Bip-hop Generation is an unconventional series of compilations. Every artist is presented with a small showcase of one or several new tunes. The compilations aim to introduce the artists to the listeners, rather than being a bunch of tunes that sound good together. This of course means that even though each artist make electronic music the compilations tend to be rather disjointed affairs, V.2 more so than V.1 (which came out a few months ago). V.2 starts off with two good tunes from Bernard Fleischmann, beautiful and interesting creations in the melodic school. Arovane’s supplies one long epic track, and while I’ve heard better Arovane tracks, it’s still really good.
The works of Warmdesk and Köhn are more challenging compositions with clear leanings towards musique concrete. It’s an abrasive type of sound that usually ends up with me reaching for the remote. That said, Köhn’s “S. (for Hubert)” surprises and deligts with its deadpan bit of singing. Wang inc.’s works also has a basis in musique concrete, but in a more friendly style. His “3 Note Melody” and “Sadness for Numbers” (about the NATO bombings in Kosovo) are both beautiful and thought-provoking. Laurent Pernice, finally, supplies three very different tracks, the dreamily suggestive “Soft and Round”, the pointless “Kling-klang”, and “Le bon vieux temps” which sounds like as if an electro-acoustic art musician was to make techno.
As I said, a rather disjointed compilation, but definitely interesting.
