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Thread: Edgar Froese - Macula Transfer

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Edgar Froese - Macula Transfer

    As I'm a massive TD fan, I recently started collecting the Edgar Froese solo stuff. I managed to get hold of original versions of Aqua, Epsilon, Ages, Stuntman and Pinnacles (Yeah, lucky me) on CD. I know that the great and sadly late EF redid plenty of both his own and the TD albums in the 00's. I wonder if his most rare album Macular Transfer ever saw a CD release in it's original form? I did find a vinyl version of it a few years ago in a flea market, but unfortunately it was pretty worn.out and scratchy. I've also heard the 're-coloured' version that was released in 2005, but that wasn't the same at all. I think that Macula Transfer may be Edgar Froese's best album.. By the way, what do you fellows think about his solo stuff?

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    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    I think it was re-released on CD a couple of years ago. I remember reading about a future CD release somewhere around 2011-13.
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

  3. #3
    Manakin (sp?) released the unaltered Macula Transfer on CD, but apparently had to retract it fairly quickly due to legal issues.

    I like EF's solo stuff well enough, but generally prefer his creativity when channeled into TD in collaboration with others.

    Of the solo TD stuff I like Schmoelling the most, in terms of full disclosure
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Yes, Schmoelling's fantastic! I fondly remember getting his White Out album on release day and his wonderful albums has become greater and greater since. I also like Baumann's first two albums as well as his latest. Haslinger also did some amazing stuff and also Franke, though his soundtrack music can get a bit samey... I think Froese's stuff from the 70's are mostly fantastic. How's the Kamikaze 1989 soundtrack? Never got to hear that one..

  5. #5
    Kamikaze isn't bad...not essential but not bad. Some of the music was also used by TD during their 80/81 tours.

    I really love Franke's London Concert, probably the most "TD" of his stuff.

    White Out was the first JS I heard and it blew me away. I will buy anything that dude puts out
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Yep, couldn't agree more on Schmoelling. Do you fancy the LOOM project? Really interesting. I think I have to go to eBay and take a look for Macula...

  7. #7
    Oh man, I love Loom. They have a new live set coming very soon, if you haven't seen it already:

    http://johannes-schmoelling.de/html/YearsInMusic.htm
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Solo 1974–1983 is a great set to get your hands on if you don't already have everything on it. It accidentally includes IF 810 from Macula Transfer, mistakenly titled Tropic of Capricorn.

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Oh, no this was completely new to me.. Big thanks, my friend B-)

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Thanks for the tip, Dave I will check that out. I presume it isn't 're-coloured'?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hour Candle View Post
    Oh, no this was completely new to me.. Big thanks, my friend B-)
    It's what we do
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    I checked the Solo 1974 - 1983 box out and it seems to contain the original material. I was so overwhelmed that I placed an order.. I do have most of the songs, but the collector in me took overhand

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    I must confess being in tears here listening to Magic Lantern from Beyond the Storm. His greatest guitar solo?

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    Member Hour Candle's Avatar
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    Hurrah, I did in fact find a Manikin (sp?) cd for..well expensive money.... Well, it's all worth it. Been searching for so long.. What to tell the missus though? Hehe

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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hour Candle View Post
    Thanks for the tip, Dave I will check that out. I presume it isn't 're-coloured'?
    No, this is on Virgin, and ol' Eddie didn't dick around with any of it. (Although I have to admit that I still like his re-imaginings of his older material [like The Ambient Highway series], just so long as I could get my hands on the original material, too.)

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    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hour Candle View Post
    I must confess being in tears here listening to Magic Lantern from Beyond the Storm. His greatest guitar solo?
    One of them, certainly. I really like his solos on "Cloudburst Flight" (Force Majeure), "Sun Gate" (Optical Race) and "Pizarro and Atahualpa" (Ages[), too. And there's some mean guitar on quite a few concerts recorded between '80-82, too.

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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Hamlet's a good one from the post-Virgin era.

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    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hour Candle View Post
    How's the Kamikaze 1989 soundtrack? Never got to hear that one..
    It's very good. It's closer in style to Pinnacles, just shorter tracks. If you like solo Froese, you want it.

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    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    Hamlet's a good one from the post-Virgin era.
    That, too! From 220 Volt Live, which I mostly can't listen to nowadays, but that's the standout track.

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    Member Birdy's Avatar
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    I believe that the Macula Transfer story reads something like this: Mario Schonwalder who was a friend of Froese's apparently thought he had a verbal agreement to release the CD and pressed it but Froese actually didn't want it released as he never thought much of the album. It was then withdrawn so copies are very rare. We had them in stock at one point a LONG time ago and the recently released version is in the remix series, actually very close in sound. Most of Macula..was written on airline flights and the tracks are the names of the flights he was on. I never understood why Froese didn't like it as it remains my absolute favorite of his. It gets very little representation on the "Out Of The Storm" compilation and is missing entirely on the "Virgin Years" box which really sucks! A great album!
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    Member ashratom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Birdy View Post
    I believe that the Macula Transfer story reads something like this: Mario Schonwalder who was a friend of Froese's apparently thought he had a verbal agreement to release the CD and pressed it but Froese actually didn't want it released as he never thought much of the album. It was then withdrawn so copies are very rare. We had them in stock at one point a LONG time ago and the recently released version is in the remix series, actually very close in sound. Most of Macula..was written on airline flights and the tracks are the names of the flights he was on. I never understood why Froese didn't like it as it remains my absolute favorite of his.
    My exact thoughts. I'm glad to have the Manikin CD which I bought right after it was released. It is a bit different than his other works - definitely more psychedelic. And I love every second of it and it's crazy that Froese didn't care for it. But it makes sense, because this was the only album he didn't release for Virgin. For those who want the album, and if you do still have a turntable, the album stayed in print through the Brain "black label" years. So it should be relatively easy and cheap to find on LP.

  22. #22
    I had most of his releases on LP and then years later on CD. Unfortunately I missed out on Macula Transfer. I remember being very impressed when Edgar Froese improved on guitar. When I heard Force Majeure....I could hear this crystal clean difference in his tone and years before when I'd listen to Encore, he was good....but seemed like he was constantly trying to improve. It can be balanced out if you listen to his guitar playing changing on each T.D. album. Stratosphere has a totally different approach and then by Cyclone he developed a different sound and he sounds more confident. On F.M. he is just all over the neck of the guitar like second nature. I was really impressed by that. I love witnessing musicians progress over time .

    I also like Johannes Schmoelling..,and Steve Jolliffe......The Zoo Of Tranquility and Journeys Out Of The Body are my favorites. I used to have the original recording of THe Zoo OF Tranquility on disc when it was released in the 80's. I regret trading it for something else...although I did pick up Schmoelling's.re-recorded version and it's timeless. On Journeys Out Of The Body ....Tony Duhig uses a volume pedal (I believe), and he produces really haunting sounds with echo and chorus box. His guitar had this kind of sound on Jade Warrior..At Peace and Horizon.


    I have the Edgar Froese 3 CD set of his Virgin period. That was the only reasonable offer for me.

  23. #23
    (not his real name) no.nine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Birdy View Post
    I believe that the Macula Transfer story reads something like this: Mario Schonwalder who was a friend of Froese's apparently thought he had a verbal agreement to release the CD and pressed it but Froese actually didn't want it released as he never thought much of the album. It was then withdrawn so copies are very rare.
    My understanding is slightly different - I've read that Schonwalder licensed the reissue from Brain, but then Edgar disputed that Brain still owned the rights to it and threatened legal action. So it was voluntarily withdrawn.

    Whichever explanation is the correct one, the end result is the same: very limited existence on CD for the original, unfucked-with version of the album.

    There's also a counterfeit CD which came out soon after, but those are long gone and also rare at this point. If anyone is interested in how to tell the real copies from the fake ones, a little Googling will divulge all!
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