The artwork if this CD depicts black and white 1960’s images of the Hotel Stadt (now the Forum Hotel) on Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany. The CD itself is a showcase of labels – some already quite well known on the electronic music scene and some not so well known – from Berlin.
ADSR, a label almost solely responsible for releasing Skanform’s output, open proceedings with a collection of 5 tracks from Skanform, b.i. and H.J.Pfirsisch as well as a Pad25/Skanform collaboration. All of the first 3 tracks on Hotel Stadt Berlin are slick retro-tinged proto-electro tracks from Skanform and b.i. Skanform’s collaboration with Pad25 introduces a new twist – Skanform’s distinct electro flavour is still there but is overlain with rhythmic beats and a prominent buzzing synth line. Closing ADSR’s collection of tracks is HJ Pfirsisch’s “Love You So”, a scary looped sample of the old pop song of the same name with a psuedo-DJ sample added for additional amusement.
City Centre Offices change the mood back to the serious business of quality electronic music with Christian Kleine’s “Framework”, a busy collection of beats and synths with a slightly soundtracky edge. Hem follow that with “Frayed Edges”, a slow paced track of fuzzy beats, weird sound effects and whirs over gentle synth melodies and building atmospheric intensity. Mellowing things out again are Din with a track each from Arovane and Log. Arovane produces his usual serenely gentle blend of beats, soothing keyboard melodies and sweeping synth tones, gradually bring fizzy electronic rhythms to the forefront. Log opt for a more minimal approach, emphasising rhythmic thudding beats and adding echoed synths and whirlwind-like tones.
Hey Records inject some humour into proceedings once more with Hey’s “Sans Toi”, a French vocal track with a pseudo reggae and accordion vibe. Hey-O-Hansen follows that with a deep dub reggae meets cheesy 70’s TV theme instrumental piece entitled “Shining Commas (Instrumental Version)”. Hey-O-Hansen then returns with “Bing”, a repetitive track where fuzzy beats meet a trumpeter practicing with a dub vibe. All three of the tracks are very odd indeed but certainly original. From here, Lux Nigra give us another dose of quality electronic music in the form of Artificial Duck Flavour’s thudding “Infarct Mix” from the “No Movement No Sound No Memories” EP. This is followed by another somewhat surreal electronic novelty tune from Frederik Schikowski and a cutup collection of electronic sounds from Kick Snare Kick Snare.
The EP closes with 3 tracks from the Morr Music label, probably the best known of the labels featured here alongside City Centre Offices. The first of Morr’s tracks is “Wonder” by Herrmann and Kleine, a whirlwind of a track with rhythmic beats sitting over a whooshing backdrop of prominent electronic tones and female vocals. The second of the Morr tracks is “The Last Glass of Summer” by B. Fleischmann and is a gentle combination of steady beats, discrete high-pitched tones and organ-like keyboards. Closing the album and Morr’s contribution is Isan’s “Fuelled”, a track of fizzing static-y tones, slow deliberate beats and chattering clicks, whirs and bleeps.
While Germany has an undeniably strong reputation for quality electronic music, they also have a strange sense of humour that usually involves strange choices of music in clubs to lighten the atmosphere. While at first this seems inappropriate and unnecessary, it actually works very well, injecting some fun into what can become a self-important scene.
