Albert van Abbe - Rytumtraks review

This is the eight release on No Comment and the third to feature Heinrich Mueller (this time doing a remix under the name Rudolf Klorzeiger). The 12” is limited to just 200 copies on beautiful clear vinyl and there are three versions of ‘Rytumtraks’ by producer Albert van Abbe.

‘Rytumtraks 0002.2’ opens the record and is deep light touch techno at its best. An atmospheric circular movement gradually gives way to beats, bass and body, taking you on a positively icy Antartic journey from then on. It does have a nice analogue warmth to it however and there is a sound like the wind throughout. I’m not sure if the title and versions are a reference to or could be seen as a development from Basic Channels ‘Phylyps Trak’ (1993) but if so it would be worthy company for that classic track.

The Klorzeiger version (0002) opens side 2 with a similar intro but there the similarities end, its more of a remodel or remake perhaps. I don’t think it’s significant production-wise that this is the first time he has used this name since Dopplereffekt in 1999 (can we expect the resurrection of Dr. Finn & Dr. Otto Henke next?) but if you are familiar with the Mueller palette of signature sounds then there will be few surprises here. There is no sample or anything to really latch onto this time round but that doesn't stop it being yet another solid, uptempo and possibly timeless track from him. Suitable for any number of contexts but probably for a fairly dark, even sinister, moment of a DJ’s set. I'd still love a compilation of all these Mueller remix's someday and this would have to be on it.

Next up is the final version by van Abbe, (00020). Conceptually you could see this as a mix of the two versions so far but still very quite unique in itself. While shorter than his previous version this is perhaps the more straightforward, lighter and maybe even more dance floor friendly. Again neither of van Abbes versions have that certain repeated phrase or big moment but they are designed to work in a much more subtle way than that. This time I could discern what sounded something reminiscent to me of water lapping on a beach amongst the electronic audio signals.

The great Rashad Becker mastered and cut the vinyl, as usual every detail is done artfully with No Comment. A record well worth tracking down.

It can be listened to and ordered from this Clone link

Jauzas The Shining remix

Heinrich Mueller has done a remix for the upcoming 12” EP by Jauzas The Shining. The track is ‘Bohrium’ and the EP also features vocals by Victoria Lukas of Zerkalo on two of its other tracks, it will be out on Last Known Trajectory label soon. While they wouldn’t have collaborated on any of these tracks, hopefully this (and the recent remix he did for Lukas’s Vita project) might be a sign of new material from both of them as Zerkalo in the future. Its been too long! You can listen to all the tracks from the EP here.

http://soundcloud.com/jauzastheshining/jauzas-the-shining-nuclear-1

NRSB-11 - Commodified

Some more details of the debut album by NRSB-11 (Heinrich Mueller and DJ Stingray) which was first mentioned in September 2012 have been made known. It is to be called Commodified and will be released by WeMe Records on 2LP and CD on 9^th September 2013.The track-list is below. Audio samples of all the tracks can be heard at this Clone link. The CD only tracks are from the EP that came out by them on WeMe last year. For my review of this EP and other NRSB-11 info follow this link.

1. Intro
2. Consumer Programming
3. Bioethics
4. Living Wage
5. Laundered
6. Market Forces
7. Offshore Banking
8. Dead Civilization
9. Globalization
10. Industrial Espionage
11. Austerity
12. Shadow Corp
13. 685-471 2 (CD Only)
14. 6231-748 3 (CD Only)
15. 685-471 1 (CD Only)

Great new Mueller related mix I came across.