Friday, May 9, 2008

Digital Dreams - Hitech Systems (1994)


In a nutshell: The album reached nr.4 in the DRMV charts, the band ranked among the TOP 10 of all unsigned bands in the Frankfurt area, Digital Dreams performed at a Star Trek convention and later in a high security prison - but that's only the good news.


Franca Pettric, Live at the F63 in Offenbach/Germany, January 1994


When TJ and Franca continued Digital Dreams things couldn't have been better. The duo got along superbly and creativity was at a peak. The songs just flew and the life shows with the dancers and the pyrotechnics acme together naturally. Franca and TJ belived a lot in Digital Dreams and took out a credit to finance the recording and packaging of the CD. The album was recorded at Frank M's studio in Offenbach.

The album became an instant success and the band even managed to get on TV (for 10 seconds) during their performance at a Star Trek convention in Mannheim in 1994. The album also climbed to nr.4 at the DRMV charts but the problems weren't on the outside, they were on the inside. Financial problems and a jealous boyfriend combined with egos clashing, Digital Dreams headed for the fall.


While "Hitech Systems" remains a milestone album in the history of the band, the vibes couldn't be recreated, changes in line up and re-unions were to follow only to lead to a split in 1996.

Songs like "Smog" is what the album will be remembered for.

1996 Digital Dreams - Vesicula was a one-man project with the aid of different musicians, inluding Franca Pettrich but it was no group effort.

Read also: "The rise and fall of digital dreams" here

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