Following three previous releases in Tangerine Dream’s Five Atomic Seasons series, ‘Winter In Hiroshima,’ the fourth instalment, represents the penultimate release in the series. This release follows ‘Autumn In Hiroshima,’ retaining elements the sombre and dark style of writing which characterised that album, interjected with a greater sense of urgency and pace to the work. Stylistically this release sees noticeable development from its predecessor as the story of the Japanese businessman which approached the group’s youth throughout 1945 and the dropping of the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima nears its conclusion.
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| Tangerine Dream: Winter In Hiroshima |
‘Winter In Hiroshima’ opens with ‘Transition’ which through its writing style trivialises the premise of the work to paradoxically induce a greater sense of dread when this is considered as part of the larger work. This is followed by the third and final reference to Ayumi in the series in ‘Ayumi’s Loom.’ As no explanation of the programme is provided by the group other than brief outlines in ‘Springtime In Nagasaki’’s liner notes, the significance of Ayumi is unknown but one can assume that on the basis that no other character receives reference throughout the series, Ayumi is central to the story governing the work. ‘Ayumi’s Loom’ itself illustrates the more urgent and upbeat style of writing seen at several points in this release, adorned with long-running sequences, unusual percussive electronic timbres and further abstract instrumentation.
‘Outlook’ sees a Koto-like lead meandering through various harmonic constructs of which a tonal ambiguity, aural uncertainty regarding a major or minor tonal centre, creates an aurally fascinating quality to the track. This track is possibly the most ambient in style to appear on this album, which is in itself a reference to the charming naïve optimism expressed by the ambient style in several tracks from the first album in the series, ‘Springtime In Hiroshima.’
As ‘Glowing Vision’ signifies the beginning of the concluding track to this album, the listener is plunged into great uncertainty, established by the brooding harmonic and timbral elements in this track. As the track concludes, the tone is set for the beginning of ‘The Endless Season,’ the final instalment in the Five Atomic Seasons series which interestingly references ‘Trauma’ in the third chapter, ‘Autumn In Hiroshima,’ rather than any material from the release featured here.
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