“Voltage Sessions is a wonderful surprise out of SynGate where the hypnotic rhythms and melodies will catch your interest at each corners of its wonderful 70 minutes”
1 Early Fluctuations 15:18 2 Energy Bells 18:35 3 Power Station 20:31 4 Synthetic Vitality 16:18 SynGate | CD-R T101
(CD-r/DDL 70:44) (V.F.)
(Minimalist New Berlin School)
Twisted sonic filaments are escaping from the cables of the synth-beast, forging a dialogue of aliens whose hoarse and intimidating voices float more than they speak. A thin line of sequences emerges. She aligns its jumping chords in a slow circular rhythm whose ascending curve goes up and down with fine variances in the rhythm and especially in the melody. Sober and robotic electronic percussions stimulate the imperfect course of Early Fluctuations. The hits are curt and brisk. They squeal as much as they resonate on a rhythmic structure that widens its fine stroboscopic stripe and sneaks through a cloud of electronic tones which chirp under the romantic breaths of a synth and of its solos with the tender scent of cosmic breezes. The brain is conquered, while the ears are begging for more. And there will be more. More than 70 minutes of enchantment where one would think to be within the boundaries of Software, Electronic-Universe era, and Richard Pinhas (Heldon) on his superb L'Ethique. Everything is there. The tones of a cosmos with eclectic cracklings as well as the sequences and their shadows which pile up in rhythms with variances as fine as their melodies with icy timbres. These minimalist and circular rhythms whirl around with hobbles lurking in their imperfect circles, dancing in magnetizing ritornellos beneath soft and morphic lunar synth solos that sing and float with ascendancies
as hypnotic as the rhythms. Silvie von Tiefengrund and Mick von Tiefengrund take us where Mergener & Weisser had forgotten us. And yet ...
Recorded live, in a single track, in the studio of E-Tiefengrund, VOLTAGE SESSIONS is a big surprise that let us jaw-dropping. Not because of its strength but its unsuspected subtleties in its minimalist rhythms and harmonies. We are witnessing the construction, phase by phase, of 4 long titles that are similar, except for Power Station, but whose subtle variances make them completely independent. It's the perfect album to portray the magic of minimalist art in what electronics has to offer; ambient rhythms encircled by twisted solos whose fine variations are real electronic rides for the ears. The intro of Energy Bells is forged on the same precepts. The rhythm is slower and revolves on sequences with tonal prisms. They alternate and interweave their tones in a static ballet that is courted by an ingenious percussion game whose bass pulsations, muffled cackling and carbon gas slamming weave the rampart of a long rhythmic anaconda that ripples in the cosmic plains under a synth with raging solos. Magnetic, the rhythm changes of skin and of tones, embracing the quintessence of minimalist electronic art while, heavier and freer of its unruly keys, Power Station constantly rebuffs against this minimalist envelope with fine riffs chewing a more linear structure. Big twin brother of Early Fluctuations, Synthetic Vitality is the most beautiful title of this album. The rhythm is still Teutonic. Sober and very mathematical, it beats on buzzing pulses and percussions always symmetrical. The beauty is this string of sequences that agglutinate in this lunar procession, molding dozens of small steps that get piled on the heels of the last beat and whose only way out remains a beautiful harmonic envelope that unscrews the brain. The synths are as sober as the percussions. Nevertheless, they weave discreet harmonies that adopt the fine variances of morphic rhythm as well as charming dreamy solos on these Richard Pinhas hypnotic sequences in L'Ethique.
From minimalist and morphic rhythms to stroboscopic structures, electronic percussion and melodies as simplistic and appealing as Kraftwerk's early works and cosmic storms of Software, VOLTAGE SESSIONS from E-Tiefengrund is simply enchanting! It's a true wind of freshness that reminds us of the beautiful years of analog movements where simplicity had as much charm as works forged in labyrinths of disheveled structures where often the melodies are lost in the quest for absolute creativity. It's a great album that I have devoured from beginning to end, as though the simple things are often part of the most beautiful. If you are looking for forgotten corridors in L'Ethique and Electronic-Universe, I can only strongly recommend this VOLTAGE SESSIONS.
Sylvain Lupari (July 21st,2013) ****½*
Available at SynGate Bandcamp