Deerhunter

Fluorescent Grey

Kranky

Fast on the heels of the highly revered Cryptograms, Atlantaí¢â‚¬â„¢s Deerhunter drops the Fluorescent Grey EP, providing an excellent addition to the groupí¢â‚¬â„¢s already-excellent year. In a mere 16 minutes, Deerhunter cycles through four tracks that embody all the great qualities of their full-length: the washing textures, the ricocheting vocals, the hazy guitar patterns, etc. However, the EP most closely resembles Cryptogramí¢â‚¬â„¢s later, more song-based third, and shines greater light on vocalist Bradford Cox. With fewer effects on Coxí¢â‚¬â„¢s voice than heard previously, his sinister lyrics come through more clearly here; for example, on í¢â‚¬Å“Dr. Glass,í¢â‚¬  where he drones over í¢â‚¬Å“couples kissing, children missing and corpses rotting.í¢â‚¬  And while this may sound like some art-rock freak show best avoided, Fluorescent Grey is in actuality tight and focused, letting in no experimental self-indulgence and focusing on songs that actually rock. All in all, Deerhunter has made the best use of its 16 minutes.

Review By: Brock Thiessen

Thomas Fehlmann

Honigpumpe

Kompakt

Fehlmann has been in so many outfits and collaborations that it's a good thing to hear his music pure in his solo albums. Fehlmanní¢â‚¬â„¢s spent time in Palais Schaumburg and contributed to The Orb, among many other projects. Honigpumpe is his third solo full-length. Like his earlier work, this one continues with crystal clear tones and deep soundings of warm bass. His beats are always good rides, and these have house and techno hints, albeit with an abstract and ambient sensibility more familiar in IDM. His pieces, though anchored in the beats, have lots of higher action in the clouds too, with airy wisps and tinklings of synthetic nature meandering through the atmosphere. There's a danceable feel, but it's much too cool and laid back for any actual footwork -- it's better for letting the mind dance. A few tracks, like "Atlas 2" or "With Oil" emphasize psychedelic aspects, with hypnotic and spacier elements in a near soundtrack style, yet retaining a rolling momentum. For anyone following Fehlmann's work, this is a must, but it's worth seeking out for anyone interested in highly crafted techno ambience.

Review By: Bill Angelbeck

Strategy

Future Rock

Kranky

With Strategyí¢â‚¬â„¢s third album, its tongue-in-cheek title may initially throw some new listeners off course. Instead of the cacophonous apocalyptic industrial/techno music that occasionally springs up in Sci-fi movies, Future Rock is a warm pastiche of several electronic modes, ranging from murky dub, decelerated house, and elysian ambient í¢â‚¬“ combined to form a unique and engrossing piece of work. Recorded with mostly with vintage equipment, found sounds and various scraps salvaged from previous recording sessions, Future Rock is pretty much indefinable. At times vaguely reminiscent of a more organic Air, or the down-tempo electronic acts of the early í¢â‚¬Ëœ90s (The Orb, Psychic Warriors ov Gaia, Loop Guru, et al) except without all the earthy hippy-dippy nonsense that went along with it. This oneí¢â‚¬â„¢s a grower, not a shower, so be sure to set aside some undisturbed í¢â‚¬Å“me timeí¢â‚¬  for Strategy.

Review By: Adam Simpkins