Notstandskomitee

"Automatenmusik" (Album, 2001)

Block 4

Entirely instrumental, seventeen track album of experimental electronics that with a sleeve of low-fi computer graphics depicting Silent Running type robots and a title like Automatenmusik makes for an easy inpulse buy. Like all such risks, you can't hit the pay dirt every time and, as much as I want to love this, it never really manages to match the tantilising expectations. It most closely resembles the intellectual sound structure pursuits of Esplendor Geométrico, but neither the cerebal or expressive skills are up to the challenge. Ocassionally mixing in 8-bit video game sounds into this series of rhythm-driven excursions into electronic minimalism adds the odd burst of personality into the album, otherwise it's a largely faceless, characterless (if undeniably sometimes head bobbing-inducing) bunch of lab tests. 5/10

Rob Dyer (January, 2008)