STIMMING
Liquorice
DIYNAMICCD06
Diynamic Music 2011
13 Tracks. 42mins17secs

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Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Martin Stimming first appeared in 2006 as one half of Gebrüder Ton, a duo also formed of Alexander Kübler, with whom he released a number of EPs, then later as part of Orli & Martie, with Oliver Brusch, before eventually going it alone. In the last four years Stimming has published a number of EPs, mostly for Diynamic, which showed a taste for classic linear laid back techno grooves and stripped down soundscapes. These were further developed on his debut album, Reflections (2009).

There is almost nothing of his usual clean cut minimal techno on his latest offering. Instead, he adopts a much looser set up based around extremely diverse sound sources and field recordings. Stimming is said to have began work on this album following relationship issues, the production style consequently reflecting his emotional turmoil. Liquorice is however far from being either introspective or melancholic. Much of the spirit of the album can be summed up by the choice of field recordings used, involving anything and everything from clinking glasses, a bin or a coffee machine to a pizza slicer, cardboard being crushed, marbles or an ICE train. They are, for the most part, so processed that they become almost unidentifiable, yet they contribute greatly to the playful aspect of the record. This frivolous approach is reflected in the complexity of some of the beats applied. If Stimming’s previous outputs have often been characterized by sleek linear rhythmic patterns, Liquorice introduces much more complex motifs, which are further enhanced by the addition of pertinent orchestration, notably on No Strings Attached or The Train, with their smooth layers of more or less processed violin.

When taken to the extreme, this patchwork approach can lead to some particularly fine moments, as is the case on the odd-shaped opening track, Cold Water, which, despite its somewhat broody outlines, grows into a much denser formation in its later part. Equally, the fragmented melodic theme of Cooking Coffee slowly develops over its initial bare sequence, while January, Second, which takes shape around a distorted guitar, and the dubby Trashcan, appear as if broken sections of objects have been reassembled without great care taken to how the original pieces fitted together.

Liquorice‘s genre-defying moiré is placed in sharp contrast to Stimming’s earlier work, and while he aranges field recordings with the same ease, these seem much more intrinsic to his work here, acting as binding components for the rest of his sound sources. This album may not be in any way as sleek and immediate as it’s predecessor, but it is a much more intriguing and exciting offering altogether.

4/5

Stimming | Stimming (MySpace) | Diynamic Music
Amazon UK: CD US: CD Boomkat: CD