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Robert Lippok & Barbara Morgenstern, "Tesri"
With any collaboration, searching for that elusive balance betweenrespective styles doesn't necessarily yield fantastic results, with thepitfalls of compromise and dominance playing significant roles in thesongwriting process. Many times, the sound of one musician will drownout the voice of another.
Monika
Unsurprising considering Lippok's prior work,this new album from two prominent names in the Berlin music scene fallsinto this category, basking in the glow of that painfully familiarspace between pop and kitsch often found on To Rococo Rot records. I'munable to discern what influence Morgenstern, whose work I'm familiarwith from select compilation appearances, has had on these accessibleand light recordings. It's hardly a unique venture considering thesurplus of acts doing precisely the same thing, I'm nonethelessexpected to take Tesrimore seriously than their peers. I've heard enough of the music in thiselectronic pop subgenre over at least the past six years to know thatthis isn't as special as it wants to be. I'm not trying to discreditLippok or Morgenstern based on their minor celebrity, but I cannot helpbut expect more than a mere rehash of The Amateur View withguitar and piano. "Ein Knoten Aus Schwarz" and "Kaitusburi" could haveeasily been outtakes salvaged from old TRR studio sessions, tweaked andreworked for this release. This is an unfortunate situation consideringhow much promise the album starts off with. The exciting opener "PleaseWake Me For Meals" drops lush acoustic elements over a solid electrobeat, introducing bleeps, scratches, and airy analogue synths aboutmidway. "If The Day Remains Unspoken For" stands out as the mostluscious fruit of Lippok and Morgenstern's endeavor. Featuring thesoulful vocals of Telefon Tel Aviv's Damon Aaron, the tracksimultaneously oozes melodic warmth and clinical abstraction yet comestogether remarkably well. Perhaps if these two collaborate again theymight employ Aaron for more than just one song. Tesri is not abad release, and fans of Lippok's earlier material will not bedisappointed, yet I had hoped for something much more memorable andless spotty.
Monika
Unsurprising considering Lippok's prior work,this new album from two prominent names in the Berlin music scene fallsinto this category, basking in the glow of that painfully familiarspace between pop and kitsch often found on To Rococo Rot records. I'munable to discern what influence Morgenstern, whose work I'm familiarwith from select compilation appearances, has had on these accessibleand light recordings. It's hardly a unique venture considering thesurplus of acts doing precisely the same thing, I'm nonethelessexpected to take Tesrimore seriously than their peers. I've heard enough of the music in thiselectronic pop subgenre over at least the past six years to know thatthis isn't as special as it wants to be. I'm not trying to discreditLippok or Morgenstern based on their minor celebrity, but I cannot helpbut expect more than a mere rehash of The Amateur View withguitar and piano. "Ein Knoten Aus Schwarz" and "Kaitusburi" could haveeasily been outtakes salvaged from old TRR studio sessions, tweaked andreworked for this release. This is an unfortunate situation consideringhow much promise the album starts off with. The exciting opener "PleaseWake Me For Meals" drops lush acoustic elements over a solid electrobeat, introducing bleeps, scratches, and airy analogue synths aboutmidway. "If The Day Remains Unspoken For" stands out as the mostluscious fruit of Lippok and Morgenstern's endeavor. Featuring thesoulful vocals of Telefon Tel Aviv's Damon Aaron, the tracksimultaneously oozes melodic warmth and clinical abstraction yet comestogether remarkably well. Perhaps if these two collaborate again theymight employ Aaron for more than just one song. Tesri is not abad release, and fans of Lippok's earlier material will not bedisappointed, yet I had hoped for something much more memorable andless spotty.samples:
