Dream Control – “Zeitgeber” LP Album Review (synth-pop/ebm)

Another electronic synth-pop duo of near legendary proportions is the reason for our offering for today. Former Tangerine Dream member Steve Schroyder and German electronic scene pioneer Zeus B. Held collaborate together for their debut as Dream Control, Zeitgeber.

From Medical Records’ bandcamp: “a cosmic journey through audio and time. The tracks are a blend of structured compositions and improvisations accented by the throat singing of Kolja Simon und Felix Mönnich aka AlienVoices. The album plays like a Technicolor adventure through space with explorations of cosmic disco, dreamlike passages, vocoder lullabies, and space odysseys.”

Zeitgeber is an album of 6 tracks. Every track on the album is positive, upbeat, at times minimal but others maintaining complex layering. It’s really no wonder that this is the product of two legendary artists. There is not one single moment of filler. Yes, it’s really that great of an electro/synth-pop album. Medical Records is churning out some fantastic stuff. So whatever small part we can play in promoting it, we are happy to do so.

Zeitgeber is perfect for a trip down the German Autobahn with trance-like tracks like “Time Out.” Memories of Kraftwerk are recalled while layers of modern synths weave in and out of the track like views of buildings passing by. “Kant Can Dance” is an “80s Night” dance floor-worthy track. “Go Forward” begins as minimal, repeated synth strikes and then grows with thick synths and manipulated vocals. Zeitgeber is one of those cases where the vocals are at most times virtually inaudible, but yet very much fitting of the music and actually add to the nature of the material. They are not so much important as words but collectively as an instrument in and of itself. “Doors of Perception” is the longest track at just under 10 minutes. This is a fascinating, complex, multi-layered, track suitable for a dance floor trance or for those seeking a soundtrack for a chemically-modified trip through the brain.

We’re going to be covering the latest releases from Medical Records as they are further proof there is still hope to be had in synth-pop and ebm. Zeitgeber is one of them and it’s bloody great.