Dominik Eulberg - Der Buchdrucker

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  • More conceptual baggage surrounds the work of Dominik Eulberg than any other techno producer and Der Buchdrucker, available also in a limited edition wood sleeve, ladles it on thick. I have struggled without success to find the slightest trace of organic matter in any of his previous releases – Eulberg is resolutely mechanical and digitised but he does offer an interesting distraction from the endless conveyor belt of anonymous production. The aggressive 'Buchdrucke' (spruce bark beetle) is, we are told, the biggest pest to Norwegian Spruce in Europe and if the buzzing and gnashing heard here is evidence of its presence then there's clearly a major infestation throughout the international techno community. The eponymous A-side begins as typically nocturnal schaffel before hats override the time signature to 4/4. Standard Eulberg clang and rasp clutters the background and we're in dubbed-out Shitkatapult territory before a long breakdown, punctuated with spacious tones, redefine this as prime Eulberg trance. A deliciously simple melody grows in poignancy over its eight bars over dots of extraneous sounds – frayed telephone tones, gurgling synths and rattling metal. It’s the wide-open breakdown and billowing clouds of static that make this a killer worthy of his own DJ sets. 'Bjoern Bockenkaefer' is the lesser work but it's still classic Eulberg. Equally melody-driven and developed out of a simple three-step percussive bounce, again all manner of tiny noises litter the ground while small melodic flourishes spark off a descending keyboard scale. An old wooden box is called a snare and beaten for all it is worth, while another is ripped apart, stretched into white noise and used as atmosphere. These are good tracks, but whether they're worth preserving in wood is questionable. In the end it's still disposable techno music.
  • Tracklist
      A Der Buchdrucker (9:00) B Björn Borkenkäfer (8:06)
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