"Our Noise"? Anything but. From the opening notes of this release, Iwas sold. This is the debut full length from Hermann and Kleine,recorded in their bedrooms in Berlin. This is really un-German soundingelectronic music, created with laptops and samples, and named"plinkerpop" as a genre, I'm told. True, it does have its moments ofpop splendor, but I don't remember enjoying an electronic record thismuch since Four Tet's "Pause". It's not as boring as Kleine's work onhis own tends to be these days, that's for sure. The beats are meaty inareas, simple in others, and the keyboards and samples laid on top ofthem are unobtrusive, often engrossing, and totally fresh. Each trackstands on its own, and has a life of its own, even though they may havesimilar structures or sound effects. The album opener, 'Drop', is aperfect indicator of what the record is going to be about. A simplebeat starts the track, then the bassline joins, and then distortedguitar. Before you know it, you're completely lost in a trance, movingalong to the music like you don't know what's hit you. And it neverstops or disappoints. The full beat eventually drops in on 'Drop',paving the way for the harder beats you'll hear on later tracks, butfirmly engrained in the groove of the moment. 'Her Tune' starts outsimilarly deceptive, with simple keyboards, until the big beat joinsin. It's all very impressive and easy to listen to for a variety ofactivities. Elsewhere, shuffling beats and big loud rock guitars areused to get the point across, or, as on 'Shuttle', a voice is heard onoccasion, although extremely processed and edited. When it was allover, I started it up to listen to it a second time. A great firstfull-length release from this unlikely duo.
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