- You can play Atomly's latest EP all day long without noticing a thing. This isn't a catty remark; it's a compliment. It's deceptively difficult to make workhorse techno that doesn't wear out its welcome after a few rounds and it's even harder to nail down an infinite loop of the Mike Ink variety. I left Geisterbahnhoefe looping for three hours last night while pushing pixels, I went jogging in the park with it and I worked "Crave" into a recent set between tracks by Pan-Pot and Daniel Bell—and it performed wonderfully at all of these disparate tasks, keeping me working late into the night, lumbering through the last kilometer and filling the dance floor with grinding bass and happy people.
Because it's minimal techno, I can't tell you much about this record: there are no emotional climaxes or gripping movements. But there are several catchy hooks. Built from a thundering loop, "Crave" beautifully deploys the haunted brass groan that has become a key feature of Brooklyn techno (see Wolf + Lamb, Clink and Ransom Note)—and there is a dark edge to all four of these tracks. Roughly translated as "Ghost Train Station," Geisterbahnhoefe is packed with stray pings, shivers, hisses and sighs, each carefully positioned for maximum effect. These are compact tracks without a lot of light. "20,000 Leagues" earns its title with a submerged bassline that bounces along a seabed of clattering high-hats and a staccato melody. But this music is greater than the sum of its parts and Geisterbahnhoefe delivers four pieces of honest and hardworking techno without any pretension.
TracklistA1 Pinched
A2 Sublingual
B1 Crave
B2 20,000 Leagues