ASMUS TIETCHENS

An antiquated drum machine beatbox is utilised on most tracks which only adds to the alien quality of each tune. There's a definite DIY charm to these recordings using analogue equipment. Nothing digital, no laptop, no editing software, just good old fashioned squishy and bloopy synths. If you're a fan of Conrad Schnitzler or fancy a more unfriendly and less hospitable 'Cluster' you'll probably like this.

Tietchens is instantly recognisable with a distinct and very personal sound. The man's a walking Rubik's Cube - either that or a complete nut-job. And that's good enough for me in an age of a morass of similar sounding bands with little originality.

What we've got here is a highly experimental, abstract yet beautiful album revolving around the sound of running water. Massive electronic effects are used to such an extent that the finished item sounds like waves of odd keyboard chords.

An excellently clear recording, 'Seuchengebiete II' should be classed as ambient. Everything is saturated in echo and reverb making you feel like you're trapped 30 feet below a river with reeds wrapped around your ankles.

Some may find this torture. Others may find it very therapeutic. One way or another, there's no mistaking it's creator.

Hats off to a any guy who can put together an album of running water through old lead pipes, that's what I say.

'Biotop' is a very, very cold record. The kind of music you'd expect to hear in Tromso in Norway just as you're about to turn the lights off to go to sleep. There are similarities here with the 'Residents' from the same time period and 'Cluster' in that the recording sounds very electronic and minimal.

I can't listen to 'Biotop' without being reminded of that old 70's and 80's Friday night programme 'It's a Knockout' starring Stuart Hall as he guffawed with his infectious laugh at our European neighbours parading about in ridiculous outfits as musical jingles played in the background.

His first four or 5 albums listed on the Archive are all 'reasonably' accessible, after which he goes completely atonal and tuneless. Some of which are actually excellent eg: 'Seuchengebiete II'.

But for the moment I'm happy listening to 'Biotop' with its frigid air and reckless, yet somewhat robotic approach to electronic music. Nice.