Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Beginn (2018)

Collaborations can always be a bit of a hit and miss scenario, however occasionally something comes along that’s worth repeated listening.
In the case of Beginn , we have the welcome return of Claudia Brucken, (a revered vocalist since the mid 80s who despite working on many worthy projects has never quite shaken off her successful run with Propaganda) and ex Tangerine Dream member Jerome Froese.
Like the body of work both artists have created on other projects, there is a sense of depth and ambience on Beginn.
The first track (the) Last Dance is a mesmerising introduction made up of electronic wisffulness, while Wounded takes on a slightly more hardcore edge instrumentally but still maintaining Brucken's entrancing vocal style.
While Flight (of) fancy adopts a more poppy feel, the song Cards is the definitive dancefloor fusion which see Brucken and Froese combine melody with memorable lyrics and rhythm.
While much of the album is poetic and a beautiful soundscape of electronica , ts real highlight is its penultimate track, Sweet Sense of Liberation featuring Brucken's former Propaganda band mate Suzanne Freytag.
Freytag's contrasting vocal style is the perfect complement to Brucken's and contributes to an interesting mix with Froese's instrumentation. It's probably the closest thing we will get to a Propaganda reunion and it works while remaining fresh and current.
Brucken and Froese's Beginn will certainly delight fans of the pairs previous work while serving as a doorway to new listeners who like a bit more depth to their electronica.
Claudia Brucken / Jerome Froese - Beginn is available on CD and Vinyl formats.

Tracklist:
01. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - The Last Dance
02. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Wounded
03. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Flight of Fancy
04. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Cards
05. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Light of the Rising Sun
06. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Whispers of Immortality
07. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Sound of the Waves
08. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Stars Walking Backwards
09. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Forevermore
10. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Sweet Sense of Liberation
11. Claudia Brücken & Jerome Froese - Unbound Spaces