Always
at the forefront of electronic music, German musicians have
consistently made the genre evolve in very diverse ways, from
the early work of bands such as Kraftwerk or Neu! to the arid
digital signal processing championed by labels such as Mille
Plateaux to the more accessible sonic realm of To Rococo Rot.
As one third of Berlin-based To Rococo Rot, set up with his
bother Robert and Kreidler man Stefan Schneider, Ronald Lippock
is one of the most prominent figures of the contemporary German
scene. Beside his involvement with the kraut-rock combo, Ronald
Lippock formed Tarwater in the mid-nineties with Bernt Jestram,
and developed a particular blend of electronic music, close
to the ethic of rock.
Since the release of their first album, 11/6 12/10,
on Kitty Yo back in 1996, Lippock and Jestram have gained considerable
respect from music fans all over the world, progressively taking
their instrumental twiddlings to pop terrains while retaining
the experimental essence of their work. Dwellers On The
Threshold, apparently referring to the ambivalent nature
of their music, set somewhere between rock influences and electronic
experimentations, their fourth album in seven years, is the
fruit of a year’s worth of recordings and collaborations
with a variety of artists including Norwegian performance artist
Tone Avenstroup, who can be heard on 70 Rupies To Paradise
Road which opens this album, Nicholas Addo-Nettey, better
known for his involvement with African legend Fela Kuti, and
Stefan Schneider. More compact in essence than some of their
previous work, Dwellers... is an interesting take on
classic seventies rock, evoking the work of Lou Reed (Ronald
Lippock’s voice has a lot in common with the Velvet Undergound
front man) or Bowie period Low, augmented with textures and
ambiences of today. Their cosmic pop takes a sultry turn on
this latest offering, with treated guitar sounds becoming increasingly
sharp and angular, leaving the lounge influences behind to concentrate
on disarmingly simple structures. Songs such as Metal Flakes,
1985, Now or Miracle Of Love are
impeccable little pop jewels, perfectly crafted and sounding
quite unique.
Following last year’s rather complex and dark Not
The Wheel, Dwellers On The Threshold presents
a slicker, more straightforward side of the band. Probably one
of their most accessible records to date, this album is perfectly
set in its time.
5/5 |
