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Asked to write
a piece about a musicgroup called
„Artist
Unknown“ I faced the obvious problem:
who can I ask about the music and the story behind this project,
when the musicians prefer to stay incognito? Few people seemed to
know at least a little bit about this duo (1st fact) from somewhere
in germany
(2nd fact) who like to enter public in fashionable elegant white
suits and white masks, the few times they’re performing live (3rd
fact).
So I
kind of had to play detective by analyzing the music and the lyrics.
After listening to „Future“ the first time I thought „hmm, maybe
they rather should have called this album „Past“ because of the
obvious influences from past music genres.
But then
I listened again. And again. And again. And found out what that
Futuretrap is all about – you know without integrating the goods
the past brought us, the future in music and the future itself is
incomplete. Yes, this is electronic music played with synthesizers
and yes, there are songtitles like „The Piper At The Gates Of Detroit“
or „Masheen“ and yes, partly the lyrics reminded me of the great
psychedlic moments in music, but then again this is completely unique
stuff. Ranging from kind of aggressive and very much danceable tracks
like „Lovegun“ or „Dancelikespasztx“ and anthemstyle pieces like,
yes, „Anthem“ or „Siechen“ to the deepest level of electronic art
like „Mantra Debil“ and „The Piper At The Gates Of Detroit“ you
get an album with 15 (!) songs, that definitely shows, how the future
of synthetic pop music could sound like. These two aliens definitely
know about the past, so why not trust them with the „times-to-come“
? So, dear reader, what is there more to say? This album will last
in our ears and hearts (and on the dancefloors) for a long time
until – in the future – maybe these strange-behaving guys come back
to earth again to present us another masterpiece like this. And
that’s just what it is (4th fact).
CD Tracklist:
1.
Control 04:51
2. Dancelikespasztx 05:56
3. The
Hole 05:44
4. The
Piper at the Gates of Detroit 05:44
5. Standing on the Shoulder of Midgets Part 1 00:38
6. Anthem
05:04
7. Mantra Debil 04:01
8.
Luvgun 04:36
9. Standing
on the Shoulder of Midgets Part 2 00:42
10.
Düsseldorf 04:05
11. Masheen
07:04
12. Standing
on the Shoulder of Midgets Part 3 01:19 13. Sad Song 05:54
14. Siechen 05:54
15. Standing on the Shoulder of Midgets Part 4 01:46
some press
on their previous 12‘‘ (Disko B 80, tracks also included on „future“)
"Two blokes from Berlin apparently on board for the veteran German
label's 80th release. Four tracks take a twisted electro-pop path
with meaty pulsations on which they hurl distorted robo-vocals,
Numanesque melody sweeps, poppy string mystique and all manner of
dark nastiness in which they're not afraid to throw in some bleeps
from "Funky Town" either. The right way to bring this style into
the late 90s." (Update) "There really is no clue who this lot are
except the label puts them in the Munich region and hints they're
associates of DJ Hell. Four tracks of desolate but melodic robot
shit taking its cue from early '80s electro-pop. There's not a duff
moment and with titles like 'Piper At The Gates Of Detroit' the
mysterious ones obviously have a sense of humour and history. Imagine
a giant psychic cauldron into which some senile android deity has
thrown The Hague's electro underground. Kraftwerk, Pac-Man, Vangelis,
and half a dozen European one hit wonders of the 'Da Da Da'/'Einstein
A-Go-Go' variety and you're halfway there." (DJ) "Excellent dark
and very retro electro from Berlin. More "Low"-period Bowie than
Grandmaster Flash, but one for aficionados of Anthony Rother and
Dopplereffekt." (Melody Maker)
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