APPARAT Vinilo y CD

Review: RECOMMENDED
With its cover plucked straight from the imagination of Salvador Dali, and running to no less than four individual vinyls, this retrospective collection of Apparat's various film score chapters to date clearly means serious conceptual business. But it's far more than an exercise in proving artistic ingenuity.

As an artist, the chap better known to some as Sasha Ring has always been able to capture the spectrum of human emotions in instrumental arrangements, and this has perhaps never been clearer and in these beautiful but brief slices of sound. Work like 'La Gravidanza' won't leave a dry eye in the house, despite the fact it shares as much in common with a pre-symphony tune-up than a track per se. 'Reconciliation' feels like a sweet testament to redemption and moving forward, but barely has tangible structure. In short, many works of micro genius.

Review: Apparat has been working closely with London's infamous Mute records for a few years, and it's borne some rich fruit. We finally have a new LP from the man which we've been waiting impatiently for and its as excellent as you'd expect. The opener "44" is actually something slightly unexpected from Apparat, where solemn cellos twine graciously to their own rhythm, but things are soon engulfed into a familiar electronic shade one the noise version. "LightOn" is a near perfect amalgamation of shuffling clicks, euphoric pads and one hell of a bassline; but there's other highlights here for sure, such as the irresistibly seductive whale chants on "Blank Page" or the modern classical piano keys and violins merging on "K & F Thema (Pizzicato)" and the closing track "A Violet Sky" - something which surpasses all expectation thanks to its almost synth pop vibes.

Review: Infine presents Apparat's 'Arcadia', with killer remixes by Boys Noize and Telefon Tel Aviv.

Review: These tracks were recorded live over the course of the last year in the most prolific clubs in each of the named cities. Apparat is presenting himself more or less just like people have come to know him that have seen him play live - a rave dog with a fragile head.

Review: Apparat's induction into the DJ-Kicks Hall Of Fame proved to be an engaging and at times hauntingly brilliant listen that was not stunted in any way by Sascha Ring's inexperience in the art of mixing two tracks together. The requisite vinyl sampler to accompany the mix allows your senses to fully appreciate the tracks produced especially for the mix by Ring himself and his buddy Telefon Tel Aviv. "Sayulita" is named in homage to the Mexican town Ring called home during the track's inception and removed from the mix the plaintive atmospherics really impress, combined with the organic Hebden-esque percussive 130bpm shuffle. The flipside commences with "Lengthening Shadows", an equally wistful sojourn through electronica from the aforementioned Telefon Tel Aviv that opts to meld the brooding ethereal atmospherics with an almighty industrial half step kick. Apparat's opening gambit from the DJ-Kicks mix, "Circles" rounds things off in equally spooky fashion.

Review: Apparat's respected position amongst the electronic music cognoscenti has been secured mostly via his overseeing the Shitkatapult Empire and the canon of music released alongside Ellen Alien and the more recent brushed metallic tones of techno drama explored as Moderat with Modeselektor. He isn't, however, known for his DJing abilities, which makes his inclusion in the DJ Kicks series a puzzling one at first. This sensation dissipates however once your ears consume the 70 minutes and 22 tracks on offer here. Ring stated an intention to dispel the notion he plies a distinctly bittersweet sound, and that's always going to be achieved when there's the likes of Ramadanman, Martyn and Carl Craig (in his 69 guise) amidst the tracks. Whislt this isn't, as you'd expect, a technically sensational mix, a definite glitchy mood is retained throughout with some dazzling moments. The harmonious ascent of Four Tet's remix of Born Ruffian's from the industrial mist of Autechre's remix of Scorn in particular stands out. Four Tet's collaboration with Burial marks the onset of another highlight with the swift saunter through Vincent Markowski and Ramadanman that arrives at Radiohead twitcher Thom Yorke's "Harrodown Hill". An engaging selection best heard on headphones at high volume that highlights new aspects with every listen.

Review: After "Turbo Dreams" and "Way Out" now there is "Jet Remixes" - the third maxi single from Ellen Allien & Apparat's album "Orchestra of Bubbles". The first remix comes from Ben Klock who seems to be in a work flow. After his 2 Memo releases, he released his EP "Big Time" on Bpitch Control. Where beat and melody are twisted equally in the original version, Ben puts the melody as a facet in the background and concentrates more on the beat. Dark sound in the great Ben Klock style!

Review: On the A-side there is a dance remix of both artists that really cracks, vibrates, accumulates and then explodes. The second track on this side is a remix by Robag Wruhme (Wighnomy Brothers, Musik Krausse, Jena - Germany) dance music, cut up, broken beats, jazzy, bouncy, that turns body and soul into a steaming pot. The B-side is a specialty for those who got "Orchestra of Bubbles" on vinyl - the 2 tracks "Rotary" and "Sleepless" are otherwise only available on the CD version as bonus tracks.