Each piece is as finely sculpted and honed as the next as cute circuitous arrangements ebb and flow building layer upon layer of elegant melody.
Just when you thought it might be impossible to yet again revisit 1990s electronica, along comes Kettel with an album packed with pure nostalgic brilliance. There are no holds barred when it comes to sources of inspiration here. Hyper speed Aphex 303 lines? Check. Evolving Plaid melodies? Check. But this isn’t a release that rests on history’s laurels—it’s as original and exciting as they come.
The man behind Kettel, Reimer Eising, could probably turn his hand to any musical genre of his choosing—as evidenced by a sprawling back catalog. Alongside composing music for computer games and for major brand ads such as BMW and Emporio Armani, he’s also responsible for some wonderful laid back business in cahoots with Secede.
Showcasing this production breadth, Wingtip includes a slice of sublime melodic techno in “Yoong Thief,” a stellar piece of ambience in “Hardship,” a jazzy muzak wig out with “Mousefort” and a couple of solo piano outings.
Beautifully produced with a wide and varied audio palette, Eising deftly weaves his track structures through numerous pleasing phases. Each piece is as finely sculpted and honed as the next as cute circuitous arrangements ebb and flow building layer upon layer of elegant melody. There are surprises aplenty as tracks like “Poblesec” twist and resolve with a joyful Aphex abandon, whilst “Inman” blasts determinedly precise 303 programming across junglist breaks (the main theme of which sounds oddly like a sped up version of “Smooth Criminal”).
It’s definitely on the side of prettier electronica, with a sparkle and bounce displaying witty production expertise. A guaranteed good times listen—I can’t help but smile each time I fire up the opening track. Thorough recommendation.
Wingtip is available on Clone.
