Thomas Brinkmann - 'Clara/Doris' (Ernst)

'Clara' is a dark and somewhat pounding number that in it's first half (see, all of these 12"s are four tracks, two per name, so I am treating them as two suites -- although because there's lock-grooves galore, I have to pick up the needle constantly just to get these started) changes things up a bit at the end. But no worries, as the second half returns to it's minimal, muted-bass pounding and never lets up. There are weird gasps - some sharp blocky sounds hiding in the corners of the stereo field and the occasional white noise flourish. It's extremely routine techno but conjures a dark enough woodsy feel to me that I dig it. 'Doris' is different beast entirely. The first half continues along the bassy, wood-block feel but it has a few sampled vocals creeping out, but only a hint! The second half is truly sublime - sounding like all natural percussion samples, this relatively chilled-out track bounces around with some intense tinny clicking and some heavy low-mids eating up the stereo field. It stops and adjusts itself a few times, and ends up reminding me a bit of some AACM/Art Ensemble jams, like on Bap-tizum. Yeah, I know, i tend to like the most organic sounding of the techno records I own, but kill me.