Max Ernst, 2005
On his thirteenth LP, Thomas Brinkmann’s music is more varied than usual. First up is “Drops,” a tech-house track with quirky bassline runs and playful bursts of sound. “Maschine” features industrial vocals over repetitive, brooding synths. On “Jacknot,” electronic piano glissandos and pounding beats accompany mysterious French dialogue. The title track reminds me of Underworld, with spoken, repeated nonsense over building electronics. Surprises include a dreamy cover of The Smiths’ “The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get,” featuring Tusia Beridze, and the short “Charleston,” a Marco Palmieri mix merging a Django Reinhard song with Brinkmann beats. “Margins” is the most beautiful track by far, with Beridze’s poetic vocals murmuring over soothing deep bass for a full five and a half minutes. Brinkmann is one of my favorite prolific artists, continually taking techno places it’s never been before.