Intergalactic Autobahn

German techno wasn’t something that I ever expected to embrace – so I suppose I had to come at it a back-route via the catchier realms of Erlend Øye singing 80s pop over Kompakt microhouse tracks or Apparat’s 3 minute electro-glitch anthems.

Apparat was my entree to Ellen Allien, the brains behind cooler-than-cool label Bpitch Control. Allien is getting some attention for her new DJ mix Boogybytes Vol. 4 and will no doubt get some more when her latest artist release Sool sees daylight shortly. And she worked with Apparat on the brilliant Orchestra of Bubbles album from a few years back – a perfect synthesis of laptop pop and underground techno.

Sool is the album that I’ve been spinning lately and I’m waiting for it to yield its secrets. Like a lot of people working at the minimalist end, Allien won’t use two melodic themes per track when one will suffice. Sometime’s there’s almost nothing to grab hold of. But this kind of music usually rewards closer attention.

One of the more accessible moments is “Elphine”, which bounces along with a nice house-y rhythm and gives a good entry point. But there’s nothing as grab-you-by-the-ears immediate as there was on Orchestra of Bubbles. Which is slightly disappointing to these ears.

Ellen Allien – “Elphine”

Ellen Allien and Apparat – “Jet”