Pole
2
(Matador/Kiff)
Released at the same time as his simply named full length CD 1, 2 (although not stepping up the package design at all) employs a lot of the same strategies of the first disc (including a very short title), but veers off in other directions as well, proving that there really are more directions for the snaps, crackles and deep bass rumbles to move in.
As you can probably already tell from my mention above, the usual hiss and pops of that ever-present malfunctioning 4-Pole Waldorf filter are in the tracks. Instead, though, the pace seems to pick up ever so slightly with the release. Even though it takes a little while to get going, things are even apparent on the first track "Fahren," as it leads in with some nice little snaps, but builds gradually with some very nice little melodies before a tubby bass drops in over the back of it all. It's a nine-minute trip in which Betke's dub roots show through a little bit more than usual. The second track, "Stadt" uses many of the same sounds as the first track, and instead of something new, it sounds like a slowed-down and tweaked-out remix of the first track with it's strange gurgling noises.
Probably the most interesting (and lush sounding) track on the disc (or on either release for that matter) is the third track entitled "Streit." The Pole sound is in full effect with very crisp snaps and bursts of noise, and the track builds upon itself with several different little intertwining melodies, all put on echo and left to linger as long as possible until they're gliding across the tops of one another. At one point, the track meanders down to only a slight bit of hiss, but soon takes off again in a frenzy of slowly dissipating noises.
After two more interesting tracks, the last track "Weit" also takes on several of the same noises that the first few tracks employ, and by the time you've finished listening to it, it seems as if the album has come full circle. Little noises from different tracks randomly pop up everywhere on the disc and instead of feeling like a lot of seperate tracks, 2 feels a bit more like a variation on a theme or a concept album of sorts for Pole. Overall, the disc is much less stripped-down than the first disc and sounds a little more upbeat (if that's possible) with it's streaking, echoing bits and more lush sound. After hearing two albums with the same sorts of applied sounds from the broken filter, it makes me wonder what Pole can do next, but I know I'll definitely be listening.
Rating: 8.25
