Austrian band Villalog tap into that rich vein of Krautrock and electronica that Can and Kraftwerk did so well before them, and while of course they’re extremely unlikely to match the achievements of those giants, they can certainly hold their own in the current musical climate. This is partly because they don’t take themselves too seriously, so when a bass line takes the lead, as it does in 3, it is distinctive and quite quirky. The oscillations of ‘Bassknopf’, meanwhile, indicate Steve Reich has been a reference for its guitar lines, while ‘Space Trash’ itself is an enjoyably dirty workout, using more obvious electronics. While some of ‘Spacetrash’ seems to have been improvised it is always kept on a tight leash, the riffs and rhythms working the floor almost immediately. A strong release that sounds great with the bass turned up!
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
