Seeing as we're all going in for EoY lists and the like, I humbly submit the following three albums as my three 'underneath the radar' works that a lot of people snoozed on.
Gudrun Gut: I Put a Record On
Admittedly, the Dntel remix was the best of all, but I really, really like the weirdness and creativity of this album. It's very personal, very elegant and multifaceted. There are a lot of blues and country inflections, but they're all very much under the sharp heel of Gudrun's influence. There are also silent connectors between this and the next under-rated gem, mostly in the smeared textures and choo-choo train rhythmicity.
Thomas Fehlmann: Honigpumpe
This is just a wonderful album to listen to. I know this might strike you as a particularly redundant thing to say about music, but what I mean is that, when reaching for an immersive album to really wind through, especially on a damp afternoon when I have to do what 'I have to do', this is one of the ones that first offers itself up. The compositions are beautifully layered, opening with a very Frippertronics pop-ambient feel and slowly building through several hissing, whistling, chugging and soft whirring technoscapes. Fehlmann's approach to production has really, really matured here. I just cannot for the life of me understand why so few people charted the Field's 'From Here We Go Mediocre' instead of this. Oh well.
Move-D: Tonspuren 1-10
I can't say that this is really 'under-rated', but the impression I get is that very few people have had a chance to listen to this work. Like the 'Raumland' series Moufang has been doing with Namlook and his Studio Pankow work, none of these releases appear to be particularly well distributed. It's a shame, 'cos they're amazing, almost without exception. Tonspuren is notable for its balance and poise - there's foundsound, house grooves, big, spacious ambient tripouts, it's all here. Moufang has a lot more depth than a lot of artists, and this is one of his deeper works.
Gudrun Gut: I Put a Record On
Admittedly, the Dntel remix was the best of all, but I really, really like the weirdness and creativity of this album. It's very personal, very elegant and multifaceted. There are a lot of blues and country inflections, but they're all very much under the sharp heel of Gudrun's influence. There are also silent connectors between this and the next under-rated gem, mostly in the smeared textures and choo-choo train rhythmicity.
Thomas Fehlmann: HonigpumpeThis is just a wonderful album to listen to. I know this might strike you as a particularly redundant thing to say about music, but what I mean is that, when reaching for an immersive album to really wind through, especially on a damp afternoon when I have to do what 'I have to do', this is one of the ones that first offers itself up. The compositions are beautifully layered, opening with a very Frippertronics pop-ambient feel and slowly building through several hissing, whistling, chugging and soft whirring technoscapes. Fehlmann's approach to production has really, really matured here. I just cannot for the life of me understand why so few people charted the Field's 'From Here We Go Mediocre' instead of this. Oh well.
Move-D: Tonspuren 1-10 I can't say that this is really 'under-rated', but the impression I get is that very few people have had a chance to listen to this work. Like the 'Raumland' series Moufang has been doing with Namlook and his Studio Pankow work, none of these releases appear to be particularly well distributed. It's a shame, 'cos they're amazing, almost without exception. Tonspuren is notable for its balance and poise - there's foundsound, house grooves, big, spacious ambient tripouts, it's all here. Moufang has a lot more depth than a lot of artists, and this is one of his deeper works.
completely agree on move d. but then again, he definitely operates underneath the radar. he seems to be one for the heads. i still struggle really liking his sound a bit, but this album helped a lot with my conversion.
ReplyDeletenever got into the felhmann. didnt appeal to me. as for underrated releases, one we'll all agree on is 'dying in africa'. i just pulled that out again and it is back on repeat...