I like the Pole aesthetic. Stefan Betke’s Waldorf filter crackles and pops while dub-inspired basslines spiral into infinity. Be forewarned, however, that Betke’s melodies are subtle. His grooves only begin to emerge after several listens. On “Silberfisch” an eerie evening train ride lurks under the purple Jell-O of lo-fi depths. Unfortunately, this journey goes on a bit long for my taste, but that’s where the DJ’s duty comes in.
“Taxi” is the only track on this LP that annoys me. For some reason its simple, repetitive “bleep-bloop” grates at my static-conditioned brain. Luckily “Kerussell” comes to the rescue with more underwater sonic ballet. A marching bassline drives alienating bursts of raw crackly nerves. “Uberfahrt” almost falls pray to “Taxi”‘s flaws, but there’s enough going on here to keep things interesting.
The best track on this album is definitely “Fohlenfurz.” Tentative traces of texture drift in and out of long silences. The effect is moody and atmospheric, a nice change of pace from Betke’s bassline-driven compositions. I still miss the days of Pole’s 1, though, when emotion and melody brimmed from every corner of every crackle. Although 3 has its moments, I can’t help but think that Betke’s re-treading old ground. Let’s hope his next full-length shows more evidence of evolution.
3 is out now on Matador Records.
