This 3 track and sadly one-off project from Heinrich Mueller and DJ Stingray turns out to be the best sort of collaboration in that it sounds like neither of them but could be either. With its sci-fi film samples and very moody and atmospheric music you do get a very focused record that absolutely grows on you and stands up well to repeated listens. There is no information on the record or anyplace else of how they worked together or the authorship of individual tracks so we can only futilely speculate so I won’t bother. While it’s a one-off project they have both already released a split 12” before on WeMe,
Drexciya Connection in 2009. That time they did two separate tracks. WeMe has by now become a reliable home for Mueller’s experiments, his Gedankenexperiment 12” with Beta Evers also came out on it in 2010.
For sure the opener, titled ‘685-471 2’, sets the scene very well and lulls you in for the dark ride. It is all slow synth pads with a lone tone recurring like a human cry. The drum pattern and bass lines go through some subtle changes throughout as well which helps keep your interest. I think it has that quality where if you heard it in a mix it would really stand out. It was very briefly listed as 'Energy Levels' on the WeMe SoundCloud. FuturityWorks (one of Dopplereffekt's live bookers) have all 3 tracks on their SoundCloud using the original titles which I have added here, link below. Even if the other 2 tracks had turned out to suck the record would still kinda have been worth it for this, which makes it a bit of a classic really.
Samples from (is it?)
Escape From New York opens ‘6231-748-3’ aka 'Forensics', the first track on Side 2. “Big brother can make anyone they want look dead or alive.” There are a few more samples from various movies as well and I did recognise a slow downed sample from a movie I like alot,
12 Monkeys. Interestingly on ‘Drone FX’, Heinrich Mueller’s side of
Drexciyan Connection, also featured a sci-fi film sample, from
Colossus. The mood of the track is quite tweaked, dark and on edge all the way through. Perhaps it has a more DJ Stingray type vibe and production about it.
The last track ‘685-471 1’ aka 'SRB' is amazing and maybe my favorite. No samples here but it is very dark with heavy bass sounds and some strange momentum that manages to pull you along with it. It’s one of those tracks that can somehow appear fast and slow. A whole album made up of accessible stuff like this and the first track would be quite something.
Concept-wise maybe NRSB could stand for Nuclear Radiation Studies Board but the 11, like the track titles themselves, could mean anything. If I’m right it sounds so boring but thankfully the far more poetic cartoon face of a girl balances this out and leaves it open to any interpretation. For me it’s just a movie/story you get to create with the comic book vibe perfect because it allows it to be pure fantasy/sci-fi. It’s also great to see this on vinyl. As we all know vinyl is not going anywhere and may even outlive the CD they say. Adding value to it has become the name of the game though and this limited clear vinyl edition does just that for collectors. I was very kindly sent a personalized white label promo of this on black vinyl by WeMe. I’m not sure if there is a standard black vinyl edition out there as well. Well worth getting.
Out now from WeMe
Listen to ‘685-471 2’ on SoundCloud
All 3 tracks on Futurity Works SoundCloud
The Clone website is now listing their second installment in Drexciya’s Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller series on Clone Classic Cuts. It will include another two unreleased tracks this time, 'Unknown Journey II' and 'Unknown Journey III'. Not sure when it will be available for purchase but the track listing on the CD is as follows
