Haslinger – Future Primitive (1994) Review | An Austrian in the Palace of Dreams

Kronomyth 1.0: Tangierine dream.

Tangerine Dream transported to a Tel Aviv nightclub. That’s my impression of Future Primitive. It’s an aptly titled album, as the middle eastern melodies, club rhythms, and cutting-edge electronic effects suggest a world where the past and future have collided. Paul Haslinger’s tenure with Tangerine Dream is associated with their shift to a more melodic approach: Underwater Sunlight, Tyger, Optical Race. Those albums, however, won’t prepare you for what you’ll hear on Future Primitive. In fact, this aligns more with the music of Jean-Michel Jarre; there are even vocals in French on La Nuit M’Appelle. At the time of its release, Future Primitive was some pretty progressive stuff. The rapid advance of technology has rendered it a bit less impressive these days, as musicians can now re-create a lot of this on computer. Still, you have to give Haslinger credit not just for writing and playing this music but also producing and mixing it so expertly. While not a household name, Haslinger has built an impressive career for himself including quite a bit of filmwork. And Future Primitive does feel sometimes like short scenes extracted from a greater whole, which you might expect from a soundtrack. The subsequent World Without Rules felt like a more substantive opus; what’s here on Future Primitive sounds like a very good score to a science-fiction film. It’s an auspicious start from this Austrian composer and a good indication of what to expect on his superior second album.

The Product

A1. Future Primitive (4:47)
A2. Of Human Bondage (4:21)
A3. Danc’In-D M’chine (3:17)
A4. Urban Hypnotics (3:36)
A5. Guidance Is Internal (3:08)
A6. La Nuit M’Appelle (4:24)
A7. D-Civilized (2:52)
A8. Nine 4 One (5:37)
A9. Saint & Robot (4:01)
A10. Nomads in the Age of Wireless (4:45)
A11. Time Harmonics (2:40)
A12. Trancemigration (3:55)

All music composed by Paul Haslinger.

The Players

Paul Haslinger (instruments) with Charlie Campagna (guitar), Daniel Galliduani (voice on A6), Nona Hendryx (vocals), Iki Levy (percussion), Clair Marlo (vocals), Tod Washington (vocals). Produced by Paul Haslinger; mixed by Paul Haslinger and Mitch Zelezny.

The Plastic

Released on compact disc on October 25, 1994 in the UK (Virgin, CDV 2661) and the US (Wildcat!, WLD-9211).