IN E MA N (PL AY YOUR GONG FOR ME)
For the past 11 years, classically trained Thorsten ‘Q’ Quaeschning has been at the centre of
proceedings for Tangerine Dream, taking on the tricky role of musical director, keyboard
extraordinaire, and occasional vocalist... And here’s a curveball for you, his true love is gothic
rock. I wasn’t expecting that...
“[smiles] I worked in the studio for Edgar [Froese] for two years, and then they asked me
to join them on stage, and also to compose,” he says, donning his favourite goth jacket that
he ‘cannot be without’ on stage. “Today it helps very much having the studio knowledge
THORSTEN ‘Q’ QUAESCHNING & KALLE HOGREFE
(TANGERINE DREAM)
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to get you going on stage, especially with
keyboards, which I have a lot of. I also
handle the DAW stuff like Cubase, Logic,
and so on; but for most of us, it’s more about
the hardware. We have a system with six
oscillators, two step sequencers, and just a lot
of hardware equipment, really.”
Quaeschning is a big fan of the Nexo
PS12s, as are the rest of the band; he says
they provide the group with a solid stage
sound, because the sidefill mix is nigh-on
identical to the mix that Hogrefe puts out
front. Thorsten begins to speak about his
love of keyboards, and his gothic roots:
“I studied composing, and the piano, but
I also played violin in the Berlin Orchestra...
And the recorder! [we both laugh at the
latter] Being musical director, I write the
notes for the violin players, so it’s good to
“IT’S NOT ELECTRONIC MUSIC; IT’S MUSIC PLAYED WITH ELECTRONIC
INSTRUMENTS, AND THERE’S A HUGE DIFFERENCE...”
have played violin, though I am now the
worst violinist in the band, of course... I’ve
always played synths as well, since around
1994, when I was 16. At this time, I was
playing a lot of dark stuff in Berlin!
“Being musical director is a much
easier job nowadays; I create six different
click tracks, and as Kalle says, I pre-mix all
my keys and send them stereo to him; we
really couldn’t do it any other way, or Kalle
would begin to really hate me! But yeah, that
works well, too, and everyone’s comfortable
with their stage setups.”
M O D E R N CL A S S ICS
And what about the current fanbase? I’m
looking out into the foyer of the Colosseo,
and the demographic seems to be between
18 and 100... Admittedly, it sways towards the
latter, but even still...
“It’s very mixed, and it depends on the
country. I would say it’s mainly 45 and over,
but in the UK, and some Southern European
countries, we do have some young fans. One
very cool thing last year was that we scored
the GTA5 video game, which has been great
for us, so we have some cool, hip things
going on now! I think it’s 35 hours of music
in total for the game, which is a lot. It sold
between 100 and 200 million, so it was
inevitable that we’d pick some fans up!”
From Spinal Tap to GTA5! That truly is
both ends of the spectrum... And 500,000
views on YouTube, if my research serves
me right. With a band of so many varied
influences, and past members, how does
Quaeschning describe their music today?
“[pauses] It’s not electronic music; it’s
music played with electronic instruments,
and there’s a huge difference,” he insists,
in a very Gandalf-esque manner. “I think it’s
very classical, and there are less blues notes.
We have undertones of Mozart, and Bach,
particularly; we certainly lean towards Bach’s
repetitive bass lines, like the fugal in classical
Bach pieces. You’ll have to listen and see what
you think...!”
So I did... Come showtime, the theatre
was packed with 20- to 90-somethings; it’s
an audience that sits and listens for the
whole song (or ‘piece’), then shows full
appreciation... I immediately sense the
classical undertones... And it works. The
lighting show was superb, it sounded tight,
and the band were right on the money
throughout. The music? Personally, I found
it a pretty relaxing experience - and so must
the band have done... They were pretty
static, to say the least, but that’s all part
of the experience, and it really was a very
slick operation.
One other thing worth noting - you have
to see Quaeschning play the keys to believe
it. He is a hell of a musician, and this band
is one hell of a story. Let’s hope they keep
the Tangerine Dream alive for some time yet.
www.nexo.fr
www.dpamicrophones.com
www.digico.biz
www.waves.com
www.tangerinedream.org