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The original “Tepidarium” album was released 17 years ago, inspired by a day Péter Fabók, better known as Tangram, spent at the famous Széchenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest. The atmosphere of the place, the warmth of the water and the experience of spending an entire day there provided the initial inspiration for the music. However, there was also a more personal story behind the album’s title. Fabók’s nickname is ‘Tepi’, while the Latin word ‘tepidarium’ refers to the warm room in a Roman bathhouse. Intrigued by this coincidence, he began to imagine Tepidarium as a kind of imaginary collection of Tepi’s thoughts, feelings, experiences and musical ideas. As a result, the album gradually developed into something far more personal than a collection of compositions inspired by a thermal bath. Seventeen years later, Péter came across the word ‘tepidarium’ once again, immediately prompting a question: what would an electronic album about today’s Tepi sound like? After nearly two decades of life experiences, personal changes and musical development, what would emerge from revisiting the same concept? This question became the starting point for “Tepidarium II”. The idea first took shape about a year ago, although other commitments initially prevented the project from gaining momentum. Besides his musical activities, Péter also runs a software development company, making it difficult at times to find the uninterrupted periods needed for composing. Fortunately, during the last three months, he managed to find the time and creative energy to bring the album to completion. His approach to music production has also evolved over the years. These days, Péter relies primarily on software synthesizers, largely for practical reasons. They offer the flexibility to work whenever time allows, without the need to maintain a permanent hardware setup. One particularly interesting aspect of the creative process was the way the album was composed. Rather than working sequentially, Fabók approached it from both ends towards the middle. He started with tracks one and seven, followed by tracks two and six, gradually working his way towards the centre of the album. No artificial intelligence was used in the creative process. The intention was to create an honest and carefully constructed work with a deliberate emotional progression. The opening and closing pieces establish the framework of the musical journey, while the remaining compositions gradually fill the space between them. For Fabók, an album should be more than simply a collection of individual tracks. In that respect, “Tepidarium II” can be seen as a musical conversation between the person he was seventeen years ago and the person he has become today. His thoughts, emotions, experiences and imperfections all contribute to this personal dialogue. It is not merely a continuation of the original album, but also a reflection on his own development as both an individual and a musician. This connection between past and present is also reflected in the cover artwork, which builds upon the visual identity of the original Tepidarium, subtly bringing together two different periods in the composer’s life. All these elements have ultimately resulted in another mature, balanced and accessible album of high-quality electronic music. Listeners familiar with the more melodic and atmospheric side of eighties electronic music, particularly the classic as well as slices of contemporary Tangerine Dream sound along some Paul Ellis’ nods, will undoubtedly recognise some familiar musical territory. At the same time, Tangram brings enough of his own sonic ingredients, ideas and distinctive touches to give the album a character of its own. With “Tepidarium II”, Péter Fabók has delivered more than just a worthy successor to its predecessor. It is a convincing musical reflection on the passage of time, a dialogue between past and present, and a welcome new chapter in the ongoing evolution of Tangram’s electronic sound.
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Website: tangram.bandcamp.com You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Tangram artist page.
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