Tolouse Low Trax - ‎Decades Vol. 1

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  • The hub of creativity that is Salon Des Amateurs, the so-called "power lounge" founded by Detlef Weinrich (AKA Tolouse Low Trax), follows a tradition of musical freedom in Düsseldorf. The vanguard spirit has previously manifested in the performances of Joseph Beuys, the production techniques of Conny Plank, Kraftwerk's Autobahn ideal and Neue Deutsche Welle bands like D.A.F. and Liaisons Dangereuses. An astute student of this history, Weinrich can be found DJing krautrock, kosmische and post-punk at the Salon, but the music he makes as Tolouse Low Trax follows a very simple formula: slo-mo dance music built on Klaus Dinger's trusty motorik beat. As part of the group Kriedler, Weinrich has been on a similar trip since the early '90s, but it was 2015's Rushing Into Water EP that alerted leftfield dance heads to his sound. Now, we're treated to a wealth of Tolouse Low Trax music thanks to Antinote's three-part Decades series. Plenty of dance music can be described as kinetic, but rarely is the word so aptly applied than on Vol. 1. Even the synth lines on "Make Friends" plonk along in mere service of the percolating rhythm. There isn't a clear start or end to this music, just perpetual motion. On "Ejekter," Weinrich puts a skeletal guitar solo over a beat that chugs like a locomotive, while the ominous "Hidden Flat" snaps into action like a Rube Goldberg machine. "Studies In Drama" ups the tempo by about 65 BPM and yet it still feels airy and relaxed, like machines assembling a Benz to the Bo Diddley beat. When the Thomas Pynchon-referencing "Tristeros Empire" grinds to a halt, it's like the end of a joyride. Vol. 1 is yet another example of Düsseldorf's commitment to hypnotic, repetitive excellence.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Make Friends A2 Ejekter A3 Hidden Flat B1 Studies In Drama B2 Tristeros Empire
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