- Abweichung (die) n. aberrance, wandering from the correct path, going astray, deviation from what is normal. Wolfgang Voigt could have likely named plenty of tracks "Abweichung" before the release of this EP, which sees the Kompakt boss kickstarting the Profan imprint once again after a nearly 18-month layoff. Freiland Klaviermusik, the last 12-inch to see the light of day on the label, was just as confrontational to audiences accustomed to at least a semblance of dance floor utility from the legendary producer. But Profan has also been a home to the more abstract edges of techno, and the title seems oddly appropriate for these four tracks. Each seem to revel in their inflexibility, winding through their relatively short length—only one track reaches above four minutes—by investing in the power of a brutal kick and varied samples.
Voigt employs unadorned snatches of classical music on each, and then piles seemingly random percussive effects around the almost ever-present four-four beat. The color afforded by the samples and the details that gather around the beat add life to the compositions, but the tracks are essentially experiments in design. They sound meticulously planned out, and devoid of any sort of guiding intuition. What made Voigt's work as Gas so fascinating is how that music rode the line between these two things. Here, it merely sounds like the work of a man still finding a new voice after years of singing excellently in another.
Tracklist A1 Abweichung 1
A2 Abweichung 2
B1 Abweichung 3
B2 Abweichung 4