(09.20.05) Karaoke Kalk are one of those labels who are pretty good. Not great, certainly not bad, but unfortunately they’ve never put out a release I’ve considered really top rate. It makes sense then that I found Kalk Seeds to be patchy, with a some decent tracks and a couple of clunkers interspersed among a collection of tracks I’d have to concede are … well, pretty good.
The compilation is a mix of styles and of old and new material. A rough ballpark for the material contained on the CD is different permutations of electronic pop. This extends from the faintly Gothic spoken word of Toog’s “Ugly Ducklings” through Roman’s late 80s Duran Duran funk-pop to what sounds like a traditional German song, replete with oompah brass.
Highlights include an old Hausmeister track, “Pumer,” from his self-titled debut of 5 years ago, Kandis’s “Letter,” and Hauschka’s “Two Stones.” While the first two are instrumental electronic tracks, “Two Stones” is a light and sweet piano tune, with what might either be electronic percussion or prepared piano like what John Cage got up to in the 50s. Also rather dreamy is the closer, “Welt Am Draht” by Ekkehard Ehler’s project Maerz (or März). Not sure if the track title is a reference to one of Fassbinder’s films, but the music is like a contemporary update of the synth-drenched soundtrack Angelo Badalamenti provided for the show Twin Peaks.
It is worth stating that the vast majority of the album is songs, or at least tracks with some element of vocals. And while I am certainly not opposed to songs – hell, I’m happy to listen to chart radio songs if I enjoy them enough – none of those presented here really grabbed me. Some have interesting arrangements, or sound quite poignant and heartfelt, but the vocals themselves never quite live up to the rest of it.
The notable exception is the female vocal that rides the chiming, percussive synths of Kuchen Meets Mapstation’s “KMM.” With a completely fitting lack of passion, the woman sings “Fly Kuchen Airlines / Drive Mapstation Motors,” rounding off a strange fictional advert for the artists involved. A pity it lasts less than 2 minutes, but then that probably fits the advertising format!
Kalk Seeds is out now on Karaoke Kalk.
