Browse by Artist: ALTER EGO

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Transphormer
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KLANG 011CD

"We would like to thank Einstein for his theory of relativity, Edison for the phonograph, Van Gogh for this ear and Alter Ego for being reliable. In times of vast popularity in the field of electronic dance music, Alter Ego focus on consistency in every sense of the word. With superior ease, they couple the most exciting moments of traditional techno with mega hip, state-of-the-art silicon funk. Deeply rooted in tradition, but always with their data glove on the pulse of time, they concentrate on the essentials. Ten specially selected little pieces of art have managed to make it onto Transphormer, all of which mastered their way round the chic obstacle course brilliantly taking purism and hit alarm in their stride. Straightness and a crazed love for detail are what make the difference on this album. Artistic breaks that entice, not force, the listener into a euphoric state. Sophisticated techno 'Made in Frankfurt' which once goes to show how exciting functionality can be."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Transphormed
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 012CD

"With Transphormer, Alter Ego presented an album that received unanimous approval and was one of the most important albums of the last two years. Far from typical production patterns, they have created a style of their own that never forgets the concept of 'techno' but yet manages to absorb song structures and sounds from pop music in a most abstract way. Apart from the phenomenal success of 'Rocker,' almost all the other tracks have also been released as single outtakes and remixed. The reason for the unprecedented number of releases is the remix exchange project between Alter Ego and various producers, making the Transphormer process easier to understand as regards its creation and effects. And it by no means falls into the pattern of 'Mixes For Cash' (as the title of an Aphex Twin remix album says), but offers each artist working on a track an Alter Ego remix in exchange. To them a remix always means more than those hurriedly knocked up, target-group-oriented marketing tools that other bands produce. In the past, big remix works have often founded, changed and considerably led to the development of entire music genres. This also reflects the team spirit of a worldwide scene that, despite the varied approach, shows a lot of respect for fellow musicians, enabling it to keep redefining itself and progressing. CD1 of Transphormedpresents all the Alter Ego remix classics that have significantly influenced the Transphormer album. The mixes on CD2 are titles exclusively taken from the Transphormer album, and, as mentioned above, tracks that have been reworked by various producers as part of the remix exchange project. They are thus not all stylistically homogeneous, but display a large variety of different approaches." Artists (CD1): The Human League, Octave One feat. Ann Saunderson, Spektrum, Primal Scream, 2Raumwohnung, Chicks On Speed, Reinhard Voigt, Solvent, Riton, Tiefschwarz, Alter Ego. Remixers (CD2): Tiefschwarz, Robag Wruhme, Solvent, Isolee, Losoul, Ricardo Villalobos, Rework, Ewan Pearson, Riton, Eric Prydz.

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Decoding the Hacker Myth
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KLANG 014CD

"The perfectly remastered issue of the classic 2nd Alter Ego album from 1996 (originally released on Sven Väth's Harthouse label those days). It was the band's very own wish to release this timeless album again in proper sound quality. It still is one of their favorite and most important works of all times. The sound and the music is totally outstanding and a class on its own. Klang Elektronic is proud to present an absolute piece of electronic history."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Why Not?!
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KLANG 015CD

It's been three years since Alter Ego's last album, Transphormer, so Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke unleash more of their madness upon the world. Why Not?! may not be the Alter Ego album you've been expecting. Picking up where Transphormer left off, it's frontloaded with all the ballsy Alter Ego hallmarks you've come to expect: buzzing squalls of synthesizer, leads that cut like a blowtorch, and rhythms that pack a rock 'n' roll punch to house and techno's jacking package. It's raw, dirty and just barely restrained. But Why Not?! is something else: it's funny. Maybe even a little bit goofy. This is techno, but it's not of the stonefaced, screwfaced variety. It's good, clean fun -- well, except when it's dirty, which is most of the time, given Alter Ego's affection for ragged waveforms and distortion-crusted drums. Most of all, it's dizzying, which might have something to do with the fact that virtually every track is slathered in grand, sweeping sounds with their portamento settings tuned to Roller Coaster. Listening to the album feels a little like racing down a playground slide that's been hooked up to a moderate electric current, and landing in a pile of mud. It's safe to say that NEVER before has classic house, techno and ragga/dubstep been combined in such a way. This record is destined to cause a stir amongst the current wave of French party crashers. Alter Ego have never been the most reverent of acts -- just consider the name of their early incarnation, Acid Jesus -- and on Why Not?!, from the titles to their tunes, their irreverence hits a restless new high, without ever sacrificing the all-powerful groove.

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	What's Next?!
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KLANG 017CD

2007's Why Not?! saw Alter Ego sky-rocket and chart into the stratosphere, and now Why Next?! features some of the most prominent names in techno tackling some of their favorite songs off the album. On Why Not?!, Jörn-Elling Wuttke and Roman Flügel confronted the nervous turmoil of the dancefloor in this era of NuRave and squiggly sounds with a treatment of techno that is humorous and extreme, with rave-reeling, sound exploration and roaring laughter. On this remix album, we see Why Not?! through the eyes of outstanding producers, ranging from Joakim to Deepgroove & Jamie Anderson, from Carl Craig to Supermayer. These are tracks that no one would have expected -- with corny jokes and sound research, grotesque gags and mind-expanding wobble merging closely. Carl Craig feeds his sampler with glittering glamrock chunk, unsettling his usual elegant sound cosmos. Tim Deluxe's ultra-tight groove elaborates on the exuberance of "Why Not?!" with even less restraint. Nerk & Dirk Leyers make short work of the original "Fuckingham Palace," smartly rendering the bass line into swarms of bass lines. Deepgroove & Jamie Anderson's remix lulls the listener into an illusion of security before it is hoovercrafted away. DJ Koze delivers an Afrobeat version of "Jolly Joker," Joakim makes the groove and bass stabs of "Why Not?!" sound more mechanic and angular and cartoon-like. Modeselektor changes "Fuckingham Palace" into a dubstep track, adding the pot-bellied humor of ragga (or is it gabba?) to this otherwise gloomy genre. Supermayer extract a very special left-field moment, Adam Sky transforms pure mania into pure pop music, Alter Ego themselves expose more glam-rock moments with a "Boys Club" version of "Gary," with vocals from Product 01 and the bonus track turns emo timbres into bleep.

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	The Fridge
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 075EP

"'Absolute' first saw the light of day around 1997 as one of the last releases on Harthouse. Because of the label's bankruptcy it sunk without trace... One of the reasons we decided to give this timeless, very concrete and minimal produced track a re-release. The bassdrum thumps a real groove while this acid-like figure massages nicely our synapses. That's why this piece from the 'Klangfabrik' is again and again part of the Alter Ego liveset, cause it's the 'Absolute'."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Rocker (Black Strobe Rmx)
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 084BEP

"Without exaggerating one can say that 'Rocker' is already one of thee dancefloor events of 2004. Wolfgang Voigt calls it 'noble techno', DJ Koze says, he didn't experience such reactions since Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and the limited one-sided 12" went strictly to number 1 in the German Dance Charts. And now it's time for the official release with a remix by French guys Blackstrobe. Ivan Smagghe's project is, together with Tiefschwarz, part of a spearhead of a new sound which the British call Electronic House whereas in Germany it's simply called Rock-Techno. Song structures and a sound that owes much to the eighties but avoids the mistakes made in the nineties gave way for Blackstrobe as the ideal candidate for the remix."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Raw
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 089EP

Remixes by Reinhard Voigt, Rework & Solvent! "Off we go with some bangin' sounds straight outta Com.. eh... Cologne! The one and only Reinhard Voigt starts with a delay heading into straight ass whipping and slapping techno territory! It's 1-2-3-4-GO with a speedy 130 bpm and dark and beautiful sounds like simple rave signals... This one's working the floor and the crowd, you'll see! Cologne did it again! From Cologne it's straight to Stuttgart, home of the ever so brave Rework guys and girls."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Rocker Remix
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 091EP

"This is the official release after a limited one-sided edition you probably had no chance to get hold of... So here you go again. Talking about one of the tracks from 2004 is definitely no understatement... Welcome Mr. Eric Prydz. Need to say more? Excellent job he did! Very clear and fat production exploring wider spaces and floors. Listen and find out. A special present for all the true fans of this marvelous track can be heard at the end of the 2nd side: Enjoy "The Unknown Beatbox Version' with a smile on your face and dance to the beatboxer's beat!"

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Beat the Bush/Tubaction
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 094EP

"Time to 'Beat the Bush' now, so get on board this massive ocean liner that the brothers Tiefschwarz have launched to sail the oceans of sound worldwide.... skip over to the B-side and listen to Ewan Pearson's 'Slow NRG Edit' which is slow indeed compared to the T'Sschwarz monster but could well be a lesson in groove, attitude and style! Hard rockin', head noddin' state of the art remix delivery! London's finest Riton, courtesy of Manchester's Grand Central label, speeds up 'Tubeaction' for some more action in London's subway system... will excite even more dancers when played loud at your favourite club."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Tubeaction
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 095EP

"Losoul's our first travelling companion and shows us one of his famous basslines first while doing some action in the tube. It's one hell of a bassline that varies in marvelous ways throughout the entire stoic, reduced minimal track. Next in line is Mr. Anu Pillai aka Freeform Five who beats the bush like Prince would do and throws in some cool n' funky guitar n' bass licks that mingle perfectly with some original Alter Ego sounds still intact. There's even a girl singer sending out strange messages and sentences like 'You Hide In Bushes'... and as we've already stepped into mystic land, let's give the top old boys themselves some shouts and cheers for their spooky, doomy and unreleased new track entitled 'Fragile!'"

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Transphormer Rmx
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 101EP

"'Finally It Has Happened To Me...' folks, but this ain't got nothing to do with Mrs. Peniston, this is definitely the final chapter in the might mighty Alter Ego remix project that came out of their last studio album Transphormer. Thus we have the title track remixed by two current Klang Elektronik and Playhouse stalwarts blazing the trail with their individual touch! Let's start with Johannes Heil's take on the groaning speedy 144bpm original."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Decoding the Hacker Myth
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 114LP

Double LP version. "The perfectly remastered issue of the classic 2nd Alter Ego album from 1996 (originally released on Sven Väth's Harthouse label those days). It was the band's very own wish to release this timeless album again in proper sound quality. It still is one of their favorite and most important works of all times. The sound and the music is totally outstanding and a class on its own. Klang Elektronic is proud to present an absolute piece of electronic history."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Decoding the Hacker Myth Remixed Pt. 2
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 116EP

"As part of the re-release of the Decoding the Hacker Myth album, Alter Ego present alternate versions of two tracks from this 1996 gem. Back in the days, the guys locked themselves in their dub laboratory named 'Klangfabrik' and came out with a different view on 'Lycra' and 'Brom.' The first one turned out a cool electro dub track with lots of spooky synths and heavy bass sounds. Alter Ego's apparent love for distorted sounds already shows up here towards the end of the mix when they crunch and squelch everything that's left. Rough 'n ready!"

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Blitz/Blank
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 117EP

"'Blitz' is truly as fast as lightning! But on the same hand very meditative in its restlessness and liveliness. Featured also: mighty hand-claps which should convince everyone to play this track. With side B's 'Blank,' the deputies of distortion are back. A stoically running track with constant cowbell use and massive groaning sounds that no one can destabilize. Then there's this short but wonderful percussion solo after 3 minutes..."

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Why Not?!
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 123EP

The title track to Alter Ego's full-length is stomping and playful at the same time, and surprises with sudden changes in the arrangement and sound, which really breathes life into it and makes you smile. It's more or less due to those highly amusing breaks -- retro-futuristic on the one hand, and very modern on the other -- that really make this tune work. This is the new style: get ready. This is the full-release two-sided version with cover art and Joakim (!K7, Versatile) remix added.

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Why Not?!
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 123LTD-EP

Alter Ego are back! And Why Not?! This strictly limited one-sided 12" is a foretaste of their upcoming album. The track, stomping and playful at the same time, surprises with sudden changes in the arrangement and sound, which really breathes life into it and makes you smile. It's more or less due to those highly amusing breaks -- retro-futuristic on the one hand, and very modern on the other -- that really make this tune work. This is the new style: get ready.

Artist:	ALTER EGO
Title:	Gary Remixes
Label:	KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	KLANG 133EP

Alter Ego's "Gary" is a massive tune with a menacing drone-bass and some winking wavepunk. Remixer Tiga takes "Gary" back to the early '90s, slows it down to 120 bpm, and adds a sweet and moody atmosphere of smooth Italo-disco. "Gary" goes POP for the B-side with Product 01's catchy electro-pop mash-up. Vocalist Rochelle Vincente Von K asks "Gary" to visit her private "Boys Club" where both tracks were put together into one new wave/new rave hit.

Previous Page Index of Artists Next Page