Green Desert

Green Desert occupies a unique place in the Tangerine Dream discography as a 'lost' album. Recorded in August 1973 at Skyline Studios in Berlin, it captures the duo of Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke immediately following the departure of Peter Baumann. While it was intended to be the follow-up to Atem, the band's signing to Virgin Records led them to record Phaedra instead, leaving these tapes shelved until 1986. Consequently, the album serves as a missing link between the 'Pink Years' and the 'Virgin Years.' Sonically, it is distinguished by Franke's use of a traditional drum kit, a rarity in their catalog, and Froese's heavy use of the Mellotron and echo-laden guitar. The 1986 release involved some contemporary polishing by Froese, but the core remains a 1973 psychedelic artifact, offering a more organic, less sequenced version of the Berlin School sound.