- Frank Bretschneider's sprawling experimental discography conveys a lifelong fascination with sound design, but every so often his love of rhythm comes to the fore. Take 2007's aptly titled LP, Rhythm, or, more recently, Super.Trigger, which saw the Raster-Noton cofounder turn his hand to gnarly glitchtronica. If the preview EP for his forthcoming full-length, Lunik, is anything to go on, the new album also sits in this tougher, more accessible style.
Plastik / Mechanik features two tracks, both of which show Bretschneider in the brightest and funkiest form of his career. "Plastik" is melodic and downbeat, with single notes of candescent synths panning from left to right over a bassy, low-key breakbeat. It's pretty and absorbing in its repetition, but it could use some extra shifts to justify its six-minute runtime. The shorter and more direct "Mechanik" is a rare example of Bretschneider producing with half an eye on the dance floor. The woody kicks don't exactly bang, but there's enough funk and thrust in the motorized synth line to get bodies gently grooving. Again, the beauty is getting lost in the loop.
TracklistA Plastik
B Mechanik