To Rococo Rot formed over six years ago in Berlin, after
the well-inspired owner of an art gallery where Robert
and Ronald Lippok were exposing their work asked them
if they fancied producing some music. The pair brought
on board Düsseldorf-based bass player Stefan Schneider,
who was already starting to make a name for himself
with his Kreidler
project. Soon, they were releasing their eponymous debut
album. Two more albums would follow, Veiculo
in 1997, and The
Amateur View two years later, as well as a
string of EPs and remixes, culminating in working on
the production of St Etienne’s Sound Of Water.
On Music Is A Hungry Ghost, their latest offering,
the German trio teams-up with New-York DJ I-Sound and
go on to explore new territories.
To Rococo Rot met Craig Willingham, aka I-Sound, during
their 1998 U.S tour, and they invited him to work on
a track for The
Amateur View. Obviously satisfied with the
result, they asked the New-York DJ to collaborate with
them on an entire album. The finished product is somewhat
very different from the band’s previous efforts. As
much as The
Amateur View was a disconcertingly playful,
simple record, Music Is A Hungry Ghost is far
more complex, with sound structures forming and melting
away almost instantly. However, despite the intricacy
of this fourth album, To Rococo Rot retain the intrinsic
musical qualities and simple approach of their past
releases. As the abstract compositions slip away, they
reveal a multitude of almost imperceptible, imbricated,
sub-melodies, on which, twice, on From Dream To
Daylight and Along The Route, the sumptuous
violin of Alexander Balanescu weaves a delicate web.
Music Is A Hungry Ghost is a more sombre and
abrasive affair than its predecessor; yet, the temporary
quartet avoids the obvious trap of producing a dark
record. Instead, Music… is flooded with bright
lights and fluid atmospheres, with the capacity to infiltrate
every pore of your body with unsuspected funk (For
A Moment, The Trance Of Travel). Austerity
has no meaning in To Rococo Rot’s compositions, and
the bare production only underline the utter simplistic
nature with which they approach their art. This results
in Music… being a very accessible album, with
endless moments of pure magic.
This fourth album by To Rococo Rot, is their most accomplished
to date. With I-Sound, they create a complex, yet straightforward
record, as they become one of the major bands on the
IDM scene.
5/5 |
