Unser

Chronique

Hausmeister's Unser begins by placing the listener in a rather unfamiliar place. For anyone who knows Christian Przygodda's work in the electronic music realm, country guitar twang may seem a bit out of line. But he maintains the strangely placed guitar lines and weaves them into a sweet rhythm for his chirpy synthesizer and bubbly beats. For an electronic album from the depths of the coldest electronic music, Germany, Unser is surprisingly fertile. Elements of post-rock cross Przygodda's path but he hides them well, disguising what could easily be construed as jazz instrumentation as a new sort of sleazy listening, complete with strong melodies and a knack for tunefulness. He prettifies nearly every track with that warm guitar that, at first, sounds so western. Now, it comes across as a fine-bristled brush, touching up the smallest of empty spaces on an otherwise beautiful canvas. Not to say that Hausmeister has totally traded in his sampler for a Gibson 12-string. "Tifft" sees him jumping back to older territory, maintaining a catchy melody but utilizing his synths and drum boxes in new ways, layering dense electronic patterns for greater effect. Others, such as "Wanter," focus their attention almost entirely on composition, creating a joyous excursion from the beat-driven theme of the record. Unser is a little less rocking than later period Mouse on Mars recordings but is equally as adventurous. A solid record from end to end.
© Ken Taylor /TiVo