JEROME FROESE

“Through Wasteland Methods, Towards the Evening Star, the Dream Keeps Spiraling Into Eternity.“

For those of us who’ve long wandered the glowing corridors of sequencers and shifting waveforms, the name Froese echoes like a sacred frequency. Born into the heart of Berlin’s electronic avant-garde, Jerome Froese didn’t merely inherit the legacy of Tangerine Dream — he reimagined it. As the son of Edgar Froese, he was raised not on lullabies, but on oscillators, arpeggiators, and reel-to-reel visions of sound.

Long before most knew the possibilities of a synthesizer, Jerome was already twisting knobs, layering textures, and decoding the secrets of electronic alchemy. By the time he officially joined Tangerine Dream in 1990, he had already mastered the tools that shaped a generation. Over 16 prolific years, his guitar-infused soundscapes pushed the band into bold new dimensions — earning seven GRAMMY nominations and turning concert halls into portals of shimmering resonance.

After parting ways with the group, Froese continued his journey inward — and outward. With his solo debut Neptunes, he carved a new path into uncharted sonic terrain. Whether sculpting sound in solitude or charting new sonic frontiers, Froese continues to explore tonal galaxies with the soul of a voyager and the precision of an architect — taking his musical vision one step further into the realm of his own creation: ‘Guitartronica’.

A fusion of sequenced electronics, atmospheric pads, and expressive guitar work, Guitartronica blurs the boundaries between analog warmth and digital clarity. It’s not just a genre — it’s a dreamstate. And Jerome Froese is its architect.

With the release of his latest jewel, Sunsets in Stereo, we at Peek-A-Boo, are delighted to speak with Jerome Froese — to explore the sonic path he’s carved, from his formative years with Tangerine Dream to the ever-evolving musical realms of his solo journey.

Jerome, it’s a real pleasure to have this conversation with you. There’s no doubt your music has found its way into many chapters of people’s lives, and we’re truly delighted to have this opportunity to talk with you.

Before we wander through the landscapes you’ve traveled through, you once said that your aim was to develop the guitar sound in a way that defied what people usually expect — even minimizing other instruments to let the guitar truly speak. This led to the creation of Guitartronica — something uniquely your own. Can you tell us more about this concept?

In my family, the guitar was actually the first instrument anyone picked up – not the synthesizer or modular sequencer. Years ago, my dad told me that Tangerine Dream only really had a reason to exist as long as there was at least one guitarist – or someone named Froese – involved. Ideally, both. My own journey with the guitar probably began like that of many other people. I started on a nylon-string acoustic to learn the basics. The electric guitar came a bit later, though I’d already spent some time messing around on my dad’s electrics before finally getting one of my own.

A little later, during boarding school, I met some like-minded people who were just as obsessed with exploring licks and more advanced techniques. We were always showing each other new things – and, of course, there was a bit of friendly competition. Who would get to play at the next school gig?

Back in the ’80s, we were inspired by rock and metal guitarists. By the ’90s, though, I got more interested in using the guitar in unexpected ways. I started collecting all kinds of effects to see what I could do with them. This sometimes caused a few disagreements in the studio with traditional rock guitarists, especially when Edgar and I put some wild effect on their guitar tracks and all we’d get in response was, “What’s this? Go and play it on a synth!”. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that I felt confident enough to try a solo album and actually put my ideas into practice. The constant progress in technology has opened so many doors since then. For me, the real fun is making guitars sound like they’re not guitars at all, pushing them into territories usually reserved for other instruments. The term ‘Guitartronica’ kind of came about by accident – a way to put into a single word the sounds I was hearing.

Allow me to take you through a kind of magical portal back to the very beginning — even before you officially joined Tangerine Dream in 1990. Growing up in Berlin, surrounded by the band’s creative environment, what was it like for you? How were you experimenting with music at that time?

For me, growing up in this world felt completely normal. My parents involved me in their lives from the very beginning – and they had to, since concerts, tours, and studio sessions couldn’t just be postponed or canceled because of me. As a small child, I was often tucked behind the stage in a flight case during shows, wrapped in a cozy blanket, and slept through the entire concert. By the time I was four months old, I had already been on several flights, and at six, I took my first long-haul flight to Los Angeles.

Until I started school, the band and crew were almost like my family. Everyone cared for me lovingly and made me part of their daily life. Growing up mostly around adults leaves a mark: you learn languages early, experience exotic places, and develop a certain independence. For example, if I wanted an ice cream as a child while in the U.S.A., it wasn’t just handed to me. Instead, I was given money and instructions on exactly what to say to the vendor.

One experience in Tokyo in 1983 illustrates this perfectly: my parents lost sight of me in a department store, which then closed shortly afterward. I made my way alone to the exit, looked for our hotel’s 40-story building outside, and managed to get back on my own. Meanwhile, my parents were panicking. When they finally arrived at the hotel room, exhausted, I was already sitting on the bed, watching TV.

My parents’ profession never seemed unusual to me. I thought: “That person’s dad is an electrician, that person’s mom is a nurse – and my dad is a musician.” Music was simply part of everyday life, whether it was played live or on records. I didn’t fully understand TD’s instruments as a child. It wasn’t until the 1980s that I started experimenting myself: in the basement of our house in Austria, I tinkered with discarded TD equipment and a Tascam 4-track tape recorder and made my first recordings. I should probably dig them up sometime – I hardly remember what was on them.

During that period — growing up in what you’ve described as a “totally strange cultural environment” and having the chance to experiment with Tangerine Dream’s equipment — were there any other artists or bands, outside of this obvious influence, that captured your attention or truly inspired you as a young musician?

Honestly, as a kid, I couldn’t get into Jimi Hendrix or Pink Floyd, and the early TD albums up to around 1978? Forget it. But even then, my parents took me to some concerts that completely blew me away: Peter Gabriel on his first solo tours, Queen in 1978, and Supertramp on their "Even in the Quietest Moments" tour. That’s when I realized music isn’t just sound, it’s pure, unfiltered magic.

Between 1976 and 1978, we were also close to Iggy Pop, David Bowie and his family who lived just around the corner in West Berlin. So I not only experienced a lot of live music, but I also got to meet the people behind it, and honestly, they were just… people. No big stars to stare at, just friends of my parents.

And it didn’t stop there. We spent an entire evening at Stevie Nicks’ (Fleetwood Mac) house while she played us music. We were on a party with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. TD even went on a full U.S. tour with Andy Summers (The Police) and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top sent us a personal postcard in 1976 because he loved the album 'Stratosfear'.

I think this list could certainly go on and on but all these experiences stuck with me. Not just because of the music, but because they showed me that no matter how famous someone is, they’re still human. They have the same feelings, the same insecurities, the same everyday struggles as anyone else. But their music became this amazing bridge to emotions, to friendships, to memories.

In 1990, you joined Tangerine Dream as an official member, with Melrose being the first album you appeared on — almost like stepping into a wide open landscape with a long musical history behind it. Now, 35 years later, how do you look back on that album and on becoming part of such an iconic band?

Well, I can’t really listen to my older tracks these days without some kind of bias anymore. When we recorded Melrose back in 1990, I can see now that I was still pretty basic when it came to arranging and producing. But then again, I was only 19 at the time. The way you recorded an album back then just can’t be compared to what’s possible today. These days many people just glue loops together or throw a prompt at an AI and call it a day.

But anyway, to answer your question: it actually wasn’t my plan to join Tangerine Dream at all. In 1990 there was a concert coming up in Berlin, and I just asked Edgar if we could maybe play a short guitar part together during the show, and then I’d step off the stage again. But since TD had just lost their third member around that time, that little idea turned into a bigger plan – and I ended up playing the whole concert with them. That led to us recording the Melrose album together that summer, and by the end of the year I was already on my first UK tour with TD.

The time that followed was a huge learning experience for me – musically, but also personally. Even though we were quite successful in the U.S. during the ’90s, there was also a lot of pushback, especially for someone suddenly stepping out of the shadows and becoming a public figure. TD had always been a bit polarizing because of all the stylistic changes over the years, and albums that are now seen as classics were actually torn apart by some critics when they first came out. Learning how to handle being suddenly in the line of fire takes time. But luckily, my father was a great teacher when it came to things like that.

Living in Belgium, I’m curious if there are moments from your early days with Tangerine Dream — or perhaps more recent years — that you look back on with pleasure when you think of your visits to our little country.

Since my childhood, I have often visited Belgium with Tangerine Dream, and in 1997 I even had the chance to perform with TD in Brussels, at the Ancienne Belgique. I’ve always been a fan of all the Benelux countries and gladly take any opportunity to spend time there.

Because my partner has been working in political communication on copyright issues at the EU level for over twenty years, we were able to live and work in Brussels for a month last year. I thoroughly enjoyed that time - although, in hindsight, I have to say that Belgium has much more to offer beyond its capital.

Culinarily, I was initially a bit puzzled to see how much revolves around fries, waffles, chocolate, and mussels. One afternoon in a café, I even saw a student with her laptop order a cappuccino along with a portion of fries.

Another highlight for me was discovering that Belgium - like the Netherlands - still has a vibrant infrastructure of record stores, run with real dedication and expertise. Simply wonderful, and I sincerely hope you manage to preserve that.

And as an avid Hergé fan, I naturally followed the traces of his comics wherever I could.

Turning to films, specifically soundtracks, Tangerine Dream has composed music for classics such as Risky Business, Ridley Scott’s Legend, and Near Dark. Your first involvement in the film industry was the soundtrack for the Japanese documentary Mandala, and later you also worked on the soundtrack for the Oasis documentary. With your own experience in scoring films, are there any directors you’d be open to being approached by for a future project?

Even though it will probably never happen, I would love to collaborate with any of the people mentioned. Back when TD was creating the music for their films, I had the chance to meet most of those directors in person. I especially remember Michael Mann and Ridley Scott as remarkably pleasant, intelligent, and down-to-earth individuals.

When we were in Los Angeles, Michael Mann even invited us to his home for Thanksgiving. After dinner, I ended up sitting in his daughter’s room, and we spent the entire evening watching Godzilla movies.

I’m imagining now a celebrated director wants to make a movie about your life and musical journey. If that were to happen, which actor do you feel could portray you best?

Jack Black.

After Melrose, you contributed as a full member to several remarkable albums, including Rockoon (1992), Turn of the Tides (1994), Tyranny of Beauty (1995), and Jeanne d’Arc (2005). Rather than going through them one by one, are there any moments or memories you’d like to share — as I do not doubt this must have been a special chapter in your life.

Oh, there are far too many memories to list them all here, but Rockoon was particularly interesting because it was the first time Edgar and I worked together as a duo, exploring where our collaboration might lead. From the start, we intended to focus more on the American market in the following years, as the acceptance for our planned stylistic shift seemed greatest there. Americans tend to approach something new with an open mind - they either like it or they don’t, but they usually give it a chance. This is very different from Europe, especially Germany, where tradition often dominates and new ideas are met with resistance. Change and experimentation are much harder and take a long time to be accepted.

This approach continued with the albums that followed, where we further developed our style, including the 1996 release Goblins Club. Even though some purists were critical of our 1990s albums, they were commercially more successful than earlier works like Tangram (1980) or Underwater Sunlight (1986).

From 1998 onwards, we felt the need to evolve again, which culminated in the 1999 album Mars Polaris. It was well-received by almost all fans and, in my opinion, remains one of the highlights of my collaboration with Edgar.

Jeanne d’Arc (2005), however, evokes more negative memories. Due to significant personal changes, the working atmosphere was no longer good, and my decision to leave TD was already becoming clear. Nevertheless, even on this album, there are still some good moments.

The Dream Mixes sure were a success. If I’m correct, Dream Mixes I alone sold over 200,000 copies worldwide, even surpassing some of Tangerine Dream’s classic records. Since 2018, starting with Volume 1, the albums have also been available as Ultimate Editions on Bandcamp, featuring exclusive bonus material. These releases brought a more up-tempo-oriented perspective to the classic tracks. How important are these albums to you, both artistically and personally?

Very important! Between 1991 and 1996, we received numerous collaboration requests from the emerging generation of electronic bands and musicians. Unfortunately, Edgar showed little interest, so many of these requests - from acts that would later become even more famous than TD - were turned down. Since I was very intrigued by these developments, I took a deep dive into them and, in 1995, produced the first Dream Mixes album entirely on my own as a side project. Our American record label was so excited about it that they insisted on releasing the album - and it hit the market at exactly the right time, which led to excellent sales. Edgar effectively gave me this series as a personal playground for future installments, and I felt it improved with every release up to the fifth part.

Your mother, Monique Froese, created much of Tangerine Dream’s visual world through her amazing photography, artwork, and album covers, shaping the band’s identity in a unique way. It feels only right to recognize the credit she earned for that contribution. When you think of her today, is there something about her creativity or spirit that stands out to you most?

Everything! I always had an exceptionally close relationship with my mother. If she were still alive today, much within my family would have remained more peaceful, fair, and humane. My father, on the other hand, was often impulsive, domineering, and at times ruthless toward others. My mother and I were the only ones who could sometimes put him in check – and that was crucial to prevent things from spiraling out of control.

My mother had a remarkable eye for beauty and aesthetics, which was evident not only in her artistic work but also in everyday life. After her death in 2000, many of these qualities gradually faded within the band. In addition to her work in photography and video, she also painted. The front cover of Force Majeure (1979), for example, was not only designed by her but also painted in oil on canvas.

Before your first solo releases appeared, you explored a very different musical world as TDJ Rome — DJ’ing Drum & Bass and Breakbeat in Berlin’s club scene from 2000 to 2004, while also producing Drum & Bass and Big Beat tracks under that pseudonym. Do you ever feel the urge to step behind the turntables again, spinning Jungle, Drum & Bass, Breakbeat, and Big Beat like in those days?

I’d really love to do this again - especially since I still have all those 12" vinyl records. There are hundreds of them, many extremely rare today, from exactly these genres. Some were pressed in very limited quantities back then, as vinyl at the time was mostly produced for DJs and only available in selected shops. With this collection, you could easily throw an amazing retro party today! I’m happy to consider offers for them from now on. :)

From Neptunes (2005) to Shiver Me Timbers (2007), the live album Nightshade Family (2011), and Far Side of the Face (2012), your solo catalogue has unfolded across a wide range of ideas and moods — all carrying your distinctive musical handwriting. Earlier, you mentioned how technological progress opened new doors for you, especially in shaping guitars into sounds that hardly resemble guitars anymore. When you look back on these solo albums today, which aspects of your musical handwriting — or this exploration of new sonic territories — feel most defining to you?

Clearly, it’s the human element that makes all the difference! For me, the guitar is one of the most expressive instruments out there. Especially in electronic music, many elements are programmed or can only be manipulated to a limited emotional extent. A sample, at its core, always sounds the same; effects or filters can change its character, but ultimately they only alter the original sound. With a synthesizer, it’s similar: you have a sound you can shape and ideas you can play, but you can never express yourself as personally through a machine as you can with a stringed Instrument - which, of course, includes the piano.

After your early solo years, you also entered a fascinating creative chapter with LOOM — a project that brought together different generations of Tangerine Dream’s musical heritage through your collaboration with Johannes Schmoelling and Robert Waters. How do you look back on your time with LOOM? What did this project allow you to explore that felt different from both Tangerine Dream and your solo work?

This project came about rather unexpectedly when I was offered the opportunity to perform a solo concert in the Netherlands in 2011. Over the years, I had maintained a good relationship with Johannes Schmoelling, and I found it more appealing than a standard solo concert to expand the available repertoire significantly: blending important pieces from our time with Tangerine Dream with our solo works, and in some cases, reinterpreting them.

Unlike today’s so - called "TD", our pieces were not cover versions, as we only performed material that we had composed ourselves, either together or individually. Loom was therefore conceived primarily as a live project. Unfortunately, the only studio album we recorded in 2016 only partially met my expectations.

After Johannes moved away from Berlin a few years ago, we both turned to other projects. Nevertheless, we have stayed in regular contact. Just a few days ago, we met again here in Berlin to continue an old ritual: presenting each new solo album to each other in a special café.

This brings us naturally to your newest release: Sunsets in Stereo — an album released on October 31, 2025, worth every moment of anticipation, as it almost magically spills its evening glow out of your speakers. What inspired Sunsets in Stereo? Was there a particular moment, feeling, or sound that set this album in motion?

Thanks for the compliment! A few years ago, I had a very different version of the album almost finished, but I ended up discarding it for various reasons. The original album title was, I believe, Flowers & Skywriters - today, it’s the title of the only remaining track from the original version.

From the start, my goal was to create an album that conveys a positive vibe while also evolving my style. In light of the current hype around releasing music in all sorts of multi-channel formats, I found returning to stereo to be more grounded and modest. I also redesigned the original Stereo logo, placing it like two suns on an orange background - a color choice that also nods to my past.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about how the album would be received. I’m now overwhelmed and thrilled by how much people are enjoying it. It’s especially gratifying that I’m gradually managing to become more musically independent, no longer confined to the familiar paths of the past.

As Sunsets in Stereo marks this new chapter in your musical path, do you already feel the next ideas taking shape? Are there sounds or directions you’d like to explore in the near future?

At the moment, I’m taking a short break to recharge some energy. At the same time, there are already so many exciting project opportunities on the table that things could continue seamlessly. I’d also love to get back to some live activities, as many people have been asking for them. For a professional organisation, however, I would need to find a suitable agent, which is something I'm working on.

Jerome, thank you sincerely for taking the time to speak with us. It has truly been a pleasure — for me personally, and for all of us at Peek-A-Boo. As if in a dream beneath an evening star, spiraling softly into eternity, I wish you a future full of wonder and magic. All the very best.

Thanks for your interest, it was a pleasure!

• Jerome Froese | Official Website
• Jerome Froese | Bandcamp

Hayley CLX
15/12/2025