Good Gott!
I have seen a few posts in various places recently about 'E2-E4', the 45-minute mid-80s recording by German producer Manuel Gottsching, which was the 'inspiration' (and that's a kind term) for the quintessentially Ibizan record 'Sueno Latino', itself a classic of the deep house sound. I haven't followed Gottsching's subsequent work closely since then, preferring to immerse myself in the work of those others he inspired (Basic Channel, Chain Reaction and so on) but was still curious when a copy of his new album, a live recording at last year's Fuji Festival in Japan, landed on my desk. Called, rather unimaginatively, 'Live At Mt Fuji', and issued on Gottsching's own label, it nonetheless seduces with wave upon wave of gently and gradually building and then tailing off layers of dubby electornic sound. The only complaint I have is that Gottsching sounds too Pink Floyd at times, thanks to some meandering, self-indulgent guitar solos. Apart from this minor quibble, it's the best example of mid-50s vitality since I last saw Alexander Robotnick reducing a crowd, most of whom were young enough to be his grandchildren, to a sweaty mass with his infectious Italo. Remaining in dubby territories, but upping the tempo, turning up the volume on the master and with an approach as menacing as a pissed off Doberman who has skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner and is now eyeing you up at the other end of an alley with salivating fangs, is the mysterious Unknown, whose 'Ugandan Speed Trials' on Downwards is a brutal, simplistic and noisy Birmingham techno/dubstep melange. There's something alluringly simplistic about both cuts, the overriding sensibility has more in common with bleep'n'bass or the first raw, repetitive rhythms to emanate from Chicago than modern minimalism and its size 12 stomp means that it comes across like the techno equivalent of the hooligan chant, 'you're going to get your fucking head kicked in'...
To me "E2-E4" remains a true classic. I have the 1992 Spalax reissue on CD (the record is actually 58 min. long) and still listen to it often after all those years. Btw.. Is't that new record (Live at Mt. Fuji) Japan-only?
Posted by: Sotek | October 25, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Manuel Goettsching did a live performance in Berlin at Berghain last year if I'm not mistaken. Would be interesting to hear a recording of that.
The ugandan speed trial 12" is indeed wicked, will definitely get played a lot. Could that be Regis?
Posted by: silent stelios | October 25, 2007 at 02:08 PM
the Ugandan Speed Trials thing is Karl Meier from Chicago.
I really want to hear this Mt. Fuji album you speak of.
Posted by: Z | October 25, 2007 at 05:13 PM
Ohh this brightened up my friday. SOmething to look for for over the weekend. thanks!!
Posted by: Billy | October 26, 2007 at 02:14 AM
Goettsching is a milestone for electronic evolution
Posted by: ][ | October 26, 2007 at 09:47 AM
I wanted to love this but found some of the guitar pyrotechnics a bit much on first brief listen - will give it another go...
Posted by: leeism | October 26, 2007 at 11:03 AM
@ Silent Stellios / Z - I heard it was regis as well who did the ugandan speed record.... Gottsching's Mt Fuji recording was done around the same as the Berghain performance
@ Billy - the gottsching lp is really good, well worth tracking down
@ ][ I second that emotion!
@ Leeism - yip, the guitars are a bit dreary, the rest is well worth hearing. suspend your pink floyd prejudices and you'll be grand!
Posted by: Brophy | October 30, 2007 at 05:32 PM