Originally posted May 20, 2012

In this episode, I discuss my new age piece Late Day Storm (May 2012), along with new age music in general and the Tangerine Dream track “Exit.”

New age music is often used for relaxation and stress relief—during yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, massage, and more. It can be acoustic (guitar, flute, piano) or electronic (primarily synthesizers).

Tangerine Dream, formed in 1967, has released over 100 albums, including 30+ film soundtracks such as Risky Business and Firestarter.

To prepare for composing, I spent a couple of weeks listening to new age music, especially Tangerine Dream. I was particularly drawn to “Exit” (1981; re-released in 1994 on Tangents). I liked its ~87 BPM tempo and chord progression (Bb minor to Cb major 7), especially how the Bb note carries ...