A penchant for insanely bouncy melodies, tonally sweet analogue keyboard sounds, straightforward, clipped percussion and occasional vocals steer Weisensee into distinctly Kraftwerkien territory.
[Purchase] In 2011, the eccentric, early eighties and science fiction obsessed, Astro Chicken imprint followed up Risk Risk’s superlative This Is 1983 with two mini-LPs, the first of which is this quaint and playful entry from Leipzig’s Sternrekorder. The results commingle late seventies wizardry with early eighties, home computer aesthetics and pacing to create a sound that clearly betrays its German origins. A penchant for insanely bouncy melodies, tonally sweet analogue keyboard sounds, straightforward, clipped percussion and occasional vocals steer Weisensee into distinctly Kraftwerkien territory.
But before this influence becomes apparent we have “Sugarshaker,” one of the most infectious slices of eight-bit computer game inspired tracks of the year: hi-nrg synthesisers and wobbly pads coupled with perfect timing, exceptional economy and a chorus you won’t be able to get out of your head and you have a track that screams Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum “Press Enter To Start” platformer and shoot-em-up title-pages that demands looped listening. There’s the fairground luminescence and tea-cup ride momentum of “Mit Herbert im Park ohne Strom” that shimmers like an up-tempo “Neon Lights,” the echoing rainbow star-fall of “Reisekader” or the warm and welcoming, rosy-cheeked salutations of “Weisensee” itself.
The odd song crops up too, firstly “Geh Lieber Nie,” originally released on Astro Chicken’s debut Chicken Accelerator compilation, and the by turns nutcase then new-romantic harmonies of “Sitting on my Roof” featuring another vocoder vocal turn from Mr. Sternrekorder himself. It’s not all fun and games, however, the contrasting “Well-dressed People” heralding a more melancholy tone, slower pacing and low-key arpeggios, and to round things off there’s the wondrous sci-fi melodrama of “Es geht die Fahrt dahin,” all slow-motion, Vangelis “Chariots of Fire” pads, driving syncopation, hyperspace blur and chopped up vocal aaahs.
Overall, Weisensee is a fun ride and worth the price of entry for “Sugarshaker” alone. This sumptuous slab of 180 gram red vinyl is housed in a cool, geekily retro full-colour LP sleeve with black, archival inner bag and similarly period styling to the labels that adds the perfect finishing nostalgic touches. It may not be quite as eccentric as other Astro Chicken releases, but it’s every bit as infectious.
Weisensee is available on Astro Chicken. [Purchase]
