- Kompakt’s K2 imprint harks back to the early minimalism of the Profan label with “C.L.A.U.D.I.A”, the debut of Italian artist MUFO (Andrea di Francesco, who seems to be very fond of upper case letters). Profan, which eventually evolved into Kompakt, was theoretical and mathematical in its approach to minimalism; its releases were characterized by productions that often eschewed melody in order to focus solely on rhythms. The three tracks on “C.L.A.U.D.I.A” are clearly inspired by the Profan aesthetic, but Francesco unfortunately fails to avoid the pitfalls of the style, with his angular rhythms coming across as cold and alienating.
All three tracks are remarkably similar in sound, dominated by metallic buzzes and woozy disorienting dub tinged keyboards (especially on “Tripping”). There is no warmth here, and little to distinguish one track from the next. More significantly, none of the rhythms are particularly gripping, instead being merely workmanlike; and in this form of minimalism compelling rhythms are essential. The tracks are short, each clocking in between four to five minutes, which gives scant time for progression. As a consequence, each track is an exploration of a single idea; this would work well if the ideas (by which I mean the rhythms) were more compelling, but instead leaves a listener cold.
Francesco’s debut reveals how difficult it is to produce minimal explorations of rhythm that do not bore or alienate listeners. Hopefully on subsequent releases Francesco can come closer to replicating the stripped back minimal groove of Wolfgang Voigt’s Profan productions.