Peter Baumann – Romance 76

Bureau B present a reissue of Peter Baumann’s solo debut album Romance 76, originally released in 1976. From 1971 to 1977, Peter Baumann was a member of the legendary Berlin band Tangerine Dream. The group were pioneers of the so called Berliner Schule (Berlin School) which had a profound impact on electronic music. With Peter Baumann on board, Tangerine Dream grew into one of the most influential bands in electronic krautrock, sited somewhere between experimental electronica and progressive rock. Baumann’s positive aura and eagerness to experiment galvanized the band’s music almost instantaneously. His catchy melodies, rich in positivity, propelled Tangerine Dream into the charts. After five years of chart appearances, extensive touring and several albums, Baumann initiated his solo career with Romance 76. “Romance 76 resulted from the urge to create new music. I felt we had begun repeating ourselves in Tangerine Dream and I was keen to discover new things, to carry on experimenting. Improvisation had been common to us all, but on your own it isn’t quite so simple.” This shift in focus led him to leave Tangerine Dream towards the end of 1977. He and a friend set up the Paragon Studio in Berlin, which would earn a prominent place in music production history. Still a member of the band in 1976, Baumann rented a hall in the ufaFabrik, Berlin to record Romance 76. The influence of Tangerine Dream can clearly be heard on Romance 76, although the arrangements are comparatively minimalist. Sonic similarities to Tangerine Dream can be explained by the fact that the group used the same space for gig rehearsals, giving Baumann access to their instruments. The distinctive sound of a modular synthesizer system can be detected on Romance 76, for example, along with a mellotron. The minimal composition’s airiness lends the unusual synth sounds space to unfold in all their glory. A state of affairs for which David Bowie is partially responsible, as Baumann recalls: “We were in Berlin and met him for dinner, then he would call in while I was recording the album, listening carefully to what I was working on. I explained to him what still needed to be done, but Bowie suggested: ‘Leave it as it is, there’s enough there already.’ ” At which point Baumann decided to look at the tracks in question as finished. This reissue includes extensive liner notes and rare photographs.