- Inga Mauer's Bon Voyage radio show is a wonderful gateway into her mind. The rewarding first instalment in 2015 showed that the Russian DJ's tastes span from Chris & Cosey and Traumprinz to The Last Poets, and introduced me to several artists. Subsequent editions indulged Mauer's conceptual whims, offering up primers on Bunker Records and fellow Russian musicians. Hivern Discs released Mauer's debut record last September. Referencing her nomadic lifestyle, From Cologne To Clone touched on influences Mauer had displayed in DJ sets, but it felt too restrained. Mauer's second release, the four-track shtum 012, is more assured.
Mauer may have had shtum's "music best listened to in a room full of strobe lights and fog" slogan in mind when recording "Dno," which begins in marauding fashion with a dank four-note bassline thud, before building to a potent psychedelic crescendo. There's also a sense of narrative on "Dno" that was absent from From Cologne To Clone. Powered by a faulty arpeggio that feels on the brink of collapse, "Silences" chugs like a slab of dysfunctional EBM, while Mauer's icy vocals and intermittent synths provide added drama. It should work wonders on open-minded dancers. The same goes for the sloppy vocal and resonant bassline of "My Flights Without You" and the lolloping drums of "Dystopia," which is a lot more fun than its title suggests.
TracklistA1 Dno
A2 Silences
B1 My Flights Without You
B2 Dystopia