Sam Barker and Andreas Baumecker have pulled off something quite remarkable here, in the form of an electronic music album that jumps around in speed and style of beat but which hangs together brilliantly well. Not only that, but it frequently amazes with its daring choices of bass line and unconventional hooks. The former works to maximum effect in ‘SchlangBang’, which has an incredibly wiry bass part, while the latter is best heard on the angular riffs that make up ‘Crows’. Elsewhere the pair show a talent for techno that could be used as a film noir soundtrack (‘Trafo’), hypnotic loops that go in and out of focus (the closing ‘Spur’) and some thumping good beats used in ‘Buttcracker’ and ‘Silo’. With much of this music you can feel them pushing against the flow, trying to stretch themselves, and the result is an album bursting with original ideas, as well as drawing respectfully on a rich techno legacy. One of the records of the year, no question.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
